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The CHEAPEST Heatsink on the Market

Linus Tech Tips@LinusTechTips3M viewsMay 14, 201711:05
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YT
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Description

How good is a heatsink that costs only $5? For your unrestricted 30 days free trial, go to freshbooks.com and enter in “Linus Tech Tips” in the how you heard about us section.

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Check out HP's Omen X featuring Intel's 7th Generation Core i7 7700K processor on Newegg: geni.us Buy heatsinks on Amazon: geni.us Buy heatsinks on Newegg: geni.us Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com Our Affiliates, Referral Programs, and Sponsors: linustechtips.com Linus Tech Tips merchandise at designbyhumans.com Linus Tech Tips posters at crowdmade.com Production gear: geni.us twitter.com @LinusTech Intro Screen Music Credit: Title: Laszlo - Supernova Video Link: youtube.com iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com Artist Link: soundcloud.com Outro Screen Music Credit: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High youtube.com Sound effects provided by freesfx.co.uk

Start
AI OverviewDefault language

The video launches a new experimental series titled The Cheapest on the Market, beginning with a bold question: can a five dollar heatsink bought on eBay actually cool a modern CPU? The host examines a suspiciously inexpensive cooler, bundled with minimal hardware, and compares it against Intel’s stock cooling solution that ships with a 7700K. The teardown reveals the build quality is exceptionally modest, with bends in the mounting bracket and a fin arrangement that seems assembled on an assembly line rather than engineered for performance. The test setup is clearly defined: a 7700K running at high turbo frequencies on the stock cooler first, followed by mounting the questionable five dollar cooler with the included thermal compound. The plan is to run an AIDA64 stress test at 100 percent load to observe temperatures, fan behavior, and the ability to sustain boost clocks. Overall, the video frames a practical experiment aimed at evaluating whether price alone can predict cooling effectiveness. By juxtaposing cost against performance, the host builds a narrative around risk, value, and the surprising possibility that ultra-cheap components might unexpectedly hold their own in real-world scenarios.

Topics · science & technology · hardware & components · consumer electronics

Questions answered

What components were used in the test comparison for the five dollar heatsink?
The test compared a five dollar heatsink bought on eBay against the Intel stock cooler, both used with an Intel Core i7 7700K processor to assess cooling performance under load.
What were the key test conditions and measurements used to evaluate cooling performance?
The setup used an AIDA64 stress test at 100 percent CPU utilization, monitored CPU package temperatures, turbo speeds, and fan behavior, with thermal compound applied for a fair comparison between the two coolers.
Did the five dollar heatsink meet its implied cooling capacity during testing, and what caveats were noted?
The heatsink managed to run the CPU under load and allowed some performance, but it showed significant throttling and higher temperatures, indicating it did not reliably meet a higher wattage requirement like 95W. The test author notes it is rated for 65W and cautions about the aggressive stress conditions.