X-bit labs

Four Liquid-Cooling Systems for the Masses (page 21)

Category: Coolers

by Vasily Melnik

[ 10/14/2005 | 03:30 PM ]

One thing I have gripes about is the amount of the enclosed coolant. There’s barely enough of it to fill the system with long pipes.

This is not good at all. The expansion tank isn’t fully filled, and there’s no coolant left for further topping-up. The last touch in the assembly process is the installation of the water-block fan:

The system performs well, for its class.

The 3D Galaxy is considerably better than the Big Water in the Burn mode, but only at the maximum fan speed. As soon as I reduced the speed of the fan, it produced almost the same results as the earlier-described system. I think the radiator is a weak link in the chain. The pump and the water-blocks are cleverly designed, but the system definitely deserves a better and bigger heat exchanger. The installation problem poised by the thickness of the pipes is already well-known – a 3D Aurora system case specifically designed for the 3D Galaxy is going to come to market in nearest future, so if you like this liquid-cooling system, you can get a system case in which it is sure to deploy normally.

The noise from the 3D Galaxy is only heard when the fan is rotating at its maximum speed. When the speed is reduced to the minimum, there remains just a barely audible hum that you won’t hear if you put the radiator into the case.

It’s easy to make the final verdict on this system. If you can normally deploy it in your system case and are ready to spend a little more money than systems of this class usually cost, then go and get it. Otherwise, you may want to search for installation-friendlier and cheaper alternatives.

Our Verdict: Gigabyte 3D Galaxy

Highs : Excellent cooling; quiet operation at the min fan speed; good water-block; nice design; high-quality and high-performance pump

Lows : Thick pipes; rather high price

Conclusion : The positive impression from this water-cooling system is somewhat spoiled by the installation difficulties and price.

Average retail price - $110