New Koolance Exos model

T

Top Nurse

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
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Anyone seen any pics, news, or got any links for the new EXOS?

From what I can piece together from several sources the new style EXOS will have 3/8" internal tubing, a larger radiator, and a different fan configuration. I think the 3/8" tubing will run from the EXOS to the CPU and then splitters will route two (2) lines through the GPU and chipset and come back together before returning to the EXOS. I suspect that the new EXOS will utilize similar electronics, if not the same, that is currently available on their new PC3-700 case. I think the changes will increase cooling capacity about 30% minimum and be considerably quieter as well :)

I spoke to Koolance a few days ago and they verified that a new EXOS was about to be marketed here in the USA, but I couldn't get them to be firm on the price. I figure around $300 MSRP. I asked Wes at Sharka Computers (www.sharkacomputers.com) to just get me one so long as it was under $400.

I'm hoping to have one by mid Feburary as I am currently working on the case as I have never liked the tubes going through one of my PCI slots. I decided to use some PLS series quick disconnect fittings made by Colder Products (www.colder.com) to go straight through the case up near the CPU and at the same time it will open up a PCI slot for some other connector or card.

Somebody out there has the inside track on this so come on and give :)
 
An Exos with 120mm fans (more air with less noise) and 3/8" tubing would be sweet. I'd jump on one with both feet as long as the price wasn't insane.
 
My sentiments exactly :D

I already got the CPU-300-V10 in, a GPU-180-V on the NF4 chipset, and a couple of GPU-180-L06 on my 6600 GT's. Now I'm working on cleaning up the power lines by R&R the 4-pin molex and SATA power connectors to complement my box. The mb main power connector loom had to have an 8" section removed...lot's of soldering on that baby ;-)

Soon as I get the Colder QD's in goes the plumbing and hopefully the new EXOS will be available or I will have to hook up my old one :(

Hey! just noticed a new product for sale: http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=177 I never thought too much about thermal encapsulate material on my HD. I think I will order a couple just to see if they work. My Raptor drives are a significant source of heat.
 
The only bad side I see to it is if it is like the new Koolance cases. They have the 3/8 plumbing but still only use the low flow pumps like the original. So you are kind of SOL if you want to cool your GPU. Koolance does not make a GPU cooler for 3/8 plumbing and most other company’s blocks are not designed for low flow.
 
If you read their new manual they address this issue. They recommend splitting the 3/8 line coming out of the CPU into two (2) 1/4" lines (one to the NB and the other to the HD's or GPU's) and then combining back to the 3/8" line before returning to the EXOS unit. Thus their should be no restriction or flow issues in the system :)
 
Top Nurse said:
If you read their new manual they address this issue. They recommend splitting the 3/8 line coming out of the CPU into two (2) 1/4" lines (one to the NB and the other to the HD's or GPU's) and then combining back to the 3/8" line before returning to the EXOS unit. Thus their should be no restriction or flow issues in the system :)
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Do you work for koolance?
 
Pigpen posted:
Do you work for koolance?
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No, but I wish they sold stock :D

I'm a registered nurse by profession and a computer tweaker by nature. So I work on hardware (computers) and software (human beings) ;)
 
Top Nurse said:
No, but I wish they sold stock :D

I'm a registered nurse by profession and a computer tweaker by nature. So I work on hardware (computers) and software (human beings) ;)
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*Scrubs reference*

You're ... a murse? :p

(unless of course you're a chick, in which case .. why are you a tweaker :p)
 
I'm just a regular nurse (critical care). BTW, lots of women are tweakers and hackers. We just don't go walking around with a slide rule emanating from our trousers :eek:
 
Top Nurse said:
I'm just a regular nurse (critical care). BTW, lots of women are tweakers and hackers. We just don't go walking around with a slide rule emanating from our trousers :eek:
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*has been pwn3d*

As far as the old koolance goes. I'm a DIY'er myself. Though if they do make it with actual good specs, I'm gonna have to check it out. Not that I'll buy one, but it may change my current view on Koolance.
 
I'm a DIY guy too but I used an EXOS-Al for a while and was very happy with it. That's a great kit for someone just getting started in wc'ing. I still have mine, but it sits in the closet, neglected.

