Asetek Vapochill Micro
Introduction
Vapochill. That is, probably, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of extreme CPU coolers. Now, with the Vapochill Micro by Asetek, we still think the same thing. The Vapochill Micro is a much smaller, not to mention cheaper version of its big brother. Although not as cold as the original, the Micro dropped the stock CPU temps of our test machine by 10ºC and the Load temps by 12ºC! 100% CPU usage test with the Micro showed the same temps as 0% usage with the stock High Performance AMD cooler that comes with the FX line of AMD CPU’s. Here’s the Rundown:
Specifications• MSRP of $39.99 for Extreme Performance
• Avaible in Ultra Low-Noise, High End, and Extreme Performance
• Fits 754/939/940, and optional 754, and 478
• Thermal Paste already applied
• 10C drop in Idle temps!
How It Works
The Vaporchill Micro is a heatsink/fan combo that makes use of Heatpipe technology to cool the CPU.
Inside the base is a chamber full of a refrigerant liquid which has a very low boiling point. As the CPU runs, it generates a large amount of heat, this heat is radiated over to the Vaporchill Micro, into the chamber and, in turn, heats the liquid inside. Once the liquid is heated past it's boiling point it turns into gas. The gas then travels up the pipes by convection and dispenses the heat to the surrounding heatsink fans, again, by radiation. As the liquid cools, it condenses and runs back into the chamber to start the process all over again.
There is a large fan mounted to a plastic cowling that sits on the heatsink fins. This fan blows cool air through the fins on the heatsink, increasing the effectiveness of the heatsink itself by speeding up the cooling process.
This was our testbed for the Vapochill Micro:
• AMD Athlon 64 FX-55
• DFI LanParty SLI-DR Motherboard
• 1gb of OCZ Enhanced Platinum DDR PC5000
• XFX GeForce 7800GTX
Setup
Even though the website advertises the following installation times,
Gamers: 30 seconds
PC experts: 30 seconds
Beginners: 30 seconds
Professionals: 30 seconds
HW enthusiasts: 30 seconds
Overclockers: 29 seconds
Our actual setup time was about 10 Minutes, and we used a very experienced system builder. The build quality of the unit is great, overall, except for the clear plastic air duct. It doesn’t matter much, but we felt the duct would break while trying to install the fan. The unit itself wasn’t that hard to install, but after following the hard to understand directions, it didn’t feel very snug on the processor. After booting into windows we found the CPU running at almost 90ºC. Not good!
The PC was shut down and the problem found. The instructions tell you to remove the screws from the motherboard mounting bracket, and install the unit. After our “issue” we realized that, for secure placement on the test system's mobo, we must also remove the original mounting bracket. This may not be true on all motherboards, but it caused us problems. After setup we used the included fan-speed controller, cranked it up, and booted Windows.
Tests
Conclusions and Final Rating
After we spent over three weeks using the Vapochill Micro Extreme Performance cooler, we can tell that this is one great product. Although the product had minor instructional errors, setup was easier than most aftermarket coolers. The included variable fan speed controller is perfect. Although the Micro is extremely loud, it can be turned down to almost silent. This is the perfect cooler for anyone interested in overclocking, and provides extreme drops in temperature. The micro is sturdy, and doesn't appear to be made of cheap materials. With only its few minor flaws, and its great performance, we give the Asetek Vapochill Micro Extreme Performance CPU cooler a
9 out of 10.
