Tech Link (Cooler): Big Typhoon Squared: Cooler Master GeminII Review

XbitLabs busy themselves and reviewed the latest and greatest from Coolermaster*, the GeminII. The author seems mighty impressed with the cooler, and even post further improvements to the product. I wanted this one too, but unfortunately, I am out of $$$. Oh well, if you are luckier than me and has money to burn, check it out.

Conclusion
Our today’s tests indicate that overclockers have got another very effective and very quiet air cooler. The Cooler Master GeminII is already selling at a price not much different from the recommended one.

There are only two drawbacks about the new product: no fans included into the package and its limited compatibility with mainboards for AMD processors. The former drawback can be solved easily, but the latter is more serious. I hope the manufacturer will perfect the Socket AM2/939 fastening in such a way that the cooler could be oriented on the CPU socket in the best possible position.

Big weight? It’s not a problem as the GeminII uses threaded fastening through the mainboard which just can be more reliable. The mainboard has to be taken out of the system case to install the cooler, but you have to do the same with every super-cooler, except for Scythe’s (but I should add that the GeminII lacks a back-plate for LGA775 and the mainboard bends under the pressure). Size? The cooler fits into the system case perfectly and does not press against the components around the CPU socket. It does not exhaust hot air outside, but its design just doesn’t imply that.

The rest are indisputable advantages. The GeminII is highly effective and very quiet. It cools the near-socket space on the mainboard. It is not more expensive than its opponents, even including the cost of two fans. And it is already available for purchase! Very good news!

Where could the GeminII progress further? I would suggest the following:

* Remove the top rigidity bars from the fan plate to reduce resistance to airflow
* To reduce the same resistance more, the top edge of the ribbing could be made serrated
* Include fans into the package by default, perhaps fans with speed adjustment up to 2500rpm (this would please an extreme overclocker, but would be useless for those who choose silence)
* Make the heat pipes the same diameter as in the Enzotech Ultra-X (and perhaps use fewer of them)
* Polish the base better

So, I think there is still some work Cooler Master’s engineers might do to make this super-cooler even better than it currently is.

Source:Big Typhoon Squared: Cooler Master GeminII Review

Tech Link (Web): GeminII (RR-CCH-ANU2-GP) roundup

I have been drooling over this product for such a long time. So I am always on the look out for reviews and previews. I'd like to get one for myself, it's been a long time since I longed for a new cooler since my Thermalright* XP-90 has been sufficient for my needs.

Tuniq Tower 120 came in, Thermaltake Big Typhoon ruled, Sycthe Ninja got its share of glory as well and a lot of other coolers has surfaced, but none ever really got my attention. However, this cooler (and actually, Thermalright* Ultra 120) are the only two coolers that's been nibbling into my itchy side, pushing me to "go get one". So I am now in a quest to get one, but while I am still on the lookout, why not go and check out the round ups:

Tweakometer
Club Overclock
Technic3D
HardwareLogic

Tech Link (Cooling): Cooler Master Aquagate Viva Liquid Cooling System Review

The folks at XbitLabs put the new Coolermaster* 2-in-1 watercooling solution to test and they came out with a, well, not-so-satisfactory conclusion. Check out why.

Conclusion
Trying to kill two birds with one stone, Cooler Master hit neither. The new cooling system has two good points: universality (it supports all the modern CPUs and GPUs) and low price. The rest are all drawbacks that outweigh the mentioned advantages by a large margin.

The failure of the Aquagate Viva comes from its design that implies that its heatsink and fans must be placed inside the PC case. Abandoning an expansion tank to make the system compact, the manufacturer endowed it with one more defect, a very small amount of coolant. The heatsink is small to achieve the compactness and, probably, to provide for several variants of installation and is also made of aluminum to reduce the cost. As a result, the two roaring 70mm fans can’t cool it efficiently and provide performance that would be at least acceptable for overclocking.

So, it’s good the Christmas holidays are already behind – no one is likely to present you the Aquagate Viva as a gift!

Source:Cooler Master Aquagate Viva Liquid Cooling System Review