CoolIT Systems - PCI Cooling Booster & RAM Fan

Thus far to date, CoolIT systems has had the most impressive, cost effective liquid cooling system without the extreme price, especially when compared to the more expensive phase change cooling systems. It's been very cool on this VH desk with the off and on use of their Freezone and Eliminator cooling systems which have yet to fail. One thing CoolIT doesn't have provided to the masses just yet, are other methods of cooling chipsets, memory, and graphics cards. However, they do have a special kit called the Boreas designed for Dell's own extreme gaming systems. CoolIT hasn't revealed any specifics as to whether or not something could be released. It wouldn't surprise me to see something new in the future.

In the meantime, CoolIT figured some of us might need some extra cooling that doesn't cost a lot and came out with a couple easy ideas that aren't new to the market, but have a bit of a CoolIT twist. Since our RAM and graphics cards tend to get a little warm when we overclock our systems with one of their cooling units, CoolIT designed and released the RAM Fan and PCI Cooling Booster. This is at least a good budget oriented touch for those who don't want to spend a lot to cool the system memory as you might fine with Corsair's Dominator series. It's not as expensive and is a cool idea for those on a budget needing a helping hand.


Closer Look:
 

Front - Booster

Back

Front - RAM

Back

Each cooler is made from brushed light weight aluminum. The idea was to keep the materials identical so that the look is more uniform which is what you want if you can see inside your PC. The frames are quite sturdy and can't be bent easily. The RAM Fan doesn't have any extra parts or any complicated directions. It is simply suppose to slip over standard sized ram modules even if they have heat sinks on them. Now, not all heat sinks will work with the Ram Fan. Some specialty heat sinks like those found on Corsair's Dominator series or OCZ's FlexXLC series are way too tall to allow for proper mounting. Those modules don't really need any kind of air cooling as it is anyway. The Dominator has its own fan that can be ordered and the FlexXLC performs the same with or without water cooling and air.

Top

Angle

Bottom

3Pin Power

The PCI Booster comes with 4 thumb screws already tightened to the frame so you can see exactly what the working concept looks like. The Booster is shaped in such a way that it avoids making contact with any components inside the case. Remember, these are made of aluminum and should never come in to contact with the system components during operation. The thumb screws will also act as a standoff or spacer of sorts that keeps the Booster even further from the components. Air should then be able to flow more freely right over the components you need cooled. Cool air is blown inward by the 80mm Blue LED Fan centered on the Booster.

Top

Front

Bottom

Thumbscrews

A further benefit from the Booster is the span it covers. If you have a graphics system set up in an SLI configuration, the Booster is wide enough that it can reach across cooling both graphics cards. Maybe you have a system where the case cooling fans just aren't helping one graphics card in particular. This is where the Booster comes in handy.


Installation:

The concept is very simple, yet is implemented with a little ingenuity. The PCI Cooling Booster first needs 2 of the standoff thumbscrews, screwed in where your case's PCI slot bracket or component originally was placed. Take out the case screw and replace it with the thumbscrew in the two positions that line up with the Booster. Then the left over 2 thumbscrews fasten on top holding the Booster in place. The Booster mounts in to place pretty well and seems more than sturdy enough. Pushing or pulling on it requires a decent amount of effort which suggests there isn't any thing to worry about if you have to transport you case.

It's also worth noting how far off the components the Booster is positioned. There is plenty of space between the fan and the graphics card in this particular situation. And 'if' the Booster just happened to get pushed inward enough to make contact with the graphics card, there isn't anything conductive that will make contact, since the fan is made from acrylic. And again, the thumbscrews and mounting arm are plenty sturdy to handle the stress.

Screw Removal

Mounted

Side

Clearance

Working with the Ram Fan is even easier. It simply slides on via the two retention slits at each end of the RAM module. It doesn't matter if you have 2, 3, or 4 memory sticks installed. The Ram Fan is wide enough to work and cool up to 4 modules. Some of the memory modules I had on hand required a little extra effort to get the Ram Fan to fit over due to the size of the heat spreaders. I'd have to say about 8 out of 10 modules use standard sized heat spreaders these days. Memory sticks without any heat spreaders works the easiest it seems. Either way, take a little time and slide the Ram Fan slowly into place.

Sliding Fan On

Mounted

Low Light

Bright!

