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Thermaltake thinks big and spacious with the Frio Advanced heatsink

Subject: Cases and Cooling | July 17, 2012 - 07:58 PM |
Tagged: thermaltake, Frio Advanced

At 161x131x121mm (6.3"x5.2"x4.8") and 46g short of a kilogram Thermaltake's Frio Advanced is a big chunk of heat conducting metal.  The size does lead to one oddity, the two fans are 130mm which may make modders a little unhappy as it will be hard to find alternative fans of the same size. The heatpipes directly contact the heatspreader on your CPU but thanks to a new design they do not solidly connect with the body of the heatsink, as FrostyTech explains in their full review.  In the end we have a heatsink on the good side of average, perhaps a little loud with fans on full speed but well worth considering if your case can fit it.

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"Thermaltake's Frio Advanced heatsink stands 161mm tall and weighs upwards of 954 grams, it is rated to heat loads of 230 Watts by the manufacturer. The heatsink ships with two 130mm PWM fans arranged in a push-pull configuration that rotate at 2000-800RPM. Behind each fan shroud is a 110mm tall aluminum fin tower connected by five U-shaped, 6mm diameter copper heatpipes which are exposed at the base. Thermaltake's Frio Advanced heatsink is compatible with Intel socket LGA2011/1366/1155/1156/775 and AMD socket AM2/AM3/FM1 CPUs."

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Source: FrostyTech

Prolimatech Shows Off Blue Megahalems CPU Cooler

Subject: Cases and Cooling | July 16, 2012 - 04:21 PM |
Tagged: prolimatech, megahalems, hsf, cpu cooler, anodized blue

Popular processor cooler manufacturer Prolimatech has offered its Megahalems cooler for a couple of years now, and it has seen several revisions. The latest modification seems to be purely aesthetic – and I can’t say I’m opposed. Despite my (irrational?) fear of large heatsinks ripping a chunk off of my motherboard, I do find them impressive. A new Megahalems was spotted by Fanless Tech that sports an anodized blue finish that is quite sleek looking.

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We don’t have any details beyond the images, but it is reportedly a Megahalems Revision B with a glossy blue finish. The Megahalems Rev. B is of course the company’s answer to Intel’s socket 1156 processors (though it is also compatible with socket(s) 775, 1156, 1366, and 2011). It weighs 790 grams – approximately 1.74 pounds – and measures 158.7mm tall and 74mm wide. It can further support a 120mm fan for active cooling, and it sports six heatpipes. Needless to say, it is rather large and packs quite a bit of air cooling potential. (We reviewed the original Megahalems awhile back, and came away impressed).

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I can only speak for myself here, but this is one giant air cooler that I wouldn’t mind risking my motherboard for (what can I say, they used my favorite color ;) ). What do you think of the Prolimatech prototype? Check out more photos over at FanlessTech.

Source: Fanless Tech

Corsair Carbide Series 300R PC Gaming Case Now Available in Windowed Version

Subject: Cases and Cooling | July 12, 2012 - 03:19 PM |
Tagged: window, corsair, Carbide 300R

Corsair's new $100 Carbide Series 300R with a window is a great choice for anyone who wants a case with some nice features but doesn't want to spend too much money.  Able to fit long video cards and large heatsinks and a serious amount of 5.25" and 3.5" drive bays which are not only tool-less but are also convertible to 2.5" bays for SSDs.  You can fit a half dozen 120mm or 140mm fans for air cooling and as there are 7 expansion slots this makes a great home for multi-GPU systems.  Read the PR below and head to Corsair for the tech specs and purchasing information.

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FREMONT, California — July 12, 2012 — Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced that the Carbide Series™ 300R Compact PC Gaming Case is now available in a windowed version.

First released in January, the Carbide 300R PC case has won accolades for its compact, streamlined, builder-friendly design. The new Carbide Series 300R windowed version of the case features a side window that gives PC builders the ability to demonstrate their modding skills while also showcasing internal PC components, such as Corsair's PC performance-tuned Vengeance® DDR3 memory, GS Series™ power supplies, Hydro Series™ CPU coolers, and Air Series™ cooling fans.

The Corsair Carbide Series 300R: a compact expression of Corsair's gaming PC philosophy

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Great gaming systems begin with a great case, and the Carbide Series 300R provides a remarkable number of in-demand features in an attractive, compact chassis. Builder-friendly features include three tool-free optical drive bays and four tool-free hard drive bays with integrated 2.5" SSD compatibility. There's room for high-end GPUs of up to 450mm in length, and the matte black interior incorporates Corsair's innovative cable routing system that helps keep wires and cables out of sight for a clean look and improved airflow. The 300R comes with intake and exhaust fans, with room for five additional fans including dual side-mounted fans for direct GPU cooling.

