That Sinking Feeling

hardware

Following a recent collection of PC upgrades, it rapidly became clear that – in order to unlock some of the wealth of overclocking potential that I read about every day – a new heatsink would be required.

Given the system specifications (an Intel Core2Duo E6420 on an Abit AB9 motherboard) and a desperate desire for quiet, after much reading I opted for the recently-refreshed Scythe Mine Rev.B. Having finally placed my order I began to have some serious doubts – certainly the Mine would be man enough for the job in question, but would it fit inside my beloved Antec NSK-4400UK case?

Antec NSK-4400UK Midi Tower Case

Given that the case is barely wider than a standard drive bay, even with the heatsink specifications in hand I couldn’t be certain.

Antec NSK-4400UK Front View

Although with the current (stock) heatsink there is plenty of room to spare, the Scythe Mine Rev.B is of an altogether different scale.

Space Around The Stock Heatsink

So, I hear you ask, just how much clearance is there for a heatsink in this case? The answer, as can be seen below, is something close to 190mm. You do, of course, have to remove the airflow guide from the side panel to clear the full depth.

Measured Clearance From Motherboard

The next phase is covered in Part II of this report.

Next Post