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Thermalright didn't hold back when it came to offering a "fully-loaded heatsink" to anyone that purchases the SLK 900U. The below picture shows everything that is included in the sturdy cardboard box.

Yep, that's everything. I was a little surprised the first time I opened it, I definitely didn't expect to find the thermal paste. I was a little disappointed, however, that no directions were included, so I had to go here to get them. On the SLK 900U, fan clips are used to mount the fan, which we will cover more in depth later. Everything that is needed to install the heatsink is included. This includes, screws, washers, stand-offs, X shaped brace for rear of motherboard, and P4 brackets (if the P4 retention clip is used).

Located right below the heatsink itself are the round feet for use under the heatsink and two long rubber grommet type things. It took me a bit to figure out what the rubber grommet things were for, but it eventually occurred to me - Thermalright included these so the user could use a TMD fan without worry (it has been known that when TMD fans touch metal, they short out). I don't have a TMD fan, so I decided to use them under my 92mm fan to help absorb vibrations, which is what I thought they were for at first.

A Closer Look

This could definitely be considered a core crusher. However, it can easily be avoided by installing the heatsink correctly - by following the printable directions. As seen above, Thermalright included a great deal of bits and pieces. But first, let's take a look at this beauty!

There are a total of 34 thin copper fins soldered to a triangular shaped core. The design itself is very well thought out. The heat is transferred to the solid copper core which is then distributed to each fin. The triangular shape of the core also eliminates some of the air movement resistance that would usually exist in a design where the air is suddenly stopped by a slab of copper. The openings on each side of the core, as seen below, allows the air to escape to either side right away, instead of lingering around inside the fins. This core is not wide enough to reach the stock feet on any AMD processors, which is why Thermalright included their own feet. I highly suggest that the included feet are used, otherwise you would end up with a lot more pressure on your processor core then you'd like.

The first picture above shows the protection the base had when shipped, very nice touch, especially for a $45 heatsink! The base was flat and fairly shiny and reflective. However, I was a little disappointed with the condition of the base. There were obvious machining marks. Running my finger nails over it allowed me to feel every groove, and even hear the sound of the rubbing finger nail. Rubbing the base with my bare finger also allowed me to feel the grooves. The base of my old AX7 has actually gotten shinier over time and has a much smoother base than the base on the SLK 900U, but it also has its fair share of scratches. Needless to say, I was expecting a bit more. But, the base sure seems as flat as can be!

Thermalright didn't use the normal fan mounting mechanism on this heatsink (or any SLK heatsinks for that matter) that usually requires the use of screws. Instead they decided to use the same mounting that was first featured on their SK6 a few years back, fan mounting clips. The SLK 900U, unlike the other versions in the SLK series, can accommodate 70, 80, and 92mm fans, either 25mm or 38mm thick. This comes as a major plus for people looking for quiet heatsink-fan combinations. Bigger fans move less air at lower RPM's, equaling less noise! The 92mm fan clips are on the far left, the 80 and 70mm fan clips are on the opposite side.

Thermalright also used a different method for mounting through the motherboard. Instead of the traditional nuts and bolts, they decided to use the X and have the standoffs screw into that from the other side - a lot easier than playing around with bolts! As seen in the picture, the x-shaped piece of metal also has a thin piece of plastic above it, to prevent any shorting out from occurring.

So, the heatsink looks awesome! Just how hard is it to install?