Performance:::...

As a comparison I used the reasonably efficient Ajigo MF043-044A cooler that AMD supplied as standard with their Athlon 64 3400+

The test system was basically an Athlon64 3400+ in a Chieftec BX03 case running on an MSI K8T Neo-FIS2R. Two 80mm case fans were running at all times and the ambient temperature was 21C. The rest of the specs really don't matter much.

Ajigo MF043-044A

Recommended by AMD for Athlon64 & Opteron Copper-Aluminum heat sink for high thermal conductivity Thermal resistance: <0.28degC/W Stamped fin technology provides high density fin array Powerful speed control 2 ball-bearing fan for noise reduction Type II easy clip method Shin Etsu G751 thermal interface material pre-applied Retention frame and backing plate assembly also included Input Voltage: 12 VDC Rated Current: 0.07~0.35A Power Input: 0.84~4.20W Speed: 3050~6000 RPM Airflow: 21~41 CFM Noise: 28~46 dB-A

Ajigo Under Idle Conditions

HydroCool 200EX Under Idle Conditions

Ajigo Under Stressed Conditions

HydroCool 200EX Under Stressed Conditions - Whisper Mode

HydroCool 200EX Under Stressed Conditions - Turbo Mode

Just to round things off I also connected up our Asetek Water Chill kit to compare against but with only the CPU block on the circuit, not the VGA and chipset blocks. Here's how it all shaped up in the language of "graph".

It wasn't entirely surprising to find the Asetek kit leading the way. It was surprising however to see it with such a small advantage considering all the components are individually selected and that the radiator and fan were out in the open with no enclosure to hinder their airflow.

Noise levels are pretty impressive too, certainly better than we witnessed from the original unit. Of course, by its very nature the Hydrocool brings the cooling fan closer to where you sit. Most radiator/fan assemblies get positioned to the rear of your PC out of the way, this in itself disperses some of the fan's noise. The Hydrocool will, unfortunately, probably end up sat on top of your case or on a desk which inevitably means the fan noise will tend to be more intrusive. The good news is that in whisper mode it's actually very quiet, by my my standards at least, and though it gets significantly worse in turbo mode, the graph above seems to suggest it's probably not bothering for the difference it makes.

Conclusion

The 3DVelocity 'Dual Conclusions Concept' Explained: After discussing this concept with users as well as companies and vendors we work with, 3DVelocity have decided that where necessary we shall aim to introduce our 'Dual Conclusions Concept' to sum up our thoughts and impressions on the hardware we review. As the needs of the more experienced users and enthusiasts have increased, it has become more difficult to factor in all the aspects that such a user would find important, while also being fair to products that may lack these high end "bonus" capabilities but which still represent a very good buy for the more traditional and more prevalent mainstream user. The two catergories we've used are:

The Mainstream User ~ The mainstream user is likely to put price, stock performance, value for money, reliability and/or warranty terms ahead of the need for hardware that operates beyond its design specifications. The mainstream user may be a PC novice or may be an experienced user, however their needs are clearly very different to those of the enthusiast, in that they want to buy products that operate efficiently and reliably within their advertised parameters.

The Enthusiast ~ The enthusiast cares about all the things that the mainstream user cares about but is more likely to accept a weakness in one or more of these things in exchange for some measure of performance or functionality beyond its design brief. For example, a high priced motherboard may be tolerated in exchange for unusually high levels of overclocking ability or alternatively an unusually large heat sink with a very poor fixing mechanism may be considered acceptable if it offers significantly superior cooling in return.

The Mainstream User ~

Corsair get my full quota of Kudos for the Hydrocool200EX. They have looked at every one of the concerns and insecurities that potential water cooling users may have, and dealt with them.

Despite having built numerous water cooling setups for people, I've never bothered with it myself for any great length of time. I was never comfortable with the idea that a leak could go unnoticed until the system ran dry and rocketing temperatures grabbed my attention. I was never happy that the pump could die without me being aware of it, and I was never comfortable that I'd remember to top the darned thing up regularly enough. In short it was all just too much hassle!

Corsair, to their credit, have put my mind at ease with a visual check that the pump is working, and automatic shutdown if temperature get too high, an audible alarm that reminds me I need to top up the water and a large, glowing readout that confirms things are as they should be.

To my mind this is the ultimate in water cooling for beginners or for those who spend too much time thinking about the possible pitfalls associated with mixing water and electricity. For the first time, even nervous users can have a conductive coolant coursing through their PC without feeling they need to be checking its operation every few hours.

The price is possibly a touch high but what price peace of mind? If you're looking for a safe rout into the world of enthusiast class water cooling I'd suggest this is probably it.

	NA

The Enthusiast ~

If you've got the time, the experience and the patience then I'm not even going to try to suggest you can't get better performance doing it yourself. I am though going to suggest that for a combination of exceptional performance and pure convenience, it doesn't come much better than this.

LAN party goers can plug and unplug at will without needing gallons of coolant to hand, while regular home users can site the Hydrocool just about anywhere. Not everyone can make room inside their case for all the piping, the reservoir, the pump and sometimes the radiator.

I'm guessing there's be a good market for extra covers too if Corsair chose to release some, in different colours and designs and maybe even a clear one for those who like the whole "pump and pipework" look.

The Hydrocool 200 was good, the Hydrocool 200EX is better. In short the Hydrocool is neater, cleaner, more convenient to maintain and safer! Oh, and it cools well too!

	NA

A Closer Look

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