I bet the new version will be very close in performance to DIY systems.
 
Sideroxylon posted:
I bet the new version will be very close in performance to DIY systems.
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One thing I gotta say about Koolance is that they are persistent little buggers. The evolution of Koolance reminds me somewhat of the evolutuion of Windows. They both just keep improving the product, building on what they have done before and making it better and better.

I think it may beat the average DIY setup. Got to stay focused on what the hardware will do and not how fast it will go or how much better it cools. As Intel said recently "This isn't a speed contest." <giggle>. ;)
 
Top Nurse said:
Interested in unloading it?
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I was thinking about selling it. I don't think I'll ever use it again. I was thinking of tearing it apart too and maybe using the rad. Why don't you pm me and make me an offer. I have the EXOS Al with the CPU-300-H06 block and the GPU-180-L06. I only used the system for about 2 months before I built my own. The GPU block has never been used.
 
mwarps said:
As far as the old koolance goes. I'm a DIY'er myself. Though if they do make it with actual good specs, I'm gonna have to check it out. Not that I'll buy one, but it may change my current view on Koolance
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Well perhaps when [H] does their review on it (soon) they might do an "all comers" comparison between all the big players in both internal and external designs. Now that would really be something, heh?

BTW, I suppose I should setup a website so I can start posting pic's of my new box as it goes together. I'm not a wild crazy case modder. I modify stuff so it is neater, cleaner, efficient, and of course faster...
 
Top Nurse said:
Well perhaps when [H] does their review on it (soon) they might do an "all comers" comparison between all the big players in both internal and external designs. Now that would really be something, heh?

BTW, I suppose I should setup a website so I can start posting pic's of my new box as it goes together. I'm not a wild crazy case modder. I modify stuff so it is neater, cleaner, efficient, and of course faster...
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We shall indeed see. The [H] reviewers seem to like Koolance. My next loop is going to be insanely tight and constricted. Watercooling an SFF is a bitch.

And yes, get a website up so we can see mods. Everyone needs one.
 
I just hope they decide to spend the money on pump.... MCP 350 would be perfect choice...
 
I don't think that would be possible as the pump is not setup for the right low-flow conditions of the Koolance system. High flow systems came out as a way of using current technology that was easily adaptable to computer cooling (aquarium pumps and car radiators). The Koolance system is a second generation technology where the pump, radiator, and water block were designed from the ground up specifically for computer cooling. That is the reason you can't mix and match typical DIY equipment with Koolance products. Take for instance a new Koolance hard drive cooler that uses a soft flexible bag that absorbs heat from the spindle and circuit board (http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=177). While I don't know for sure whether it would work in a DIY system I would be hesitant to try it as I would be concerned about bag leaks due to higher pressure.
 
mwarps said:
We shall indeed see. The [H] reviewers seem to like Koolance. My next loop is going to be insanely tight and constricted. Watercooling an SFF is a bitch.
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Actually I had considered trying out a DIY rig, but due to the small case (Lian-Li PC-601B) size and all the hardware I was putting in it (2 video cards, 3 Raptors, 2 optical's, FD, Bay bus, and card reader) there wasn't a lot of room to put all the DIY in it! Besides with all that heat generating hardware the cooling wouldn't have been good due to the internal case temps.

I also have a Lian-Li PC-75 case that is also H20 cooled but it seemed more fun to try and put all the hardware in the little case :D
 
Top Nurse said:
Actually I had considered trying out a DIY rig, but due to the small case (Lian-Li PC-601B) size and all the hardware I was putting in it (2 video cards, 3 Raptors, 2 optical's, FD, Bay bus, and card reader) there wasn't a lot of room to put all the DIY in it! Besides with all that heat generating hardware the cooling wouldn't have been good due to the internal case temps.

I also have a Lian-Li PC-75 case that is also H20 cooled but it seemed more fun to try and put all the hardware in the little case :D
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I've got a WC pc-75 also.. there's soooooo much room. Makes me wish they sold drive-bay sized high performance computers :p I'm wasting space!
 
