Computex 2010 Coverage

ARCTIC

ARCTIC, the company formerly known as Arctic Cooling, is no longer just about cooling. Last year, the company started a rebranding effort, creating an umbrella brand ARCTIC in order to accommodate the new product lines, each of which received sub-brands - ARCTIC COOLING, ARCTIC POWER, ARCTIC SOUND, and ARCTIC HOBBY. As such, visiting the (huge) ARCTIC booth was one of my biggest surprises of Computex - Remote-controlled vehicles and a Wii-clone? Seriously? Stay tuned to learn more. Marketing Executive Anna Burschik walked me through the old and new at ARCTIC.

The first thing to note is that because ARCTIC changed its logo shortly before Computex, many of the products shown have the old AC logo. However, all future products will feature the new logo. I'll start with the sub-brand we're all most familiar with, ARCTIC COOLING. First up are some standard case fans from the ARCTIC F Series and ARCTIC F PWM Series. Both series are available in 80mm, 92mm and 120mm, feature fluid dynamic bearings, and come with a six year warranty. The F PWN Series not only features pulse-width modulation, as the name indicates, but also ARCTIC's patented PWM sharing technology (PST), which regulates the fan speed of up to five fans via the BIOS, sharing one single PWM signal. Both series come in Pro versions, which include patented vibration absorption and a patented fan holder that eliminates buzzing sounds.

The last of the case fans are from the ARCTIC F TC Series. Like the previous two series, it comes in 80mm, 92mm and 120mm, features fluid dynamic bearings, comes with a six year warranty, and is available in a Pro version, which is the one pictured below. The difference between the F TC Series and previous two series is that it includes a 40cm long temperature sensor, which can be positioned wherever you like.

When it comes to VGA cooling, ARCTIC has you covered there as well, no matter what you have. First up, for your passive needs, there's the Accelero S1 Rev.2. Featuring four thick copper heatpipes, 32 fins, and pre-applied ARCTIC MX-2 thermal compound, the Accelero S1 Rev.2 is compatible with a plethora of cards, from the lowly NVIDIA 6600 series and ATI Radeon X1300 series all the way up to the NVIDIA GTS250 and ATI Radeon HD 5870. For the latter cards, however, it's highly recommended that you combine it with Turbo Module, which consists of two add-on 80mm fans.

Rounding out the VGA cooling were three coolers from the Accelero XTREME line, all of which feature three 92mm PWM fans. The Accelero XTREME Plus features five heatpipes and 84 fins, with a maximum cooling capacity of 250 Watts. It's compatible with a variety of high-end cards from both NVIDIA and ATI. The Accelero XTREME 5870 features five heatpipes and 83 fins, with a maximum cooling capacity of 250 Watts, and is obviously specifically designed for the ATI Radeon HD 5870, with support for the HD 5850 as well. The Accelero XTREME 5970 features eight heatpipes and 110 fins, with a maximum cooling capacity of 300 Watts, and is obviously for the ATI Radeon HD 5970.

ARCTIC has you covered for your hard drive cooling as well with the ARCTIC HC01-TC. The HC01-TC supports a 3.5" SATA drive and the TC function measures hard drive temperature and adjusts the fan speed accordingly. It also has EVA foam to absorb vibration and thus lower noise level.

For your notebook cooling needs, there's the ARCTIC NC. Available in silver or black, it features two 60mm PWM fans and includes a fan speed controller to go from 800 RPM to 1,700 RPM. The ARCTIC NC is fully USB-powered, no battery or adaptor is required, and features a four-port USB hub.

Lastly, ARCTIC has a few USB coolers for your own personal cooling needs. ARCTIC Breeze Mobile features a 1,700 RPM fan in a lightweight, slim design that is perfect for travelers. ARCTIC Breeze features a dual fan speed option (1,200 RPM and 2,000 RPM), an on/off switch, and 1.5m roll-up cable. ARCTIC Breeze Pro features an adjustable fan speed from 800 RPM to 1,800 RPM, and also doubles as a four-port USB Hub. All three USB coolers feature a 92mm fan, flexible neck, and support the use of the ARCTIC C1 Mobile, as seen pictured with the ARCTIC Breeze Mobile below. The ARCTIC C1 Mobile is a mobile USB charger with a solar panel that features a built-in 4,400 mWh lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which is chargeable by USB or the solar panel. Best of all, coupling it with an ARCTIC Breeze is just one option - you can also use it to charge your mobile devices, such as your iPhone, MP3 player, or portable game console. For those mobile phones that don't USB charging, ARCTIC has you covered with included adapters for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and Motorola.