Coolink ChipChilla - Northbridge HSF

Product: Coolink ChipChilla
Provided By: Coolink Europe
Price: MSRP $16.90USD

Introduction:

Many enthusiasts figure that to increase their overclock and performance of their machines, all they need to do is throw a bigger HSF on the CPU and they are done.  Motherboard manufacturers are starting to get a bit of a different idea and now you can get a motherboard or two that comes shipped with a waterblock on the Northbridge.  While this is extreme, the truth is that many chipsets run hot enough that they cannot remain stable if only passive cooling is used.  Many new motherboard designs use heatpipes to bring heat from other components to the main chipset where a small HSF is located and this must remove the heat from the entire motherboard.

Coolink Europe has some pretty impressive cooling products and today we are looking at the ChipChilla.  This is a small HSF that attaches to your chipset and provide better cooling that the stock solution.  Compatibility is somewhat limited however as many new aforementioned motherboards use multiple heatpipes and simple replacement of the main chipset cooler is not possible.  We will be testing out the ChipChilla on an Intel mATX board that uses integrated graphics and generates a fair bit of heat on the main chipset.

Coolink ChipChilla Package

About Coolink:

Not many people over here in North America have heard much about Coolink, so for all of us on this side of the big water, let's take a quick look and see how and what they are about.

Coolink is a brand of the Kolink International Corporation and stands for an effective conjunction of no-frills performance, excellent quality and attractive pricing. Coolink - the direct link to affordable high-end cooling!

Kolink International Corporation is a cooling specialist established in 1996 and well known among industry insiders. Throughout the years, Kolink designed and manufactured many top-performing heat-sinks under various brand names that succeeded in international markets. An experienced R&D team and ultra-modern production plants in Taiwan ensure continuous progress, efficient manufacturing conditions and strict quality standards.

About Coolink & Coolink-Europe
Kolink's retail brand Coolink stands for an effective conjunction of no-frills performance, excellent quality and attractive pricing. While Coolink held a strong presence in the Asian market ever since the late 90ies, it was not until 2005 that the brand was introduced to the European market on a large scale. After the launch of Coolink-Europe.com in late 2005, Coolink quickly became a well recognized brand for high-quality cooling components in Europe too.

ChipChilla - First Look:

The ChipChilla comes in a nice clear retail package that can easily be opened without hurting yourself.  The cooler comes with everything you need to mount it on many motherboards, but certain nForce 680i and 780i motherboards and even some newer Intel chipset-bearing boards are not compatible due to the sprawling heatpipe coolers that cover the entire motherboard.  If you need push pins or the metal hooks that exist on many Intel chipsets, you're in luck.  If you're fortunate enough to have metal hoops on the board you won't even have to remove the motherboard for installation.

ChipChilla Bundle

The ChipChilla also comes with a small packet of Thermal Grease that should be enough for about 12 chipsets.  Also included in the box is a foam "shim" that provides stability for newer chipsets that don't have any kind of heat spreader.  This will protect the chipset from damage and the cooler from rocking if mounted unevenly.