Red Scorpion S1283 - initial inspection
On first glance, Xigmatek's Red Scorpion S1283 looks largely the same as the Achilles S1284, featuring an aluminium fin array, nickel-plated copper heatpipes and a H.D.T. base. It, too, comes without the retention mechanism or fan attached.
What distinguishes the two products is the Red Scorpion's use of three 8mm-diameter heatpipes as opposed to the Achilles' four.
In addition, the fin-array is not quite as deep as that found on the Achilles.
Viewing the heatsink from above, it's also clear that the Red Scorpion eschews the Achilles jagged-fin design, opting instead for a more conservative arrangement.
A look at the base reveals the same inherent problem of the H.D.T. design; not all of the base is effective in transferring heat away from the CPU's heatspreader.
The heatpipes are compressed and lapped to a flat - if not perfectly smooth - finish, yet a good deal of the potential contact area is going to waste, and the gaps between the heatpipes and the aluminium channels look worrisome.
Much like the Achilles, the Red Scorpion also supports either Intel or AMD platforms, with both sets of retention mechanisms supplied.
In addition an identical 120mm fan, model PLA12025S12l-4 PS(XT), is supplied. Confusingly, though, the two boxes offer different specifications for the bundled fans.
