There have been many discussions on the interwebs of whether or not traditional air cooling is efficient enough and if it can provide enough performance or if water cooling can supersede it and offer things that air cooling just can’t. Noise, power draw, reliability, performance and pure price are among common categories mentioned in these discussions. The camps are still divided but the manufacturers aim at the middle and hopefully will change that. A few years ago we started seeing hybrid all-in-one liquid cooling kits showing up on the market. The first models where still very closely related to traditional water cooling; however, soon after we started seeing more complete and pre-assembled kits taking over. And the benchmarking wars began.

Testing liquid and water cooling devices is rather different from testing air cooling devices. There are different things to consider and focus on. As we primarily focused on air cooling in this section, devices like the Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920 are difficult to pin against traditional water cooling or air cooling as it is very difficult to accomplish a level playing field. However, we would like to like to see how well they perform and how well they perform compared to air coolers.

Antec explored the opportunity in a new market as well and developed the Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920. The cooler was released January 2011 and is what we will be reviewing today. The Antec KÜHLER H₂O 620 is the little brother of the Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920. The Antec KÜHLER H₂O 620 was released in April 2011 and we will also be reviewing it soon.

This type of hybrid cooler, if you even can call it that, has gained interest in the enthusiast market and grabbed a foothold quickly. They resemble a water cooling system much more then a air cooling system but they are less complex from a user standpoint. Because of the size and simplicity they usually resemble the performance of an air cooler much closer, So far.

The Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920 separates itself from the field with a rich feature set. We will get into more detail about those features along the way but for now, lets get started with a little into who Antec is and hear what they say about the KÜHLER H₂O 920:

About Antec

Antec, Inc. is the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in the industry and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of quiet, efficient and innovative products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators.

The Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920 provides maximum-performance liquid cooling for your CPU in a quick, easy-to-install package. Unlike traditional liquid cooling systems, this self-contained unit comes prefilled and requires zero maintenance. The dual 120 mm Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) fans and 3rd generation copper coldplate ensure quiet, efficient cooling, while the 49 mm thick radiator is equipped to handle the highest performing CPUs on the market. Lastly, the included software helps you monitor and control the KÜHLER H₂O 920’s performance and allows you to customize its stylish RGB LED. Designed to unlock the maximum potential of your CPU, the Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920 delivers exceptional cooling when you need it the most.

Features:

• Included software provides essential tools to control and monitor the KÜHLER H₂O 920
• Non-corrugated easy-bend tubes for maximum flexibility in radiator positioning
• Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) radiator fans
• Customizable RGB LED creates brilliant illumination
• Cooling Liquid – Safe, environmentally-friendly, anti-corrosive
• Copper Micro-Channel cold plate
• 25,000 hours (MTTF)
• LGA 2011 compatible

Supported Sockets:

*Intel LGA 2011 Mounting bracket is now included

Next: Unboxing, Packaging and Accessories

Here’s what they have to say about it:

• World leading thermal resistance performance of 0.09°C/W.
• VGF (Vortex generator flow) technology to greatly increase air convection.
• SEF (Stack Effect) design to enhance heat transfer.
• Unique air path creating high VEF (Vacuum Effect) to optimize the airflow.
• HDT (Heat Pipe Direct Touch) Technology to ensure rapid thermal conduction and eliminate CPU hotspot.
• Side flow type with four 6mm high performance heat pipes.
• Unique T.B.Silence PWM fan to adjust the power efficiently and keep the silence.Dual fan installed option and solid springs attached.
• Anti-vibration rubbers prevent fan vibration and absorb noise.
• Universal bracket for Intel® 775/1155/1156/1366 and AMD® AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1.
• High thermal conductivity grease to ensure the best thermal conduction between CPU and the heat sink.

The ETS-T40 carries on the legacy of providing a great balance of performance and noise level during high and low speed operations. ETS-T40 is Enermax’ first cooler to be equipped with an all-in-one mounting solution that includes LGA 1156 and 1366. Direct Contact heat-pipe is now also utilized in this latest update.

Enermax ETS-T40-TB Packaging

Enermax ETS-T40-TB Packaging

The packaging utilizes quite a bit of whitespace in the design.

Enermax ETS-T40-TB Packaging

The Enermax ETS-T40-TB packaging is a sturdy cardboard that protected the cooler quite well.

The ETS-T40-TB

Once removed from the packaging our first thought was how much of how “airy” the ETS-T40-TB is, you can see through the widely spaced fins more than other heatsinks we have reviewed. The Enermax branding on the fan is even visible through the heatsink, as seen in the photo above. We will see how this design choice effects the performance later on in the review.

