Noctua NH-U9B Special Edition CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: November 10, 2009 06:45PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Noctua's NH-U9B cooler is designed for smaller cases such as those used in HTPC applications. The company has announced a special edition called the NH-U9B SE2 and added a second NF-B9 92mm fan to the package along with support for LGA1156 as well as LGA1366 sockets using Noctua's SecuFirm2 multi-socket mounting system making it compatible Intel's latest Core i7 and Core i5 processors as well as AMD AM2, AM2+ and AM3 motherboards. With the addition of the second fan, you can set the fans up for maximum cooling or ultra-quiet mode using the included Low-Noise and Ultra-Low-Noise adapters. Noctua has said the coolers will be available shortly at a recommended retail price of EUR 46.90 / USD 54.90.

Noctua Announces NH-D14 CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: November 2, 2009 04:51PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Noctua today announced its new NH-D14 premium CPU cooler that builds on the success of its NH-U12P series cooler. The new NH-D14 features a 6-heatpipe, dual radiator design that is designed to provide a high level of cooling performance at low noise levels. Its asymmetrical design provides greater surface area and more clearance towards the RAM slots. The cooler comes equipped with NF-P14 (140mm) and NF-P12 (120mm) fans that in Ultra-Low-Noise mode actually outperforms the NH-U12P at full fan speed. With the SecuFirm2 mounting system, the NH-D14 supports a full range of sockets including LGA1366, LGA1156, LGA775, AM2, AM2+ and AM3. Noctua has announced full availability by mid-November at a suggested retail price of EUR 74.90 / USD 84.90.

CoolIT Announces WS240 Custom Liquid Cooling for Nehalem Platform

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: September 15, 2009 07:52PM
Author: Dale Shuck

CoolIT Systems has announced a custom self-contained liquid cooling designed for dual-processor systems based on Intel's Nehalem platform. Using technology similar to that found in its Domino ALC system, the WS240 comes equipped with a 240mm radiator and dual water blocks, excuse me, I meant to say copper micro-channel fluid heat exchangers, to cool both CPUs. The radiator comes with two 120mm fans and a simple push of a button allows users to switch between three different cooling modes depending on whether the need is for quiet operation or maximum cooling for overclocking performance. The factory-sealed unit comes with mounting hardware for Intel 775/1366/1156 sockets and can be easily installed in most E-ATX chassis. This is a true custom solution and system builders and enthusiasts can contact CoolIT directly to get a WS240 cooler built to meet the exact specifications of their system for about $270US.

Noctua Updates NH-U12P Cooler to Include LGA1156 Support

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: August 31, 2009 09:15PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Noctua's venerable NH-U12P CPU cooler has been around since the days of the LGA775 socket and has proven a worthy cooling option for not only Intel processors but the latest from AMD as well. Noctua has been conscientious in keeping its flagship cooler current with upgrades to maintain compatibility with Intel LGA1366 socket processors and has even offered free mounting kit upgrades for various formats including the upcoming LGA1156 socket for the upcoming Intel Core i5 and Core i7 Lynnfield processors.

Noctua has just announced its latest version, the NH-U12P SE2, which supports the LGA1156 socket while also remaining compatible with Intel LGA1366, LGA775 and AMD AM2/AM2+ and AM3 formats. Like the NH-U12P SE 1366 before it, the NH-U12P SE2 comes with everything you need to keep your CPU cool including a tube of NT-H1 thermal compound and a pair of NF-P12 120mm fans.

Look for the NH-U12P SE2 to become available in mid September with a suggested retail price of EUR 56.90 / USD 64.90.

Themaltake 48-Hour Back to School Sale

Category: Cases, Power Supplies, CPU Cooling
Posted: August 21, 2009 09:18PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Thermaltake is offering some serious savings on a few of its cases and power supplies during August 22-23. That means you only have 48 hours to save up to 50% off on SwordM and Xaser VI cases and $60 off Toughpower 750W and 850W power supplies. Check out the table below and then head over to Thermaltake's sale page to take advantage of this limited time offer, just make sure you enter the appropriate coupon code when checking out. Oh yeah, did I mention these offers all include free shipping?

Item	MSRP	Coupon Code	Final Price
VD500LBNA	599.99	BTS-50-FS-SWORDM	299.99
VG4000BNS	269.99	BTS-50-FS-X6N	134.99
VG4000BWS	269.99	BTS-50-FS-X6W	134.99
VH9000SNS	119.99	BTS-50-FS-X6MX	59.99
W0178RU	199.99	BTS-50-FS-TPESA	139.99
W0116RU	159.99	BTS-50-FS-TP750W	99.99
CL-P0508	69.99	BTS-50-FS-V1AX	34.99

In addition to the 48-hour sale, Thermaltake is also offering a $20 mail-in rebate on the Element G case through September 14.