I know what you mean! All that room over the power supply is a total waste. Been thinking I could put a car heater core up there with room to spare and a gallon size reservoir to boot. Maybe even a water chiller might fit as well. My nephew (Brav) thinks I am too [H]ard :D
 
I made a decision today, the new exos system will cost $350 but the old system costs only $200. The new system can manage CPU & GPU & ?, but I don't need all that.

Since I have a black case I wanted a black finish Exos system but a spray can of black paint will have to suffice. (wow, my first case mod)

A new system may be worth the wait (2-3 more weeks) but I don't need the excess cooling capacity and can't afford the additional $150.

For $350 I could & would DYI a cooling system.

One additional note, staying all KOOLANCE everything is gold plated on the inside minimizing issues with dissimilar metals. Or so I am told.

For a:
Al Exos I
775 adapter
300- h06 cpu block
Al spacer (puck)
10' of better quality clear hose.

Total cost ~ $275.33

An Exos II system with the same parts would cost almost $500.

BTW, Newegg did not have all my stuff, www.frozencpu.com did and matched newegg prices +10% discount + shipped today. Unlike Newegg their sales folks are knowledgeable and very helpful, hell they even speak English and know their products.
 
It seems I can guess prices pretty well :) Prices rarely have anything to do with what it costs to make a particular product. Mostly it has to do with what it can give you and what the competition can or can't.

So for $350 of my scoots I will consider the alternatives:

First, with all the hardware I got crammed into my new box it doesn't seem feasible to put all the DIY equipment as well. I guess I could get really creative and design up a soft reservoir (kind of like a bladder) that would make up use of traditionally non-usable places in the box. Perhaps the area between the mb tray and the outside of the case. I could probably squeeze in at least a quart of coolant with the side effect of good heat dissipation and might even help cool off the back side of the mb due to heat transference through the aluminium. Not to practical on a commercial basis due to the many variables, but might be fun to do for a special project.

Second I have to consider getting a bigger case and going a DIY type operation. That could get expensive as I would have to sell an expensive case that I have already severely modified. But for $350 i would consider it...

Thirdly, I have to consider the bang for the buck factor. With a new EXOS going for $350 + CPU + GPU x2 + NB + HD x 3 coolers = major bucks. Let's see the numbers 350 + 60 + 40 + 40 + 38 + 55 + 55 + 55 = $693 NOW that is a serious chunk of change!

However, the only real variable here is the new EXOS as I would still have all the coolers to buy in a DIY system. I would also have to utilize some Koolance coolers anyway as no one else makes a cooler small enough to fit the NF4 chipset on an ASUS A8N-SLI board anyway. I'm also not to sure I can get any water cooled hard drive coolers from anybody besides Koolance. So no matter what I do I still will have to use pretty much my same cooler setup :( Now assuming I can get a reservoir setup in my limited space I also will be concerned about the high pressure blowing out my new "Hydra-Pak" coolers.

See next post as I think I have run out of room ;)
 
Top Nurse said:
It seems I can guess prices pretty well :) Prices rarely have anything to do with what it costs to make a particular product. Mostly it has to do with what it can give you and what the competition can or can't.

So for $350 of my scoots I will consider the alternatives:

First, with all the hardware I got crammed into my new box it doesn't seem feasible to put all the DIY equipment as well. I guess I could get really creative and design up a soft reservoir (kind of like a bladder) that would make up use of traditionally non-usable places in the box. Perhaps the area between the mb tray and the outside of the case. I could probably squeeze in at least a quart of coolant with the side effect of good heat dissipation and might even help cool off the back side of the mb due to heat transference through the aluminium. Not to practical on a commercial basis due to the many variables, but might be fun to do for a special project.

Second I have to consider getting a bigger case and going a DIY type operation. That could get expensive as I would have to sell an expensive case that I have already severely modified. But for $350 i would consider it...

Thirdly, I have to consider the bang for the buck factor. With a new EXOS going for $350 + CPU + GPU x2 + NB + HD x 3 coolers = major bucks. Let's see the numbers 350 + 60 + 40 + 40 + 38 + 55 + 55 + 55 = $693 NOW that is a serious chunk of change!

