Installation Issues
The only issue encountered during installation was the capacitor
that didn't allow the block to come completely into contact with
the CPU. It may be slightly hard to see in the image above, but
the capacitor I am referring to was only just barely in the way
of the block by little more than a millimeter in height, and around
1.5 millimeters in depth. While it was easy to shave a tiny bit
off with the Dremel, this may not be something that all users
are either willing or capable of doing, so make sure you have
clearance for the block you are planning on purchasing.
Test Setup - Intel Pentium 4 530
Abit AS8 Motherboard
Intel Pentium 4 530 3 GHz CPU
2x512 Corsair PC4000 TwinX DDR
ATI x800 Pro GPU
We will be testing the Antarctica block against the stock Intel
heatsink due to a lack of another water block for testing. The
block was tested on an Asetek WaterChill kit using a Hydor L20
Pump, 120mm radiator and fan. The only other block in the system
was the chipset block.
After installing the water block, we allowed the thermal compound
a week to setup, running prime 95 for 6 hours every day. To test
the block, we allowed the system to come to an idle temperature
by booting it up and letting it sit for 20 minutes. We then started
Prime 95 doing a torture test for maximum heat, with folding at
home running in the background for a duration of 15 minutes, taking
a temperature reading every minute.
We tested with the stock Intel heatsink with the CPU at stock
speeds. The block was tested with the CPU at both stock speeds,
15x200 = 3 GHz, and also overclocked at 15x235 = 3.52 GHz. Results
of these tests are given in the graph below.
Max Temperatures:
Intel Stock 63
Antarctica Stock 48
Antarctica Overclocked 52
As you can see, the Antarctica is well below the stock Intel
heatsink at stock speeds, and it also remains below the stock
Intel heatsink even with the computer overclocked a full 520 MHz.
Final Words
As with the rest of Astek's products, the Antarctica water block
is a topnotch product. The build quality is right up there with
the rest of their competitor's products, and the performance is
as well. Asetek has also made it exceptionally easy to swap out
the top of the block for use with other CPU socket types by simply
using the supplied wrench to take out 4 screws (we reviewed the
LGA775 setup, but Asetek covers all modern CPUs with additional
kits). Even with the system overclocked, the temperatures were
still a good 10 degrees C below the stock Intel heatsink. The
time between full load and idle temperatures was also quite low.
Temperatures dropped nearly 10 degrees almost the instant I closed
Prime 95 and paused Folding @ Home.
Aside from the slight clearance issue between the base of the
block and the capacitor that was positioned fairly close to the
socket on my Abit AS8, installation couldn't have been easier,
especially with the simplicity of the push-on fittings. The top
of the block, due to its design, shouldn't have any clearance
issues with any motherboard components given that the widest parts
of the top are right by the mounting hardware. So as long as you
can get the mounting hardware in place, you should have no problem
mounting the block with room to spare.
Pros: Easy to switch tops out. Comes with multiple tops
for wider product compatibility. Excellent build quality.
Cons: May have clearance issues with some motherboards.
Bottom Line: If it doesn't have any clearance issues with
your board, this block is definitely worth a look if you're in
the market.
If
you have any comments, be sure to hit us up in our forums.
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