Vantec Aeroflow 2 Heatsink Review

Former staff writer - April 5, 2004
Category: CPU Cooling
Price: $22 USD

Introduction
Today we will be looking at Vantec’s successor to the Aeroflow the Aeroflow 2. Vantec had great success with the original Aeroflow despite the high fan failure rate of the T.M.D (tip magnetic drive) fan. For the Aeroflow2 Vantec has done away with the T.M.D fan going with standard axial fan. The Aeroflow was known for its great cooling ability at an affordable price. Can the Aeroflow2 repeat the success of its older sibling the Aeroflow? Read on to find out.

Specifications

Model	VA4-7245
CPU Socket	370/7/A (462)
Rated Voltage	12v
Rated Current	0.24A
Power Consumption	2.88W
Bearing Type	Ball Bearing
Fan Speed	4000 RPM
Fan Dimension	70x70x20mm
Airflow	34 CFM
Noise Level	35 dBa
Dimension	85x71x72mm
Weight	468 grams
Life	50,000 hrs

Closer Look

Packed inside the plastic clam shell we have the heatsink, instructions, and thermal compound.

One of the first things I noticed with the Aeroflow 2 was the silver plastic fan grill. I’m not a big fan of decorative fan grills as sometime they tend to restrict airflow somewhat, but removing the fan grill in this case yielded no difference in temperatures.

This time around Vantec replaced the YS tech 70mm T.M.D fan with a standard black 70mm ball bearing fan. This is a good move on Vantec’s part as there was a high failure rate associated with the T.M.D fans on the Aeroflow.

Underneath we see the slightly different design of the Aeroflow2 compared to its predecessor. The new design allows more air to reach the CPU, and adds more surface area to the heatsink compared to the Aeroflow. The base of the heat sink came with a protective plastic sticker to ensure no damage to the base during shipping. The finish of the base was pretty good the only gripe I had was the dimple in the center of the copper slug directly over where the die of the CPU is located.

The Aeroflow 2 is held in place with clip designed to use all six cleats of the socket. This is a must as the Aeroflow 2 weighs in at 468 grams; that’s 168 grams past AMD’s recommended weight of 300grams.