Noctua LGA1156 Free Upgrade Mounting Kit

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: August 19, 2009 08:27PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Noctua wants you to be able to use its existing CPU coolers on the upcoming Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors when they are released here in the next few weeks. Obviously, upgrading to a new socket format requires a new motherboard and in this case, the mounting setup is not compatible with previous LGA sockets from Intel. Noctua is offering the NM-13 mounting kit which will enable you to use any Noctua cooler made since 2005 on socket LGA1156 motherboards. You can take advantage of this free offer by going to Noctua's web site and filling out an online form. Not surprisingly, Noctua asks that you provide proof of purchase in the form of the original invoice for both the cooler and either a LGA1156/LGA1366 mainboard or LGA1156/LGA1366 CPU. Noctua even makes it easy in case you no longer have the original CPU cooler invoice with details provided on the form web page.

Titan Announces Skalli CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: August 14, 2009 02:25AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Just like its Fenrir cooler, Titan's latest offering, the Skalli (TTC-NC05TZ/NPW), derives its name from Norse mythology. The Skalli uses dual 8mm heatpipes and a direct touch design to handle loads up to 130W. Titan claims the use of 8mm heatpipes, instead of a the 6mm found on other coolers, offers 20% better heat conductivity. The unit also features a 10cm frameless fan with a suspension design to minimize fan rumble noise which gives it a 29dBA noise rating when turning at 1500RPM. It also comes with a built-in PWM intelligent fan controller to adjust speeds from 800-1500RPM and further reduce noise under lighter loads. The Skalli boasts compatibility with a full range of the latest processors from both Intel and AMD including the upcoming LGA 1156 Intel core i5 CPUs. Availability is expected fairly soon with no word yet on pricing. You can get more information by visiting Titan's web site and searching on the keyword 'Skalli'.

Arctic Cooling Readies Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: August 6, 2009 02:13AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Arctic Cooling is working on the long awaited revision of its Freezer 7 Pro CPU cooler. The Freezer 7 Pro has been very popular among enthusiasts since it was launched, offering good value and performance. The new revision will support the Intel LGA 1156 and LGA1366 sockets, meaning it will be compatible with the Core i7 and upcoming Core i5 CPUs. It will also support AMD's 939, AM2, AM2+ and AM3 socket CPUs. The Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 features six copper heatpipes, 42 aluminum fins and a 92mm fan with a variable RPM ranging from 900 to 2500RPM. The Rev.2 also comes pre-applied with Arctic Cooling's MX-2 thermal paste for good conductivity. The Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 should be available soon and will retail for US$28.90/€20.90 excluding tax.

Titan Entertainer and Iron Heart Coolers Announced

Category: Cooling, CPU Cooling
Posted: July 28, 2009 06:28PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Titan has just announced two new coolers designed to cool both your CPU and Northbridge chipset. The Entertainer CPU cooler is designed for low-profile applications such as home theater and small form factor cases with its low-profile, 6.5cm tall design. The cooler features a direct contact using four 6mm heatpipes. Since noise levels are often a prime consideration in such applications, the cooler features a quiet 10cm fan with a PWM intelligent fan controller which spins the fan at 800-1500 RPM. The cooler is also designed to fit a complete range of both AMD and Intel boards including AMD AM3/AM2+/AM2 and Intel LGA 1366/LGA 1156 sockets.

The Iron Heart chipset cooler takes its inspiration from the Iron Man movie and features iron-heart like extruded aluminum fins and a low-noise 5cm fan for efficient cooling allowing for greater stability when overclocking.

While Titan didn't disclose specifics, you can expect to see the new coolers by sometime next month.

Noctua Adds Two New Xeon Coolers

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: June 15, 2009 07:14PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Noctua today announced the addition of two new coolers intended for the Xeon 5550 series processors. The NH-U12DX 1366 and NH-U9DX 1366 are intended to offer better cooling along with much quieter operation. The coolers come with Noctua's NF-P12 and NF-B9 fans and are designed as a drop-in replacement for the Intel stock coolers using its SecureFirm2 mounting system. Each unit makes use of a copper base and heat pipes and aluminum fins in a tower design capable of accepting two fans. The larger NH-U12DX 1366 stands 155mm and weighs in at 770g with the 120mm fan attached. The smaller NH-U9DX 1366 is designed to fit withing the confines of a 4U server case with a total height of only 122mm. Each cooler feature adapters to run the fans at three different speed levels depending on cooling and noise level requirements. Noctua says both are available now at a MSRP of EUR 56.90/USD 64.90 (NH-U12DX 1366) and EUR 46.90/USD 54.90 (NH-U9XDX 1366).