How secure is the Ram Fan? Surprisingly, it's pretty secure. Moving the case around abruptly doesn't change the way the Ram Fan sits on the memory sticks, so it's quite safe to move your machine. And the method in which the Booster is mounted, leaves me thinking you don't have to worry about it either. The thumb screws aren't coming out by themselves which means the components and Booster will stay safely mounted. Here are a few pictures of the fans in the dark. Since they do light up, I thought it fitting to show since these are meant to show off your system.

Testing:

Using the previously set up system, I used the PCI Booster and Ram Fan on two different motherboards. The ABIT IN9 32X-MAX and Fatality FP-IN9 SLI were both used since both boards have passive cooling. The MAX has more aggressive heat pipe cooling while the FP has simpler heat sinks without fans or heat pipes. To get more accurate results of temperature changes if any, I used the Koolance RP-1000 Reservoir Pump unit and its included sensors placed next to the memory sticks and graphics card.

Low Light

In the Dark

Lights On

Lights Off

The first temperature readings were taken without either of the cooling fans installed. The RAM sensor taped to the heat sink reported 36 C and the graphics card sensor reported 35 C when idle. Keep in mind that this is just about the average ambient temp inside the chassis. Running the OCZ memory at 1150MHz increased the sensor temp which fluctuated between 40 C and 50 C depending on loaded operations which can change sporadically. Looking at the external card sensor, it reported 46 C when the graphics card was working under load. NVidia Monitor reported the GPU at 42 C idle and 55 C under load which almost makes sense with the slot sensor results.

Ambient Temperatures @ 23 C

Temperatures changed in a good way with the Booster and the Ram Fan installed. The RAM sensor reported 30 C, while the card sensor reported 35 C both being idle. Under different loaded conditions, the RAM sensor reached 35 C to 42 C. The card sensor didn't go below 30 C either which shows that ambient air temps seem to level off the sensor results almost evenly. The graphics card GPU would idle at 39 C and reached 51 C under load.

Essentially, the PCI Booster and Ram Fan do make a difference when air is blown directly over the RAM modules and Graphics Card slots. The motherboard's own temperature sensor didn't reveal any significant change since the air doesn't make it over those components. This is what a good CPU cooler like the EnzoTech Ultra-X is for. Temperature drops of 5C are always a welcomed benefit inside these very warm systems. Good airflow inside a case is also essential for better results, such as the Lian Li PC-A10B. It has plenty of cool air coming in to the chassis with warm air flowing out.

Side View

Booster Effect

Booster & Fan

Top View

Both of the coolers look pretty cool during operation with the LED and the signature CoolIT design and symbol cut out in the frame, especially on the ABIT IN9 32X-MAX Motherboard. The Booster is a little better on the eyes as the LED isn't near as bright as the Ram Fan's LEDs. The Ram Fan is quite bright since the LEDs aren't mounted in to the outside frame of the fan itself. This also doesn't reveal much of a signature outline either since the fan doesn't light up the insignia quite like the Booster. While one glows nicely, the other one kind of blinds you a bit. Still, they add a nice cool, modified effect.

Conclusion:

Both the PCI Cooling Booster and RAM Fan actually work and do produce some beneficial results. While the Ram Fan does cool nicely, it does produce a very noticeable noise some where around 37dB. This makes it the loudest fan in each of the test systems. The PCI Cooling Booster isn't nearly as loud producing only about 25db of noise which is much more easily concealed inside a case. It also does more for the entire PCI slot area rather than one specific component which is also a good feature. The cooler's designs are very simple and similar which is another nice benefit so it doesn't look like you found whatever was on sale just to pimp your system. A little uniformity always makes a system look better.

Being aluminum has its advantages, but can have its draw backs. The only risk to either of these coolers is any accidental grounding due to their aluminum construction. However, there are benefits in that they mount very well and have their own signature appeal and design. Overclockers will find the extra cooling a great benefit especially in regards to the memory modules. And extreme overclockers typically understand that reaching those insane frequencies require a few sacrifices one of which is noise. There is just no way to get around the noise if your system is dependent on good air flow, unless you make the move to the more expensive liquid cooling solutions. If you're looking for a little more cooling and want a nice clean, uniform and modified design, check out the CoolIT PCI Cooling Booster and RAM Fan.

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