Thermalright NB-1C Northbridge Heatsink Review

Thermalright is well known for their excellent SLK line of copper CPU heatsinks. Recently, Thermalright introduced their first northbridge heatsink, the NB-1. It is made of aluminum and comes with a very low price tag. Since then, enthusiasts have asked for a “mini-SLK” to match their SLK series CPU heatsinks. Thermalright has answered with one of their latest products, the NB-1C, an all copper version of the NB-1.. ..The NB-1C is compatible with AMD, NF2, VIA KT333 & prior (VIA KT400 & after are not supported) and all Intel 8×5 chipsets. Even though most motherboards using those chipsets will be compatible, some may have a capacitor, or something else, around the Northbridge that would prevent the heatsink from being installed. To make sure it will definitely work on your motherboard you can refer to this motherboard compatibility list on Thermalright’s website.

Thermalright offers an excellent option to those looking for an aftermarket chipset heatsink. Installation was painless and does not require any tools. Performance was a huge improvement over the stock cooling. It’s the perfect match if you’re currently using a copper CPU Thermalright cooler. The only problem I imagine people would have is the Delta fan. Personally, it isn’t loud. But if you have an exceptionally quiet case, you may want to look for a quieter fan or just stick with passive cooling. Overall, Thermalright succeeded in producing an excellent enthusiast Northbridge heatsink.

InsaneTek ‘Recommended’ Award

Pros:
Tool-less, simple installation
Great performance
Aesthetics
Cons:
Fan is a little loud
No installation instructions included

Thermalright NB-1C Review @ InsaneTek