bundymania

 

 

 

 

Something different today

Price of the Koolance Block dropped to 120 EUR at Aquatuning

Hello Guys,

As you might remember I did a review of the GTX480 graphic card in the past, but today I would like to give a broad and detailed overview of the different fullcover watercoolers for the GTX 570/580. In comparison to its predecessor the GTX 580 needs less electric power and is quite more silent. Although the stock cooler performance is better than the cooler of the GTX480, the temperature of the GPU of the GTX580 is much better with a watercooling solution and it offers as well a noiseless operating graphic card. If you take a look a back in the past, you might remember that I tested all common watercooling solutions for the GTX480 and I will follow this way as well in this review. I think you should not except any surprises concerning the temperatures (they might not differ in a broader context), but there are some improvements in detail. Most of the producers set the backplates aside and EK created a more filigree cooling structure. I know that someone of you might think, that the test might be a little be outdated, but I had to struggle with different hardware defects, but now you should take a look inside my review. Have fun with reading. I hope that I my review contributes to a your choice of a watercooler

 

Testing System:

Banchetto 101 Bench Station

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 Mainboard

Kingston HyperX DIMM Kit 12GB

Watercool Heatkiller 3.0

i7 920 @4Ghz @1.40V (@Bios)

Cougar GX 1050 Power supply

EVGA GTX580 Graphic

Mora 3 / 9x Noiseblocker Black Silent PL2 (600 U/Min.)

Aquaero 4 VFD

Laing Ultra with Alphacool Acetal Top

Alphacool Cyclone Reservoir

Aquacomputer Flow-rate sensor "High Flow"

Koolance VL3N Couplings & CPC Metal Couplings

Masterkleer 16/10mm Tube + 13mm Nozzle-Fittings

Water-filter by Aquacomputer

3x Sensors for water temperature (2x T-Line, 1x in reservoir)

Thermal grease: Gelid Extreme

Water additive: Innovatek Protect convenience blend

I used ArctiClean for cleaning the CPU and the DIE of the graphic card.

 

Testing procedure:

I used Furmark v.1.8.2 for stress-testing the GPU in order to reach a high temperature (settings: 1280x1024, 8x MSAA). The stress-test ran for thirty minutes.

I used the Gelid Xtreme thermal grease. Every cooler was assembled for three times and the best result took part in my statistics.

After talking about the ordinary things, let us take a closer look and the test candidates:

Swiftech/EVGA GTX580 FTW Hydro Copper 2

The first cooler in this review takes up an exceptional position, because this cooler comes on a common way only assembled with the EVGA GTX 580. At present the cooler can be bought for 139€ plus shipping costs in the EU Online-Shop. The cooler is developed by the famous US producer Swiftech and is as well the stock-cooler for the EVGA Hydro Copper 2. The special advantage of this combination is, that you do not loose any warranty claims in case of dissembling the air cooler, which is almost the standard if you get your Graphic card from another producer. A (small) disadvantage in comparison to a single GTX 580 and a water cooler: you have to pay for the EVGA GTX580 FTW Hydro Copper 2 in combination with the Swiftech/ EVGA a higher price.

The chrom-plated copper cooler has an elegant black Acetal top, which is decorated with a blue patch. The scope of supply contains as well a backplate, which is already assembled.

The cooler has the same fine cooling structure (0,6mm) as the preceeding model of the GTX480 (fine cooling structure results in less water flow). The cooler has a very thin head, which contributes to kick-ass cooling results.

The cooler, which is produced by swiftech, comes in combination with the Graphic card and is well packed. The scope of supply contains as well two lock screws. Of course the cooler is SLI-Ready. Connection threads have the common G ¼ sizes, which allow a fitting-size up to 16/10mm. The distance between the screws is 31mm. The cooler has a weight of ca. 980 g. and the processing quality is on a high level.

If you purchase the single cooler in the EVGA EU Shop, the thermal pads are applied to the cooler, so you do not have to cut the pads by yourself. The scope of supply contains many different things: installation material, clamps, manual, thermal grease and a single-slot-blend. The cooler has the additional feature that the EVGA Logo can be enlightened by an integrated LED.

Technical Details:

Material: Copper, Chrome, Acetal

Thread size: G 1/4"

Scope of supply:

1x Swiftech/EVGA GTX580 Cooler

1x Thermal grease

4x Fittings in two sizes

1x Single-slot-blend

4x Clamps in two sizes

2x Screw plugs

Installation manual (french, english, spanish) with pictures

Weight: ca. 980g

Price: ca. 140 € (EVGA EU Webshop)

 

 

Watercool HEATKILLER® GPU-X³ GTX580/570 -Special Edition-

 

I would like to introduce to you the Special Edition of the HEATKILLER GPU-X³ GTX580/570 cooler from Watercool, which comes with a modified top in contrast to the normal version. As you might know the corpus consists of copper and the top of stainless steel. A good feature is the fix integration of the spacers into the cooler. The Heatkiller is sealed in foil and safely packed in a nice retail box. Besides the installation material you will find the installation manual, an allen key and two screw plugs. The thermal pads are already cut in the right size, which is a nice feature for the customer. As you might know the company Watercool, the processing quality is on a very high level (the cooler fits perfect to the Graphic card). Of course the cooler is SLI-Ready with special Watercool adapters and as well with the common adapters. The cooler is assembled that way, that it is your choice if you would like to use thermal grease or thermal pads to the RAM.

You can purchase this cooler in different designs, for example in the ‘hole edition’ and another design with a nickel plated top. So I think there is a great variety for any kinds of taste. The Watercool Heatkiller GPU-X³ cooler convinced me in any direction, see ‘Quality made in Germany’. The fine micro-structure of the cooler warrants best cooling capacities. The flow rates are on a standard level, not very good and not very bad, it just worksJ. The installation is as well very easy, but it would have been nice, if there would have been additional thermal grease in the scope of supply and the distance of the threads (22mm) could have been bigger. The cooler can be used for every GTX570 and GTX580 in reference design, as every fullcover-cooler in this test.

