Conclusion:

All 3 products performed amazingly well and they turn in results that are almost identical. Seeing as the design of each one is completely different, this came as a surprise. Thermalright and Zalman use and all-copper design using thin plates to dissipate the heat while Swiftech has chosen a combination of Copper/Aluminum and still remains very close to its all-copper brothers.

Each product has a very nice finishing and comes equipped with all the necessary gear to have them up and running in no time.

Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages


Swiftech MCX478-V

Retail price: $48.95

PRO
Easy, tool-less installation
Easy plug and play attachment of both 80&90mm fans
Top end performance in both silent as loud categories

CON
Need good amount of pressure to press down the clips for installation

Swiftech has listened to their customers; they have taken the design of the MCX4000 and optimised it for use with low noise fans. They have certainly succeeded in their goal, producing a heatsink that is way up there in the TOP aircooling-solution ranking. The straightforward installation and excellent overall finishing are extra positive assets which are more then welcome.


Thermalright SP-94

Retail price: $49.99

PRO
1st class performance in all categories
Secure installation

CON
Installation requires motherboard removal

The Thermalright SP-94 takes over the ultimate performance crown when it comes down to air-cooling your Pentium 4 setup. To do this it has sacrificed on easiness of installation. If you don't mind the extra hassle then you can hardly call this a negative point.


Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu

Retail price: $41.99

PRO
Easy installation
Good performance at low noise levels

CON
Inability to change the fan on this heatsink

Zalman's Computer Noise Prevention System proves to be very effective, the 7000A-Cu has enough power to keep up with the big boys, and at a slightly lower price it has earned itself a place in the crowded CPU cooling market.