Introduction and Specifications

We review both members of the Windale air cooler family

FSP might be familiar as a manufacturer of power supplies, but the company has a growing product offering that now includes cases and CPU coolers, among other things. In this review we will examine the Windale line, which consists of the Windale 4 and Windale 6, a pair of tower-style CPU air coolers.

"FSP CPU Air Cooler Windale Series come out with two models: Windale 6 and Windale 4. Both of them are featured with CPU direct contact technology which can release CPU heat more efficiently. The 120mm extreme quiet fan enhances better cooling performance. The High-tech 120mm fin design provides optimized cooling effect. They are highly compatible with the latest sockets of Intel and AMD."

FSP has priced their coolers to compete in what is often called a 'crowded market', and the $29.99 Windale 4 in particular seems to directly compete with the ever-popular Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – on price, if nothing else. Can FSP's first effort dethrone the EVO as a budget favorite? To this end we will see exactly how the Windale 4 and 6 perform against Cooler Master's venerable air cooler with a toasty Intel Core i7-7700K supplying the load temps (and my trusty SPL meter along for the ride to capture noise levels).

We will get right into it with a summary of the specifications for both FSP Windale coolers:


Windale 4 (model AC401)

  • Heatsink Material: Aluminum Alloy
  • Heat-pipe: 6 mm x4
  • Fan Speed: 600-1600 RPM (PWM) ± 15%
  • Bearing Type: Sleeve Bearing
  • Fan Air Flow: 60 CFM ± 10%
  • Dimensions (LxWxH): 122 x 83 x 158 mm
  • Weight: 620 g

Windale 6 (model AC601 – blue LED)

  • Heatsink Material: Aluminum Alloy with black plating
  • Heat-pipe: 6 mm x 6
  • Fan Speed 600-1600 RPM (PWM) ± 15%
  • Bearing Type: Sleeve Bearing
  • Fan Air Flow: 60 CFM ± 10%
  • Dimensions (LxWxH): 122 x 110 x 165 mm
  • Weight: 823 g

Unpacking both of these direct heatpipe coolers reveals nearly identical contents – other than the heatsinks, of course. While not evident, the 120 mm fan included with our Windale 6 features a blue LED light, and a version with a white light is also available (the Windale 4 fan in not illuminated).

The heatsinks look quite different thanks to the matte black finish of the Windale 6, and this larger cooler stands at 165 mm vs. 158 mm with the Windale 4, while offering a heatsink that is 27 mm deeper as well.

Both cooler feature 6 mm heat pipes which come in direct contact with the CPU:

Here is a look at one of the 120 mm sleeve bearing fans, each of which spin from 600 – 1600 RPM and can provide up to 60 CFM airflow. In this photo you can see the protruding rubber-like mounts in place on the fan, ready to be installed on the heatsink.

On the next page we will look at installation and then see how both of these FSP coolers performed!

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