NZXT HAVIK 140 CPU Cooler Review

I absolutely love this cooler and I think NZXT should be extremely happy with what is has produced. Even though it looks fairly simplistic without any flashy branding or LED fans, I still think it looks great. One of these inside of a white Phantom with a Hale90 would be straight money!

It can keep up with the big boys and has a great mounting method that provides between 50 and 60 pounds of pressure according to the official specifications.

Even the fans are amazing. Big, quiet, fairly easy to install after a few tries and a breeze to remove with only two light tugs on each fastener loop. Speaking of the fasteners, just on the other side of the mounting pegs is a wider-than-normal area that sits between the frame of the fan and the fins of the cooler to absorb any vibration. Small little details like that will be appreciated.

This cooler really is the complete package, however there is a bit of planning that needs to be done before anyone rushes home to bask in the afterglow of new hardware only to find out it won’t fit or causes problems.

If all of the DIMM slots will be used or if the motherboard requires the closest slot to be filled, this is not the cooler for you. No matter what memory is used, with the possible exception of some low profile kits, the fan will block off a slot if using a motherboard with a typical layout.

Also beware if the top PCI slot is the only slot where a GPU can be installed or is a must-have for another type of card. Many boards use the top slot as the only PCIe x1 slot and as such, this could be a deal-breaker. Expect to have some serious force placed on the PCB and slot itself if a card is installed in this location.

Should everything fall into place in the clearance department, price will come into play as well. At $70 this is a great cooler for the money. Yes, this is getting up there a bit for some but keep in mind that it comes close to a liquid cooler, but costs about $30 less. If it were to drop another $10, I would be surprised if they didn’t sell out.

There is much to like about the HAVIK 140, but the clearance issues are too much to overlook. Not slapping on an Editor’s Choice award bothers me, but I feel it’s warranted. Those who happen to run a system where clearance is not an issue would be very happy and can consider the three points on the first page answered with a resounding “yes”.

For those who have a system that just cannot be configured to make it fit, keep on pushing that cart.

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