The Basics:
Taking our first look at the Arctic Cooling Accelero X1 we see that on the surface there is not much to see. The front of the cooler will give you the model number and provide you with access to the fan blades. In this picture you can also see the power cable which Arctic Cooling has wrapped nicely and has provided with two different power connections.
Turning the cooler over you will see that the Accelero X1 has thermal paste pre-installed (this is not the common thermal pad). The thermal paste is protected by a plastic cover that you must remove prior to installation. Something that grabbed my attention, is the back of the fan. It is not solid plastic as I expected, but rather it is a rubber material that allows the fan to move a little. This innovative design should lead to less noise as any vibration from the fan is isolated from the support brace.
This cooler is designed to be opened, which is great so you can easily clean out the dust that gathers in the fins. The cooler is opened by some clips along the edge, and once opened the top of the cooler comes off easily. Here you can see how the fan blades push air over the heatsink fins.
Putting the cover back on and turning the cooler on its side, you can see the exact design of the heatsink fins. Many of them are straight across, however a little under half of them have had a portion of the material cut back. As I find out later, this allows you to access the power connection.
Finally, you have the included accessories. Arctic Cooling has included four memory thermal pads, a bag of screws and washers, video card back support plate, and an Arctic Cooling logo sticker.
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