However, the only real variable here is the new EXOS as I would still have all the coolers to buy in a DIY system. I would also have to utilize some Koolance coolers anyway as no one else makes a cooler small enough to fit the NF4 chipset on an ASUS A8N-SLI board anyway. I'm also not to sure I can get any water cooled hard drive coolers from anybody besides Koolance. So no matter what I do I still will have to use pretty much my same cooler setup :( Now assuming I can get a reservoir setup in my limited space I also will be concerned about the high pressure blowing out my new "Hydra-Pak" coolers.

See next post as I think I have run out of room ;)
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Hmmm... See, that's where I'd go DIY.

And you don't need to watercool the harddrives... It's superneato and all, but it's really a waste, even for insano-watercoolers. A good fan will do them just fine.

Are you sure about only the koolance block fitting on the NF4? That sounds a little weird.
 
Now comes the interesting part. Can I mod a standard Koolance EXOS to give me better performance comparable to a new style EXOS Professional unit? I would have to say theoretically YES! It's the implementation part that gives me some jitters though :eek: Actually I had been giving this some serious thought already because I do have an older model EXOS already.

So what would I need to accomplish such a feat of legerdemain? I would have to essentially get a 3/8" cooler and a pump setup that has a 3/8" spigot and I would be pretty much set to go. Now where to get it... Just so happens that Koolance makes a 3/8" cooler already (http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=107). Now the appropriate dimensions of the original EXOS radiator is: 11.7" (29.7cm) L x 6.1" (15.4cm) W x 0.98" (2.5cm) H. And the 3/8" radiator is: 10.1" (25.6cm) L x 5.5" (13.9cm) W x 0.98" (2.5cm) H. So it appears that I wouldn't have to do any cutting though I might have to do some RTV or rubber work getting the ducting setup properly. So that part of the equation seems possible.

Next I would have to come up with a 3/8" pump that fits my current EXOS case. I suppose I could use a small DIY pump of some type, but then I would have to still come up with a reservoir of some type. Actually I already put on order a new style replacement pump reservoir for my current EXOS. It didn't wear out, but I just got tired of having to turn it upside down to add any coolant. Interestingly, the new style replacement pump/reservoir combo appears to have (http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=30_32&products_id=66) a metal hose barb coming out of it (as opposed to my original that has a plastic molded in spigot). If it's metal then perhaps a new spigot will go in that will increase the output size. The only fear factor is whether the old style pump will put out enough force to properly run the 3/8" system. Now if I was a manufacturer I would really be hesitant to make 2 separate custom parts when I could use the same part, so I am betting that they didn't change the pump.

The last thing would be to change over the EXOS output quick disconnects to a 3/8" diameter as well. It so happens that Colder Products (www.colder.com) make such an animal and they are also available through McMaster Carr (www.mcmaster.com) as well. Personally I would wait and see if I could order some "replacement parts" directly from Koolance for their quick disconnect fittings due to accidently sticking a paper clip through the valve of my "new EXOS" :p Actually it appears that Koolance uses Colder Products as well. While I can't tell if all this will work till I get it here this looks like quite a promising mod for those of us who already invested in Koolance products :D

Now while all this has been an interesting exercise in use of gray matter I also have to consider whether the "other" changes in the new style EXOS are worth the extra bucks or not. The blue lit coolant tank certainly has some geek factor to it and being able to separately monitor three (3) different areas of my system for heat certainly has merits. And of course their is the matter of the 120mm fans and being able to independently adjust the shutdown temperature.

I also need to consider whether the $35 for the radiator + $45 for the pump + $45 for the quick disconnects + perhaps another $25 in miscellaneous expenses are worth it for a total of about $150 in mods + labor. When I figure in the cost of a new style EXOS and its benefits it is almost a wash IMHO. So will I buy the new EXOS or do the mod? I think I will do both just for the fun of it :cool:
 
mwarps said:
Hmmm... See, that's where I'd go DIY.

And you don't need to watercool the harddrives... It's superneato and all, but it's really a waste, even for insano-watercoolers. A good fan will do them just fine.

