asetek
are no strangers to cooling and likely no strangers to a lot of
enthusiasts. We’ve certainly looked at many products from
them over the years here at Viperlair. They are probably best
known for their watercooling kits, although of course the VapoChill
systems will stand out for obvious reasons. Like many companies
that provide enthusiast cooling solutions, they do have a lineup
to cater for differing needs and pockets.
But
let us assume you want the best performance. Let us also assume
you are willing to spend some money for it. Let us assume you
want a complete watercooling kit with everything included in the
box. Ease of use is a must, and it can’t hurt to have little
flashiness thrown in either.
So
we take a look at the asetek lineup and … what is this?
An Extreme kit, with three blocks, six 120mm fans, a triple radiator
and USB software control for the pump and fans? Oh yes, we just
had to get a closer look at the asetek
WaterChill Extreme KT12AT-12VX/10mm watercooling kit.
Components
and Features
WaterChill
Antarctica CPU cooler CPU01/AT supporting Intel P4 S478, AMD S754/S940/S939
(AMD 64).
WaterChill VGA cooler VGA01/P1 supporting Nvidia/Gforce and ATI/Radeon
AGP cards (elbow fittings).
WaterChill Chipset cooler NB01/P1 supporting Intel, AMD, SIS and
VIA etc.
Triple Black Ice Xtreme 120mm Radiator with 10mm push on fittings.
6 x 120mm Low Noise Adda Fans.
NEW WaterChill Xtreme [12V] integrated Pump/Reservoir with 10mm
push on fittings (PSU powered).
USB cable.
Integrated Print Circuit Board w. fan connectors.
2 x Temperature Sensors.
2 x Fan Connectors (Up to 6 fans, 2 x 24W).
Software based Control Panel incl.:
Pump speed regulation
System and status info.
Heat monitoring.
Fan control.
WaterChill Tube Set (3,0m).
ALL fittings and mounting accessories are included.
WaterChill Anti Alga Fluid - WaterWetter (10mm bottle).
Heat Conduction Compound (2 ml tube).
Installation Manual (English/Spanish/French/Deutsch).
The
kit itself is packaged neatly inside this white plastic corrugated
box, with all the components either bagged or stacked inside.
Since these components are all available separately, it makes
sense that everything is separately brought together and placed
in this box. It’s all secure enough inside, but you won’t
find flashy packaging. The kit itself is quite extensive and
there are plenty of components to it, along with all the extras.
You
get 3 meters of hard walled 10mm tubing and a bag with all the
other extras in it, such as screws, individual bags with mounting
items like springs and thumbscrews, transfers with the WaterChill
logo for each of the blocks, thermal paste and even a syringe
of water wetter.
Cabling
wise, we have a USB cable for the pump (more on that in a bit),
3 pin fan cables for each of the six 120mm Adda fans and 2 temperature
probe cables. We have a few instructions booklets as well, for
each of the main components, as well as an instruction booklet
specific to the whole kit and lastly a CD with the software
on it. And that’s all before we get to the major components
themselves.
The
Waterblocks
Three
waterblocks are included with the kit to cool your CPU, Graphics
and Chipset. Each come individually bagged, with the mounting
parts and other extras in separate bags.
Starting
with the CPU block, since this is asetek’s ‘Extreme’
kit it makes sense that we would find asetek’s top CPU block,
the Antarctica block in the kit.
Specifications
Reduction
of CPU core temperature at max load by 40-70%.
Significantly improved CPU stability.
Two water outlets for more aggressive water flow.
Extreme overclocking potential.
TOP Performance (on par or better than the competition) and capable
of removing at least 200W of CPU-heat.
“Push on” fittings for tool-less and easy assembly
of tubes on the CPU block.
Easy mount of the block on motherboard with finger screws.
A machined finish that ensures a high and uniform quality and
perfect CPU contact.
An extremely good plainness and surface smoothness.
Pure copper base plate - providing best possible heat removal
ratio.
Optimized fittings/tubes for maximum flow.
The
CPU waterblock has one 10mm push-fit inlet (center) and two
10mm push-fit outlets to either side. Looking down the center
push-fit we can see that the water flow is restricted first
by a smaller inlet cut into the acrylic ‘lid’ of
the block itself and secondly by channels cut into the copper
base of the block. These channels sit directly over the area
that would relate to the hottest point on a CPU; the center
core.
The
underside of the block feels smooth to the touch and looks flat,
although there are a few machining marks. Certainly not a mirror
finish as the reflection here shows. The mounting points for
this particular block (Socket 775) are in the four corners and
drilled directly into the acrylic. It is a very solidly built
block and I do like that we can see the water moving through
the block clearly when the system is up and running.
The
VGA and Chipset blocks are of a ‘lesser design’ in
that they are a more basic design of water into a single channel
and back out again.
Specifications
Complete
elimination of high pitched fan noise from your VGA card.
Dramatic increase in overall PC system stability through an effective
VGA cooling.
Massive overclocking potential through a dramatic reduction of
VGA processor temperatures at full load.
Can be fully integrated with both WaterChill and other third party
water cooling solutions.
Supports all Nvidia/Gforce and ATI/Radeon AGP cards.
“Push on” Elbow fittings for tool-less and easy assembly
of tubes on the VGA block.
Easy mount of the block on the AGP card with finger screws.
An extremely good plainness and surface smoothness.
Pure copper base plate - providing best possible heat removal
ratio.
Elbow Fittings/tubes for maximum flow.
The
VGA block, uses elbow push-fits to allow you to get to the tubing
easily without taking up more space below the graphics card
and yet another PCI slot. Mounting methods supplied are spring
loaded screws and bolts or simply zip ties. Like the CPU block,
the VGA block has a copper base and acrylic top that allows
you to see the water flow. Again, there are a few machining
marks on the base, but it looks and feels flat enough to a set
square and my eyes.
The
Chipset block is basically a variation on the VGA block
Specifications
Massive
overclocking potential through an exceptional elimination of chip
set heat dissipation.
Can be fully integrated with both WaterChill and other third party
water cooling solutions.
The physical layout and mounting system offers a universal application
of the cooler on all Chipsets used.
“Push on” fittings for tool-less and easy assembly
of tubes on the chip set cooler.
Easy mount of the block on motherboard with finger screws.
An extremely good plainness and surface smoothness.
Pure copper base plate - providing best possible heat removal
ratio.
Fittings/tubes for maximum flow.
Unlike
the VGA block, the Chipset block uses straight inline push-fits.
The mounting system is the same as the VGA block, zip ties with
an Intel system, or if you have holes in the motherboard, springs
and screws. I would like to see a better setup for Intel systems,
especially as I have found the loops used on some Intel based
motherboards to be a little ‘weak’.
The
base for the Chipset is the same as the other two blocks; a few
machining marks but overall flat enough and with a slight reflection.
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