Technical Details:

Material: Copper, Stainless steel, POM

Seize: (LxBxH) 172,0 x 117,0 x 11,5mm

Weight: 850g

Fittings: 4x G ¼ Zoll (DIN ISO 228-1)

Pressure tested: 5 bar

Compatible to: Nvidia GTX580 & 570 (reference design)

Scope of supply:

1x HEATKILLER® GPU-X³ GTX580

1x Installation manual/material

Price: ca. 85 €

 

Aquacomputer aquagraFX für GTX 580 und GTX 570 (GF110)

The aquagraFX cooler for the GTX 580/570 from Aquacomputer is nicely designed and well processed. The inner build-up is very similar to the cooler from Watercool and therefore it might not be very surprisingly to you that the testing results are as well similar. The aquagraFX is well wrapped in bubble-foil and comes in a simple white package with the essential installation material / manual. The scope of supply contains as well screw plugs and as a nice addition a small Torx screw-driver for the disassembly of the stock cooler. Unfortunately you have to cut the thermal pads to the correct size. The scope of supply does not contain thermal grease.

The cooler is made of copper and has a nice stainless steel top, which is installed with many small screws. For an additional charge you can purchase a nickel-plated version.

 

The cooler from Aquacomputer is well processed, fits perfectly and is as well easy to install for unexercised users. The spacers are just integrated into the cooler. The bottom of the cooler is 9mm thick, which results in combination with the fine micro-cooling-structure in very good testing results. The contact areas for GPU and Ram have a polished finish for optimal contact. As almost every fullcover-cooling-solution the cooler is SLI ready. Aquacomputer offers aedequate Twin Connect Adapters as component parts.

Under the following link you can watch an installation video of the cooler:

 

Materials:

Base body: Copper

Top: Stainless steel

Connection Terminal: Delrin

Scope of supply:

Cooler without Fittings (G1/4 Threats)

Installation material including thermal pads

Two screw plugs

Price: 92 Euro

 

Danger Den DD-GTX580/GTX570

 

Follow this link to watch an installation video made by the producer:

The GTX 570/580 cooler from Danger Den came a long way from the USA to my home in Germany. The scope of supply contains the common installation material and manual and thermal grease. My test-example is named “Black Chrome Top and Nickle Base” and costs 130 US Doller in the Danger Den online-shop Let us help you be cool!. At the moment it is not possible to purchase this cooler in Germany, but you can do a request on Caseking.de – the official Danger Den partner in Germany.

The cooler from Danger Den has a solid appearance with its dark chromed top, which is high gloss polished and looks therefore very noble. The corpus is nickel-plated and the spacers are already installed in the cooler. Concerning this cooler, you have to put thermal grease on the GPU and the RAM. The cooler is optimized for maximum water-flow, so it has a more rude cooling-structure. The cooling capacity is on a good level and the water-flow is, if you keep the rude cooling-structure in mind, on the highest levels. The cooler can be purchased in three different design-versions with nickel-plated and copper bottoms, so there is high chance that you will find your favourable design ;-)

 

 

Alphacool NexXxoS NVXP NV 580/570 Serie

 

NexXxos is back! Well, i suppose this is a good statement, if you take back in mind that the producer Alphacool has not produced many Fullcover-cooler in the past. Therefore I would like to present to you the watercooler for the GTX 570/580 as a re-entry on the market. The relation of price and performance is here very good. The cooler is the low-priced model in this review with ca. 68,00€. The scope of supply contains the common installation material, a pictured installation manual, two screw plugs and thermal grease / thermal pads. The cooler comes in a black retail box. The cooler from Alphacool uses thermal pads except for the GPU. You can purchase a black backplate for 16,00€, which contributes to a nice appearance of the cooler. In my opinion the cooler is not very nicely designed, it looks a bit old-fashioned and the ground level is not as good processed as the coolers from Swiftech or Koolance, which are quite more expensive. In relation to its price, the processing quality is okay. The cooling capacity is as well okay, but the cooler could not reach the top of the charts, because of its rough cooling-structure and the thick ground of the cooler. The cooler finds its place as a reference of price/ cooling-capacity-relation-model.

 

 

Technical Details:

Material: Copper, Acetal

Seize (L x B x H): 175 x 111 x 16mm

Weight: ca. 1000g

Thread Size: 4x G ¼ Zoll

SLI/Crossfire ready

Compatible to GTX 580/570 except PNY570 design.

 

Scope of supply:

1x Cooler

Thermal pads

Thermal grease

Installation material

2x G ¼ Zoll Screw plugs

Multi-language installation manual (de. engl. fra.)

Price: ca. 68 Euro

optional Backplate - ca. 16 Euro

 

Koolance VID-NX580 (GeForce GTX 580/570)

Iam proud to present to you the cooler from Koolance, which is very well processed and has a good cooling performance. The cooler is nickel-plated and has a black acetal-top. The middle part is not made of acrylic-glass (which could have been enlightened by optional LEDs), which was a special feature of the coolers for older graphic cards. The cooler has a nice design and comes in decent black retail box. The box contains the needed installation material, screw plugs and thermal grease. The thermal pads have a great size, so you will have enough material to install the cooler a second time. The processing quality is on a very high level, which results in an easy installation and an accurately fitting. The needed spacers are already installed in the cooler. As you will follow the well pictured installation manual in English, you will not need much time for the installation. The cooler has a very thin micro-structure (0,5mm), which is accountable for the high ranks in the charts. The cooler can be purchased for a price of 130,00€ in the EU. In comparison to the other candidates, the cooler has a slightly higher price, because of the import fees from Non-EU-States. The cooler is SLI-Ready and because of the centered hole distance you have the option to use big size fittings with this cooler. The Koolance VID-NX580 is a very good cooler, which convinced me concerning all points.

 

Technical Details:

Material: nickel-plated copper, acetal

Thread-size: G 1/4"

Size (LxBxH): 15.9cm x 14.6cm x 1.6cm

Weight: 680g

Scope of supply:

Koolance VID-NX580 (GeForce GTX 580/570)

Thermal grease

Installation material

Price: ca. 130 EUR

EK Water Blocks EK-FC580/570 GTX+

The FC580/570 GTX+ from EK Water Blocks from Slowenia can be purchased in different designs. I have tested in my review the nickel-plated version with an acrylic-glass top. EK Waterblocks and Liquid Extasy are the only companies, which produce designs with acrylic-glass tops. The cooling structure of the cooler has not been changed since the first EK-cooling-generation, which is designed as a wave. In contrast to the procedure of EK, other companies optimized their coolers in the last years. EK optimized the cooling-fins, which are now quite more filigree and contribute to a good cooling performance. The rest of the lovely design has not been changed for years, so the biggest part of the watercooling-community might be happy about this ;-)

The EK Water Blocks EK-FC580/570 GTX+ is well packed and comes in a nicely designed retail box, which contains everything you might need for the installation, except thermal grease for the GPU. Unfortunately you have to cut the thermal pads by yourself.

