FrostyTech Latest Cooling News

Noctua NH-U9B SE2 Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:48:01

Noctua have high expectations to meet here at OC3D - Will they deliver yet again? [OVERCLOCK3D] via [Frostytech.com]

Cooler Master V6 GT CPU Cooler

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:47:37

In the market for the best CPU cooler for the buck? Cooler Master's V6 GT is the one to look out for. It features a great design that's both appealing to look at and efficient in doing its job, and despite it taking up less room over all compared to other mega-coolers out there, it offers exceptional cooling ability. [TECHGAGE] via [Frostytech.com]

Corsair A50 Performance CPU Cooler Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:47:08

�Today we have the opportunity to checkout Corsair�s new line of CPU coolers. Corsair has two different series of CPU coolers: the Air Series and the Hydro Series. We have a chance to check out the Air Series A50, which is mainly designed to out beat entry-level and stock CPU coolers. This is the first ever CPU cooler from Corsair that we�ve reviewed here at ThinkComputers, so let�s take a look further into Corsairs� investments into CPU Cooling." [THINKCOMPUTERS] via [Frostytech.com]

Thermaltake Jing CPU Cooler Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:40:26

A dual 120mm fan CPU Cooler with great performance, silent running, good looks and a price tag of $49? The latest Thermaltake CPU Cooler named Jing offers that much and then some. [RWLABS] via [Frostytech.com]

Methods for dissipating heat from Circuit Boards

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:02:27

"In many cases, mounting of a heat sink over the full board area is not necessary or practical, for example, when the RF circuit board has yet to be mounted on a metal holder or in a metal housing. A local heat sink integrated in the RF circuit board will then suffice to transfer heat away from the component to the underside of the circuit board and then to an external heat sink.

For example, areas with thermal vias can dissipate the heat through the circuit board. If their thermal conductivity is not high enough, pieces of solid copper (Cu coins) are inserted in the circuit board. Copper has high electrical and thermal conductivity properties and can be readily integrated into circuit board designs.

method is to embed the copper pieces in an RF multilayer circuit board. High-frequency circuits are often stacked up to form a so-called hybrid design." [EVERTIQ] via [Frostytech.com]

SilenX EFZ-80HA2 Heatsink

BY: Frostytech.com — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:15:21

"Equipped with an 80mm 'SilenX Effizio Series Quiet Fan', the SilenX EFZ-80HA2 heatsink makes for one compact little cooler, a heatsink small enough to use in a Media PC or compact computer enclosure. The heatsink is all but tiny compared to many of today's tower heatsinks, which is good because there aren't that many small CPU coolers to choose from anymore. Most remarkably though, the EFZ-80HA2 uses only two 6mm diameter copper heatpipes!" [FROSTYTECH] via [Frostytech.com]

Corsair H70 Watercooling

BY: Frostytech.com — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:31:50

"The good news is that the Corsair H70 is a hell of an improvement over the H50. This is not just a re-skin with a larger radiator. The whole assembly has been rethought in partnership with Asetek to deliver cooling performance on par with and better than most of the high-end after market cooling solutions available today. You get a larger radiator for more cooling "capacity", you get not one but two fans for use in a push-pull configuration and a new pump/waterblock assembly that combine to get within striking distance of the NH-D14." [OVERCLOCKERSCLUB] via [Frostytech.com]

Noctua NH-D14 Silent CPU Cooler

BY: Frostytech.com — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:31:50

"My first experience with Noctua's CPU cooler line was about a month ago when I had an opportunity to review their NH-U12P cooler. The NH-U12P left an amazing first impression - I could say without a doubt that it was the best silent CPU cooler I had reviewed to date. In fact, it's performance was even rivaling a lot of non-silent CPU coolers too. When the opportunity arose to check out Noctua's flagship cooler, the NH-D14, I was anxious to see what sort of numbers this monster sized cooler would give me, and could it really rival the NH-U12P for silence?" [DREAMWARECOMPUTERS] via [Frostytech.com]

Scythe Ninja 3 CPU Cooler: The Legend Returns?

BY: Frostytech.com — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:31:50

After a pretty lengthy break the Japanese Ninja cooler comes before us in its third reincarnation. We are also going to talk about other two new cooling solutions from Scythe: Rasetsu and Mugen 2 Rev B. [XBITLABS] via [Frostytech.com]

Part 1: Thermalright HR-02 vs. Noctua NH-D14.