Are you sure about only the koolance block fitting on the NF4? That sounds a little weird.
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The Koolance block just barely fits the NF4 chipset. It is really crowded! I had to get out a dental tool and mirror just to make sure nothing was hitting. The smallest block made is the Koolance GPU-180-V6. The dimensions are 1.6" x 1.6" x 1.26" (4.1cm x 4.1cm x 3.2cm) and somebody else must have figured this out too as Koolance just got wiped out of their stock as they had almost a 100 of these coolers when I checked a few days ago. Please keep in mind that even the stock cooler is about the same size as an ATi 9600 Pro cooler. With 2 PCIe cards and a few capacitors there just ain't much space there. When I put in a couple of 6800 Ultra cards in a few months I keeping my fingers crossed as to whether there will be a bump in the night ;)

I know what you mean about the H20 cooled HD's, but I got three 74Gb Raptors and perhaps two more 36Gb Raptors going in at a later date. That translates into a lot of heat...

Now the real question is whether I need to have the front case fans running or not to facilliatate proper cooling through the case in the standard AMD case design where heat goes up and out the PS. If I decide to use my Promise S150SX4 card then I will probably have to have the fans going. Otherwise I can ditch the fans and move my drives in another 1.5" by drilling out the pop rivets on the drive cage and poping new ones in.

I already modded the case so as to put up a framework to route the power and coolant lines in a nice professional manner. I have a 1/4" wide strip of aluminum that goes from the top of the mb tray to the bottom of it at about a height of 5". There is another strip that goes from the that strip over to the back of the case. It allows me to get a straight run to my SLI molex connector on the board as well as running the optical sound cables. The power cables all run up and down the support so air flow is maximized. I also am adding length to some cables and cutting others back as well as rearranging the Molex and SATA power connectors.

Really there is a method to my madness...I think ;)
 
Top Nurse said:
I already modded the case so as to put up a framework to route the power and coolant lines in a nice professional manner. I have a 1/4" wide strip of aluminum that goes from the top of the mb tray to the bottom of it at about a height of 5". There is another strip that goes from the that strip over to the back of the case. It allows me to get a straight run to my SLI molex connector on the board as well as running the optical sound cables. The power cables all run up and down the support so air flow is maximized. I also am adding length to some cables and cutting others back as well as rearranging the Molex and SATA power connectors.

Really there is a method to my madness...I think ;)
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Post some pics!
 
Post some pics!
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Give me till tomorrow sometime to get a rudimentary website up. I've already been making some pics of before and after. Though the first iteration was less than ideal due to some clearance problems. So it's back to the skunkworks for a little midnight mad scientist work ;)

BTW, I spoke to Koolance a few minutes ago and they confirmed to me that there are no changes in the pump/reservoir sub-system from the EXOS I design. They are now calling the new version the EXOS II, but I have heard bandied about the name EXOS Professional as well. So we shall see which one gets out of the marketing department. The main differences are what we have already discussed. So it appears that my previous EXOS I mod plan may in fact be quite viable :D

They are still ambivalent about the price and seem to be centering on about $300-$350 range. So I suspect that $325 will be about the going rate. Considering they are asking $399 for a completely H20 cooled aluminum case I think they would be pushing the envelope to try for $350. If they want their sales to be brisk they had better think hard on a price of $300 IMHO. However, the current retail price for a EXOS I is $199 so I think anyone would be willing to pop for a $300 price tag. Over $300 is where it gets dicey in terms of supply and demand. IF they go the higher price I would imagine that the price would drop to the $300 range in a few short months.
 
I think top-nurse needs a dedicated thread about the mod she is working on ;) :D

If it was me, I'd take Swiftech's radbox and hang a double HC outside the case... Looks ugly but provides plenty of cooling capacity. Pair it with a couple of DDCs and as many blocks as I want... :D :cool:
 
Greetings most exalted ones...

I took the liberty of directing Koolance to this thread yesterday and I received a reply today. I think you will all be interested in the information as it does clear up a few questions brought up here in this thread.

"Thanks for the interesting link. We're partial to HardOCP'ers, so I'll try and clear up a bit of the murkiness. Pricing is not set on the "Exos-2", as it is still in production, and importation fees, etc., will affect the final price. Once it arrives around Feb 18th, we'll have a better indication of the actual price. MSRP is expected to be approximately $350, although that could vary in either direction as costs are tabulated. Unlike our other PC3/PC2 systems with a Chenming or Lian-Li case, the chassis of the Exos is completely manufactured by Koolance, so our tooling fees are considerably high this early in production. The price will no doubt drop as we are able to ramp up quantity."