Hydro Series H50 Liquid Cooling System from Corsair

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: June 2, 2009 06:31PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Corsair has launched a new CPU cooler today with the introduction of the Hydro Series H50 designed to fit Intel and AMD processors. The result of working with liquid-cooling system manufacturer ASEtek, the Hydro H50 is a self contained, closed-loop system consisting of a cooper cooling plate with integrated pump connected to a 120mm radiator. The aluminum radiator is cooled by a 1700RPM low-noise fan with the entire unit connected by low permeability tubing.

Corsair claims that in tests performed in its own labs, the unit cooled an Intel Core i7-965 processor overclocked to 3.46GHz with a vcore of 1.3V 30% better than stock cooling and over 10% better than a high-performance air cooler, achieving idle temperatures of 38.375C and full loads temperatures of 55.85C. The unit ships with brackets to fit Intel LGA775 and LGA1366 boards and brackets for AMD AM2/AM3 socket boards can be ordered directly from Corsair but you'll have to pay shipping. Backed by a two-year warranty, the H50 will be available by the end of June but Corsair didn't disclose pricing.

Unique CPU Cooling Solutions Part 2

Category: OCC News, CPU Cooling
Posted: May 19, 2009 09:12PM
Author: Ben Grantham

Remember last week's tests on 'alternative' thermal interface materials from our forum member gabrieltessin? If you don't, then I suggest you go and check them out. But if you do, then you'll be pleased to know that a whole new batch TIM substitutes have been through the testing process. Up this time are some more items you'd be more likely to find in an average sandwich than pulling duty (attempting) to keep your CPU cool, including mayonnaise, ranch dressing and easy cheese. Also included is that handyman's everytool and fixer of all life's problems, duct tape (will it uphold its honor?).

Once again, some of the results may prove surprising, with a few of the substitutes delivering acceptable temperatures. Longevity and the potential for bad odours continue to be a problem, and there are a few examples that are worse than using nothing at all, but I'm sure you'll still have fun reading through the full run down. It is also worth noting that OCC does not in any way suggest that the materials in either parts of this testing actually be used as serious alternatives for real TIM (unless you want a particularly hot / smelly / dead CPU) and cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from the combination of groceries and computer hardware.

Titan Fenir CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: May 19, 2009 09:50AM
Author: Dale Shuck

In Norse mythology Fenrir is a powerful and ferocious beast in the shape of a wolf. In computer enthusiast circles Fenrir takes the shape of a CPU cooler from Titan Technology. The Titan Fenrir-TTC-NK85TZ is a tower style CPU cooler that incorporates heat pipe direct touch technology using four larger 8mm heat pipes to handle up to 160W loads. The cooler also comes equipped with a 120mm fan with built-in PWM speed control which allows the fan to be run at speeds of 800-2000RPM so that you can tailor the cooling to meet your needs while maintaining a balance between performance and noise. The unique fin design helps reduce air resistance and maximize cooling performance as well. The universal mounting configuration ensures compatibility for AMD Socket AM2+/AM2/940/939/754/K8 as well as Intel Socket 775/1366 boards. Titan hasn't disclosed pricing yet but you can check out the OCC review of the Titan Fenrir here.

First Lynnfield CPU Coolers Released

Category: General News, CPU Cooling
Posted: May 6, 2009 07:51PM
Author: MrAlex

Artic cooling is the first company to release an LGA 1156 cooler, and instead of releasing one, they've released THREE, so we can have a bit more choice. The new coolers are the Alpine 11 Pro, Alpine 11, and Alpine 11 GT. They come at $14.35, $10.25 and $8.00 respectively. They are aimed between the enthusiasts (Alpine 11 Pro) all the way down to the lower end mainstream (Alpine 11 GT). These new coolers can also fit onto an LGA 775 socket, which is probably the reason why they've released their new CPU cooler this early.