The installation of the cooler is a little bit tricky, because you have to glue the spacers with thermal grease onto the cooler. In hope that they fit in the right direction you have to put the cooler on your graphic card for assembly. I really don’t know why the producer did choose such a silly way for the installation of the cooler. You have additionally to install thin frame around the GPU, which should contribute to a stable fit of the cooler. In the further cooler-generations the spacers will be integrated into the cooler, as EK told me.

The cooler convinced me with its good cooling performance and processing quality, if you do not take in mind the silly installation ;-). Because of the filigree and big cooling structure around the GPU the EK Water Blocks EK-FC580/570 GTX+ is one of the top models in my review. Concerning its price the cooler can be located in the middle field.

 

Announcement: Actually you can purchase the new revision of the cooler with fix installed spacers, which makes the installation quite more easy.

Technical Details:

Material: Nickel-plated copper, acrylic-glass

Threats: 2 x G1/4"

Weight: ca. 750g

 

Scope of supply:

Cooler without fittings (Threats G 1/4")

Installation material

Thermal pads

Price for nickel-plated version: ca. 90 EUR

 

 

XSPC Razor GTX580

The following candidate is produced by XSPC from England as a fullcover-cooler for the 570/580GTX.

The XSPC Razor is shipped well wrapped in bubble-foil and comes in a simple white box. The scope of supply contains almost everything you wish for, because you will find besides the common installation material as well a tube of thermal grease for the GPU. The rest of the components is used with thermal pads, which are already cut in the right size J

The thin and light cooler is easy to install by the pictured English installation manual. The interior build-up is equal to last coolers and therefore the cooler reaches the upper middle field in my charts. I have no information about any other design variations. The cooler is SLI-Ready and can be installed on GTX570 and GTX580 graphic cards with reference layout. In my opinion the cooler from XSPC is a good all-round-solution for a fair price. According to the other competitors the price could have been quite lower. The connection threads have a distance of 34mm between the screws, so the usage of big-size-fittings like 19/13mm is no problem. The spacers are already installed into the cooler.

Technical Details:

Material: Copper (ground), stainless-stell (top)

Threads: G 1/4"

CNC milled copper

Size: 170 x 124 x 9mm ´

SLI-Ready

Weight: ca. 820g

Compatible with 580 & 570 GTX graphic cards in reference layout.

Scope of supply:

1x XSPC Razor GTX580

1x Thermal grease

2x Screw plugs

2x Distance washers

Thermal pads

Installation material

Price: ca. 90 EUR

 

Bitspower Black Freezer VG-NGTX580 - clear

 

So let us take a closer look at the Bitspower Black Freezer VG-NGTX580. I own the version with a clear top. The cooler feels very heavy and the processing quality is as well on a high level.

The Black freezer is well packed in an elegant black retail box.

The scope of supply contains beside the common installation material many additional component parts on a price level of 50 Euro. It contains thermal grease, different SLI-Adapters, alternative O-Rings and finally a backplate J. If you take the high price of 180 Euro in mind, the price for the cooler is not as high as you might have thought. The thermal grease is used for the GPU. For the rest of the components thermal pads are used.

A pictured installation manual makes the installation of the cooler easy to understand for the user. The spacers have to be installed by the user himself. You have the possibility to purchase the cooler with different coloured tops. After all the cooler has a very rough cooling structure, so the cooling performance is on a good level in relation to the stock air-cooling-solution. The middle-part, which is made of acrylic-glass, has LED-Holes for illuminating the cooler. At present the cooler can not be purchased in Germany.

Click on the link below for an installation video:

 

 

Technical Details:

•Size: 197 x 24,35 x 98 mm (BxHxT)

•Material: black nickel-plated copper (ground), acrylic glass (top)

•Threats: 2x 1/4

•Compatible to: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 580 (reference layout)

•Component parts:

Backplate

2x angle-adaptor 1/4 Zoll to IG 1/4 Zoll

2x Fitting ID 13 mm

Installation material

Thermal pads

Thermal grease

Alternative O-Rings

Price: ca. 180 EUR

 

 

Liquid Extasy Narrow Line Geforce 580/570 GTX

Another cooler for the 580/570 GTX comes from the german producer Liquid Extasy. The Narrow Line Geforce 580/570 GTX is one of the products you can purchase including custom products for your game stations like xbox or playstation 3. Liquid Extasy is the only producer of a cooler, which is made of copper and has an acrylic glass top. You have the possibility to buy this cooler with a black or white top. The cooler comes is a simple box with the common installation material as screws, pressure springs and washers. Unfortunately the scope of supply does not contain screw plugs or thermal grease (the website says that thermal grease and screw plugs will be shipped at February 2012). The Narrow Line cooler does not reaches the best temperatures, which can be traced back to the rough cooling-structure (speedchannel-system) and the thickness of the cooler (see Bitspower or DangerDen). On the other hand the rough cooling-structure contributes to high water-flow-rates. Over all the processing quality is on an acceptable level, which means that you might find somewhere some little milling scratches on the top and on the ground as well. Concerning the processing quality please take in mind, that Liquid Extasy is a very small company, which produces its coolers with small financial budgets and older machines. If you like the design of the cooler, please buy it ;-). Of course the cooler is SLI-Ready.

 

Material: copper

Threat-size: G 1/4

Scope of supply

GPU - Cooler 1x Narrow Line GPU including mounting bracket

1x Installation material

Price: ca. 80 EUR

Shop: Home

 

Testing Results:

 

 

 

Conclusion:

In comparison to the coolers in the last years, there are not any big changes. Therefore the charts do not differ very much at all from the last testing results. There might be some little improvements in detail like the filigree cooling-structure of the EK-Coolers. Nice features are the thermal pads, which are already cut in the right sizes and additional installation-tools. The GTX480 cooler from Aquacomputer had a backplate to maximise the contact pressure. Concerning the GTX570/580 coolers they fulfil moreover an optical function and can protect the card from damage caused by water.

I am a little bit disappointed about the small scope of supply of the Liquid Extasy cooler (you have to buy additional screw plugs). Another point of critique is the copious installation of the spacers on the EK-cooler (which is only a criterion with the first cooler generation).

Unfortunately the cooler from Swiftech (produced for EVGA) can only be bought in the EVGA-Shop.

The coolers from german manufactures are well processed (like their coolers in the past) and you will not do anything wrong with this coolers. The different designs of the Watercool-coolers are a nice feature. The Liquid Extasy from the german manufacturer is located in the middle-field, which is a good position for the cooler, which is produced without any high-end-machines.

