Introduction

Many case manufacturers vie for the title of a ‘Water Cooling Ready Product’ however few actually get it right, many even ‘half-attempt’ this by drilling three holes at the back of the chassis and say it is compatible with Water Cooling. However, the consumer is not so easily fooled and neither are the writers at Overclockers Tech. As far as we are concerned, if the product is unable to accommodate at least one 240mm sized radiator, then it is our opinion it is not fit for the purpose.

There are few cases out there than can accommodate water cooling as easily as air, however one company thinks it has this combination just right. This would be the company we all know as CoolerMaster and the product in question is their New ‘Storm Trooper’ chassis.

In all honesty this case seems to have caused a stir in the water cooling world; however it is time we took our objective eye over the product to determine what can be gleaned.

Company Background

Cooler Master was founded with the mission of providing the industry’s best thermal solutions. Since its establishment a decade ago, the company has remained faithful to this mission, emerging as a world leader in products and services for companies dealing with devices where heat issues must be resolved.

In pursuing this mission, Cooler Master is absolutely committed to delivering solutions that precisely meet customer requirements for features, performance, and quality. Moreover, we strive to be a reliable long-term partner for our customers that they can truly depend on. It aims to be the first and foremost name that comes to mind for companies around the world seeking thermal solutions, and seeks to build such a reputation through outstanding technology, sophisticated design, and superior service.

Introduction

Fan controllers are a much called upon item when assembling a computer in this day and age. The ability to control fan’s speed, and the noise that accompanies it, to either a high performance level or near silent is something that appeals to most system builders. The aforementioned would be great in an ‘overclocking’ environment and the latter in a more home theatre situation. Whilst the fan controller is a simple concept, which works by simply lowering or raising the voltage supplied to a fan to achieve the desired speed, it is hard to get right. Many manufacturers opt for blaring lights and bling in a vain effort to appeal, whilst others go for under-stated elegance.

There are many pretenders to the throne of “King of Fan Controllers”, however there are a few that have proven they are the genuine article, one such is the company called Lamptron!

Company Background

Lamptron develops and markets the next generation of high performance computer peripherals using the latest technology that enables a new level of interaction between the end-user and their personal computer. Products developed are through a combination of proprietary technology, innovation and ergonomic industrial design. There are three principal business sectors:

1. PC Gaming products
2. PC Silence products
3. PC Modding products

Products are designed and developed by our experienced Research and Development Department. Our engineering and R&D staffs specialize in user analysis, material control and industry design. Lamptron not only has expertise in product easy-to-use and product design, but we also plays a vital role in the enhancement of production efficiency and marketing analysis. We are constantly developing new products and technology to meet market demands and to generate new markets for our innovation products.

Our Global success is attributed to three basic visionary attributes:

Our Global success is attributed to three basic visionary attributes:

1. Continue to offer innovation products which means the products are in the highest quality and innovation.
2. Providing our global partners with a level of service that is consistent with our premium product range.
3. Helping our global partners grow, through reliable service, quality products, flexibility and co-operationThis simple philosophy has allowed us to build long standing relationships with global distributors.”

Introduction

The IBM compatible PC has been around since the  specification and for many years afterwards the computer chassis that houses all those precious components had not changed. The same old beige box with the  button became rather tiresome. At this time system builders had to be a persistent lot, with the razor sharp edges inside of those cases as the interior of the chassis was made from sheet-metal or tin. However all this changed when Apple released the G-3 style computer. Resembling boiled sweets these gave case manufacturers a deeper insight on how a case should be made.

These days no PC builder would tolerate being cut whilst building a case and now tool-less designs are the norm. Gone forever are the razor sharp edges and the three different types of screw driver needed to assemble the case. Computer chassis now come in all shapes and sizes. Additionally computer cases have moved away from the standard beige look and now are powder coated in a myriad of differing colours.

One company that wants to improve on the existing designs and expand the horizon still further is Antec.

Company Background

Antec, Inc. is the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in the industry and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of quiet, efficient and innovative products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators.

Antec’s offering of enclosures includes a wide range of cases, such as its advanced Performance One Series, economical New Solution Series and VERIS family of media components designed for the home theatre PC market. Antec’s products also include front line power supplies, such as its premium Signature Series, powerful TruePower Quattro Series and EarthWatts, one of the most environmentally friendly power supplies available. PC gamers are an increasingly significant consumer of performance components, and many Antec products are designed for the gaming demographic, like the premier gamer enclosure: the Nine Hundred. Antec also offers a line of computer accessories comprising many original products, including its patented LED fans and notebook cooling solutions.

Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, as well as in Germany, China and Taiwan. The company’s products are sold in more than 40 countries throughout the world.

For more information, visit the Antec Website.

]]> http://www.overclockerstech.com/antec-df85-dark-fleet-case-review/feed/ 0 http://www.overclockerstech.com/cpu-cooler-shootout-am3-platform-review/ http://www.overclockerstech.com/cpu-cooler-shootout-am3-platform-review/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:41:57 +0000 admin http://www.overclockerstech.com/?p=1203 Overclocking the CPU increases the overall performance of our computers. Of course, there’s always a side effect of overclocking – increased heat output generated by the CPU. A good CPU cooler is becoming just as important as the CPU itself.

When you think of CPU cooling on air, many will say it’s not all that great. This is why we have forms of cooling better than air/passive, like water cooling, TEC, Phase, DICE, LN2 and so forth. However, choosing one of the latter can be rather expensive. So what you need is the best value for money that air cooling can give you.

Of course you can buy the “all in one” water-cooling solutions from the likes of CoolIT & Corsair for a decent price of approx £50-60. The problem is that although they are good and effective, a top of the line CPU air cooler like some we are reviewing today may beat them and defeats the purpose of going water-cooling. If you want to water cool your CPU, you’re better off doing it right and having a custom built setup instead. You can’t go cheap on water-cooling. A custom low cost water cooling loop is featured in the review.

The Heatsinks

Meet today’s contenders. The Mega Shadow from Prolimatech is considered by many on the enthusiast scene to be the best air cooler on the market. Coming in at approx £60, it’s quite expensive for an air CPU cooler. When you consider the fact you need to buy a decent fan for it, we’re talking £70.

Our two other coolers featured today include Thermalright’s successor to their previous king (the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, or TRUE); the Venomous X. Priced around £47, it could be something special. 47 aluminum fins, six heatpipes and a pressure mounting system. What more do you want?

Last, we have Noctua. We all know and love their quiet cooling solutions giving us the best airflow to noise ratio, but this time we see Noctua surprise us a little with one beastly looking cooler; the NH-D14. 6 heatpipes, dual radiator design, support for all current platforms right out of the box (no more buying that mounting kit you need, mainly AM3, that they don’t supply) 2 fans included‚ 1x 120mm and 1x 140mm. This baby comes in at a jaw dropping £70. However, given the price of the Mega Shadow which doesn’t include 2 fans, let alone 1, or even an AM2/AM3 kit included, Noctua priced it about right. Will the design work? Keep on reading.