Alpha PAL6035

Alpha is probably the company with the best reputation among overclockers. They were among the first to realize that there is a market for heatsinks that are specifically designed for overclocking.  The Alpha PAL6035 is the veteran in this heatsink roundup. We received the first sample of the PAL6035 back in December 1999. The original PAL6035 was not compatible with Intel FC-PGA CPUs (but it would fit Duron and Thunderbird CPUs). Therefore Alpha introduced the FC-PAL35, a version of the PAL6035 which would fit Intel FCPGA CPUs (but not Durons and Thunderbirds).

In September 2000, Alpha started shipping the PAL6035 with a different clip, which is optimized for AMD CPUs. The new clip is stronger and has a revised (smaller) pressure point, and therefore improves cooling performance. Of course we tested with the new clip.

Finally, in November 2000, an updated version of the PAL6035 hit the market, which is compatible with all Socket CPUs from Intel  and AMD.  It has modified base plate and optional little feet that can be sticked on the heatsink if it should be used with FCPGA CPUs. Performance-wise, the latest Alpha is on par with the previous version with the revised clip.

Not all Alpha PAL6035 are created equal - there are many different versions, so if you plan to buy a PAL6035, make sure you get the latest version.

Alpha ships the heatsinks either without fan, or with Sanyo Denki fan. Many retailers buy the heatsinks without fan, and add fans from other manufacturers, because they are cheaper and often more efficient. The most popular and most widely available 60x25mm fan is the YS Tech fan, supplied by Global WIN. Therefore we test the Alpha both with the original Sanyo Denki fan, and the YS Tech fan.
 
 

 

These two images above show your the differences between the old PAL6035 (left) and the new PAL6035 (right).
The new model is also milled on the upper side, and has little circles in the base plate that show where to install the optional pads for Intel FCPGA CPUs.

One problem with all copper heatsinks is that in the long term, most thermal compounds will enter a chemical reaction with the copper base.
On the second heatsink, you can clearly see the traces where thermal compound had been applied.

Agilent ArctiCooler HACA-0001 (continued) Alpha PAL6035 (continued)
Comments Locked

0 Comments

View All Comments

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now