A Closer Look

Both heatsinks use exactly the same layout and design, with the only difference being that one is nickel-plated and the other is not. Looking closer at the fin stacks, there are 44 fins not including the top plate. The fins themselves feature a saw-tooth-like pattern in the middle, while their outer edges remain flat for the fans to sit on.


Neither the Grandis 3 nor the Grandis 3 EVO ARGB have an offset design. This means memory clearance will likely be heavily limited, but by doing away with those extra features, costs can be controlled and kept to a minimum, thus potentially improving overall value.


A quick look at the top shows evenly spaced heat pipes that are centered as they come up through the fin stack. The black top plate with heat-pipe caps gives the cooler a nice, clean appearance. Looking at the base and heat pipes directly, it is here where the two set themselves apart more visually. On the Grandis 3 EVO ARGB, SilentiumPC nickel-plated everything, whereas the base model uses bare aluminium fins and a bare copper base and heat pipes.


On both coolers, the base is smooth to the touch and has very few machining marks visible on either sample. While it remains far from a mirror finish, I was still quite pleased with the quality.


The fans are similar as well, with the Grandis 3 EVO ARGB getting the white illuminated fans and the Grandis 3 getting the all-black fans. In terms of design, they are the same. The Pulsar and Sigma HP 140 mm models spin at 250–1400 RPM, while the 120 mm models spin at 250–1600 RPM.