Test System

     For testing hardware we try to use hardware that isn't quite the best or the fastest, but more along the lines of something the average person would put together for a nice gaming system for a reasonable amount of money. Overclocking is and always has been about getting the most bang out of your buck.

WARNING:

     Water Cooling, Overclocking, or Tweaking can damage and sometimes destroy computer hardware. Overclocking also voids all manufacture warranties. Do not attempt to water cool, overclock or tweak your computer unless you are ready and willing to accept the risks. Bottom line, you are responsible for your own actions.

Priming

     Although water cooling kits can be quite challenging and sometimes complicated, testing them is pretty straight forward. The unit is either going to leak or not leak. Leaks usually mean certain disaster for obvious reasons. I normally recommend that all water cooling kits be initially tested without applying power to the system. This can be done in several ways. The easiest way is to use a 12v AC adapter and connect it to the water pump. Another somewhat safe method is to use a Power Supply tester to turn on the Power Supply only. You can also "jump start" your ATX power supply. I will not show you haw to jump start your power supply because many people hot wire the wrong wires and burn up the PSU, so I recommend using an old 12v AC adapter. Still, regardless of what method you use to test your water cooling kit, if it leaks, you're screwed. Sorry for being blunt, but it's a fact. If you're hardware gets wet, 9 times out of 10 it will be ruined. You can try to dry it off, blow it out with compress air, lay it in the sun....but in the end, your expensive electronics got wet and any left over moisture will short it out. With that said, you must be 100% certain that your system is installed correctly before you flip the switch.

     To this date, I have never seen a defective Swiftech water cooling product. Swiftech has very high standards and excelling quality control. However, I have had several other brands leak or develop leaks over time. Over the years I have learned to stick with what I know works, and Swiftech products work, but in the end it's up to you to ensure you installed the kit by the book.

     The initial testing is always the scariest part, but I trust my work and I trust Swiftech. I double and triple checked my work and then I tested the system applying power to only the pump using a 12v AC adapter. Once again I'm pleased to say that Swiftech did not let me down. By simply tilting the case to once side, the pump primed and started circulating the fluid. With a couple more top offs, the system was fully primed and ready to go.

     Above is a photo of the level indicator window with the system up and running. Swiftech uses a clear LED to light up the reservoir for easy viewing.

CPU Thermal Tests:

     For the first portion of the tests we will be monitoring CPU temperatures with a program called SpeedFan. SiSoft Sandra Burn In Wizard will be used to max out the CPU in order to heat things up. Tests will be conducted with the CPU at idle and at full load with both air cooling and water cooling. Here is how it went down:

Intel OEM Heatsink
(CPU Default Speed: 2.66GHz)

Swiftech Quiet Power P180
(CPU Default Speed: 2.66GHz)

     While the OEM heatsink was only able to cool the CPU to the low 90s, the Swiftech Quiet Power P180 was able to keep the CPU at exactly room temperature. When we ran burn in Wizard for 1 hour for each test, the OEM heatsink could only keep the CPU at around 106 degrees Fahrenheit. As for the Quiet Power P180, it was able to keep the smoking CPU down to only 95 degrees. We're looking at 11 degrees difference!

Overclocking Thermal Tests:

     Next we run the CPU up to 3.5GHz with a bus speed of 1400MHz. We then repeat the same tests. Here is how the system performed while overclocking our C2D E6700 processor:

Intel OEM Heatsink
(CPU Default Speed: 3.5GHz)

Swiftech Quiet Power P180
(CPU Default Speed: 3.5GHz)

     Getting an acurate reading at 3.5GHz using only the OEM heatsink wasn't easy because the system would crash after the 2nd or 3rd burn-in loop. 115° F. is the highest temperature I could record before the system would fail so I know the CPU was getting hot very quick and probably would go well beyond 115. However, I believe the idle temperature is correct. When using the Quiet Power P180, the system was rock solid at 3.5GHz and reaching a max temperature of only 112° F. at a full load for one hour.

     So is that it? Not even close. With far superior cooling, the E6700 was able to hit 4.0GHz without even touching a single voltage setting. Very impressive...

Conclusion:

     I know I beat up on Swiftech for the faults I found, but I only did so because Swiftech is the poster child for perfection. To find ANYTHING negative about a Swiftech product is very unusual. Just understand that the negative point I brought up about the mounting plate holes is only a minor issue that has no real effect on the system. The only other possible low point of this kit is the water pump is a little noisy. But when you compare this water pump to any CPU cooling fan, the water pump wins. You just can't beat the near silent operation of a good water cooling kit.

     As far as the positive points...where do I start? Swiftech has used one of the best computer chassis on the market today. They used only their highest quality parts for the cooling system. Their workmanship on installing the cooling kit was flawless. The cooling system is very easy to work with and installation is very simple compared to many other brands. The cooling system was even very easy to prime. Best of all, the Swiftech Quiet Power P180 worked like a champ and cools extremely well. As for the price of $429, it may seem like a lot of money, but you are getting a high quality computer case with a high quality water cooling kit preinstalled. Swiftech has taken much of the guess work out of installing the kit for you and for that the price is easy to justify. Remember you are getting exactly what you pay for...

     So would I recommend this water cooled case to our readers? You bet I would! Just keep in mind that water cooling is dangerous and should only be attempted by someone with a lot of hardware experience.

Innovation:	10 out of 10
Performance:	10 out of 10
Quality:	10 out of 10
Stability:	10 out of 10
Overclocking:	10 out of 10
Software/Drivers Pack:	N/A
Value:	9.5 out of 10
Overall Rating 10
Project Skill Level (10 being most difficult)	8 out of 10