Installation
Installation is fairly simple, but for those of you who have never setup a water cooling system, it'll be a little intimidating, especially as no install instructions are included. We'll be outlining an AMD install, though for the Pentium 4, the directions are similar. You will need to remove the Intel heatsink retention bracket before moving on.
Although I stated the blocks are flat, it's always best to check your setup beforehand. Simply apply some thermal paste, and install the block without turning anything on. Remove the block, and check the CPU imprint. There should be a complete CPU outline on the base, and if there isn't, double check your install, and if it still isn't, contact PolarFLO.
We received 1/2" outside diameter (OD) water blocks (3/8" are also available). What this means is the fittings on the block will only accommodate the tubing measurements you ordered. Generally, larger OD will mean a larger inside diameter (ID), which will allow more waterflow. Naturally, your radiator, reservoir (if used) and pump will need to have the same sized fittings. To prevent algae growth, don't forget to put in an additive into the water.
We chose not to use the AMD bracket, as using the four mounting holes will be the most inconvenient method of installation for most users. If you can do this, then the bracket will be a no-brainer. We start by removing the motherboard, and setting up the four installation screws.
Install the CPU, and apply some thermal paste. Once that is done, simply slide the water block into place, and screw it in with the supplied nuts. There are no pressure screws to let you know how tight is enough though. I installed the nuts until they were "thumb-tight", and verified the block was flushed flat on the CPU.
For VGA or chipset installation, you're going to have to remove the stock cooling (if one is installed, though for VGA cards, it most have a default cooler). Clean the GPU or chipset, then apply fresh paste. As mentioned earlier, make sure you order the correct mounting scheme. All you have to do is screw the block in, and you're set. Be sure to check for flatness as before.
I strongly suggest you do a mock install to properly measure the correct tubing length, and to make sure everything properly fits. Our setup is Pump -> CPU -> Chipset -> VGA -> Radiator.
Fill up the kit with the water mixture, and run it overnight with the PC itself off. Check for leaks, and if any are found, you'll need to redo the installation. If there's no leaks, you're all set.
Test Setup - AMD Athlon XP 2500+
ABIT NF7-S nForce2: Barton 2500+, 2 x 256MB Corsair TWINX PC3200 Ram, FIC Radeon 9600 Pro, 120GB Western Digital SE 8MB Cache, Windows XP SP1, nForce 2 Unified Driver Package 3.13, ATi Catalyst 3.8.
Going up against the PolarFLO blocks for our Athlon tests will be the Asetek WaterChill, and the Thermalright SLK800 air cooler, which is one of the top air coolers we've used. The Thermalright has been paired up with an 80mm Delta SHE 68CFM fan. Both water blocks were tested using the WaterChill kit's Hydor L20 pump (at 12v) and radiator. Nanotherm Ice II is the thermal compound used for all the coolers.
To load up the system, we run Prime95 run for 20 minutes, with Folding @ Home running in the background. Ambient room temperature is maintained at ~23C/74F.
The Athlon XP 2500+ tests were done at clock speeds of 1833MHz, and 2277MHz. Note that at 1833MHz, the scores of all three coolers will be displayed, but only the water blocks were capable of the 2277MHz OC.
We removed the chipset and GPU water block coolers to factor them out of the equation.
Temperature in °C - Idle @ 1833MHz
The Thermalright's temperatures would be decent if it were an air cooling review, but we can see how it's no match for watercooling. At both idle and under load, the PolarFLO beats out the WaterChill blocks rather convincingly.
Temperature in °C - Load @ 2277MHz
With the Thermalright falling out of this overclocking tests, we're left with the water blocks duking it out. Again, the PolarFLO beats out the WaterChill by a noticable 1.5°C.
Athlon Chipset - OC @ 2277MHz
We needed to remove the blocks for the Pentium 4 testing, but before that, we slapped on the chipset block for some quick tests.
The stock cooling of the NF7-S was about 33°C, and we can see quite an improvement when moving to water.
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