X-bit labs

Water-Cooling Systems Roundup: 16 Systems Reviewed! (page 8)

Category: Coolers

by Kirill "ALT-F13" Balalin

[ 03/30/2006 | 08:48 AM ]

Like the reservoir, the system control unit is integrated into the pump’s case. It is connected to power, thermal sensors, fans and an interface USB cable. The pump delivered a performance of 180lph in our tests.

This is the legendary Antarctica water-block. You can learn more about it in our comparative review of handmade and factory-made water-blocks.

Out testbed not having a USB port, we didn’t make a deep check of the software section of this WaterChill system.

The Asetek WaterChill KT03A-12VX delivered an expectably impressive performance. It coped not only with 400 watts, but also with half a kilowatt of heat at the maximum speed of the fans! At lower fan speeds the noise level is comfortable, and the system gets almost silent at the minimum speed. That’s very good, too.

We couldn’t help trying the system and software in a real PC:

The interface cable is meant to connect to a USB header on your mainboard. After installation the WaterChill Control Panel displays the data from the thermal sensors as temperature graphs and allows adjusting the speed of the fans. You can even control the motor of the pump! We should confess that dragging the speed slider was not unlike playing with the accelerator pedal of a fast car which reacts with a powerful purr to your every movement.

Increasing the pump motor speed to the maximum reduced the CPU temperature by an additional 1-2°C.

This is to show that air coolers will never quite match a well-made water-cooling system!

Summary: An innovative and powerful system, the Asetek WaterChill KT03A-12VX is an excellent choice for an overclocker, aesthete, and lover of silence who can afford this rather expensive water-cooling kit.