BY: Frostytech.com — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:31:50

Thermalright is trying to regain its leading positions in the market by launching two new air coolers for central processors. Have they managed to accomplish their ultimate goal? Find out from our reviews! [XBITLABS] via [Frostytech.com]

Thermalright Silver Arrow vs. Noctua NH-D14

BY: Frostytech.com — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:31:50

We continue discussing the duel of the best cooling products for processors. Today a cooler from Thermalright will be fighting against the solutions from Noctua. [XBITLABS] via [Frostytech.com]

GELID Icy Vision Dual Fan VGA Cooler

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:31:50

The GELID Icy Vision is an impressive GPU cooler equipped with 5 copper heatpipes, a sizable fin stack, dual 92 mm fans, and compatibility with some of the hottest graphics cards on the market including the Radeon HD 5870 and GeForce GTX 480. [SILENTPCREVIEW] via [Frostytech.com]

Nexus FLC-3000 R2 vs. CoolIT ECO A.L.C

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:58:11

Today we will compare two completely different approaches to cooling down your processor. First we have the Nexus FLC-3000 R2 cooler which represents the traditional air cooling way to get your processors temperature down. As the competitor we have CoolIT ECO A.L.C which we have reviewed lately. It represents a watercooling setup in the same price range as the Nexus. Let's have a look to see which one wins! [RBMODS] via [Frostytech.com]

SilenX iXtrema EFFIZIO EFZ-120HA4 Extreme Silent CPU Cooler

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:57:20

"I am pleased to say everything went well and I now have the pleasure of bringing you a near silent CPU cooling solution that delivers good performance and won�t hit that hard in the wallet when you go to buy one. What you may notice along the way is that this cooler looks oddly familiar. It should; aside from a few minor tweaks it is very similar to the XtremeGear HP-1216. The major difference of course is the noise levels. The XG used a loud fan to get its results, where SilenX chose a more quiet solution, or in their words, �Extreme Silent�. Today we will be taking a close look at the SilenX iXtrema EFFIZIO EFZ-120HA4 Extreme Silent CPU cooler. I know that is a ton to remember when calling out this cooler by name, so from here on out I will refer to it as the EFZ-120HA4 to keep things short and simple. Hopefully, by strapping SilenX�s latest submission to our T.E.C.C. test system, I can tell you whether or not you need to remember the rest. Signs are already pointing towards the fact you might want to practice saying it. You might just end up buying one after this is all said and done." [EXTREME] via [Frostytech.com]

Thermolab BADA2010 Heatsink Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:51:47

"Thermolab's BADA2010 heatsink is equipped with one 95mm PWM fan mounted to the heatsinks' raw aluminum fins with permanently attached rubber vibration absorbing posts. At full speed the Protechnic MGT9212LR-W25 fan rotates at 2100RPM, the baseline is 1000RPM. Weighing 521 grams, Thermolab's BADA2010 heatsink stands 135mm tall and installs onto Intel socket 775/1155/1156/1366 and AMD socket AM2/AM3 processors. Forming the backbone of this heatsink are three 6mm diameter exposed base copper heatpipes." [FROSTYTECH] via [Frostytech.com]

Best Stores to Buy a Heatsink Online? Where to Shop?

BY: Frostytech.com — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:02:05

Frostytech receives a lot of questions about a where such-and-such heatsink can be purchased, so today we're listing a few north american online computer stores that have a decent selection of heatsinks for sale. European readers, please let me know what stores in your neck of the world are good when it comes to performance heatsink shopping.

The Specialty Shops - just heatsinks and cooling

The Big Computer Stores

NewEgg

Xoxide

NCIX

Silicon Valley Computing

Feel free to contact Frostytech with your suggestions for North American based stores, AND European heatsink retailers. [FROSTYTECH.COM] via [Frostytech.com]

The A50 is a CPU cooler

BY: Frostytech.com — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:03:00

"The A50 that we are going to be looking at in this review uses a tower style design with three tick copper heatpipes connected to an aluminum finned array. It does come with a relatively smaller cooling area than the A70 and only one fan, so the A50 is more a replacement for a stock cooler than an all out overclocking machine. Still, the cooler uses a tried and true design to offer the best cooling possible for those on a budget." [NEOSEEKER] via [Frostytech.com]

