Antec VCool VGA Fan Review
Antec is no stranger to the PC cooling industry. The
VCool VGA is their new expansion slot VGA cooler. With the performance of
today's top cards going up, so does the heat they put out. Lets see how
the VCool takes care of business.
Antec has done a nice job of paring performance with looks.
The VCool even looks good outside of the case.
Packed in a traditional blister pack, what you see is what you
get. Antec has even provided cooling specs on the back.
Now why can't every manufacturer put the performance out where
we can find it.
Outside of the box, you can see the extension for longer cards
and the nicely sleeved cabling.
With the VCool in and turned on, the LEDs give of a lot of
blue light. The switch controls the three different speeds: 3500 RPM for
gaming, 3000 for regular users and 3000 for quiet computing users.
Specifications:
|
165g |
Weight |
|
|
|
|
RPM |
3500 |
3000 |
2500 |
Speed |
|
CFM |
15.9 |
13.6 |
11.5 |
Air Flow |
|
dBA |
37 |
35.5 |
29.3 |
Acoustic Noise |
|
mm H2O |
3.2 |
2.4 |
1.7 |
Static Pressure |
|
Current |
0.3 |
0.25 |
0.2 |
Max Input Current w/LED |
|
Powerf |
3.6 |
3 |
2.4 |
Power |
The install:
I installed the VCool next to my overclocked
Connect
3D X700. As you can see the install requires two slots in the case.
As the Radeon is water cooled in this install, I expected the difference to be
marginal. Using a Cen-Tech laser thermometer, I was able to the the
following temperatures at idle with the VCool running on low: Ambient room
temp 76 degrees, Internal case temp 73, VCool exhaust 75, Radeon x700 89 at the
block. With the fan set to high, I recorded the following changes: Exhaust
73, Radeon x700 78 degrees. Not bad!
Next I installed the VCool next to a BFG 6600 GT OC. Without the
water cooling I recorded the following differences: Exhaust 73 and BFG
chipset 73. Removing the VCool resulted in an increase to 81 at idle.
Conclusion:
The Antec Vcool VGA Fan was able to lower the temperature of
my video card noticeably on both the fan cooled 6600 and the water cooled
Radeon. The difference could mean bigger over clocking and extended
component life. I would recommend the VCool to anyone looking for improved
video clocks, especially if you don't have a lot of airflow in your case.
Not only does the VCool move a lot of air, it looks pretty good doing it.
Lowest price: $17.99 from
ZipZoomFly.com
|
Club
Overclocker Rating |
|
Innovation: |
8.5 out of 10 |
|
Performance: |
9.5 out of 10 |
|
Quality: |
8.5
out of 10 |
|
Stability: |
N/A |
|
Overclocking: |
N/A |
|
Software/Drivers Pack: |
N/A |
|
Value: |
9.0 out of 10 |
|
Overall Rating
9.0 |
|
|
|
|
Skill Level |
|
Project Skill Level
(10 being hardest) |
2
out of 10 |
|
