One embodiment provides a heatsink having a flexible base and height-adjusted cooling fins. The flexible base includes a single base plate, with cooling fins and heat pipes secured directly to an upper surface of the single base plate. The use of the single base plate allows the length of the cooling fins to be increased. The use of a single base plate also allows the base to flex when mounted at the outer region of the base plate to a circuit board using fasteners. The flexure of the base biases the heatsink against the heat-generating component. The flexure also displaces the outer cooling fins, and the length of the outer cooling fins is further increased to compensate for the anticipate displacement.