Evercool Announces New Core i7 CPU Coolers

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: March 30, 2009 05:10AM
Author: Ben Grantham

It is well known amongst the enthusiast community that Intel's Core i7 processors put out a considerable amount of heat, so any cooling options that might offer increased performance (be it reduced temperatures or noise) are welcome. Evercool have just announced four CPU coolers that are Core i7 compatible. These include a Core i7 version of its Buffalo Cooler (LGA 775 version reviewed by OCC here) and the new Transformer 4 (pictured), which makes use of 4 heatpipes and Heatpipe Direct Touch Technology in a design that can run with either one or two 120mm fans. The HPK-10025 also makes use of direct touch heatpipes, although in a top down design with a 10cm quiet fan. Rounding out the coolers is the CI01-9525, a more straight forward design that should compete on cost rather than cooling performance.

Next Generation Processor Cooling

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: January 31, 2009 09:39AM
Author: d3bruts1d

Over the years we've seen a number of interesting cooling products here at OCC, and we've seen the market evolve. But what is the next step? Computer World has an interesting article about a micro refrigerator that is being developed by Intel, RTI International, and Arizona State University that could be easily mounted to a processor and would draw heat from hot spots with surgical precision.

But wait, it isn't quite what you think. Rather than a heat pump and liquid or gas like that box in your kitchen, the micro fridge is a super-thin film made from thermoelectric molecules, such as Bismuth telluride and Antimony telluride, which convert heat into electricity. Current test on simulated CPUs show a reduced temp by 15° C and changes to chip manufacturing could see a reduction by as much as 40° C.

SilverStone Announces Compact Processor Cooler

Category: Manufacturers, CPU Cooling
Posted: December 20, 2008 06:25PM
Author: Brentt Moore

SilverStone is responsible for many parts that are seen in enthusiast computers of today, ranging from temperature monitors and fans, all the way to power supplies and processor coolers. It is now adding to its list of processor coolers by announcing the NT07-775, which is manufactured for the LGA 775 socket. The cooler includes a heatsink and fan that measures at a thin height of 36.5 mm. SilverStone is slating this processor for HTPC systems because of its small height and low dBA that stats between fifteen and twenty-three. While supplying these low dBA noise levels, the fan is able to spin anywhere from 1200 RPM to 1800 RPM. The company expects the NT07-775 to retail for twenty Euros, or approximately twenty-eight American Dollars.

LN2 Cooled MSI Wind Netbook Overclocked To 2.385GHz

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: November 25, 2008 10:53AM
Author: Ben Grantham

We are naturally very used to seeing all kinds of hardware pushed to its limits around here, but opting to see how far you can push the single core 1.6GHz Intel Atom may not be the most obvious decision. Team Australia decided this might be a fun project and so dismantled an MSI Wind U100 and threw some liquid nitrogen cooling at it, managing to eek out a speed of 2.385GHz in the process. Sure, it may be almost completely pointless, but then those of us who have caught the overclocking bug will know that the words "stock speeds" just aren't part of acceptable vocabulary. Exploring the potential headroom of the low powered processor may also be useful information for some. You can check out some pictures and details over here.

Danamics Liquid Metal Cooler Availble in Euopean Market

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: November 17, 2008 12:53PM
Author: Dale Shuck

The Danamics LM10 liquid metal cooler has begun appearing in European online retailer sites. Pricing ranges from 280-306 Euros ($355-$389US). The PowerBooster is an available accessory designed to provide more power to the electromagnetic pump. The cooler currently supports Intel LGA775 and AMD AM2/AM2+ sockets with a bracket available for the Core i7 LGA1366 socket available separately.

Liquid Metal Cooler Announced

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: November 1, 2008 06:39PM
Author: Brentt Moore

Danamics, a leading manufacturer of liquid metal based cooling solutions, plans to release its liquid metal cooler known as the LM10 on November 17th in the European market. The heatsink is meant to cool down the processor with the same heat dissipation capabilities as water cooling does, while requiring very little power from its source. Unlike water cooling and air cooling solutions, the LM10 pump produces no noise or vibrations, and contains no moving parts. The electromagnetic pump, which features a multi-string design, is also stated to suffer no degradation in performance over time. No price has been set, but Danamics plans for it to compete against the best water and air cooling solutions.

