ProlimaTech Super Mega Heatsink Preview
ProlimaTech, the company behind the award-winning and record-setting Megahalems heatsink, has released a successor to the overclocking throne: the ProlimaTech Super-Mega heatsink cooler for Intel CPUs. The Megahalems was ProlimaTech's first run at CPU-cooler's, and a very successful one at that. Having already earned the Benchmark Reviews Editor's Choice Award and countless accolades from other websites, ProlimaTech has built high expectations with their follow-up products. The Super Mega is ProlimaTech's plan to remain seated comfortably at the top. In this exclusive article, Benchmark Reviews examines the ProlimaTech Super Mega and illustrates the improvements made to the original Megahalems design.
When it comes down to it, those consumers shopping for aftermarket cooling products only want one thing out of them: the very best cooling performance their money can buy. It makes perfect sense, too. Since so many products flood the market, it all comes down to price and performance. Based on this principle, Benchmark Reviews searches out the latest CPU coolers and tests them under real-world overclocked conditions. Want to know which cooling products stand-out? Watch for the ProlimaTech Super-Mega to be included in the upcoming quarterly update to our Best CPU Cooler Performance series.
The ProlimaTech Super-Mega uses a very dense array of aluminum and copper fins which are split down the middle to form two separate heatsink halves. The Super-Mega heatsink is comprised of six heat-pipe rods, which span to each side and offer twelve total cooling ends. The nickel-plated copper base secures firmly to the CPU with a new and improved proprietary mounting clip system. This mounting system, which I am pleased to report is the most effective clip mechanism I've ever used, and improves the already impressive design offered on the Megahalems and Armageddon, offers up to 70 pounds of contact pressure while completely removing the chance of processor movement or sliding.
ProlimaTech Super Mega Heatsink Cooler Preview
Matching the original Megahalems where it counts most, ProlimaTech has made several extremely subtle changes to the design along with a few obvious additions. For most, the new copper fins will be the most direct difference, but there's more that meets the eye. Although this article offers a preview of the product, Benchmark Reviews will publish all of the CPU cooler performance results in our upcoming ProlimaTech Super-Mega Heatsink CPU Cooler review.
ProlimaTech Super-Mega Specifications
- Heatsink Dimension: (L)130mm X (W)74mmX (H)158.7mm
- Heatsink Weight: 945.3 grams
- Heatpipe Ø: 6mm X 6pcs
- Accepts 120mm and 140mm cooling fans
- Installs: Intel LGA775, LGA1156, and LGA1366
About ProlimaTech
Prolimatech, founded in 2008 is headquartered in Taiwan, led by a team of dedicated experts with 22 years of accumulated experience in the field of computer thermal solutions. Prolimatech stands for Professionalism exceeding beyond all Limits. We are here to challenge any limits that stand in our way to achieve what was thought to be impossible. Prolimatech incorporates integration of the aerospace resource-saving technology and advanced heat conduction technology to create the best heat absorption and dissipation solutions while pertaining to the science of aesthetics. Our never-ending quest is to satisfy every computer overclocker's and every enthusiast's needs for high quality and performance oriented thermal solutions for their high-end computer components.
First Look: ProlimaTech Super Mega
ProlimaTech's image has been built by the success of their unique cooling products, and at the center of each new heatsink is a novel approach to packaging. ProlimaTech uses a self-securing cardboard package for the Super Mega heatsink, which offers a small window view inside and some basic specification along the side. Let's take the ProlimaTech Super Mega out of the box, and take a closer look...
The ProlimaTech Super Mega clearly shares the Megahalems and Mega Shadow heatsink design, and presumably, the same cooling traits.
There are 45 aluminum plates stacked and pressed together on each side of the ProlimaTech Super Mega heatsink. The top fin pieces have been nickel plated and polished, and uses single-piece construction for each half.
Identical to the previous designs, the Super Mega shares the same in-line heat-pipe layout. The nickel-plated copper base has also been reused from the Megahalems design.
Six nickel-plated copper heat-pipe rods pass through the base, and extend to each separated halves of the cooler. All ProlimaTech heatsinks feature soldered heat-pipe rods into the base.