AMD/Intel Mounting hardware

The Enermax ETS-T40 ships with mounting hardware for both Intel and AMD components.

Enermax ETS-T40-TB Heatsink

The fins on the Enermax ETS-T40-TB are straight and reflective, aiding the “airy” look mentioned above. The fins on the ETS-T40 are the same thickness as the Cooler Master Hyper. Because of the wider spacing of the fins, we were concerned about damaging them at first, as the review went on it became apparent that they were more than strong enough to put up with any physical stress we put on them .

4 Pin Fan Connector - ETS-T40-TB

Front View ETS-T40-TB

The fan included with the Enermax ETS-T40 has a 4-pin power connector. Style wise, the fan has “Enermax” cut into the side, which is a feature that seems a little neglected without a backlit fan. Don’t worry though, Enermax has you covered: they also make a version of the ETS-T40 (the ETS-T40-TA and VD) which have backlit fans.
The fan included with the ETS-T40 features a double concave design as seen in the photos above. We will see how this design choice effects the performance of the heatsink later in the review when the heatsink is paired with our aftermarket fans.

Base Heatpipes - ETS-T40-TB

The 4 heatpipes on the ETS-T40-TB are staggered to allow the fins of the heatsink to saturate more evenly, allowing a lower overall temperature than if the pipes went through the same part of the fins.

Base Flatness - ETS-T40-TB

The ETS-T40-TB is relatively flat, though some space can be seen between the heatpipes and base. Extra care was taken to ensure the heatsink had just the right amount of TIM applied to make good contact.

Base Reflectiveness - ETS-T40-TB

The base of the ETS-T40-TB has a slight reflectivity to it, the photo shows Enermax took care to provide a smooth contact area on the ETS-T40-TB.

Next: Tests, Tools and Methodology

We got some Voodoo in the lab. No seriously, some Venom Voodoo. I think you got it now. Correct, The Akasa Venom Voodoo spooked it’s way in our labs. Let’s hope that the black magic doesn’t effect the results.

The company Akasa is well established. Akasa has development and manufacturing operations in Taiwan, China, Brazil and England to makes this an international operation. There is a wide range of products Akasa is developing and manufacturing. We will focus on the retail air cooler and fans segment of the company.

The Akasa Venom Voodoo is a rather recent release by Akasa and is a follow up improvement of the Akasa Venom. The Venom name has been expanded to an entire product line, including cases and fans.

The Voodoo features the HDT design combined with dual fan configuration. The cooler boasts 6 uncoated full copper heatpipes and the exposed copper heatpipe base we have come to know from the HDT deign.The 6 heatpipes are all 6mm in diameter which should move heat efficiently from the cooler base tho the fins. The Akasa also shows some forward thinking and provides socket 2011-compatible mounting mechanism.

Features:

• Six high capacity heatpipes with direct CPU contact
• Dual 12cm viper fans for extreme performance
• Award winning S-Flow fan providing 30% more airflow

Supported Sockets:

Next: Unboxing, Packaging and Accessories

Some words from Cooler Master about their newest HSF:

Succeeding the popular Hyper 212, the Hyper 212 Evo carries on the legacy of providing a great balance of performance and noise level during high and low speed operations. The Hyper 212 Evo is Cooler Master’s first cooler to be equipped with an all-in-one mounting solution that includes LGA 1156 and 1366. Direct Contact heat-pipe is now also utilized in this latest update.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Packaging Front View

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Packaging Rear View

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo utilizes the same purple packaging that is present throughout all of Cooler Master’s current line of products.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Packaging

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is well packed in plastic to protect the heatsink during shipping.

Next: Analysis

A sample from our next contender comes from Gelid. The company is based in Hong Kong with management in Swiss. The company is a fairly young player in the industry and was founded in 2008 by Gebhard Scherrer and VC Tran. Gelid is Gebhard Scherrer’s latest project after co-founding the well known Arctic Cooling brand. Gelid’s name established quickly and well in the industry, rather known for their case fan product line, Gelid now is also more determined to get a foothold in the CPU cooler market.

The Tranquillo is not Gelid’s first attempt at CPU air cooling but Gelid took some time out after the “Silent Spirit” release. The sample we will be reviewing today is actually the v2 or Rev2 of the “Tranquillo” cooler with updated design and mounting to accommodate newer socket configurations.

The Gelid Tranquillo is a tower design CPU heatsink and features 4x heatpipes which measure all 6mm in diameter. The Tranquillo cooler does not feature the popular HDT design and instead provides a traditional uncoated full copper base. The base has a small heatsink in top to enhance cooling. The design of the heatsinks body is unusual as it is shaped like a chevron. This design takes advantage of the airflow gap right between the fan and the cooler as well as extending the airflow out back where it is best.

