IceGiant Prototype Thermosiphon Cooler Review: Frosty New Tech

erek

erek

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Pretty impressive even if it is just a Prototype!

"Considering the IceGiant ProSiphon is currently a prototype, it offers an exiting preview of what’s to come with the IceGiant ProSiphon Elite and other products in the IceGiant product line. As these units reach retail availability, we’ll offer comparisons in all aspects between prototype testing units and the publicly available coolers.

We do have some unanswered questions around whether the IceGiant unit’s overall dimensions and sheer volume alone account for its impressive performance, or if this trend of class-leading cooling performance will carry on with the smaller, sleeker version of the ProSiphon Elite once retail versions land in the hands of system builders -- and on our test bench."

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/icegiant-prototype-thermosiphon-cooler
 
I mean it's interesting, for sure. But weighing in at nearly 5 lbs, I can only imagine the strain that much weight would put on a vertically mounted board.
 
Prototype is nearly 5 pounds or 2200 grams and 133mm deep. Production version is thinner and lighter at 907 grams and a svelte 31mm deep. And claimed to have the same performance.

28b39e_77bbb8a850df4d7199852f38284138be~mv2.png


Look forward to seeing the production version. And using it in a future liquid-air cooling build.
 
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Good grief, what a chunk of space it will take up. I'll stick with a waterblock on my threadripper
 
Nice! Bit like a compact reserator. Heatpipes have very good thermal conduction capabilities though so will be neat to see how final version stacks up.
 
Reserved one. Looks interesting. I can see it outselling AIOs if they can deliver the stated performance at $119/$149.

The only question is which company will imitate it first? I would think Corsair, if they can cover it in LEDs quickly enough.
 
Since it is gravity based, then it won't work if mounted in different orientation I assume. Well that means I can't use it.
 
M76 said:
Since it is gravity based, then it won't work if mounted in different orientation I assume. Well that means I can't use it.
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I don't believe it is gravity based, it uses convection and capillary action to move coolant much like a vapour chamber or heatpipe.
 
KazeoHin said:
I don't believe it is gravity based, it uses convection and capillary action to move coolant much like a vapour chamber or heatpipe.
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That's what their page says: "gravity-driven, two-phase CPU cooling solution"
 
M76 said:
That's what their page says: "gravity-driven, two-phase CPU cooling solution"
Click to expand...

Not the your usual gravitational drive. Offers user-selectable gravitational field switching. Not sure if the centrifuge is optional tho.

From the site:
"Unlike a typical thermosiphon design, the patented ProSiphon technology is engineered to operate in either the horizontal or vertical orientation (with respect to the motherboard). "
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28b39e_14c25659f999406caadc74d029d6ff90~mv2.jpg
 
pentiumiiislota said:
Looks awesome. I've always wondered what would happen if the sides of the fin stack were enclosed.
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I am not convinced a Noctua Heatpipe cooler of that size, with that kind of fan speed, wouldn't actually be better.

Basically I see nothing that says this is better than conventional heatpipes.
 
Seems the performance over the competition comes from them using stronger fans with higher RPMs than what the competition is using.
 
clockdogg said:
Not the your usual gravitational drive. Offers user-selectable gravitational field switching. Not sure if the centrifuge is optional tho.

From the site:


View attachment 207478
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In both of the pictured orientations heat can flow up, then the coolant can fall back down after being cooled by the fan. Except for me it would be sideways mounted (silverstone 90° rotated MB) so the coolant cannot move back by gravity alone.
 
M76 said:
In both of the pictured orientations heat can flow up, then the coolant can fall back down after being cooled by the fan. Except for me it would be sideways mounted (silverstone 90° rotated MB) so the coolant cannot move back by gravity alone.
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Oh... tricky. Do you have one of those high-tech homes that can switch axis?
 
The performance would be even better, presumabely, if they used copper.
 
Well, at least they named it correctly !

But the REAL here question is: Can it help me play Crysis at 69,268.423 FPS hahahaha ??????
 
I don’t understand how this is anything special. Yea the Linus video did a decent job explaining but at that current size and fan RPM any heatsink that big would work as well as it did.

If they shrink it down to that production size and it performs the exact same the sure but I seriously doubt it.

It reminds me of all the other fancy options that never took off (peltier, phase change, all aluminum fan+heatsink, etc.)
 
next-Jin said:
I don’t understand how this is anything special. Yea the Linus video did a decent job explaining but at that current size and fan RPM any heatsink that big would work as well as it did.
If they shrink it down to that production size and it performs the exact same the sure but I seriously doubt it.
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Exactly. It's 5 freaking lbs of HS,with screaming Delta fans. That seems largely responsible for temperature advantage.

The only actual advantage I see is that it's doesn't have a normal heatpipe wick so it can't have wick dryout at extreme loads. That seems like a narrow advantage.
 
next-Jin said:
I don’t understand how this is anything special. Yea the Linus video did a decent job explaining but at that current size and fan RPM any heatsink that big would work as well as it did.

If they shrink it down to that production size and it performs the exact same the sure but I seriously doubt it.

It reminds me of all the other fancy options that never took off (peltier, phase change, all aluminum fan+heatsink, etc.)
Click to expand...

Only caveat to your options (peltier & phase change at least) are, in the case of phase change, cost & size. It works wonderfully well but it's expensive and bulky so not very elegant. Peltier doesn't work as well as hoped so no go there (Linus also did a video on this one).

If, and I mean IF, they can get the same performance out of a smaller size and quieter fans, then I don't see why it wouldn't take off. Seems like an evolution to heat pipes to me, in a simplistic form of view.
 
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