Alpenfohn Matterhorn and Deep Cool Gamer Storm CPU Coolers

BY: Frostytech.com — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:01:00

This review will talk about two new processor coolers that differ only by their packaging and partially by included accessories. [MATTERHORN] via [Frostytech.com]

Fanless PSU Torture Test Roundup

BY: Frostytech.com — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:06:51

A roundup torture test of samples from every fanless power supply line in the marketplace instigated by the Seasonic X-400 Fanless, which cruised through 15 hours of full-load operation at nearly 60�C temperature in the "case". Which fanless PSUs can actually deliver rated power with virtually no forced airflow? [SILENTPCREVIEW] via [Frostytech.com]

Cooler Master NotePal U3

BY: Frostytech.com — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:55:36

"The cooling that is provided by the U3 is great, and the ability of the U3 to act as a laptop carrier is an added benefit. Plus, ergonomic advantages from being on an angle can make typing and using your laptop more comfortable. Overall, the U3 is a nice laptop cooler and if you need to transfer it often along with your laptop, it is a good choice." [OVERCLOCKERSCLUB] via [Frostytech.com]

Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:54:56

The Summer heat is still here and for folks not relaxing in the comfort of air conditioning it�s pretty darn rough. While gaming and surfing the web, a computer�s CPU cooler is working extra hard to keep your processor from shutting down or melting down. If you�re a gamer, chances are that very same CPU cooler is emitting a nice obnoxious whirring sound all day long. Fret not. Noctua has a beast of an air powered CPU cooler that was created specifically to subdue the hottest processors on the planet. It�s called the Noctua NH-D14 and we�ve got it on our test bench today. [FUTURELOOKS] via [Frostytech.com]

ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3 (AMD 890FX Chipset) Motherboard

BY: Frostytech.com — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:46:00

"Have you ever known someone that just has to tinker with things? You know the guy I am talking about. It is never good enough. There is always one more tweak, hack, or adjustment to be done to get that few extra MHz out of their systems. Well, imagine a room full of the same people. This is what you get when you talk about ASUS� R&D team. ASUS makes some great boards, but to the R&D team it is still not enough. This team of tinkerers continues to improve on their designs with new BIOS features, new drivers and in some cases, new revisions of products that ASUS already has on the market. It is this mindset that allows ASUS to produce the excellent products that they have. Today we are taking a look at one of these; the ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3. This is an AMD 890FX based motherboard that headlines the upper end of their mainstream products." [TWEAKTOWN] via [Frostytech.com]

ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3 (AMD 890FX Chipset) Motherboard

BY: Frostytech.com — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:46:00

ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3 (AMD 890FX Chipset) Motherboard

BY: Frostytech.com — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:46:00

Fluke Thermal Imagers

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:07:22

Thermal imaging, or thermography, detects heat patterns or temperature changes in objects. We've silently lusted after a thermal imaging camera from Fluke or FLIR for years, but WOW are they expensive! The ability to look at a heatsink under heat test - to perhaps discover poor solder joints affecting conduction, heatpipes that aren't functioning, hot spots and cold areas - well, that's the stuff of FrostyTech's dreams. The $10,000 price tag, not so much.

A real challenge with thermography comes from the metals used in heatsinks, much of it being shiny copper and shiny aluminum. Emissivity is a term representing a material's ability to emit thermal radiation, and where emissivity is concerned, shiny metal is bad. Shiny metallic surfaces, from the small bit of research we've done, plays havoc with how accurate radiometric measurements are. In that sense, relying on radiometric data to quote temperature values, for example from the base of a heatsink up the heatpipes to the outer fins, might not be that accurate.

This image from Fluke's website drives the point home. Parts of the spoon appear to the thermal camera as hot as the cup of coffee, even though that's not so. Another example further drives the point home.

Still, Frostytech would absolutely love to offer thermographic imagery of Intel and AMD processor heatsinks if the challenges can be overcome. Unfortunately there isn't a way around the significant cost hurdle. :(

Here are Fluke's newest thermal Imagers.