Please continue on as we detail the finer features in our next section...
Super Mega Awesome Features
Since critical details are important, it's worth noting that the ProlimaTech Super Mega heatsink, as with the previously released Megahalems and Mega Shadow CPU coolers, utilize a two-part construction for each fin plate.
Each plate is joined together by inter-locking two 'halves', which use compression on the heat-pipe rod and a thin amount of lead-free solder to secure the fin in place.
Of the 180 fin parts (44 inner and outer pieces per side and two top plate halves), several copper plates are stacked along the outside edges. 32 of the 88 outer fin plates are copper, and combined with nickel plating they increase the weight from 790g on the Megahalems to 945.3 grams on the Super Mega.
Each outer fin plate has been shaped to accept a wire fan frame, so that up to two 120mm or 140mm fans may be attached. While the fins are no wider than a 120mm fan, the attachments will secure larger fans to the heatsink. The Super Mega does not include a cooling fan, however two sets of 120/240 fan wire clips are enclosed with the accessory kit.
In terms of physical heatsink differences, there have been only two: copper fin plates are positioned along the outside, and two polished nickel plates cover the top.
Mounting Surface and Hardware
While there are only two major design changes with the heatsink itself, ProlimaTech has made several changes to the mounting hardware for Super Mega. A familiar slightly-textured contact surface on the Super Mega matches the base on ProlimaTech's Megahalems and Mega Shadow. ProlimaTech does not polish the contact base of their heatsinks.
Gone is the LGA1366-only four-prong backplate found on Megahalems, which contained stand-off screws molded into the reinforcing plate. The new design allows for either Intel LGA775, LGA1156, or LGA1366 sockets, depending on the bolt orientation. A soft silicon-rubber center grommet helps to space the backplate away from the processor on LGA775 motherboards. A separate AMD mounting kit for AM2/AM2+/AM3 sockets costs $10.
The biggest change comes in the shape of a black spring-loaded screw. A pair of black 70LB 'extensive pressure' screws offer extreme surface compression between the processor and heatsink, which ProlimaTech warns against damage on every plastic bag. Standard compression silver spring-loaded screws are also included.
The final addition to the new design is the aluminum mounting plate, which has been modified to use small screw cups at each end. The previous design utilized a pair of 1-3/16" spring-loaded screws that went into the flat surface of the aluminum mounting plate. The new screws measure only 11/16" long and are held secure in the cup.
This concludes our exclusive preview of the upcoming ProlimaTech Super Mega heatsink. What still remains to be seen is how it performs against the Megahalems CPU cooler, our current champion of air-cooled overclocks. Benchmark Reviews will soon publish all of the CPU cooler performance results in our upcoming ProlimaTech Super-Mega Heatsink CPU Cooler review. Make sure you're signed up for our newsletter!
Look for the ProlimaTech Super Mega heatsink to go on sale at FrozenCPU first. If you can't wait, ask them to start a pre-order!
The original ProlimaTech Megahalems is still available for $62 (without fans), and the AMD mounting kit for AM2/AM2+/AM3 sockets will add an extra $10.
Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.
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Comments
I have already tested the Megahalems and Super Mega side by side, and now they've been sent to another reviewer for double-blind testing. Once we've completed all tests, we'll publish our results. We reserve our forecasts until all of the data comes in.
The part about the anodized aluminium is something you've heard from Prolima or just your assumption?
Since the unit is being re-tested by another staff writer, I will ask him to analyze the fins and give his opinion. If they're copper, I'll correct the description.
Look to me you're calling them liars. :)
The hefty weight difference between it and a regular Megahalems comes either from that stainless steel top plate or the copper fins. I'm more inclined to think the 32 copper fins are responsible for that.
Anyways testing will reveal if their claims are just that or this is a better product. For relevance's sake I think you should compare it to a product tested in the same session as it and not use previous results.
Additionally, I've completed all of my testing... as I've already stated in the post above your own. The cooler is being re-tested (as I also pointed out) by another reviewer to confirm my own results.
So you see, I didn't call them liars and we've gone to twice the amount of work you thought was appropriate.