The 6 uncoated full copper heatpipes add up to a full 1 foot in length if put together. The H612 also features a broad range of applications and installation options.

<br

Features:

• 4 Power Heatpipes in new constellation
• Intelligent PWM Fan Control Curve
• Silent Operation with High Airflow
• 4×90° AMD Clip Mounting Direction
• Optimized Fan Blade
• 5 Year Warranty

<br

Supported Sockets:

<br

Next: Unboxing, Packaging and Accessories

Coming a long way to use, all the way from Germany, today we have the Noiseblocker TwinTec in the house. The TwinTec from Noiseblocker is Is one of the few ventures the company made into actual CPU cooling hardware. Noiseblocker has impressed so far with it’s products and it’s ability to live up to it’s promise, which is to deliver a silent product.

The NB TwinTec features some interesting design differences. First, instead of using the traditional 6 to 8 heatpipe design, the NB TwinTec has only 2 heatpipes but that is not really the highlight. The highlight of this cooler is a 25 mm-thick central industrial heat-pipe. This Monster of a heatpipe is located in the center, right above the CPU heat-spreader.

The NB Twin Tec also supports dual fan operation to enhance performance but does not include the fan, only the hardware to do so.

The cooler has a nickel-plated heat spreader.

Features:

• 6-year guarantee
• Guaranteed to cool every current CPU quietly and reliably
• Excellent workmanship
• Extremely fast heat dissipation
• Lamellae soldered with heat-pipes
• Includes installation modules for AMD AM2/AM3 sockets, Intel 775/1156/1366 and 1155 (SandyBridge)
• 12 cm high-end PWM fan NB-Multiframe M12-P low-vibration (only retail version)
• Super conductor heat-pipe (25 mm) made of copper + four 6 mm heat sinks (2x 6 mm IT heat-pipes)
• Semi-passive / one / two fan operation possible
• Available as bulk and retail version (with fan)

Supported Sockets:

Next: Unboxing, Packaging and Accessories

Micro Star International, or MSI as it better known, brings us one of their new G3 line of Intel Z68 motherboards today. The MSI Z68A-GD65 G3, is a feature rich, socket 1155 motherboard, designed for use with the current Intel Core i second generation series, Sandy Bridge CPUs as well as the forthcoming Ivy Bridge processors. Compatibility with a product that will not even be out for another year, implies an expectation of quality, and MSI backs the GD65 (and its big brother the GD80) with a 5 year warranty.

MSI is a known entity among the DIY/Enthusiast market. After building their brand as a “behind the scenes” player in the PC market, they took their technical know how and delved into the enthusiast and overclocking markets like gang busters.

From MSI

Since its founding in 1986, MSI has been demonstrating continued success in digital age. To achieve the best user experience, every component is essential. In the past 25 years, MSI always strives to provide digital products based on its core values –“Innovation” and “Style”. The results are products with superior performance, trusted reliability, excellent user experience and expressive style.

Embracing years of experience in design and manufacturing, MSI mainboard and graphics card have achieved maximum productivity by becoming one of the top 3 in the world. Our hard work has led us to become one of the finest brands in the industry with accumulated sales in more than 120 countries, 150 million mainboard users and 100 million graphics card users worldwide.

Z68 Gen 3

For a complete break down of the specifications arranged nicely with iconic graphics, please visit MSI’s website. We will cover the important aspects here of course.

• Warranty – 5 years
• PCI express – 3rd generation
• CPU support – Current and future LGA1155
• Military class II – Tantalum (Hi-c) and solid caps
• Click BIOS II – Same interface in BIOS as in Windows
• OCGenie II – One button overclocking
• Virtu – Hybrid Graphics between Intel IGP and Discrete video
• THX Studio Pro – High Fidelity audio
• Super Charger – Charge your Cell or media player quickly
• Winki 3 – Quick boot to Linux OS from DVD or USB drive
• 3TB+ Infinity – Use 3TB drives as boot device

MSI is committed to building a superior product that will last well into the next generation. This commitment is evident in the following features.

The warranty period of 5 years applies to both the GD65 and the GD80 G3 motherboards. The Military Class II technology; Hi-C Tantalum solid caps and Super ferrite chokes also play a key role. Tantalum caps were introduced by MSI last year, the ceramic devices offer up to 6 year lifespan at 85C operating temp. While these superior components are more expensive, they offer greater reliability to the end user and actually save money for the manufacturer with reduced repair authorizations (RMA’s).