For more information on Thermography Principles, Fluke are giving away a 72-page book on the topic here. [FLUKE] via [Frostytech.com]

MadMouse Glaciator Thermoelectric Water Chiller for CPU Cooling

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:24:48

�the MadMouse Glaciator is a thermoelectric water chiller designed to effectively cool your processor and avoid some of the trappings we�ve seen in other manufacturer designs. As we�ll see, the Glaciator is a compact and lightweight chiller that can be integrated into any water cooling systems to chill PC or server components, able to chill the coolant to sub-ambient temperatures. Is the Glaciator is a hit or miss? Let�s find out.� [PUREOVERCLOCK] via [Frostytech.com]

ARCTIC COOLING MX-4 Thermal Compound Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:17:24

The MX-4 thermal compound from ARCTIC COOLING is their latest product released to the masses, in this article it is compared to MX-3 and MX-2. The MX-4 claims to improve performance, easier to apply and retains a good price/performance balance. Time to put their claims to the test. [MADSHRIMPS] via [Frostytech.com]

Cooler Master V6 GT CPU cooler review

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:16:32

We test and review the Cooler Master V6 GT CPU cooler. This all new model comes with two fans and an advanced heatpipe design. Next to that, Cooler Master implemented a V-shaped heatpipe array and asymmetrical aluminum fins (which are densely stacked for optimal cooling). The V6 GT design provides 200W of cooling power, which should be enough for even the most enthusiastic PC lovahs, and definitely interesting to the Guru3D crowd. Branded with a V6 name, you can smell the automotive theme and design already. And somehow when you look at the cooler that definitely shows. To give it a little more of a niche feeling, the fans are covered by hoods, clip-on plastic covers. And when you press the Cooler Master logo slash button on top, you get nice LED lighting with three colors of your preference to choose from. [GURU3D] via [Frostytech.com]

Prolimatech Super Mega

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:15:56

The other disadvantage the Super Mega faces, other than the asking price, is its weight, at 945 grams it�s a big boy and a real flight risk for those that like to move their PC around when attending LAN party events for example. While the custom mounting kit appears up to the job, the Super Mega still places a great deal of strain on the motherboard. [LEGIONHARDWARE] via [Frostytech.com]

CoolIt Vantage ALC Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:11:44

"The CoolIt Vantage ALC is not the first self-contained watercooling loop to hit the market, and certainly won�t be the last. We have reviewed several already at Overclockers.com: including the CoolIt ECO A.L.C. and the Corsair H50. The Vantage, however, is the most advanced self-contained watercooling product that we�ve seen to date, featuring an LCD screen, wireless-ready monitoring capabilities and customizable performance profiles." [OVERCLOCKERS] via [Frostytech.com]

Phase Change Cooling from Dimastech Evo -45C @ 150W

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:13:54

While walking the floor of Computex 2010 this year Frostytech came across a new company called Dimastech out of Italy that we hadn't heard of before. Dimastech makes neat CNC laser cut bench test/motherboard tray's like the SR-2 Edition for professional overclockers. Along with these test trays, Dimastech offer several Phase Change, Cascade Phase Change and Rotary Phase Change cooling systems that'll bring CPU temperatures down to around -50C.

The EVO DT003 will keep a 150W load to -45C, for example.

Pretty cool gear from a company Frostytech hadn't heard of before, check them out! [DIMASTECH] via [Frostytech.com]

Thermaltake Massive23 LX Notebook Cooler

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:09:39

"Surprises are nice aren�t they? The other day my door bell rang and it was UPS delivering one of the latest products from Thermaltake called the Massive23 LX. It�s a cooler for netbooks and notebooks ranging from 10� to 17� in size. This new notebook cooler has been redesigned a bit. The top is aluminum making it a large heat sink basically and it has a silent 200mm fan for extra added cooling. This new cooler has built-in handles to make it easy to take with you and a compartment for storing the USB power cable so you won�t lose it. So continue on to learn more.. " [THERMALTAKE] via [Frostytech.com]

Silenx Effizio EFZ-80HA2 Compact CPU Cooler Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:09:15

"The CPU cooler is probably one of the most important parts of your system, and a lot of people just deal with the stock cooler. A cool CPU is a happy CPU, but most decent coolers are large and they just won't fit in all cases, especially if you want to use a microATX case or maybe an HTPC case. A small cooler is what you need, and the one I have today might be perfect for a situation where a small but good performing CPU cooler is needed. It's from Silenx and it's called the Effizio EFZ-80HA2 Compact CPU Cooler. So read on to learn more about it and see how it performs... " [DRAGONSTEELMODS] via [Frostytech.com]

Zalman ZM-NC2500Plus Notebook Cooler Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:08:46