"The Exos-2 will be offered in black and silver brushed aluminum, and it is essentially the same cooling system as the professional series PC3-720. It has a slightly larger heat exchanger since there is more room for one in an external unit. This, plus better ambient airflow, results in slightly improved performance over the PC3-720, similar to the gain of the original Exos over the PC2-650."

"Although we use dual push-pull pumps in all of our systems, the "professional" series 700W units (Exos-2 included), have approximately double the flow rate of PC2 and Exos-1 systems. The pumps and design differences equals about 2L/min versus 1L/min. To most DIY'ers, these numbers will not even register as they are looking in the neighborhood of 100-200gph and not 16-32gph. (We would naturally argue that designing a CPU cooler which needs only 16gph and can still be reviewed alongside a 150+gph DIY block is respectable in of itself, but that is another discussion.)"

"Lastly, although the Exos-2 will have 3/8" native tubing, it will feature only compression fittings on the back nozzles and not quick-connect valves. We understand this will inconvenience users who found this feature useful in the original Exos (so did we), but Colder's 3/8" valves are not native. They actually get reduced to less than 1/4" internally, which significantly impedes flow. Work-arounds involving parallel couplers are not feasible, partly because this component is very expensive. (Colder has a patent on this connection, and there are no other manufacturers with this type of low pressure auto-off quick-connect coupler.) There are manual ball-valves from other companies which will work, but are more cumbersome to use. Depending on demand, Koolance may offer a solution for customers desiring quick-connect functionality at a later date."

"Aesthetically, the Exos-2 follows along a similar style to the original Exos, but it probably won't be confused with the original any time soon."
 
There is good news here! I'm glad I didn't drill the holes in my case for the planned quick disconnects. So now I think I will just run some bulkhead elbows instead...more searching the web :( However, it does give some insight into perhaps how to mod the EXOS I for better flow rates...try ditching the quick disconnects.

I guess the next thing to know is how far different is the EXOS II pump sub-system (size wise) from the EXOS I.
 
in case your interested, i did a lil upgrade on the current koolance and got good results. i changed the low flow pump to a hydor l35 (450gph), put 3 delta 80mm fans in instead, and a gemini spiral waterblock. the big problem with all of this was adapting from the native 1/2'' on the pump to the 1/4'' on the rad. it dropped my temps over 10 degrees celcius from what they were although i know the temp sensors which are already innacurate were extremely innacurate on my a7n8x. but i did hit 2.75 with my 2500m no problem.
 
I just got my old Exos system yesterday with 775 adapters and 300 CPU and the wrong spacer. I got (and paid for) a video spacer but the cpu spacer that was supposed to come with the 775 adapter was not included.

I called Koolance and they may or may not want to charge me $25 to overnight a $2 shim. I'll keep you posted.

Tim
 
in case your interested, i did a lil upgrade on the current koolance and got good results. i changed the low flow pump to a hydor l35 (450gph), put 3 delta 80mm fans in instead, and a gemini spiral waterblock. the big problem with all of this was adapting from the native 1/2'' on the pump to the 1/4'' on the rad. it dropped my temps over 10 degrees celcius from what they were although i know the temp sensors which are already innacurate were extremely innacurate on my a7n8x. but i did hit 2.75 with my 2500m no problem.
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I'm very interested! Can you supply some pics for us old folks here on the farm ;) Who makes the Gemini spiral waterblock? Any problems with using the 1/4" radiator on the high flow pump system? Did you add a coolant reservoir somewhere?
 
I just got my old Exos system yesterday with 775 adapters and 300 CPU and the wrong spacer. I got (and paid for) a video spacer but the cpu spacer that was supposed to come with the 775 adapter was not included.
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Sorry to hear your woes....bummer. But why is Koolance sending you the right part? Didn't FrozenCPU not ship you the required parts? If no part was in the right box I would be very inclined to tell FrozenCPU to send it overnight at no charge!

