I have owned a DFI LANParty NF4 SLI-DR motherboard for almost two years now, and it has been used extensively for gaming, video editing, some overclocking, and in a good number of reviews at Bigbruin.com. Although it has performed well, one thing I have always had to deal with is the noise produced by the stock DFI chipset cooler.
I recently read a review of the Thermalright HR-05 SLI chipset cooler and it convinced me that it was the way to go in order to eliminate the excessive noise from the stock cooler. I was on the Thermalright website looking for more information on the HR-05 SLI when I saw the latest version, the HR-05 IFX SLI. It wasn't listed on any online stores, and I didn't see any published reviews, so we contacted them and they agreed to send over a review sample of this brand new chipset cooler.
As the promotional image above shows, the IFX version is fairly similar to the original HR-05 SLI, but the new "Wild Fire" design catches your eye as something different right away. Before taking a look at the HR-05 IFX SLI chipset cooler provided for review, let's look at some published data taken from the Thermalright website.
Features:
» Wild Fire design with increased surface area for dissipation from any 80mm fan (fan wire clips included)
» New and improved method of retention mechanism for more sturdy and firm mount and with better motherboard compatibility.
» Proprietary through holes on fins for efficient ventilation
» Soldered fins to copper base (nickel plated) to make effective contact
» Light weight and easy installation
» Designed to fit SLI/Crossfire systems
Specifications:
» Dimension: L87xW20(Fin),W62.5(Include body)xH105mm. L30xW30mm.(Cooper Base)
» Weight: 125g (heatsink only)
» Recommended Fan: Any 80x80x15mm fan
» Motherboard Compatibility:
» ATI Radeon Express 200
» Intel P35,975X,965P,955X, 945G, 945P, 945PL, 925X, 925XE, 915G, 915P, 865PE, 848P
» nVidia nForce4 SLI,680i,590
» SiS SiS 656, SiS 661FX/964
» VIA P4M800, PT880 Ultra
Packaging:
The box that the Thermalright HR-05 IFX SLI chipset cooler arrived in looks pretty basic without any images or creative marketing lingo. It is just a brown cardboard box with the Thermalright logo on the top and the model name on the side. Opening the cover reveals the tightly packed cooler and accessories tucked into molded Styrofoam.
 
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