Can�t stand the heat? Instead of getting out of the kitchen, it�s probably a better idea to simply invest in a good notebook cooler. More and more people are using laptops these days, but far too few are taking the prudent step of investing in a notebook cooling stand. At the same time, notebook cooler designs are getting better and better. The manufacturers are really starting to �get it.� One of the newest in this evolution is the Zalman ZM-NC2500Plus from Korea. It holds promise, but does it deliver? Let�s find out! [FUTURELOOKS] via [Frostytech.com]

Corsair Hydro Series H70 CPU Water Cooling Kit Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:07:58

"The Corsair Hydro Series H70 CPU water cooler is a very nice self-contained water cooling kit that is easy to install and requires no maintenance. The Corsair H70 (Part number CWCH70) was also able to perform significantly better than the Corsair H50 for just a slightly higher price tag. By the time you figure in the better cooling performance, improved appearance and the two year limited warranty, you have a water cooler that is hard to pass up..." [LEGITREVIEWS] via [Frostytech.com]

CoolIT Vantage ALC Cooler Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:02:00

"Today we look at CoolIT�s new high end cooler, the Vantage A.L.C. In this review we will discover how it compares to the H50 in terms of performance and also look at it in detail to find out what features it has which could take processor cooling to a new level." [HARDWAREHEAVEN] via [Frostytech.com]

CoolIT C240 ALC ECO review

BY: Frostytech.com — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:47:39

We test and review the CoolIT C240 ALC ECO CPU cooler. Though these standalone kits are pretty darn good, some of you would prefer to see a product based on not just that 120mm radiator/fan size, but a dual-radiator 240mm product. CoolIT listened, learned and adapted. As such a couple of weeks ago they started selling a dual-radiator (ALC ECO 240) liquid cooling kit. The products are all based on the ECO series, yet with that bigger radiator and two fans. This should help shave off another 5 to 10 degrees C of the processor temperature. [GURU3D] via [Frostytech.com]

Scythe Rasetsu Heatsink released today

BY: Frostytech.com — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:46:12

Japanese manufacturer Scythe officially announces the new CPU Cooler Rasetsu. This cooler, already shown at the CeBit 2010, combines the outstanding design of the Yasya CPU Cooler with a top-flow layout.

The heatsink is divided into two blocks, and each is equipped with the T.M.L.F. (Trident Multi Layer Fin) structure. Because of this irregular lamellar structure and the unparallel arrangement of six copper heatpipes, surface directly cooled by the fan is highly increased and thus maximum heat dissipation is achieved.

New 120 mm "Slip Stream 120 PWM Adjustable" fan is supplied for optimized airflow. Although the fan supports the PWM feature, user can manually adjust the bandwidth between 470 to 1,370 rpm and 740 to 1,900 rpm.

Easy mounting is available by the famous V.T.M.S. (Versatile Tool-Free Multiplatform System) which requires no motherboard removal for the heatsink mounting. Rasetsu CPU Cooler is compatible to all current sockets, including the new socket LGA 1156, LGA 1366 and AM3.

The Scythe Rasetsu CPU Cooler is now available in stores at a price of US$ 55.00 (excl. Tax) / 33,50 Euro (Excl. VAT). [SCYTHE-EU] via [Frostytech.com]

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

BY: Frostytech.com — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:03:00

"ARCTIC recently underwent a brand redesign to reflect their diversification into new market segments. However, their primary focus will no doubt still be on cooling solutions, of which we've seen a number reviewed here at Vortez under the ARCTIC Cooling sub brand. Their latest addition to an already successful line of cooling products is the ARCTIC MX-4 thermal paste. Last year saw the release of the ARCTIC MX-3 thermal paste which easily topped our chart as a risk free, non conductive and excellent performer. ARCTIC is hoping to improve on their winning formula to deliver a solution that is not only superior in quality but also much lower in price." [VORTEZ] via [Frostytech.com]

Tones Overclocking Day - LN2 Overclocking Acamedy

BY: Frostytech.com — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:14:19

Saturday 14th August 2010. A Day that would make one person attending the Tones OC Academy a wealthy man. This event being sponsored by Tones, Asus, Corsair and Intel. 6 lucky winners from the Madshrimps competition entered the arena to compete with 4 other winners from the Tones compo. Main price was an amazing hardware combo consisting of a Rampage III Extreme, Intel i930 CPU, 6Gb of Corsair ram and an Intel SSD. To top it all off a full copy of Windows 7. [MADSHRIMPS] via [Frostytech.com]