It is as well nice to see that the producer Alphacool is back on the market for fullcover-coolers with a low price in comparison to the other candidates. Unfortunately I had no testing-examples from the producer Innovatek, because they do not produce any watercooling-solutions for the GTX570/580.

The coolers from Bitspower and Danger Den could not reach higher ranks concerning the GPU-temperature, because the cooling-structure is too rough and the ground-plate is too thick. But please take in mind that this coolers are optimized for a maximum of water-flow. Both coolers are very well processed and the scope of supply of the Bitspower cooler is the best you can already receive as a customer.

I would like to advise you to flush every cooler before installation to clean them from potential residues.

Important Notice:

Some GT580 graphic cards like the EVGA come without any heatspreader. These cards can not be used with the coolers that I tested in my review, because the GPU has no contact to the cooler.

Thanks:

I would like to thank the following companies for their support:

Aquatuning , Danger Den , Liquid Extasy , Koolance , EK Waterblocks , Bitspower , Swiftech , XSPC , leise PC Lüfter, entwickelt in Deutschland. | Noiseblocker , GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY , Alphacool - CPU Khlung und Wasserkhlung sowie PC-Cooling und Silent-PC Artikel von Alphacool , Aqua Computer Homepage - Home , cougar-world.com: Cougar-World.de , Startseite | Watercool - Wasserkühlung made in Germany , EVGA | Intelligent Innovation , Microcool.it - Chipset, Cpu Pentium M socket 479 and integrated coolers , Kingston Technology Company - Where To Go To Find Memory

 

 

 

@Useless: The Block comes from Detroit Thermo USA and the name is on the block

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prototype from Detroit Thermo USA. 5Noz

 

Hello guys,

 

The watercooling pumps of the Laing DDC 1T series are well known and popular candidates on the watercooling market since many years. I think this product is established, because of its great performance and its compact dimensions. The pump offers flow-rates, which guarantee enough power reserves for almost any kind of watercooling-solutions in your PC.

The customer can choose between a great variety of component parts, like tops from different producers with G ¼” threads, which reduces as well the noise-level of the pump to maximum silence. Silence is exactly the topic of the following product: The new Alphacool Silentbox for the Laing Pump. The box should absorb the operating noise. Therefore let us take a look, if it is possible to reduce the sound level of the pump with this box (I will show you as well the different assembly options of the box)

I used the Laing DDC-1T Plus version in my test, which is identical in construction to the Koolance PMP-400, in combination with the favorable Alphacool POM Laing Top.

The pump including the top fit in the silentbox:

 

 

 

 

 

Some impressions of the Alphacool Silentbox:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material: Steel, Cellular material

Color: black paintwork

Seize (LxBxH): 100x102x66mm

Standard assembly option: 2x 3,5” Bay

Additional mounting holes:

Bottom Side: 8x M4 Threads

Sideward: je 2x M3 Threads

Weight: 474g

 

Scope of supply:

 

Alphacool Laing DDC-SilentBox

8x mounting screws

 

Price: 15 EUR

 

Source of supply: Aquatuning - Der Wasserkhlung Vollsortimenter - Alphacool Laing DDC-SilentBox Alphacool Laing DDC-SilentBox 52191

 

 

The box has nice black paintwork and is filled with black foam material, in order to reduce the noise level of the pump. It has apertures on the top and foreside, which are big enough to connect fittings and tubes up to a size auf 19/13mm (1/2”) (you have to cut out the holes by yourself, for your preferred size). The Alphacool Silentbox comes in a decent black retail box and is well wrapped in bubble foil. The scope of supply contains 8 black assembly screws. In order to decouple the box itself, it has different threads at the bottom and on the sides, so you can choose between great varieties of assembly options for buffers. An additional idea is to install a “Phobya Noise Destructor” under the box. On the backside you will a find a small hole, which should be used for the electric-cable of the pump.

The Alphacool Silentbox has a nice decent design and the processing quality is in a good relation to its price of 15,00 Euro. Here and there, you might find some very small errors in the paintwork, but they are not disturbing the good appearance of this product.

I think the ambient temperature is another interesting point concerning this Silentbox.

I have installed a sensor in the Silentbox in order to give you a small impression of the inside-temperatures. Gauging temperatures after one hour results in a plus auf three degrees Celsius over room temperature (I think a good value with no dangers for longer usage).

 

 

 

 

 

On-road test:

 

I used the Laing DDC 1T Plus including the black Alphacool Acetal Top in the Silentbox and started to test the different noise level with my ears, because if have no expensive db test equipment. My first thought was a testing of the noise level by an Android Smartphone App, but I think those tool are not precise enough and I did not have as well enough money to buy an expensive checking device. Therefore I did a small videoclip, which shows the operating of the whole combination.

 

Because of the Silentbox, the noise level is a bit lower and less high-frequent, which sounds much more comfortable. I am sorry, but I think the microphone of my camera is not good enough the express the real sounding of the pump.

 

 

The Alphacool Silentbox gets the Price-Performance Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion:

 

Taking the used materials and the material-thickness into account, you should not expect wonders like total silence, especially if you use a pump-top (like I did), which is not the most quite candidate. Nevertheless you will hear a difference in using the Silentbox or not. In relation to its price, the reduced noise level is on an adequate level. Additionally the box offers a great variety of assembly and decoupling options.

 

 

 

Thanks: I would like to thank the following companies and producers for supporting this test: Alphacool, Aquatuning, Phobya and Koolance!

 

Yes

 

Hello Guys,

 

Today i would like to give a short overview of another Benchtable (In the past I did some reviews of Benchtables from other producers). Therefore I would like to present the current Version of the Banchetto 101 from Microcool. Microcool has its residence in Italy and has got many fans because of their well products. I am using the older version for two years and I am very satisfied with this product (I think have changed the installed components about a thousand times). The Banchetto 101 is made of a metal-arylic-glass-mix. The parts which are made of acrylic glass have an adequate material thickness of 8mm. They do not show any defects or errors during often usage. In comparison to the older version, the version current version in this review has two additional holes for water-cooling tubes, led-holes at the backside and the acrylic glass is dark toned.

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Modell: Banchetto 101 Modular

Seize: 400(L) x 350(W) x 362(H) mm

Weight: 5.3 Kg

Material: Acrylic Glass (8mm), Aluminium, chrom-plated steel screws

Colour: transparent, black, chrom

Motherboard compatibility: ATX & Micro ATX

PCI Slots: 7

5.25" Bays: 3

3.5" Bays: 4

PSU bay: Standard ATX PS2

Water-cooling: prepared 360 Radiator, Pump & Reservoir

Optional Fans: 4x92mm

Price: ca. 220 Euro

 

 

The Banchetto 101 is a construction kit, which is shipped in a big box. All single components are well packed in small boxes and wrapped with bubble-warp. Therefore they are very well protected.

