Introduction

Recently I took the Nexus XiR-2300 for a spin and found it to be a very good CPU cooler. Actually, it was the second best we have tested thus far. Today we are going to take the sibling of the XiR-2300 for a spin, the XiR-3500; an all copper cooler that uses the same design.

Between testing the two Nexus coolers I wanted to find Nexus' secret; how they were getting the performance out of the XiR Series with such a conventional design. After a little digging I found the secret, a technology called SkiveTek, and it is exclusive to Nexus. Here is what they had to say:-

SkiveTek® is one of the worlds most advanced technologies. This concept permits the production of heat sinks with a precise and super fine detail previously considered impossible. SkiveTek® represents a process of shaping materials to produce lightweight, high fin density thermal solutions. Base plate and fins are constructed out of one piece of pure aluminum/copper by cutting the material in thin layers, bending the fins in place. No bonding, welding, soldering or adhesive is involved; the joint between fin and base is continuous aluminum/copper.

We already know what ShiveTek has done for the XiR-2300 aluminum cooler, so now it is time to see what happens when you pair the technology with copper.