Introduction

What constitutes as a bang for buck cooler? First, It must be supplied with a decent fan (or two), have support for both Intel and AMD platforms, and further still must have the same high performance cooling as the elite coolers but without the same expensive price tag. Akasa must be one of those companies who have that very list pinned up on their walls at the technical office. As of late, they have produced an array of coolers and fans that provide the user the means to achieve higher overclocks and lower temperatures with coolers that cost near half the price of the big brand names in the business like Prolimatech and Thermalright. Today we are taking a look at Akasa’s lower end new cooler; the Freedom Tower. Both Venom and Nero S have graced our labs at OCT. Can the lower model of the three keep the trend running of performance without the cost?

About Akasa

Akasa design and manufacture a comprehensive range of high quality technology products including coolers, heatsinks and fans. They work closely with Intel and AMD to ensure the products match the complex demands of CPU and form-factor technology. So when new, advanced technology arrives, Akasa have the products and expertise to make it work for you.

Specifications

Heatsink Material: Aluminum fins, 4x Copper heatpipes

Weight: 774g

Cooler Dimensions: 160x120x65mm

Socket: Intel LGA775/1156/1366, AMD AM2/AM3

Fan Speed: 500-1700RPM (PWM Controlled)

Noise Level: 18.3.9-27.18dB(A)

Introduction

While heatsinks have become a common feature at Overclockers Tech since the start of this year, Prolimatech’s Megahalems never really made much of an impact in our testing. That said we did review the more expensive Mega Shadow variant that wasn’t worth the extra £20 premium over the original and didn’t perform too well on AM3 based systems compared to the Venomous X or Titan Fenrir. The Megahalems was and still is a cooler capable of serious cooling with high performance, high static pressure fans. The introduction of Cogage (Thermalright’s sister company) and their new Arrow cooler based on an update of the IFX-14 has all but taken the crown from the big boys and now reigns king here at OCT. However such coolers like the Arrow and Noctua’s NH-D14 are huge twin tower cooling beasts that are not compatible for most people regarding space requirements. What Prolimatech have done is they have brought a small sized (not pocket-sized) cooler that still will pack a serious blow with its 6 heatpipes and the ability to mount two 140mm fans. The Armageddon has some pretty big shoes to fill, but can it still perform with the best?

About Prolimatech

Prolimatech (founded in 2008 and based in Taiwan) stands for Professionalism exceeding beyond all Limits. We are here to challenge any limits that stand in our way to achieve what was thought to be impossible. Prolimatech incorporates integration of the aerospace resource-saving technology and advanced heat conduction technology to create the best heat absorption and dissipation solutions while pertaining to the science of aesthetics. Our never-ending quest is to satisfy every computer overclocker’s and every enthusiast’s needs for high quality and performance oriented thermal solutions for their high-end computer components.

Specifications

Size (LxWxH): 144x60x160mm

Weight: 1.65 LBS (750 Grams)

Heatpipes: 6x 6mm Sintered

Fan(s): Supports 2x 140mm or 120mm fans

Socket: Intel LGA775/1156/1366

Clip System: Bolt-Through with Back-Plate

Base: Polished Nickel Plated Copper

Introduction

Dual tower heatsinks usually provide the end user with two things; performance cooling, but also lack of space. Manufacturers are continually trying to not only better their rivals, but trying to develop new ways to have the ultimate cooling solution.  This quest is to be the best of the best, or to have great performance for the pound. From our stand point, air cooling can only go so far, yet continual tweaking is still being carried out to get that ‘just right’ product. Today we are looking at a heatsink that follows this trend; Coolink’s Corator DS.

Specifications

Size (HxWxD): 155 x 140 x 121 mm

Weight: 800g without fan / 1040g with fan

Material: Copper (base and heatpipes, Aluminium (base and cooling fins)

Fan Size: One 120 x 120 x 25mm

Socket: Intel LGA775, LGA1156, LGA1366 | AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3

We recall from last year a question that many pondered – just how far can air cooling go? Air cooling can only go so far and it won’t be long until we hit the limit. We’ve already seen some companies take to water cooling solutions with all-in-one kits – some more successful than others. It won’t be long until some of the bigger names start to find new ways to adapt air cooling for the masses and take it to a new level. There are already rumours of vapour chambers and TEC’s in the future. However, one such company that we are reviewing today has taken a step ahead of the big rivals and taken air cooling to a whole new level – liquid metal.

About

Many people will be unfamiliar with Danamics and wouldn’t have known they produce CPU coolers. Founded on the principle of providing manufacturers of electronic hot spots the very best in cooling, Danamics started in 2005. Since then, Danamics has worked on developing, manufacturing and commercializing their core technology, which centres around the principle of using liquid metal as a heat remover. Danamics were keen to improve on their earlier cooler; the LM10. Much hyped and talked about, it proved to be only average and couldn’t keep up with the very best standard air coolers, let alone justify such a high price tag! They redesigned the whole cooler from the ground up but have kept the same Sodium Potassium Alloy used for cooling.

Liquid Metal you say?

Sodium Potassium Alloy (aka NaK) is a top substance for heat transfer. However, reading through the nice detailed warning booklet, it is highly reactive to air and water. Something that puts many people off due to the fact that if the substance were to leak, well, watch out for an explosion! This NaK is pumped around the cooler’s nickel plated heatpipes via the electromagnetic pump which is silent and features no moving parts. This pump is a REV.2 (PowerBooster 2) over the previous LMX Pump, which Danamics has told me is smaller, cheaper and more effective. Note – this does get very hot so be careful! Moving parts are totally eliminated as the magnetic force is created within the particles of the liquid metal causing it to flow.

See the image below for the step-by-step of how this electromagnetic flow works:

Step-by-step

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 were reviewing today may beat them and defeats the object 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 aluminium 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 beasty 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.