 

 

 

 

 

The assembly instruction has many pictures and is written in English language. The assembly is quite easy (maybe depends on your assembly knowledge) and should be finished around 45 minutes or 1 hour. The whole assembly procedure requires an Allen key and a standard screw driver. The Banchetto 101 offers two different assembly options, which are shown in the following pictures.

 

 

The assembly procedure is preponderant done with knurled screws in two different sizes. The scope of supply does not contain screws for power supply and device assembly.

 

 

For the optional installation of max. 4x92mm Fans, you have to install the following plates:

 

 

 

 

The base plate, intermediate bottom and the motherboard-tray are built of 8mm dark toned acrylic glass. The separate plates are equipped with threads of screws.

The motherboard-tray is easily installed with 4 rubber stands on the middle plate without any screws. Therefore you can easily lift the upper plate to the side, if you want to do a “quick-change” on your installed hardware. The motherboard-tray has as well a cut-out under the CPU-Socket, which means you do not have to disassemble the motherboard, if you like to switch the cooler.

 

 

 

Reset- and Power-Switch are made in a robust „bulgin-style“ (cables of the switches are sleeved). The switches shall be installed under the motherboard-tray.

 

 

 

 

The components for the installation of the other parts (drives, power supply, radiator, pump, etc.) show a high class processing quality (the assembly is done with knurled screws). The Banchetto 101 stands on massive rubber foots, which guarantee a save standing and fulfill an anti-vibrational function.

 

 

 

 

Additional metal-bars stabilize the carrier plate.

 

 

 

 

 

The sides offer conveniently two holes for watercooling-tubes. In my case you can see the usage of a 16/10 mm tube (3/8”-5/8”). The middle and the upper acrylic carrier plate offer holes in different sizes for a comfortable wiring of your PC components. The Radiator-blend has as well holes for the cables of the fans. The usage of slotted holes allows you to install a great variety of different Radiator types (the broadness of the Banchetto 101 allows max. 360 Triple-Radiators). Radiators which are bigger than 360 will overhang side wards.

 

 

 

 

The seperate plugin-cards are fixed by thread-bars and knurled-screws.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end i would like to present to you a few pictures of the older version, which differs slightly from the current version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion:

 

All in all the Banchetto 101 Benchtable from Microcool from Italy is a very good product!

The processing quality is on a continuous high level and the usage of different materials is well chosen. The price is – according to the quality of the whole package – on an adequate level. Nevertheless the acrylic glass is quite sensitive concerning dust and scratches. A few details like the decoupling arrangement of the drives and the assembly screws for the power supply could be improved, but this should be only mentioned on the brink. Because of the stylish design the Banchetto 101 can be used as a Benchtable or a replacement for a common PC case. If your purse offers (or your wife ) enough money and you prefer products, which are made of metal, you can acquire the aluminum version for 370,00€.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks: I would like to thank the following companies and producers for supporting my review: Aquatuning, Phobya, Microcool, Bitspower, Noiseblocker, EK Waterblocks, Swiftech, Fractal Design and Aqua Computer

Hello Guys,

 

If you take a look back on the Watercooling-Solutions-Market, you might have noticed that many new products, especially new types of Radiators were launched. Therefore i would like to give a short overview of the new candidates in my new Triple-Radiator-Comparison.

It looks like that the trend goes to Big-Size-Radiators, if you take a look into the popular Watercooling-Shops, but the Radiators in the size 360 (3x120mm Fans are mountable) are as well very popular. This size provides enough cooling capacity for the most PCs and shows up with the advantage, that it could be integrated in most PC-Cases without any modifications. For further Information check the Sticky @ forumdeluxx.de and aquatuning.de http://www.Aquatuning.de

In this Roundup, I would like to present you a short overview concerning the current Triple-Radiators from low to high price ranges.

I wish you as always much fun reading my test and i hope that the Results may help you finding the adequate Radiator.

 

 

 

Test System:

 

Banchetto 101 Bench Station from Fa. Microcool

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 Mainboard

i7 920 @4.2Ghz @1.42V (Bios-Settings)

CPU Cooler: Watercool Heatkiller 3.0

Cougar GX 1050 Power-Supply

Kingston HyperX DIMM Kit 6GB

Noiseblocker Black Silent PL2 & Phobya Nano-G 12 Silent Waterproof 1500rpm Fan

Aquaero 4 VFD Control Unit

Laing DDC+ Pump with Alphacool Acetal Top

Alphacool Cyclone Reservoir

Aquacomputer Flow Sensor High Flow

Koolance VL3N Quick-Connectors & CPC Metall Quick-Connectors

Masterkleer 16/10mm Tube + 13mm Fittings

3x Sensors for Water temperature (2x T-Line, 1x in Reservoir)

Water filter from Aquacomputer

Thermal grease: Phobya HeGrease Extreme

Water additive: Innovatek Protect Mix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Testing procedure:

 

I used Prime95 in the latest version for stress-testing the CPU (Small FFTs). All temperatures were logged with the „Aquasuite“ from the „Aquaero 4 Control-Unit“. All measured values were taken after 60 minutes of stress-testing.

 

 

The most interesting value in my comparison is the difference (Delta T) of the room temperature according to the water temperature of the Radiator. The Delta T shows the cooling capacity of the Radiator according to the difference of the room and water temperature. Therefore the conclusion is very easy: If the difference between the two temperatures is very small, it shows the good cooling performance of the Radiator. I think the Delta-T, the flow-rate and the different fan speeds are the most interesting values, so I would like to focus this values in my scales for an easy understanding of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short Overview of the testing candiates:

 

 

Update 10.11.11 - 2 new Radiators from EK and XSPC added

- 16 Raditors in Testing!

 

 

 

EK Water Blocks Coolstream XTX 360

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material: Copper fins,Copper tubes, brass prechambers, steel frame

Colour: black

Size ( L x B x H): 400 x 130 x 64mm

FPI: 11

Fitting: G 1/4"

Fan Screw Threats: M3

Pressure tested: 1 bar

Weight: 1496g

 

 

 

Scope of supply:

 

1x EK Water Blocks EK-CoolStream RAD XTX 360

12x M3 x 30mm Screws

12x M3 x 5mm Screws

3x 1/4Zoll Screw plugs

 

Price: ca. 94 EUR

 

 

I would like to show you the current top model of triple Radiators from EK Waterblocks.

