DHCR CONFIGURATIONS

Selecting Product Configurations
SVALT makes products locally with each product hand built to a customer’s selected order configuration. For the new 4th generation DHCR, we offer numerous build configurations to help tailor cooling performance for a particular laptop model and to help meet a customer’s workstation preferences. Please read through the following to learn about each configuration option, and then don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.


New 4th Gen Model
The new 4th generation DHCR includes extensive improvements for a substantial increase in cooling efficiency with the latest Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops, along with comprehensive optimization for the 2021+ MacBook Pro. The 4th gen’s thermally conductive heatsink silently reduces overall laptop temperatures, while the Fx Cooling Fan boosts peak performance potential for sustained heavy workloads. See Features under Product Details to learn about all of the 4th gen (1) conductive cooling, (2) heatsink cooling and (3) airflow cooling improvements.


Heatsink Padding
The heatsink’s padding helps to manage airflow for improved cooling performance. The heatsink is available with the following pad configurations:

• Standard Pads: This pad configuration has been used for the prior three generations of DHCRs and works with any DHCR compatible laptop. Includes the following pads: 1) Standard laptop support pad with 1/16” thickness and straight cut edges. 2) Standard bottom pads with 1/32” thickness and placement along front/back edges.
  
  
• Performance Pads: Compared to Standard Pads, this new 4th gen DHCR performance pad configuration improves cooling with any DHCR compatible laptop, and is recommended for the current generation of 2022+ MacBook Air and for other laptop models that do not include a built-in fan cooling system. Includes the following pads: 1) Standard laptop support pad with 1/16” thickness and straight cut edges. 2) Performance bottom pads with increased 1/16” thickness and placement along sides to create an underside open air channel for improved heatsink cooling.
  
  
• Max Performance Pads: Compared to Standard and Performance Pads, this new 4th gen DHCR max performance pad configuration improves cooling with any DHCR compatible laptop, and is recommended for the current generation 2021+ MacBook Pro, prior generation MacBook Pros and other laptop models with a built-in fan cooling system. Includes the following pads: 1) Performance laptop pad with increased 1/8" thickness, center cutout to direct airflow into a laptop's central cold air intake vent, and end extensions to protect heatsink from a laptop’s hot exhaust air. 2) Performance bottom pads with increased 1/8” thickness and placement along sides to create an even larger underside open air channel for improved heatsink cooling. 3) Optional user-installed performance insulating side pads to protect heatsink from a laptop’s hot exhaust air.
  
  

Heatsink Colors
The aluminum heatsink uses a special finish to improve cooling performance. The body of the heatsink is finished with hand sanding, heavy bead-blasting and a short anodize to produce a deeply-textured micro-porous non-glossy matte finish that increases the active area of the heatsink for higher radiant emissivity cooling and improved conductive cooling from both passive and active airflows. Heatsinks are anodized in weekly batches by color, resulting in different estimated build lead times. The heatsink is available with the following anodize colors as shown in the above image and listed below from left to right (see Specs for details):

• Silver: A clear anodize with light gray color similar to Apple’s Silver finish available on all Mac laptops.
• Space Gray: A gray similar to Apple’s Space Gray finish available on MacBook Pros from 2016 to 2023 and MacBook Airs from 2018 to 2024+.
• Space Black: A nearly black dark gray similar to Apple’s Space Black finish available on MacBook Pros from 2023 to 2024+.
• Black: A full black that pairs well with Apple’s Midnight finish available on MacBook Airs from 2022 to 2024+.

Heatsink Coupling
The front of the heatsink has a flat surface that connects (couples) with the back/bottom surface of the laptop. The new 4th generation DHCR uses an extra-large laptop coupling plate for improved conductive heat transfer from the laptop to the heatsink. The coupling plate is specially prepared with a fine hand sanded and polished finish to produce an extra-flat and extra-smooth surface finish for improved laptop coupling and higher conductive heat transfer. The laptop coupling plate is available with the following configurations (see Specs for details):

• Performance Metal Coupling: This configuration is provided for customers that want maximum cooling performance with the laptop directly contacting the heatsink’s aluminum surface for unrestricted conductive heat transfer. Edge padding wraps around all four sides of the laptop coupling plate for corner impact protection, while the heatsink’s anodized aluminum coupling plate extends slightly beyond the top of the pads to achieve proper metal-to-metal surface contact. The 4th generation DHCR’s aluminum coupling plate edges and corners have been rounded to remove sharp edges for direct metal-to-metal contact.
  
