High-end systems need high-end cooling.  With standard air and water cooling designs topping out manufacturers are turning to more exotic methods.  The ChillTec is Ultra Products new entry into the world of exotic cooling solutions.  Using a combination of the popular tower style heat sink with an actively controlled Peltier cooler the ChillTec promises to be ideal for hardcore use.  Lets take a closer look.

     When the ChillTec arrived I was immediately surprised by the size of the box.  I have seen some big heatsinks but this is almost Shuttle case big.  A look at the box art shows the reason for the oversize packaging, the packaging also includes a 5.25" controller box.

     Ultra has a strong reputation with us here at the Club for giving all of the information you would need right on the box.  The ChillTec packaging is covered with pertinent information without becoming overwhelming.  There is even a comparison chart to give an idea of the expected performance increase.

The same chart is shown here.  Looks promising!

Specifications:

• Socket Types: Intel Socket 775, AMD Socket AM2 / 754 / 939 / 940
• Cooler Dimensions: 128 x 104 x 147
• Thermoelectric Chip: 40 x 40 / 12V DC
• Total Power Dissipation:
  0% Load = 5 W
  50% Load = 28 W
  100% Load = 50 W
• Heatsink Material: 4 Heat Pipes, Aluminum Fins, Copper Base
• Heatsink Dimensions: 90 x 90 x 160 mm
• Fan Dimensions: 92 x 92 x 25 mm
• Fan Voltage Rating: 12V DC
• Fan Speed and Noise Levels:
  Low 2000rpm / 20 dB(A)
  Medium 2400 rpm / 24 dB(A)
  High 2800 rpm / 28 dB(A)
• Thermal Resistance: 0.12-0.15(ºC/W)
• Weight: 985g (With Fan)
• Temperature Monitor Range: 0ºF~99ºF / 32ºF ~ 210.2ºF
• TEC Temperature Response Time to Control Unit: < 1 Second
• Controller Dimensions: 150 x 147 x 43 mm
• Controller Weight: 508 g

Peltier Cooling (TEC):

     "A TEC (thermo-electric cooler) also known as a "Peltier Cooler", is a solid-state active heat pump capable of transferring heat from one side of the device to the other. Ultra uses a TEC, sandwiched between two copper plates, each plate with four heat-pipes leading to a large, fan cooled radiator. Because TEC's are capable of cooling below room temperature, often condensation is a concern. But not with the Ultra Chill-TEC. The Chill-TEC's control unit does not apply power to the TEC unless the CPU reaches a certain temperature. Up to this point, the CPU is cooled by the heat-pipes on the "cold" side of the TEC. Once the CPU is hot, power is applied to the TEC and the CPU is chilled. The hot side of the TEC is cooled by the second set of heat-pipes. This perfect balance of thermo-electric cooling and heat-pipe cooling ensures the CPU is kept at the perfect operating temperature. Ideal for hardcore use, even opening up the potential for overclocking that standard air cooling alone can not provide." -Ultra Products

     This graphic from the Ultra website does a good job of showing how the heat pipe system works with the active TEC to draw heat away from the CPU.