MSI Cooling Core Frozr XL
$89.21
$108.65
18% off
Reference Price
Condition: New
Style: Core Frozr XL
Top positive review
2 people found this helpful
Nicer and beefier than the "S" variant
By Mobius on Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2021
First Impression Comment Comparing against the "S" Variant ("L" model is item with silver heat pipes, and "S" model is copper-colored pipes). I ordered the "L" variant (large model), but it won't actually be installed in my build because it unfortunately doesn't fit in my Zalman S2 case (it's so tall, that it sits flush against my case's tempered glass side panel; which can risk damaging my motherboard and CPU if something hits the panel). I ordered the "S" variant (small model) the next day because the "S" model is 3mm shorter, but will be keeping this because it's SUPER NICE - will just keep it for when I upgrade my PC case. My pictures compare the "L" and "S" variants. First-hand, the "S" model just looks cheaper (if I hadn't known the prices, I would've guessed the "L" model costs $80, and the "S" model costing $45....to put it in reference). For the "L" model, the packaging was premium - how all the nuts and bolts were neatly packed in a Styrofoam box! The "S" has all bolts just in a ziploc bag. The metal fins on the "L" model is also coated in zinc - giving it a super lustrous dark-metallic shine (looks like those high-end aftermarket car radiators that people put in their muscle cars). For the "S" model, the aluminum is non-painted so everything looks dull as seen in my picture. The thing I wish they also did on the "L" model is the use of direct heat pipes like the "S" model as seen in my picture - direct heat-pipes should theoretically provide better heat transfer from CPU to heat-sink.....and cut down on the heat-sink's height. The "L" model is also ~30% heavier because it uses 8mm pipes vs 6mm pipes on the "S" model. The fins are also larger on the "L" model - adding to the heft. TDP spec's are all over the place, some sites says the "L" has a rated TDP of 200W, some say 140W. The rated TDP of the "S" is 120W, so based on volumetric and weight difference, my instinct says the "L" has a rated TDP of 140W. Based on that premise, to make up for the 20W variance (as I originally wanted to put the "L" in my build), I ordered another MSI Frozr 120mm fan to have it be a push/pull configuration - from my many hours of research, adding a 2nd fan to have it be a push/pull configuration adds 20-30W of effective TDP; so it should make up for that 20W TDP variance. Other Notes - "L" model has light-up badge and replaceable top-panel. The badge on my "L" model also looks different from the stock photos (it doesn't say "MSI Gaming" on the top). I actually prefer the badge on my "L" copy so it's a bonus.
Top critical review
Great CPU but installation is a nightmare
By Noreen H. on Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2020
Beware Z390 boards and expense i chips. The engineers obviously screwed up because the screws that secure the bridge that holds down the heatsink to the bracket are not long enough. Had to go to home depot 3 times to get the right kind of tiny washers and 40 3/8'' screws to place between the mounting bracket and the standoffs to raise the mounting bracket to the correct height. Absolute nightmare. You risk damaging CPU if you try to put the fans on with poorly installed screws as it comes out of the box. I personally do not like having my heatsink secure with only a single 360 degree spin from screws.
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