The Xigmatek HDT-S1283 CPU Cooler Review

A Closer Look

Looking at the front profile of the HDT-S1283, it looks like any other tower cooler with U-shaped heatpipes.

Look at it from the top and that is where the differences start popping up. The front of the cooler has a large concave profile to it, and the back of the cooler has a smaller curve to the center as well as a groove cut into it running from top to bottom.

These grooves create a finger, and each one of these fingers has a dimple on it. This is for mounting the cooler’s spoiler.

Looking from the side we can see the fins of the HDT-S1283; there’s nothing earth-shattering here so on we go…

Here we have the top of the base. The groves in the base are for the AMD retention latch. This is something that the AMD guys will want to take note of and look at their motherboards. If the latch runs top to bottom on your board so will this cooler. In the process it will put the cooling fins very close if not over the first RAM slot. With the first fin on the cooler being very low you may have a clearance issue if your RAM is over 1-3/16 inches (30mm) tall.

Looking at the bottom of the cooler we can see the heatpipes are shipped with a protective film. The finish on the base is far from spectacular, but that is the beauty of the HDT technology: it doesnt need to be. The HDT base allows for the coolant in the pipes to reach its boiling point faster, thus wicking the heat away faster. This results in a lighter cooler because less mass is required for the base. The downside is the cooler is limited to this number of pipes due to the size needed to get the flat spot and the physical size of a CPU, anything over 3 pipes is not touching the CPU.

You most likely noticed the rounded slot down the sides of the cooler. These are for the fan mounting. The fan mounts with rubber isolators that pop into the slot and slide over one of the fins.