Asetek Antarctica WaterChill CPU Cooling Kit Review

Introduction:

Hello and welcome again to another OverclockersClub.com review. Today we'll be looking at the Asetek Antarctica Waterchill kit - the newest iteration of their popular Waterchill line. Using the latest methods of jet impingment waterblocks, we should really get a taste of some high class cooling today. Using popular market choices for the majority of their kit pieces, we'll get a feel for a couple of 'market standard' watercooling pieces as well. Once again, today we'll be looking at the 'upgradability' of watercooling - seeing as everyone starts with air and progresses to watercooling (including myself) we'll take a look at the success of this system from that perspective. Will the Waterchill be everything you're looking for in a watercooling system? Let's dive in (har har har) and find out!

About Asetek

"Meeting the market's needs for higher computing speeds, the constantly growing demand for cooling of electronic devices and requirements for more silent performance asetek develops unique cooling systems that effectively solve the problems of computer overheating and annoying noise.

In this respect the asetek mission statement is a simple one:

We will develop and provide for the global computer market the best and most effective cooling technologies. And we will continuously improve our technologies to reach this goal.

For as long as computers generate heat and other computer equipment generate noise, there will be a need for asetek and for the products we are developing."

Let's hope they've reached this goal! Only one way to find out...

Closer Look:

The Waterchill package is pretty darn big, about 2 feet in length, in fact. Made from a plastic corrugate (I believe) the package itself is fairly side, and all of our components are nestled securely inside wedged between two thick pieces of foam. Everything arrived safe and undamaged.



This kit has a ton of components, so let's get right to that.

To start it off, the biggest part of this kit - the fan and radiator. The radiator is a 120mm Black Ice Pro, with push-on fittings. From the Asetek website, "This Black Ice Pro radiator is specifically designed for PC water-cooling.

It uses a full copper-finned core with a high-density louvered copper fin configuration, flat tubes for maximum coolant-core heat conductivity, built-in mounting brackets and plenum chamber with tap tight screw holes for outstanding cooling performance that fits perfectly inside your PC. This edition of the Black Ice Pro radiator is equipped with easy push-on fittings for easy and better mounting of the tubes."



It comes with a ton of features:

2-pass Radiator specifically developed for PC watercooling.

Now with improved internal pressure drop for increased cooling efficiency.

Optimized fittings (/tubes) for maximum flow.

New high-durability custom formulation acrylic paint finish.

Rated for 378KCal per hour (1501 BTU per hour) or 440W.

120 mm (4.72 inch) Copper core consisting of flat tubes for maximum heat conductivity.

High-density louvered copper fin configuration for enhanced heat dissipation.

Built-in plenum chamber for increased performance and noise reduction.

Self-tapping 120mm fan and case mounting holes for ease of installation

Compact 157 x 133 x 25 mm (5.9 x 5 x 0.98 inch) dimensions allows it to fit inside most mid-tower cases.