Thermaltake Announces Micro Refrigerated Gaming Case

Category: Cases, CPU Cooling
Posted: September 22, 2008 11:42AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Thermaltake today announced its XPRESSAR case with a built in phase-change cooling system. Billed as the "world’s first DC inverter type micro refrigeration cooling system", the cooler is a  compressor that has been scaled to fit into a computer case. The system features an intelligent controller to maintain a constant temperature to help prevent condensation. Thermaltake claims its new cooling system can achieve temperatures 20 degree C lower than water cooling and 50 degrees lower than air. The XPRESSAR web site lists several compatible motherboards from MSI, ASUS and GIGABYTE including the Asus P5Q Deluxe,  Gigabyte's EP45-Extreme and X48-DQ6, and the MSI P45 Platinum and P7N Diamond boards. Pricing and availability were not disclosed.

Purdue researchers develop tiny refrigeration unit

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: July 8, 2008 05:45PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

Some researchers from Purdue University (Some very ingenious things have come from Purdue) have made a small refrigeration unit that may be cooling laptops or desktop in the future. The device is the size of a CPU, that allows very easy integration into current architecture and ease of integration into future designs. As we all know most computers are air cooled which never allows you to go below ambient (The temperature of the surrounding air) temperatures. With this tiny cooling system you can go below ambient, refrigeration style cooling systems are available for desktop systems however they are usually too expensive, too complicated and most of all too big for the average consumer or laptop applications.

The device created at Purdue has very tiny compressors and tubes to pump its refrigerants throughout the unit. CPU technologies have changed quite a bit in the last few years with 45nm (and smaller) fabrication technologies being employed on today's computer chips. With these die shrinkages comes a lot of heat centralized into a very small area. Soon we will come to a point where our processors are outputting too much heat per cm for a normal heatsink and fan to efficiently cool.

The cooler isn't expected to go mainstream for a little over two years, however expect some high end devices around the two year mark to begin showing up with these units.

Noctua Launches Several Silent Cooling Products

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: June 9, 2008 03:54PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

A perennial purveyor of powerful, silent cooling solutions, Noctua took advantage of the Computex 2008 platform to launch a number of cooling products that continue their tradition of potent, quiet heat removers. First up was an Alpha-stage CPU cooler codenamed "Sandwich", featuring six heatpipes connecting to two banks of cooling fins with a gap between them - just big enough for a fan! Sandwich promises top-tier cooling, compatibility with Intel's upcoming Skt. 1366, and will be available come Q4 2008. Speaking of Skt. 1366, Noctua has developed a new, easier to install CPU cooler mounting system, dubbed SecuFirm2, which promises to simplify your install and will be backwards-compatible with all Noctua coolers made during or after 2005. Noctua is also improving the design of its flagship NF-S12 120mm case fan, by increasing the length of the fan's blades and beveling the edges. This new design has enabled the fan to push more air, while maintaining the NF-S12's whisper-quiet sound profile. Also on display were coolers made for the Dual Xeon Skt. 771 platform, which will enable a "wind tunnel" environment that enables better cooling for both processors.

IBM to Integrate Water Cooling Directly into Multi-layer CPUs

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: June 5, 2008 11:23AM
Author: Dale Shuck

IBM researchers are working on a multi-layer CPU chip that stacks the components of the processor vertically instead of placing them next to each other in a horizontal layout. The beauty of this type of design is that it increases the number of possible interconnections and shortens the distance information needs to travel. The drawback to this approach is that it traps heat between the layers. To combat the heat issue, IBM scientists are incorporating water cooling directly into the chip itself using micropipes as thin as a human hair in between the layers. Destined for use in supercomputers, this type of chip is  at least five years away from commercial production.

Thermaltake Launches Advanced ProWater Liquid Cooling System

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: May 15, 2008 03:41PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

Custom liquid cooling systems have long been the preferred heat removal choice of gamers and enthusiasts, as they exhibit superb cooling characteristics and often require little maintenance after installation. Thermaltake's liquid cooling setups have been the perennial favorite of many hardcore PC users, and it's easy to understand why - Thermaltake-equipped systems can help enthusiasts reach higher overclocks and increased system stability because of the quality and craftsmanship that goes into every liquid cooling setup. Thermaltake's new ProWater 850i liquid cooling system promises better performance and decreased downtime due to maintenance, and that stems directly from the heart of the system - the P500 pump. This pump takes advantage of a 500 liter per hour flow rate and a hard-wearing ceramic bearing to send the cooling liquid coursing through the brazed copper waterblock and onto the automotive-style radiator. This unique radiator sports "Dimple Dimpled Technology" rather than traditional rounded-copper tubing, actually swirling the coolant through the radiator and increasing thermal transfer. The coolant is supplied by the easy-to-read transparent reservoir that also serves as a fill-port, and the liquid is carried by heavy-duty 3/8" clear tubing. The ProWater 850i is available now through most major retail and e-tail outlets.