The EK Coolstream XTX 360 comes in a well-protected retail package (color: black/green).

In the inside you will find the common screws, screw plugs and a notice, which reminds you to use the screws with the correct length. The new EK is a very impressive radiator: It has a nice outward appearance and has as well many different connection options (five G ¼” Options).The outward appearance of the Radiator is as good as its cooling performance at any fan speeds. The paintwork and the processing quality are as well on a high level. The EK XTX is significant more expensive than the model, which I have tested before, but you get a much better cooling performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XSPC EX 360

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material: Copper and Brass

Colour: matt black paintwork

Size (BxHxL): 121x35,5x395mm (BxHxL)

Fittings: 2x G1/4"

Fan threats: UNC 6-32 Threats

 

Scope of supply:

Radiator

 

12x 6mm Screws

12x 30mm Fan Screws

 

Price: ca. 58 EUR

 

 

With the top model RX360 the company XSPC won the performance crown, but today I would like to test the cheaper EX360, which is thinner than the RX360. The EX360 performs very good with high fan-speeds. The Radiator-fins are much closer together in comparison to the “big brother”. The XSPC EX360 comes in a simple and elegant package with blue letterings. The scope of supply contains black colored fan-screws (UNC 6-32) and mounting screws for the installation on your Case. Therefore the processing quality is on a good level.

The matt black paintwork is similar to the bigger RX360 Radiator. The EX360 can be described as “slim-type” Radiator, which refers to an easy installation in your PC-Case. In comparison to his rival from Koolance, the XSPC E360 is the better option. The Magiccool Slim Radiator performs much better with lower fan speeds, but the EX360 performs much better with high fan speeds, so it shows a better performance than the expensive RX360.

 

 

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

Phobya G-Changer 360 Ver. 1.2 Black

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material: Copper fins, brass prechambers

Colour: matt black

Size: (L x B x H): 416x125x60mm

Fittings: G1/4"

Weight: ca. 1736g

Mounting options: both sides for Fans

Thread Size: M3

Fan Size: 3x 120mm

Pressure tested: 2 Bar

Other accessories: Bleed screw

 

Scope of supply:

 

1x Radiator

12x M3x30mm Screws

3x Anti-Vibration-Bolts

2x black bleed screws

 

Price: ca. 70 EUR

 

 

The G-Changer 360 V1.2 is a 60mm thick Radiator from the producer named „Phobya“. The Radiator comes in a colourful package with fan-screws in different lengths (30mm and 35mm – depends from the assembly option you would choose). The 10mm screws should be used for the assembly on your pc-case. The scope of supply also contains 3 Anti-Vibration-Bolts and a second bleeding screw (if you might loose one of them). The processing quality is definitely on high level. All mounting threads for the fan-assembly were in good quality (as the paintwork and the Radiator-fins). A typical feature of the G-Changer 360 V1.2 are the four G1/4” connection threads, which offer a great variety of assembly-options (including the option of a two-circulation-system). The Radiator is a typical Mesh-Radiator (as almost every candidate in this test) and comes with brass pre-chambers and copper fins. The Phoyba G-Changer 360 V1.2 is a Radiator, which performs very good with any fan-speeds, and could be purchased for a fair price.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MagiCool SLIM TRIPLE 360 Elegant Plexi Series Radiator Rev. 2

 

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Size (LxBxH) :424 x 120 x 34 mm

Fitting: G1/4"

Weight: 1016g

Material: Copper, acrylic glass, Aluminium

Fan thread size: M3

 

Scope of supply:

 

1x MagiCool SLIM TRIPLE 360 Elegant Plexi Serie Radiator Rev. 2

12x 30mm M3 Screws

 

Price: ca. 77 EUR

 

The MagiCool Slim Triple 360 Elegant Radiator is the most exotic candidate in this test.

Most standard Radiators consist of black pre-chambers and black fins, but MagiCool chose a different style for this radiator. The pre-chambers are made of a yellow colored acrylic-glas and the fins are not painted. The side panels consist of Aluminium, which contribute to the noble appearance of this Radiator. The Radiator is quite thin, but has as well a good cooling performance in comparison to other models. It comes in a simple package, wrapped in bubble-wrap and with the obligatory fan-screws. On the backside of the Radiator you will find the bleeding screw, which helps you to get the air out of your water-circuit. In the first revision the quality of the acrylic-glass was not very good. Therefore MagiCool released the second Revision of this Radiator, which shows no problems in operation. Because of the transparent pre-chambers you can watch the Radiator working.

 

 

Especially after bringing the Radiator into service, you can watch how the air leaves into the tubes (for a better understanding take a look in the following video)

 

 

(Model in the video shows a Single-Radiator)

 

The MagiCool Slim Triple 360 Radiator shows in my test a good cooling performance and a very exotic visual appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

Hardware Labs Black Ice SR1 360

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

* Seize: 397 x 54 x 133 mm (BxHxT)

* Material: Coppers, Brass

* Colour: Black

* Weight: 1,18 kg

* Fittings: 2x G1/4

* Fan-Size: 3x 120 mm

* Fan-Thread-Size: M4 (both sides)

 

Price: ca. 80 Euro

 

 

 

The company Hardware Labs is a well known candidate on the Watercooling-Market und offers a great variety of high-end Radiators in different sizes. All Radiators from Hardware Labs are processed on the highest level. The older Black Ice Radiators with their close-meshed fins were designed for fast fan-speeds up to 800 rpm. Therefore the Radiator performs not very good at low fan-speeds. Hardware Labs developed with the SR1-Series a new series which should perform much better with lower fan-speeds and therefore with lower air flow.

A special feature of this Radiator is the different distance from the fins to the fans, which functions on one side as a shroud (because of the greater distance to the fins, the dead point under the fans is reduced, which brings a better performance). Because of the different assembly options, I have tested both options in order to detect differences regarding to the performance.

The “Shroud” assembly-option offers a better Delta T of max. 0,7! Therefore I used this assembly-option in my charts. The SR1 360 is as well processed as his big brother the SR1 480. The processing quality of Hardware Labs is still the best I know. The paintwork is free from defects and all threads are processed very well.

 

 

 

 

 

Thermochill TA 120.3

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Colour: matt black

Material: Tank: Brass; Fins: Copper

Fittings: G 1/4"

Weight: ca. 2 kg

Seize (LxBxH): 405 x 129 x 60mm

 

Scope of supply:

 

1x Thermochill TA120.3 Triple Radiator - 360 Radiator

12x 13mm self-cutting Screws

 

Price: ca. 110 Euro

 

 

The Radidators from Thermochill could be called as a legend on the Watercooling-Market.

