Initial Thoughts
The package is a decently sized. Nothing to write home about, but certainly not bland. I like Arctic’s packaging, it features the product and a few features. No need for swords and wizzards all over the place.
Opening the box up, everything is packaged properly. There is not much space for items to move around during shipping. This ensures no broken fins on the heatsink, or broken fan blades.Overall I would say ARCTIC has done a nice job packaging the heatsink.
Closer Look
Getting closer, this heatsink is well built but not perfect. The fins are pressed onto the heatpipes rather than soldered. This means it is more likely that they can be broken off and do not give a perfect heat transfer. But it also means that you do not have to pay for them to be soldered on so it is a fair trade.
The base is very smooth and is quite reflective. While it does not have a mirror finish, that is not needed with a direct-touch type heatsink.
Speaking of this heatsink being a direct touch, the heatpipes directly come in contact with the processor. So be very careful when mounting since the heatpipes are relatively easy to puncture.
Looking over the fan it has some of the best looking blades I’ve come across in a fan. But with that being said, they are also the most sharp I’ve seen on a fan. I can’t even count the amount of times I cut myself on the fan even when it was not in use.
Mounting the i30 is a mixed bag. It sure is not hard if you choose to install the heatsink out of a case. But installing it when the motherboard is in a case is pretty much a circus act in itself. So do yourself a favor when installing this heatsink and do so outside of the case otherwise you might end up with an odd mount.
One of the most impressive things was the fact that ARCTIC sent a decent sized tube of their MX-4 thermal paste. Too often these days companies merely send a pack you tear and get a single install worth of thermal paste. The i30 included enough paste for roughly 3 installs using a generous amount of paste.
