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Corsair Hydrocool vs. Koolance Exos

K

krizzle

Gawd
Joined
Jun 28, 2004
Messages
902
Once again, my noob self is asking for help from the gods... erm.. fellow [H]'ers... Please take the time to answer if you are bored enough...

I am making some decisions on buying a self-contained watercooling unit for my PC in the upcoming month. Want to slap CPU and GPU blocks on, and OC away. So far, only two big players at the game: Koolance Exos, which [H] reccomends, and Corsair Hydrocool, which [H] has never reviewed, but I have looked elsewhere. I have some questions.

I've found some comparisons of the units online, but I still have questions, as they are not the exact experiments that tell me which are better (e.g. overclockers.de had the units tubed up to like 6 coolers on each PC, using their own blocks... too little constant variables involved, e.g. just change the unit, not the blocks, and keep the same PC.)
If you do find a valid comparison, please do tell.

Seems the radiator on the Exos is far bigger and has 3x80mm fans blowing on it, vs Hydrocool's radiator and 1x120mm fans... of course to a noob like me, it seems Exos wins in blowing away the heat, right???

Also, Exos questionably uses 1/4th inch tubing, while Hydrocool goes with 3/8th inch. This raises two questions: Thinner tubing should not necessarily mean worse cooling, since I would assume water pressure and flow is higher and faster, or does it in fact cool worse than 3/8th inch?
Second issue is: I am not looking to use Exos blocks, instead dangerden for CPU and swiftech for GPU, and neither of these have fittings for 1/4th tubing... (dirty marketing tricks on Exos side).. Has anyone ever got around this problem?

To me, it seems like the bundled Corsair CPU block is pretty shitty... is it worth buying a different block, e.g. DangerDen TDX block??

Does the Corsair Hydrocool come with enough tubing to connect both CPU and GPU? Koolance does, I believe.

Plus: the price difference... Around $180 for Koolance Exos + about $95 worth of blocks... or about $210 for Corsair Hydrocool + $40 for GPU block assuming I keep the CPU block that is bundled...

Please, point me in some directions here, I would truly appreciate it.
 
exos all the way; it rocks--the hyrocool will not fit on the top of your case, and it doesnt cool as well, and its noiser
 
Yes, I read the noise part about Hydrocool
And yes, Exos is more attractive to sit on top of case... makes it look powerful, not like the shitty sidekick box from corsair.

But Exos's weakness is it's damn block... Which i would probably be forced into buying cos of the damn 1/4th tubes... :(
 
the koolance blocks are not as bad as they are made out to be I run a koolance setup on my folding server 2500+ oced to 2.6ghz and it keeps the ondie temp at about 45C 24/7/365..... just my 2 cents :)
 
Ah... well perhaps i will go with that option...
Is the koolance GPU block any good? i didnt see anything special..
 
It looks small but its bigger than any block I used (maze4, Swifty, etc). It fills the entire P4 socket retention!!!!
In fact, independent review of it in 3/8" ID system shows it nearly comparible to TDX/RBX setup. Only reason exos's temp is a little higher than other custom setup is the rest of tubing system... (1/4" ID). (even radiator is decent sized)
I like the noise, performance, l33t look with the PC-V1000B + Exos (black one)... match made in heaven.
My approximation is hardcore custom setup will only cool the system only about 3-4c south of current setup from my past experience. That probably nets about 100mhz diff on OC'ing. I will gladly sacrifice the 100mhz for convenience, look, and portability/upgradability of the system... (ok, no bragging rights but I think I am happy to see it handle 1.7v vcore p4 3.2c running at 3.75ghz which is pretty much max v-core I will ever go in intel)... reading 49c on full dual prime load which is decent on abit MOBO.. :p
 
Well, I guess I'll fall to Koolance's marketing trick and buy Koolance blocks. Tell me, though... I plan on getting an X800 XT-PE and cooling it with a Koolance GPU block and some ramsinks... would it yield better cooling than the stock heatsink and fan on the card?? I'm just curious... the block seems just like a box with two hoses going into it, no turbulance things inside or mazes or whatever makes the water come into more contact with heat... anyone got the Koolance GPU block, and can tell me about it?
 
Why buy koolance? Use Aqua Computer's blocks, they come in your choice of Aluminium, Copper, or sterling Silver, starting at 43$ US. They come with literally _any_ fittings you want, and if you gat a new proc with a different mounting system, you can buy new clamps for like $5, plus, the AC blocks are optimized for 1/4'' ID systems.

I think SNT systems (http://www.snt-systems.com) resells these fine products of german engineering for the US/Canada Market.
 
I'm currently using the Exos to cool my A64 3400+ and Radeon 9500 Pro.

I'm using the GPU-180-L06 block on the 9500. That block will also work for the X800 cards, as posted here: http://www.koolance.com/products/compatibility.html I like it because it makes routing the hoses a lot easier.

Also, it DOES have the 'turbulators' in the block, which is one reason that the Koolance Blocks work as well as they do even with the smaller tubing used.

I started using the EXOS not long after it came out, and originally had it on a 1.2 Athlon. I've been very happy with it, and I really like the new fittings on the blocks. The screw on compression fittings are a lot easier to use than the old clamps.
 
I'm just thinking Koolance blocks will relieve me of a lot of trouble... and at any rate, seems everyone's been able to get decent overclocks with it, and that is what I want!
 
if you get a koolance, use koolance blocks. the kit is designed to work best using theyre blocks.
 