The Radiators from Thermochill won many Awards in different reviews in the last years, but they had as well some details which should have been improved in further future (paintwork, assembly leftovers in the Radiator). A second typical attribute of the Thermochill Radiators were the exotic Fitting-Size G 3/8”. A third typical attribute was the usage of an uncommon hole size for the fans, so you had to buy a special cover plate, if you wanted to mount fans on your Radiator, which results in additional costs. With the new TA-Series all these “mistakes“ are eliminated. Therefore the Radiator has standardized G ¼” Fitting-Size and hole sizes (15mm), which allows you to choose between a great variety of Fittings and cover plates. The only point which is similar to the old models is the usage of self-cutting fan-screws. The Radiator comes in simple white package and a short instruction manual for the assembly of the optional shrouds. In contrast to the older models the paintwork is on a higher level and shows no defects. The TA 120.3 performs very well at low fan-speeds, but performs as well with high fan-speeds. A last major point of critic might be the high price of the Radiator, but this could be explained by the production in UK (which is not as quite cheap as in China).

 

 

Magicool Slim Triple 360

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material: Copper fins, brass pre-chambers

Seize: (L x B x H): 398x121x30mm

Fittings: G 1/4"

Weight: ca. 840g

Assembly options: 12x M3-top (for 3x 120mm-Fans),12x M3 threads at the bottom (for 3x120mm-Fans)

Pressure tested: 2,5 Bar

 

 

Price: ca. 40 Euro

 

 

 

 

The MagiCool Slim Radiator is a very popular Radiator, which has a good cooling performance in relation to its price. It comes in the current revision with two different size of fan-screws and the Anti-Vibrations-frames. The MagiCool Radiator is 30mm thick and can be therefore used for PC-Cases with low space for a radiator- assembly. Altogether the processing quality is on an adequate level. Sometimes the fan-threads are not processed correctly, but that should not be negative criteria in relation to the price and cooling-performance. The Radiator performs well with low airflow according to its price (other Radiators perform better, but you have to pay a much higher price).The Radiator is wrapped in Bubble-warp and has an aluminium frame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XSPC RX 360

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Color: matt black

Seize: 125x58.5x410mm (BxHxT)

Fins: Copper

Fittings: 2x G1/4"

Specials: UNC 6-32 Fan-threads, 3x water channels in height

 

Price: ca. 100 Euro

 

 

 

The model RX 360 from the company XSPC was sent in the latest version to me. In comparison to the older version (with a black glossy finish and M4-threads) the current version has a matt black paintwork and UNC 6-32 fan-threads. Because of the broad fin spacing the Radiator performs very well with lowest fan-speeds (which you will notice in my charts). The RX 360 comes in a simple package. Special features of the Radiator are the three water channels in the height. The Scope of supply contains fan-screws and the obligatory closing plugs. The processing quality is on a good level. The paintwork of my sample did not have any defects and all fan-threads were well processed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swiftech MCR320-QPK

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Fittings: G1/4"

Seize: 410 x 128 x 34mm

Weight: 1063g

Fan-threads: UNC 6-32

 

Price: ca. 57 Euro

 

 

The company Swiftech from California / USA exists for many years and achieved in the past many awards for their Watercooling-Products like the excellent Apogee XT CPU-Cooler. As a matter of cause the current Triple-Radiator is one of the candidates in this comparison. A typical feature of this series is the uncommon building of the pre-chambers and the broad construction of the Radiator. The scope of supply contains the obligatory fan-screws in UNC 6-32 and a notification which reminds you not to use long screws for the fan-assembly. The Radiator is higher-than-average processed and performs very well for a moderate price.

 

 

Swiftech MCR320-XP

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Fittings: G1/4"

Seize: 410 x 128 x 34mm

Weight: ca. 1048g

Fan-threads: UNC 6-32

 

Price: ca. 58 Euro

 

The MCR320-XP, is the latest Radiator from Swiftech (XP stands for “extreme Performance”). This model performs in comparison to the Swiftech MCR320-QP slightly better with middle and high fan-speeds. Another difference to the QP is the paintwork, which is here finished in matt instead of a glossy style. The Radiator has a good cooling-performance and is processed without any defects (regarding to fins and paintwork). The XP has 20 fins per inch. The QP has 12 fins per inch, which means that the QP has on lower fan-speeds a slightly better cooling-performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Koolance 20-FPI Copper

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material: Copper fins & brass pipes

Fittings: G 1/4"

Seize: (B x L x H): 12,7cm x 41,2cm x 3,8cm

Fan-thread-size: M4

Weight: 1100g

 

Price: ca. 56 Euro

 

 

 

 

 

Koolance 30-FPI Copper Vertikal

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material: Copper fins & brass pipes

Fittings: G 1/4"

Seize: (B x H x L): 12,6cm x 3cm x 39,5cm

Fan-threat-size: M4

Weight: 794g

 

Price: ca. 60 Euro

 

 

 

 

 

Koolance is an US-american producer with over 10 years’ experience in PC-Watercooling-parts. In this time Koolance developed many high quality products including Radiators in different sizes. Therefore let us take a closer look to the two current triple-Radiators of them. The thinner model has similarities according the seize of the MagiCool Slim 360 and differences according to the fin spacing, which means that the Radiator from Koolance is designed for higher fan-speeds (it performs well with high fan-speeds).

The second model in our test is optimized for lower fan-speeds and performs as well very well. Both models are processed very well. They are shipped in a simple box and the scope of supply consists of the obligatory fan-screws. The thinner Radiator comes with two connection extension, so you could use Fittings with longer threads (Fan-thread-Size = M4). Special features of those Radiators are two small metal plates, which protect the Radiator from damage, if you use screws, which are too long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coolgate Triple Radiator

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material: Copper fins, brass pre-chambers

Pipes with high amount of copper

3 water chambers13 x 2mm

Colour: black

Seize (L xB x H): 413,6 x 124 x 60mm

Fittings: G1/4"

Fan-thread-size: 6-32 UNC

Weight: 1350g

Water volume: 400ml

Pressure tested: 1.5bar

Fan-Size: 120mm

Special features: Bleeding-thread at the bottom

 

Price: ca. 95 Euro

 

 

 

So let us find out if Coolgate could be a new star on the Radiator-firmament. The current Triple-Radiator convinced us with high performance and is well processed. A special feature of this Radiator is the high allotment of copper (90%), which is used for the water channels. The high allotment of copper and the handmade fins are useful for an efficient process of heat exchange. The coarse meshed structure of the Coolgate Radiator is optimized for lower fan-speeds. The Radiator is shipped in an elegant black package and the scope of supply includes the obligatory fan-screws (UNC 6-32), three anti-vibrations-frames and four screws for the assembly on your pc-case. The pre-chamber has four threats plus one G ¼ thread on the backside (that offers many assembly solutions for your water circuit). The bleeding-process can be speeded up by using the plug-screw. The Coolgate Radiator has three parallel water-chambers, which reduce the flow resistance and ensure an optimal cooling-performance.

