Intro

Some of us are looking for the best CPU cooling no matter what the price or noise. Others are looking for the quietest solution available and usually end up paying for it with lack of performance. The Nexus AXP-3200 Real Silent CPU Cooler with SkiveTek^® technology gives us a very happy medium.

Package

When I saw the box containing the item for my first review, I thought, "oh, oh". It had come all the way from the Netherlands and it looked like it had a rough journey. Luckily, the good people at Nexus had packaged it well and there was no damage to the contents. Inside the box a blister pack contained the cooler as well as a small packet of thermal compound.

Cooler

The AXP-3200 is made of aluminum with a copper base plate. The bonding of copper to aluminum is very clean with no gaps visible. On closer inspection I found the fins are not attached to the heat sink by means of soldering or welding, but cut from one block of aluminum and then bent into place. Nexus calls this process SkiveTek^® technology. The copper base plate is covered to prevent damage prior to installation and when I removed the cover I found the copper very nicely finished to an almost mirror finish. The whole thing is covered by a green metal shroud and topped with a 70 mm fan. Removing the fan reveals a V-shaped cut allowing better air flow through the fins and therefore better cooling.

Specs

Heat sink specs:

• AMD Socket A/462 and Intel Socket 370
• AMD Athlon XP up to 3200+ and MP 2800+ or higher
• Intel P3 1.13 GHz or higher
• Dimensions: 8.2 cm X 7.45 cm
• Height including fan: 7.2 cm
• Weight including fan: 331 grams

Fan specs:

• Dimensions: 70x70x25 mm
• Speed: 2400 RPM (+/-10%)
• Noise level: 19 dB
• 21.1 CFM