Rosewill FORT120 Details

With four U-shaped heatpipes and a 6” distance from the base to its top fin, Rosewill’s FORT120 resembles many other 120 mm tower coolers. Various manufacturers will play fast and loose with the facts by calling their four pipes eight (counting risers rather than the entire pipe), and we should also note that the tips of those pipes bring total cooler height to 6.25.” This may sound like nitpicking, but we've seen systems where a quarter-inch made the difference between being able to use a sliding motherboard tray and not.

Co-compatibility with AMD and Intel’s latest sockets is even more of a rarity for large air coolers, but Rosewill accommodates. The FORT120 arrived with its Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3 bracket preinstalled. Also included are LGA 775 and LGA 1366 mounting hardware, an installation guide, thermal paste with spreader, and two extra clips for adding a second fan in “push-pull” orientation.

The FORT120’s base uses heatpipe direct-touch design to reduce weight, latent heat, and cost compared to similar designs with copper base plates. The sanded finish here is even finer than Corsair's.

Note that unlike the clips of typical AMD-style sinks, the FORT120’s Socket AM3 bracket has screws that prevent sliding. On the other hand, the tabs are able to slide on the bracket so that any attempt to push down and inward on the top of the clip forces the entire clip into the sink rather than pivoting the bottom outward as expected. Thus, releasing the tab from the motherboard’s retention hooks requires a tool such as a thin flathead screwdriver. Extra patience and workspace are handy in such situations.

LGA 1366 and LGA 775 installation is far easier than the AM3 setup, as the only extra step required is removal of the Rosewill-supplied fan. Simply remove two screws from the AMD bracket before replacing it with the version required for your motherboard.