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Product:
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NMediaPC ICECONE CPU Cooler |
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Price:
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$39 (CDN) / $35 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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NMediaPC
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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July 18th, 2006
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The bottom of the ICECONE CPU Cooler is machined smooth and has a nice reflective copper surface which should assist
with moving heat away from the CPU. Upon closer inspection, I didn't notice any machine or nick marks along the outer
edge and center of the copper base.
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As previously mentioned, the NMediaPC ICECONE CPU Cooler has been designed to be cross platform compatible thanks for
the inclusion of the bundled clipping brackets. The fold out manual has some excellent reference diagrams which
demonstrate the installation procedure for Intel (P4 Socket 478 and LGA775) and AMD (Socket 754, 939, 940, AM2) platforms.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The process of mounting the ICECONE CPU Cooler requires a series of steps and must be completed before the motherboard
is mounted inside a case. For my particular installation on an Intel Socket 478 platform, in order keep the unit
stationary, the original P4 mounting bracket must first be removed and replaced with the special NMediaPC version. Once
the new bracket is installed four buckles are inserted into each corner of the new bracket to secure it to the motherboard.
With the bracket in place the ICECONE can now be installed and secured in place via 2 mounting clips on either side
of the heatsink base. The overall installation for this product is very easy and can be completed in less than 10
minutes. Prior to mounting the ICECONE a thin layer of Artic Silver Alumina Thermal Compound was applied to the core
of the CPU.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Testing:
To start performance tests, I assembled the following pieces of hardware to complete the system:
- Asus P4P800-VM Motherboard
- Intel Pentium 4 2.4A Processor
- Albatron Gigi FX5900XTV 128MB Video Card
- 2GB Kingmax PC-3200 DDR400 SDRAM
- 1 x Maxtor DiamondMax 9 60GB Hard Drive
- 1 x Maxtor DiamondMax 10 200GB Hard Drive
- LG 52x32x52 DVD CD-RW w/ SuperLink
- VLSystem L.I.S POP LCD Indicator
- Kingwin Alpha Power AP-450 PSU
- SilverStone SG01 Evolution Sugo SFF Case
The "Burn-In Wizard" from SiSoft Sandra 2005 SR2 is used to put the CPU under concentrated load for a pre-determined
amount of time. The options selected in "Burn-In Wizard" run the CPU and CPU Multimedia benchmarks for approximately
15 minutes. The system is left alone for approximate 15 minutes before the burn-in test is performed. Maximum temperatures
are measured in degree Celsius and recorded using an independent thermal probe and Asus Probe for idle and full load.
Ambient room temperature was measured at 28 degrees Celsius. For comparison, I will be testing the NMediaPC ICECONE CPU Cooler
against another low profile cooler the SilverStone Nitrogon NT03.
Results:
Running the NMediaPC ICECONE CPU Cooler against the SilverStone Nitrogon NT03 in a number of performance tests provided
some decent results since both products were tested in a SilverStone SG01 Evolution Sugo SFF Case. The ICECONE demonstrated
better cooling results in idle and load modes. Overall test results for idle temperatures measured approximately 41°C-44°C
respectively, with 3°C difference between both models. The same margin of error was noted in load modes where the
ICECONE managed to retain a temperature of 43°C compared to the Nitrogen NT03 at 46°C. In terms of overall acoustic
levels on both products were good and are perfectly suited for silent cooling environment or HTPC application.
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Conclusion:
For a company that specializes in the integration of various home audio and video applications, I think NMediaPC is
off to a good start with their second retail cooler released to the North American market. Out of the package the
ICECONE offers a solid copper flower design that has been utilized by different heatsink manufacturers. Consumers
looking for an adaptive product will be pleased that the ICECONE offers two universal mounting mechanisms which make this
product suitable for a wide variety of computing platforms. While I applaud the use of a low profile design and 100mm
cooler fan there is some reason to be concerned if the fan should die since it cannot be easily replaced. Overall
installation is painless and can be completed in less than 10 minutes. Finally, the ICECONE comes bundled with its own
generic thermal compound but consumers looking for better performance will want to select alternatives such as Arctic
Silver or Nanotherm. Overall, I was pleased with the NMediaPC ICECONE CPU Cooler and award a final rating of
7.5 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this
review, be sure to visit the NMediaPC website for more
information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Solid flower design and copper construction
- Easy installation
- Low profile cooling heatsink
- Supports virtually all modern CPU's
- Silent operation
- Price
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Cons:
- Generic thermal paste provided in package
- Integrated 100mm cooling fan is not easily replaceable
- Extremely heavy
- Trade off in cooling performance for silent operation
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