Little Grabbi said:
Why buy koolance? Use Aqua Computer's blocks, they come in your choice of Aluminium, Copper, or sterling Silver, starting at 43$ US. They come with literally _any_ fittings you want, and if you gat a new proc with a different mounting system, you can buy new clamps for like $5, plus, the AC blocks are optimized for 1/4'' ID systems.

I think SNT systems (http://www.snt-systems.com) resells these fine products of german engineering for the US/Canada Market.
Click to expand...

heres a second for DIY. Aqua computers makes a very nice product if youre concerned more about looks than performance (which from what you say you are), dangerden, dtek, and swiftech each make very good performance systems that dont look as nice but will beat any premade system, hands down.

you are going to get the same performance out of premade that youd get out of a good air heatsink, at 1/8th the price
 
About the koolance GPU block slapped on an x800 XT
Do you think, with the supplied ramsinks (which i have yet to see photos of) and the block on the chipset will cool the card better than that beast that is already on it? esspecially if the water going through it has already went through an overclocked A64 3200+??

Maybe a light fan blowing on the sinks will help...
 
AFAIK, GDDR 3 chips aren't as heat challenged as DDR2s are. Thus why you don't see much of RAM sinks covering newer GPUs...
Unless someone went volt modding, maybe even if than, I doubt it will make much diff.
 
Okay, good to know, and thank you. I'll still slap them on, since I won't have anywhere else to put them (or will I? muahahah). Woudlnt hurt. But please, is the GPU-180-L06 gonna handle the heat better than the stock X800 XT hsf?
 
krizzle said:
Okay, good to know, and thank you. I'll still slap them on, since I won't have anywhere else to put them (or will I? muahahah). Woudlnt hurt. But please, is the GPU-180-L06 gonna handle the heat better than the stock X800 XT hsf?
Click to expand...

No idea as of yet. But should be able to :) rated to 200 W or 180 watt isn't it? :p
BTW, GPU-180-L06 already comes with 8 aluminum heat sinks. Don't buy extra one just yet :p
 
Yes, thanks again. Isn't it considerate of them to bundle ramsinks?
You know, I find my GeForce3 Ti500 running MUCH hotter than my CPU, by touch. If I put my finger next to the heatsink on it, I could burn myself within a matter of seconds! And, its running at stock speeds! So, either my card just sucks, or graphics cards need a bit more than 180watt heat dissipitation. Bah, no more madness, one more month and I'll be bathing in Doom III. I can barely sleep at night, SO DAMN ANXIOUS!
 
krizzle said:
Yes, thanks again. Isn't it considerate of them to bundle ramsinks?
You know, I find my GeForce3 Ti500 running MUCH hotter than my CPU, by touch. If I put my finger next to the heatsink on it, I could burn myself within a matter of seconds! And, its running at stock speeds! So, either my card just sucks, or graphics cards need a bit more than 180watt heat dissipitation. Bah, no more madness, one more month and I'll be bathing in Doom III. I can barely sleep at night, SO DAMN ANXIOUS!
Click to expand...

No, it just runs hotter probably because they are still on older technology (1 gen behind CPU on core density), Smaller heatsink, (imagine those heatsink on preshot. You will be actually cooking with that thing.
 
Well, I finally ordered today!

AMD Athlon64 3200+, 2.0 ghz, 1mb L2 Cache, 200 mhz fsb
Abit KV8 Pro Motherboard (VIA K8T800 Pro chipset, 1ghz HyperTransfer)
Visiontek Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition, 256mb DDR3, 520mhz core
1024mb Corsair TwinX DDR500 PC4000 ram = 50mhz on FSB for overclock
Koolance Exos liquid cooling unit = self contained
Koolance CPU-300-H06 proc block = 100% copper w/ 24k gold contact
Koolance GPU-180-L06 vid block = 100% copper w/ 24k gold contact

= $1400. And, just the day that Doom III went gold!
 
krizzle said:
LOL, yes, got one of those as well
Thank you for your concern!
Click to expand...

no problemo...ill probobly have to pick me up one of those too when i upgrade to either the next gen intel or amd.
 
OOOH i cant wait till i get those babies... 1 month till im back from the states, where i pick them up! Too bad GameVE, where we ordered CPU+Mobo (for the sake of the free Farcry bundled with A64 setups) it says that processing failed cos of some credit card issue... dad will check it out tomorrow I guess. I showed him the Doom III E3 video, he was amazed. Man, so many great things happened today!

Oh, the X800XT was ordered for $500 + $20 shipping from www.visiontek.com... I hope they will ship it in time!
 
krizzle said:
OOOH i cant wait till i get those babies... 1 month till im back from the states, where i pick them up! Too bad GameVE, where we ordered CPU+Mobo (for the sake of the free Farcry bundled with A64 setups) it says that processing failed cos of some credit card issue... dad will check it out tomorrow I guess. I showed him the Doom III E3 video, he was amazed. Man, so many great things happened today!

Oh, the X800XT was ordered for $500 + $20 shipping from www.visiontek.com... I hope they will ship it in time!
Click to expand...

i wont be upgrading the system in my sig till the following happen...

a) 64bit computing is more supported and the standards are set.
b) the next gen video cards come out, beyond x800 and geforce 6
c) the next gen intel cpu's come out, the ones based on the pentium M
 
yeah, but that stuff is gonna be really expensive right at the start, and it's definitly more than a year off.
 
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