 

 

EK Water Blocks Coolstream XT 360

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material: Copper, Brass

Colour: black

Seize: 398 x 123 x 47mm

Fittings: G 1/4"

Fan-thread-size: M3

Weight: 1.350g

 

Price: ca. 59 Euro

 

 

 

EK from Slowenia is a well known company in the watercooling-sector . Until a few months EK was known for their CPU / GPU-Coolers, Rerservoirs, Pumps and further equipments. Therefore the current and newest Radiator from EK is candidate in our tests. The EK Coolstream XT 360 comes in a nice black-green coloured package and is wrapped in bubble-warp. The scope of supply includes the obligatory fan-screws. The processing quality is on a high level as well as the cooling-performance of the Radiator. With a thickness of 50mm the Radiator can be positioned in the centre of the test-candidates. My review sample had some little defects according the paintwork and some fan-threads were lopsided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alphacool NexXxos XT45 Full Copper 360

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material intern: Main part Copper

Material Case: Side: Steel, Threads: Brass, Chambers: Copper

Colour: black

Seize (L x B x H):

Fittings: 6x G 1/4"

Fan-threat-size: M3

Pressure tested: 1,5 Bar

 

Scope of supply:

 

1x Radiator

5x coppery screw plugs

12x coppery M3x30mm screws

12x coppery M3x35mm screws

 

Price: ca. 62 Euro

 

 

 

 

Alphacool NexXxos UT60 Full Copper 360

 

 

 

 

Technical Details:

 

Material intern: Main part Copper

Material Case: Side: Steel, Threads: Brass, Chambers: Copper

Colour: black

Seize (L x B x H):

Fittings: 6x G 1/4"

Fan-threat-size: M3

Pressure tested: 1,5 Bar

 

Scope of supply:

 

1x Radiator

5x coppery screw plugs

12x coppery M3x30mm screws

12x coppery M3x35mm screws

 

Price: ca. 78 Euro

 

 

 

 

Alphacool is a well known producer – maybe a pioneer – on the watercooling-market. In this review the new high performance Radiators NexXxos XT 45 and NexXxos UT 60 will be tested (which means that one Radiator is 45mm and the other 60mm thick). In comparison to the top-model the cheaper version has an additional G1/4” threat at the end of the Radiator.

The pre-chambers offer a great variety of assembly options with six(!) connecting threats. This is an absolute new feature on the Radiator-Market. The pre-chambers are another highlight because they are totally made of copper. The scope of supply contains fan-screws in 30mm and 35mm length and enough screw plugs in copper-optics. The Radiators are brought to you in a nice colourful package and they are wrapped in bubble-warp. In order to prevent the Radiator from dirt you will find rubber plugs in the threats in delivery status. Both radiators perform very well, but the bigger model performs slightly better. The additional bleeding screw from the NexXxis UT60 can be used (at vertical assembly) as a fill-port or for de-airing. Another Highlight of this Radiator-series is the internal protection under the fan-threats to avoid defects by using wrong screw lengths. Both Radiators have a broad fin-spacing, which results in an optimization for lower and middle fan-speeds. Both NexXxos Radiators have a good value for money. The perform very well for an attractive price.

 

 

 

 

 

Test-Results:

 

 

Delta-T – Difference between air and water temperature. Lower = better

 

 

 

Fan speed: 600 rpm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fan speed: 800 rpm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fan speed: 1200 rpm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fan speed: 1500 rpm. – i used fans from Phobya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flow rates:

 

 

 

 

Liter per hour – Higher = better

 

 

 

Scope of Supply:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awards:

 

 

 

The XSPC RX 360 gets the Bundymania Gold Award for its top performance on low speeds and its first place in my tests. The other new Radiators Alphacool NexXxos UT60 Full Copper and the Coolgate Triple Radiator achieve the Gold Award for the excellent performance.

 

 

 

The Silver Award goes to the Magicool Slim Elegant 360, Phobya G-Changer 360 V1.2, EK Coolstream XTX 360 , Thermochill TA120.3 and the HWLabs Black Ice SR1 360 for their well performance on low fan-speeds and their excellent processing quality. The HWLabs Black Ice SR1 360 performs as well very good with higher fan-speeds.

 

 

 

The Bronze Award goes to the Swiftech MCR320-QP , Swiftech MCR320-XP, and the Alphacool NexXxos XT45 Full Copper. The Koolance 30-FPI Copper Vertikal achieved as well a Bronze Award for the good performance on high fan-speeds and the well done processing quality.

 

 

 

The Magicool Slim 360 got the Bundymania Price-Perfomance Award for the low price.

 

 

Conclusion:

 

All in all the producers followed the motto A rolling stone gathers no moss[/] and improved their Radiators with some good features in detail, which cases a better performance or an easier installation. It is a commendable way of the producers, that they improve their articles although they are for many years on the market. The new label Coolgate could convince us with its good performance, features and processing quality. The watercooling-pioneer Alphacool offers with his Radiators a good package of efficiency, good features and an attractive price. Because of the great variety of Radiators everyone might find the right model for his individual needs and budget. The test field shows price-performance-winners, a good middle field and High-End-Radiators. So there are many ways to get your current PC-System cool and quiet. But if the Radiator-Size might be too small you should take a look at my further Quad-Radiator-Review

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks:

 

I would like to thank the following companies and producers for supporting my tests:: Aquatuning , Phobya , Magicool , http://www.caseking.de , Koolance , EK Waterblocks , Coolgate , ThermoChill , Swiftech , XSPC , http://www.noiseblocker.de , http://www.gigabyte.de , http://www.alphacool.de , http://www.Aquacomputer.de , http://www.cougar-world.de , http://www.watercool.de , http://www.evga.com , http://www.hwlabs.com , http://www.microcoolusa.com , http://www.kingston.com

Phobya Xtreme 400 - Performance = better than a 480 Quadrad

 

Koolance Day