Athlon 64 3500+ Performance (2.31GHz)

MSI K8T Neo2-FIR: Athlon 64 S939 3500+ (11x210: 2.31GHz), 2 x 512MB Corsair TWINX PC4000 Pro, AIW Radeon 9600 XT, 120GB Maxtor SATA 7200rpm.

Testing methodology mirrored the Pentium 4 setup, including the same blocks, case and burn-in method.

Idle Temperatures in °C

Load Temperatures in °C

Same trend with the Athlon 64 as we've seen with the Pentium 4.

One thing to point out is when we configured the the PC3-720SL to "Auto", the fans never spun up as fast as the P4 560 setup when compared to the Athlon 64 3500+. Therefore, if you do not set the fans manually, the Athlon 64 provides a quieter setup with this system.

Final Words

Since there are several areas to cover in our final analysis, we'll provide our comments in the areas that will be of most concern to our readers.

Performance - Based on our results, the PC3-720SL performed admirably, though it was outperformed the PolarFLO/asetek kit in all our testing. The results were negligable in the Athlon 64 tests, but the difference was quite noticable in the Pentium 4 LGA775 tests. When we replaced the CPU-300 with the PolarFLO TT, we improved performance by a slight margin, leading us to think that the extra disc used in Pentium 4 testing was in part a contributer to the difference. The other factors were most likely the smaller pump and aluminum radiator. A copper radiator would certainly improve performance, though Koolance is limited in their pump choices as the cooling component would not be able to accomadate a larger pump.

Noise - At the lowest settings, the PC3-720SL is very close to being silent, with only the "whooshing" of the dual 120mm fans being the sole source of noise from the unit. Adding a couple of 80mm fans will increase the noise, and though not really required, you may want to consider it to keep the system temperatures down. Higher fan settings will increase the noise levels, and at the highest settings, the PC3-720SL is noticeably audible. When left at "Auto", the system was noticeably louder with a Pentium 4 560 than it was with an Athlon 64 3500+. The answer is simple as the P4 is simply a hot running CPU at all times, whereas the Athlon 64 ran much cooler.

Ease of Use - No doubts here as the Koolance PC3-720SL is much easier to put together than tradtitional water-cooling kits. All the guess work has been done for you and the only work on the users part is to attach the hoses, water blocks and filling the unit up. Compare that to most kits where you need to mount pumps and radiators and it's a no brainer. Compared to external kits such as the EXOS and Cooler Master Aquagate, the work is about the same, though the PC3-720SL has the benefit that you don't need to worry about the cooling unit toppling off the top of your case if you forget to secure it while moving the computer. The case itself is well designed, and should have no problems accommadating the needs of most enthusiasts.

Mobility - Like any mid to full tower, the PC3-720SL is not going to be terribly difficult to move around, but despite the aluminum design, a fully loaded rig is going to be a pain to move back and forth if you need to do this often. The PC3-720SL is also what I would call a stationary water-cooling kit as it is integrated into the chassis. What this means is unlike an EXOS, which you can unhook and place on another PC (assuming you have a second case), for the PC3-720SL, you will need to remove your components and place the new ones within the same box. Granted, this would be the case for traditional water-cooling kits, and since the larger components are located on the top of the PC3-720SL, this is less of an issue. However, it does lead us into our next topic...

The Case - One of the main thing going against the PC3-720SL is the chassis. Since the kit is integrated into the case, you'll pretty much be stuck with this unit as a whole unless you decide to void your warranty and mod the cooling apparatus into another chassis. While the case is well designed, in the event that you need something bigger (or smaller), you'll need to consider a new water-cooling kit to go with the new case. Also, Koolance offers the PC3-700 in silver and black, but the case design is identical. If you're not wild about the design itself, the PC3-720SL will probably be out of the question. Hopefully, we've provided enough images for you to make that decision on your own, but overall, we were satisfied with the case aesthetics and design.

Pricing - The second issue we've had with this system. Considering that this is a self contained unit, the $399.99 price tag is rather high and nearly double that of their previous "PC" systems. The chassis itself is worth about $100, leaving the rest of the cooling in the $300 range without a water block, which is significant higher than some kits which you can put together yourself.

Pros: Easy to use, good performance, roomy chassis. Near silent at low fan settings.

Cons: Limited case options. Expensive. Out performed by some ensemble kits.

Bottom Line: Overall, Koolance has a very impressive kit in the PC3-720 and is definitely worth considering if you're interested in an easy to use water-cooling setup. Performance is very good, and the case aesthetics are top notch in our opinion. Pricing is something we do have a problem with as aluminum case aside, this is an expensive setup.

If you have any comments, be sure to hit us up in our forums.

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