BTW, what is the video spacer for? Those little GPU-180's seem to fit just about all the cards I got laying around. :confused:
 
This is off topic, but thought you guys might want to know that Koolance just dropped their price on their new PC3-720 integrated aluminum case to $370. I'm wondering if this will cause a decrease in their proposed picing on the EXOS II, which I thought was a little high considering what the competition is producing and their pricing structure.
 
Top Nurse said:
I'm very interested! Can you supply some pics for us old folks here on the farm ;) Who makes the Gemini spiral waterblock? Any problems with using the 1/4" radiator on the high flow pump system? Did you add a coolant reservoir somewhere?
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i have a few pics somewhere around here, but that got ebayed a while back. i think the anme of the company is just gemini cool or something along those lines and although the spiral design in the block looked cool the polytop ended up cracking on me, prolly because of the pressure. nice thing was that it used 1/8'' threds so finding a 1/4''barb with 1/8'' thread was really easy. but finding a 1/4''barb on a 1/4''thread is going to be very hard. the radiator suprisingly held up fine, its made very well actually, i thought about cutting off the 1/4'' inch barbs and jbwelding some 1/2'' or 3/8'' ones in but it seemed like a lil too much work. although i have a feeling thats all koolance did with it. the real improvement was the gap between idle and load, on high end watercooling its gets to be about 3 degrees mine was about 5, the only time it had trouble keeping up was when i clocked to 2.8 with 2.3 volts. it hit 56 idle which was much to high for me, although like i said the temp sensors were off quite a bit, but a hand to the side of the block proved it was quite warm. the thing that might help you the most if you are going to put a higherflow pump in and better waterblock, is use 3/8''id tubing on the quick disconnects. sounds weird i know, but at the point where they normally screw to tighten let your tubing screw around that and make sure the use lots of plumbers tape. then use a good clamp on it and then your block and pump can be 1/2'' id and you can boil the ends and snugly fit the tubing on them, and you prolly wont have to use clamps on them. this ensures fast flow through the pump and block, but a lower flow or pressure rather in the radiator which is good. hope i could help, ill try and find those pictures. oh and i had my pump in a gallon jug and used a combination of koolance liquid, watter wetter and more distilled water, it smelled so bad.
 
And you don't need to watercool the harddrives... It's superneato and all, but it's really a waste, even for insano-watercoolers. A good fan will do them just fine.
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As it turns out it appears that Koolance fibbed on the stock availability of the new HD design. I had Sharka Computers order them and they were told it wasn't even in the country yet. Saw a blurb on their site today and now they say no stock till February 18th. So in the mean time I plan to do just air cooling as I already have two (2) PCP&C Silencer fans in the front of the case (replaced all the Lian-Li fans).

Another thought that Sharka gave me was to use the older style Koolance HD-40-L06 cooler and mate it with the new Asetek thermal material. That way I can utilize old coolers on sale and get good heat transference without putting any of that Koolance goop on my drives :D

Added:

Well I started a web page up so you could see me building my new rig, but I suppose I should move that thread somewhere else :eek:
 
I'm curious as to what others think about a MSRP of approximately $350 on a new style EXOS 2?

I for one don't think their that crazy to come out with such an absurd price. Hell, their fully integrated case PC3-720 series is now selling for $370 and their new rack mounts aren't going for much more. I mean at $350 of my scoots I'm taking a really hard look at building a hybrid Koolance-DIY system. Using Koolance coolers and DIY plumbing I think I can come way under $350 even using some pretty exotic case hardware and accessories. IMHO, I'm thinking of maybe a $275-300 price and $325 tops if they throw in a CPU-300-V10 block on the deal. Improving your product is cool, but typically prices come down as demand ramps up and there should be plenty of demand for this new design :rolleyes:
 
Well...I`ve been waiting to buy one of the new units, BUT...$350???
Justifying a $150 bump-up in price?....and without a waterblock?...I just don`t know now.
If it does come out at that price...and with the integrated case (PC3-720) at $370,
that tells you there may be a little gouging of the price on the new Exos2.
(ummmm...what are they chargin` for integrating all that in an aluminum case...$20???)

Hell...I`m thinking now, I can make one hell`ova DIY at a price point of $400+ (waterblock included),
If...that`s what the price comes out at.



*******************************
The Devil`s always.....in the Details!
 
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