Source: Corsair

Silver Power's 850W Gorilla

Subject: Cases and Cooling | July 11, 2012 - 05:33 PM |
Tagged: SP-850M, silver power, PSU, 850W, 80 Plus Bronze

Silver Power have been making PSUs for quite a while, though they've not received much press lately which changes with their new SP-850M PSU.  Their simian logo is all over this semi-modular power supply, which has four 6+2 PCIe power connectors for multiple GPU rigs as well as a nice selection of SATA power.  OC3D was nicely surprised by the efficiency of the PSU, while rated for 80 Plus Bronze their testing showed results more appropriate for an 80+ Gold rated PSU.  OC3D are not fans of the silverback, but love the actual PSU once they realized they could run it at 983W all day long.

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"It's been a few years since the angry ape first made its debut on OC3D, now it's finally back for some second helpings."

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Source: Overclock3D

Pass the ammunition, appropriately stored in that Corsair Vengeance C70 case

Subject: Cases and Cooling | July 5, 2012 - 04:50 PM |
Tagged: corsair, Vengeance C70

OCC feels that the Corsair Vengeance C70 bears a resemblance to an ammunition case but at the same time it is a fully functional computer case.  At 501mm x 232mm x 533mm it is large enough to fit an ATX motherboard and two 240mm radiators if you remove the lower drive cage.  For air coolers, there are three 120mm fans included which provide quite reasonable cooling for your CPU and components.  Check out the case review here.

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"Overall I honestly can't complain about anything on this chassis. It is roomy, it is quiet, and it cools well. The military-inspired looks may not be for everyone but I definitely like the "no compromise" styling for function over form. The side panel clamps are a dream to work with (no more sore fingers from thumb screws!) and the handles on the top of the case make moving it a simple matter. The case itself is relatively lightweight despite its all-steel construction, which only adds to its portability."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

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Source: Overclockers Club

Sandia Shows Off Prototype of Its Impeller Cooler

Subject: Cases and Cooling | June 25, 2012 - 05:45 PM |
Tagged: sandia, impeller, heatsink, cooling, cooler, air bearing

A white paper by Sandia National Laboratories caught the attention of the media last year with big claims for high performance cooling. The researchers had claimed to invent a new type of heatsink based on a impeller design that was allegedly 30% more efficient at heat transfer while being smaller and quieter than traditional air coolers.

Dubbed the Sandia Cooler, the team has come up with an updated prototype that is nearly ready to come to market. Shown off in a recent video, the cooler is a small heatsink based on three relatively simple parts. A stationary disk acts as the base and area that comes into contact with the Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS) of a CPU. Then, a spinning array of curved fins resembling an impeller design is spun up by a small motor mounted in the center of the cooler.

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During an industry day, they reportedly signed two license option agreements with two companies to bring the product to market in the areas of solid state lighting (LEDS, et al) and computer hardware cooling, implying that it is getting closer to a final product that it was last year.

Interestingly, the cooler uses an “hydrodynamic air bearing” such that the spinning part of the cooler is spun up to 2,000+ RPM such that the top part separates from the bottom stationary part and rides (they use the analogy of a car hydroplaning) on a very thin layer of air. (Update: as KngRider noted, there is still some friction from the motor spinning the upper part of the cooler, however.) That thin layer of air is what facilitates heat transference from the stationary part to the spinning fins. It does raise questions of efficiency, however. How a layer of air is more efficient than thermal interface material, for example. Reportedly, the air bearing is not an issue that will impact cooling performance but it is a difficult concept to grasp considering TIM and metal-to-metal contact has always been touted as the best cooling situation.

Sandia explains that cool air is drawn into the center of the impeller as heated air is forced outwards through the spinning fins, which reportedly enables efficient heat transfer. In the video, they demonstrate that it is capable of being extremely quiet (nearly silent) despite spinning at an extremely fast rate – the noise in the first part of the video is due to the prototype motor that is not covered. They claim that the final design will use a brush-less motor that will be much quieter.

It’s an intriguing design because of its simplicity and form factor. It is reportedly able to cool more efficiently than some of the best air coolers on the market, which use such techniques as heatpipes that come into direct contact with the CPU IHS, larger fin arrays, and multiple fans. Compared to those coolers, the Sandia prototype is much smaller and simpler in its construction.

The company has further released a white paper (PDF) and has an area of its website dedicated to more information on the Sandia cooler. While I cannot vet the fluid dynamics they detail, it certainly looks good on paper. I’m excited to see this come to market and whether or not it will live up to its promise of more efficient (and quiet!) cooling. It could be an important asset in cooling computer hardware in everything from desktops to server rooms. Also, it might just be the advancement that air coolers have been looking for as far as the next jump in performance – more than simply adding additional heatpipes or fins (and dealing with weight, size, and diminishing returns as a result) can do alone.

I’ll say that I’m skeptically optimistic on this one, but I do hope that it’s the real deal. What do you think of the impeller cooler? Does it appear promising?

