OCZ Tempest CPU Cooler

Performance:

The installation of the OCZ Tempest onto the CPU socket is not as easy as some heatsinks, but it only took us a couple of minutes and is relatively straightforward. As mentioned earlier, supported by the Tempest are AMD's 939/940/AM2 sockets while the Intel side consists of 478/LGA-775. For our purposes, we had installed the OCZ Tempest on an Athlon 64 X2 with the Abit KN9 Ultra motherboard. Below is the run-down of system components:

Installing the heatsink on the AM2-based KN9 Ultra was very easy, though to the dismay of some users it does require the removal of the motherboard from its chassis. Absolutely no installation troubles were experienced. While once again there were accuracy concerns of the motherboard reported temperatures with the LM_Sensors on these new motherboards, we have refrained from posting any specific thermal results. We can, however, definitively say that this CPU cooler was able to adequately cool the AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ both at stock speeds and throughout overclocking. The OCZ Tempest handled our dual-core overclocking with complete ease. The included fan maintained a state of being relatively quiet throughout our entire testing process.

Conclusion:

Coming out of this review we were all relatively pleased by the package presented with the OCZ Tempest and its performance results. The OCZ Tempest is compatible with all major desktop sockets from AMD and Intel, and even when pairing it with a mid-range Athlon 64 X2 it had no problems cooling the processor. Its installation was effortless, though some novice users may find the motherboard removal to be difficult. While OCZ's reputation with gamers and enthusiasts is with system memory, the Tempest is certainly an example that OCZ Technology has the potential to expand and be a leader in other areas. There were no major complaints with the OCZ Tempest other than the minor issues with potentially the installation process. At the time of writing, the OCZ Tempest is selling for approximately $60 USD.