Cooler Master X6 Elite Heatsink Review

In this review we talked about how the unique design of the X6 Elite enabled the radiator to internally channel air and increase the overall surface area while still retaining the size of a compact tower heatsink.  This particular configuration does lend itself well to becoming a performance air cooler but we feel the performance is more towards sound reduction than raw overclocking.  As we know larger fans do provide better cooling but are often used to reduce noise, the same can be said for large high capacity heatsinks.  

We did observe a higher than expected C/W rating during our overclocking tests despite the excellent rating at stock speeds.  This simply tells us that to support the heat load we will likely need a more powerful fan to keep things cool.  However, at stock speeds or with minor overclocks you should be able to enjoy both excellent cooling and virtually silent running.

Installation was rather straight forward and consisted of picking the proper mounting rails and bolting the entire assembly to your motherboard.  We do feel the mounting method is rather dated considering that most companies have converted over to the platform style but the system does work albeit a little cumbersome.  The new rails for LGA2011 look promising and are much easier to use, the best part is that they still retain compatibility with most Cooler Master heatsinks.

Six Heatpipe Construction
Honeycomb Fin Structure
Special Air Duct Design
Custom Cooling Fan
PWM Fan Design

Only comes with a single fan
Could benefit from a more powerful fan
Mounting hardware