Source: Sandia

SilverStone Crown Series CW02 HTPC Chassis Review

Author:
Date: June 25, 2012
Subject: Cases and Cooling
Manufacturer: SilverStone Technology, Inc.
Tagged: SST-CW02, SilverStone Crown Series, HTPC case

Introduction and Features

SilverStone Technology was one of the original manufacturers to enter the HTPC case market and they continue to offer one of the largest selections of HTPC enclosures available today. SilverStone currently offers 18 different HTPC enclosures spanning three different series including the Crown, Grandia and Lascala series. In addition to designing premium HTPC enclosures, SilverStone has a long-standing reputation among PC enthusiasts for providing a full line of high quality computer chassis, power supplies, cooling components, and accessories.

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(Courtesy of SilverStone)

The Crown Series CW02 HTPC chassis that we will be taking an in depth look at in this review is a beautiful enclosure capable of housing a full, high-end gaming system or media server and provides internal storage for up to six HDDs and comes with a built-in multifunction LCD display and remote control. The all aluminum alloy CW02 features elegant styling and is available with either a black or silver (clear) anodized finish, which is sure to blend in and compliment your other high-end, audio-video equipment.

Over the past several months I have received several inquiries from readers asking about a HTPC enclosure that is capable of housing a high-end gaming system or multi-media server. As one reader wrote; "I'm looking for a large, high quality HTPC case that will let me install my dual purpose gaming system and media server. It needs to have plenty of room for a full size ATX mobo, dual graphic cards, a large PSU, good case cooling and at least 5 internal 3.5" drive bays (four HDDs and one SSD)." At first glance it appears the CW02 may be just what this reader is looking for. Later on, we are going to install a high-end gaming system (water-cooled Intel i7 CPU, dual GTX680 graphics cards, 1000W PSU, and 12 Terabytes of storage space) into the CW02 enclosure; this should be fun.

Continue reading our review of the SilverStone Crown Series CW02 HTPC case!

Another look at CoolerMaster's return to the Vapour Chamber

Subject: Cases and Cooling | June 21, 2012 - 02:20 PM |
Tagged: coolermaster, TPC-812, heatsink, heatpipes

Heatpipes have been in vogue for a while now, but once long ago it was vapour chambers which made for the best heatsinks, a fact which CoolerMaster has not forgotten.  Their new TPC-812 shows one of the reasons that heatpipes took over, as the vapour chamber never starts to show promise until the second fan was added.  The extra surface area from the combination of vapour chamber and heatpipes benefits from the increased airflow but at the cost of additional noise, whereas many heatpipe only coolers will not show the same level of improvement.  On the other hand they provide better cooling with only one fan making them the choice of people with sensitive ears.  X-bit Labs were not terribly impressed and suggest that maybe the vapour chamber should stay forgotten.

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"CPU coolers have finally sported something new in their design. Although, I think, it would be more correct to say that it is more of a well forgotten old, rather than something completely new. Maybe it was a mistake to give up the vapor chamber technology a while back? Let’s find out with the help of the new Cooler Master cooler."

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Source: X-Bit Labs

Seriously short on power? LEPA has a 1600W solution for you

Subject: Cases and Cooling | June 18, 2012 - 08:00 PM |
Tagged: kilowatt, lepa, G Series 1600W, 80 Plus Gold

If you have quad SLI/Crossfire, dual CPUs and dozens of hard drives you might find yourself in a position where a 1600W PSU is something you actually need.  That is where the LEPA 1600W PSU come in, with 10 eight pin PCIe connectors and 14 SATA connectors as well as numerous molex connectors for your fans.  [H]ard|OCP's testing showed that this PSU did deserve it's 80 PLUS Gold rating and more importantly it provided solid power.  It sports a decent price, in fact it is almost the same price as several PSUs which are rated at 250W lower.  There was something about the unit which kept it from earning a Gold Award but you will have to read the full review to see why [H] decided on Silver for this PSU.

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"LEPA is an Ecomaster company and Ecomaster distributes Enermax products and has Enermax design the LEPA PSU line. So what are our expectations from the current ultimate desktop PSU packing a whopping 1600 watts? Should it be better than a four year old 1600 watt power supplies on the market?"

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Source: [H]ard|OCP

MSI's mid range enclosure, the Ravager

Subject: Cases and Cooling | June 13, 2012 - 06:26 PM |
Tagged: msi, ravager

MSI's second case has hit the market, a mid-tower case called the Ravager which comes with a $100 price tag.  On the exterior, apart from a nice paint job and window you will find two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports as well as audio ports and the HDD LED.  The blue interior is quite striking, even before any parts are installed and tool-less quick mounts for the six 3.5" and three 5.25" hard drives are well appreciated though some 2.5" adapters would be a nice touch for SSD users.  Techware Labs really liked this case; it is good to see MSI's quality extend into new markets.

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"MSI has sent us the new Ravager mid tower case. If the black with blue claw marks on the sides doesn't get your attention, the price will at just $99 MSRP at the time of this review. The blue color scheme continues inside with most of the motherboard mounting plate, HDD trays and quick-release clips for the 5.25” drive bays. The Ravager comes with many features that can be expanded upon and upgraded easily so the consumer can not only purchase the case at a great price but is able to customize case with what he/she wants. Lets' dive into what the Ravager has to offer..."

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Source: Techware Labs

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