Arctic Cooling Introduce Freezer 7 LP

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: May 7, 2008 01:06PM
Author: Ben Grantham

We have reviewed a couple of smaller CPU coolers designed to fit into tight spaces here at OCC recently, and if those interested you then so will Arctic Cooling's latest release. The Freezer 7 LP (LP = low profile) is much like many other coolers from Arctic Cooling, aiming to provide better than stock cooling at low noise levels. Coming in at only 53mm in height (with fan installed) the Freezer 7 LP is clearly meant for cases where space it at a premium, such as your average HTPC. It makes use of 40 aluminium fins mated with two heatpipes, topped off with a quiet 80mm fan to cool your CPU (up to 90 Watts). Arctic Cooling are claiming a 15% performance increase over generic low profile coolers, while remaining 66% quieter than Intel's low profile solution. You should see the Freezer 7 LP at retailers around mid-May with an MSRP of $27.95.

Noctua Unleashes Quiet, Powerful CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: May 5, 2008 05:35PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

Noctua - a world-class manufacturer of quiet, high performance cooling solutions - has launched a powerful, near silent CPU cooler that's specifically designed to fit comfortably in many of today's smaller PC cases.  Whether you're building a new Home Theater PC, or a frag-tastic LAN box, Noctua's NH-C12P has you covered.  Sporting a six heatpipe design, this C-shaped cooler features a down-facing 120mm fan that'll easily blow the heat away from your CPU, but that's not all - taking advantage of Noctua's dual Airflow-Gap fin design, this small wonder will help cool down your hot motherboard components too!  The NH-C12P uses Noctua's SecuFirm mounting system, guaranteeing superior reliability and an evenly-pressured installation on all of today's most popular platforms - including Intel's Socket 775, and AMD's AM2 and AM2+. 

CoolIT Launches PURE All-In-One CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: May 2, 2008 08:57PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

As computer enthusiasts and overclockers, we're always trying to push our gear to the next level - and because of that, we also find ourselves in a constant battle with our arch-nemesis, heat.  While there are many among our community who already employ a liquid loop - or something more extreme - to cool their most important components, there are others - me included - who aren't quite sure whether the hassles of alternative cooling are worth the extra performance.  CoolIT Systems, a well known and respected alternative cooling manufacturer, feel that they have the perfect answer in their all-in-one, maintenance free PURE CPU cooler that allows liquid n00bs to test the waters (Punny!) without the headaches common in building and maintaining a custom liquid cooling setup.  Right out of the box, the PURE is ready to roll; combining the best elements of air and liquid cooling,  the PURE system comes pre-assembled - tubes, waterblock, and radiator - and is filled with coolant and primed, making installation as easy as possible.  You should check out the OCC Review of the CoolIT PURE, it may make a believer out of you, too.

ThermalRight goes black

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: April 18, 2008 03:54PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

ThermalRight's Ultra-120 eXtreme has been updated with a special edition. They gave the Ultra-120 eXtreme a new exciting all black finish and renamed the black variant the "TRUE Black 120". The True Black 120's finish is a nickel based coating and ThermalRight have used the marketing phrase "meaner than ever" to describe the new product. Other than the previously mentioned changes this heatpipe cooler does not differ from the original Ultra-120 eXtreme. How the black nickel coating affects the performance is yet to be known.

OCZ Unleashes Vendetta 2 CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: April 10, 2008 09:20PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

OCZ Technology has a vendetta against your computer's processor heat - the Vendetta 2 CPU cooler, that is.  Based on three pure copper heat pipes surrounded by a tower of aluminum fins, the OCZ Vendetta 2 CPU cooler is designed to take the heat from your computer's processor and blow it away like sand in a hurricane.  OCZ's trend-setting heat pipe direct touch design puts the heat pipes in direct contact with the CPU's surface to maximize heat transfer, and the included 120mm fan is capable of 1500 RPM blowing up to 81 CFM, at only a 32 dBA noise level.  In an effort to minimize noise, the 120mm fan comes with anti-vibration rubber connectors, and the micro-dimpled stacked aluminum fins help to better circulate air throughout the case - together producing an efficient and whisper-quiet cooler.  Best of all, the OCZ Vendetta 2 cooled our test system's Intel E6600 at load better than a Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, at both stock and overclocked speeds.  Check out the OCC review of the OCZ Vendetta 2 CPU cooler for more details and test results.