  
• Protective Film Coupling: This configuration is provided for customers that do not want direct metal-to-metal laptop coupling, and instead prefer having a non-metal protective surface covering the coupling plate. This protective surface is made from a special assembly of ultra-thin low-impedance thermally conductive materials to minimize impact on performance, however, adding this protective layer reduces performance compared to the direct metal-to-metal heatsink coupling option. This ultra-thin assembly is semi-transparent, which shows surface variations such as areas of lighter, darker or uneven coloring. The underlying anodize color will impact both the resultant color of the assembly and visibility of surface variations. For instance, the lightest anodize color (silver) will result in the lightest yellow assembly color with the least visible surface variations, while the darkest anodize color (black) will result in the darkest orange assembly color with the most visible surface variations. Please note that most assemblies will show at least some surface and color variations, and that this coupling configuration has increased cost and a longer lead time because of the high-end materials used in the assembly and because of the time required to complete the exacting multi-step installation process.
  
  

Cooling Fan Accessory
Compared to having a fan inside of the heatsink, the separate Fx Cooling Fan design moves more air with less noise, while allowing the heatsink to be as large as possible to create the most thermal mass and the largest cooling surface area. The new 4th generation DHCR design maximizes the Fx Cooling Fan’s boost in heatsink cooling and direct internal processor cooling on 2021+ MacBook Pros.

The Fx Cooling Fan accessory is provided for customers that want maximum cooling performance, especially for customers with the 2021+ MacBook Pro running under sustained workloads. To help customers unlock their 2021+ MacBook Pro’s peak performance potential, the Fx includes a $30 below cost discount when bundled with the 4th gen DHCR. The Fx is available with the following fan configurations (see below for additional fan specs):

• FxR17 w/ B16 and W20: The Fx ships with the R17 fan installed, and includes the B16 and W20 fans for users to exchange to best meet their workstation cooling and noise preferences. The B16 fan can be used for baseline always-on ultra-quiet cooling. The W20 fan offers more aggressive hi-airflow cooling that can be used in less noise sensitive environments or switched on/off as needed. The R17 fan is pre-installed for a good balance between audio and cooling performance.
  
  
• FxB22: The Fx ships with the B22 fan installed. The B22 variable speed fan covers the full range of ultra-quiet to hi-airflow cooling performance. The B22 is a high-end Noctua fan that is controlled with Noctua’s dial-variable speed controller.
  
  
• All fan configurations include front and back black anodized fan supports, front and back black metal fan screen, mounting fasteners, fan 2/3/4-pin fan adapter, on/off switch, 12 volt power supply (fixed for North America and multi-plug for other locations) and hex key for right-to-repair disassembly. See the Fx Cooling Fan product page for additional details.
  
  

Fan Colors and Specs
Listed from left to right:

• R17: SilenX 80x80x25mm, 3-pin, 12-volt, 7 red blades and black frame, long life ball bearing. Runs at approximately 1700 RPM with 31 CFM airflow and 17 dB(A) noise level.
  
  
• B16: Arctic 80x80x25mm, 3-pin, 12-volt, 5 black blades and black frame, long life fluid dynamic bearing. Runs at approximately 1600 RPM with 21 CFM airflow and 12 dB(A) noise level.
  
  
• W20: Arctic 80x80x25mm, 3-pin, 12-volt, 9 white blades and black frame, long life fluid dynamic bearing. Runs at approximately 2000 RPM with 41 CFM airflow and 22 dB(A) noise level.
  
  
• B22: Variable-speed Noctua NF-A8 PWM chromax.black.swap 80x80x25mm, 4-pin, 12-volt, 7 black blades and black frame, premium-grade SSO2 bearing. Runs up to approximately 2200 RPM with up to 33 CFM airflow and up to 18 dB(A) noise level via Noctua NA-FC1 PWM dial-variable speed controller. Note that the B22 has the lowest observed motor noise levels of any 80mm PWM fan we’ve tested.
  
  

Future Configurations
The Fx Cooling Fan can be either bundled with the DHCR or can be order separately in the future. The Fx’s bolt and snap modular system allows for easy fan exchange through accessories, and will work with any standard 80x80mm fan. All pads are available individually through accessories so that a customer can purchase them later if they change laptop models, decide to upgrade to a higher performance pad, or need replacements. See upgrades to learn more.


Max Tech YouTube Review Configuration
The 4th generation DHCR in Max Tech’s YouTube video review uses the following configuration: 1) Performance Pads, 2) Dark Gray color, 3) Performance Metal Coupling, 4) FxB22 Cooling Fan.