The PCI Express 3 slots give the motherboard Ivy Bridge compatibility, and ensure that future generations of cards will work to their full potential. Lastly the 3TB+ Infinity support means that not only are the highest density hard drives supported on the motherboard, but that with a compatible OS they can be used as boot drives as well.

*NOTE: Installing Winki 3 also enables HDD backup. Imaging software is used to restore your OS in case of HDD failure. It is surprising not to see this displayed on the package as a feature, it is a great one.

The GD65 is more than just a durably designed motherboard. Features are what users look for with motherboards in the enthusiast range of products. The board sports the usual accessories you would expect on a LGA1155 motherboard: USB 3.0 (supplied by Renesas), SATA 6G, a push button OC tool and a USB super charger utility.

MSI takes it a step further though, including the new Lucid Virtu technology, that gives the user power saving and performance improving options by combining both the IGP located on the Intel CPU as well as a discrete card. THX Studio Pro licensing gives high fidelity controls to the onboard Realtek audio chip, enabling fine control and improvement of audio output. Winki 3 is also included and can be run from the included Driver DVD or installed to a separate USB stick.

The last key feature of the MSI Z68A-GD65 G3 is Click BIOS II. While mouse control in a UEFI BIOS is not unheard on motherboards these days, MSI has taken the next evolution in BIOS control. Installing Click BIOS II in Windows offers the user the same screen layout and features as the BIOS from within your operating system. While some changes will still require a restart, the implications for simplicity are readily apparent.

Due to time constraints for the review, exploring every feature of the board is not going to be possible. Key features are covered however, as well as performance testing with the Virtu GPU enabled. On to the photos!

Sapphire Technology is well known for their line of AMD/ATi video cards but they are also making motherboards. What can a video card company bring to the table? Name recognition that has been earned over the years by producing quality products.

Packaging

Sapphire has an all business approach with the packaging by pointing out the features. Other than the “Pure Platinum” badge it is a no frills look.

Product Shots

The Mosfets need no cooling and the Bluetooth does not take up a USB port. The design is pretty good; especially having the MINI-PCIe (bottom right) slot on the bottom of the board. Things are a bit less cramped than boards that have the slot located on the top.

Next: Specifications and Software

• Silent Low Profile CPU Cooler
• Balanced performance
• Ideal for HTPCs

The Low-7000 R2

The heatsink itself comes with mounting hardware for the following configurations:

Socket:

• LGA1366
• LGA 1156
• LGA 1155
• LGA 775
• AMD AM3
• AMD AM2

Nexus Low-7000 Fan 02

Manufacturer’s Description & Specifications:

The Nexus LOW-7000 cooler combines some of the most advanced technologies in the market used for CPU coolers. Heat pipes, SkiveTek and ultra-thin fins combined with a near-silent 12cm PWM controlled fan delivers ultimate performance which has never been this quiet before. LOW coolers are crafted out of the purest aluminum and copper materials. The heat sink covering the heat pipes and the copper base is made using SkiveTek technology. We have managed to apply the best technologies at the best position on the cooler. And the result is astonishing… The 120mm fan is PWM controlled and the speed can vary between 500 and 2000 RPM creating a noise-output of an inaudible 15 dB(A) up till a still truly quiet 24 dB(A) The LOW-7000 is an ideal cooler for your HTPC the ultra low, only 7cm high, CPU cooler with a silent 120mm fan. Now also compatible with AMD AM3/2 and Intel Core i5!

Featuring a single 120mm fan and 4 heatpipes, the Low-7000 R2 comes in at an overall height of 7cm. The contact area of the Low-7000 R2 features heat-pipe direct touch (HDT) technology for the most effective transfer of heat from processor cores to the cooling fins, and from there to the air of your computer case and wherever that’s exhausted to.

The fan equipped on the Low-7000 R2 runs at between 500-2000rpm. The fan is held in place by 4 soft plastic retention pins that isolate the fan and its vibrations from the heatsink, cutting down on noise. Controlled by PWM signal, the fan runs only as fast as is needed for optimal cooling and noise levels.

Nexus Low-7000 Fan

Next: Specifications and Dimensions

Though the packaged is a rather plain, no frills, box; the Sapphire Radeon HD6770 is anything but plain looking. Stepping away from the flashy packaging of most other Sapphire branded products this package is pure function and utility. By focusing on the product contained inside rather than marketing a pretty box Sapphire presents this card (and a few others) with a bold and different approach.

Packaging:

Looking at the card itself makes one forget about the rather plain box:

For a size comparison a GTX 465 was used to represent the more massive cards in this price range. The smaller size of the Sapphire HD6770 makes it more versatile increasing its usefulness in applications where space is at a premium.

Next: Features