Glaciator Attachment in context, Stationary vs. Transport
 
AMD spec. for clip loads is 12 lbs min/24 Max with a typical load 16 - 18 lbs  
 
So with 18 Lbs loaded clip (9 lbs per lug) + 2 lbs heat sink you have a 20 Lbs load on the socket (10 per lug) 4 lbs under the AMD Max Load. That's good for a computer you are not going to move. In pull tests with a spring scale and the board mounted in a vertical posistion it takes an additional 10-12 lbs pulling against a single lug to break the socket In other words (10lbs clip force + 10 lbs pull force) It takes 20 lbs per lug or 40 lbs per socket before failure.  
 
The added load with the glaciator is 1 lb per lug. A crude analogy might be that it would take something like a 40 lb sink to break your socket.  
 
However when you move your computer its a different story, If you drop it off a truck 3 or 4 ft you will hit the max load on these socket lugs pretty readily and they will break. Simple caution and common sense is required, drop a hard drive 4ft or some other sensitive component and you encounter the same issues.
 
In order to achieve new performance limits, design features will push a threshold - High speed fans (NOISE) volume, weight, Materials, Technolgy + Manufacturing are taken to extremes. These are all design trade offs. I personally think many manufacturers made a mistake by applying the 7,000 rpm fans, the resulting noise was unacceptable to many. A material(cu) or Volume trade off would have been more acceptable. My design trade off was weight(cu), being what I considered the lessor of the evils.
 
I have investigated a number features such as board mounting schemes, varible fan speed controlers etc. The primary issue becomes pricing on the final product, for every dollar added to the manufacturing price 2-3 dollars are added @ the retail level. By the time you get through the chain of tooling, assembly, shipping the added cost of these features can easily push you up to the $60-$80 price range. Rather than end up a high priced novlty item I tried to put together the best combination of features at an acceptable price level.
 
The Glaciator is an extreme product, a threshold design, it does not meet AMD requirements for weight, and might not be for everybody. But for those who need the extra thermal performance its an option.
 
Regards
 
Andrew Lemont
Millennium Thermal Solutions