Installation:

Mounting Gear

Install Manual

Installed

Close Contact

    The Gladiator can be used on both types of CPU platforms with little modifications. For AMD users, the stock retention plate is left in place, and a new retention clip is used to secure the CPU to the bracket. For the Intel folks, a backplate supplied with the Gladiator needs to be installed. This will be a PITA for the folks with their motherboard already installed. Thermal compound is supplied and should be thinly and evenly spread across the CPU.

Testing:

    For testing, BurnInTest Ver4.0 and Prime95 was used, running a total of three tests in a sequence of ON for one hour at 100% CPU load, then OFF for 30 minutes to cool. The temps are collected and an average temp is calculated.

Test Rig:

Conclusion:

    The KWI Gladiator is definitely a unique way of combining a CPU heatsink, reservoir/pump, and fan in one small, compact device. The Gladiator is compact in the sense that all the gear is attached to it, but as CPU heatsink fans go, it is on the big side. On my own ASUS motherboard, I have a small fan placed on the fins of the heatpipe cooler. This fan needed to be removed so the Gladiator could be installed. Also, the clearance between the Gladiator and the graphics card was practically non-existant.

    Unfortunately, I wasn't all that impressed by the performance. I was expecting the temperatures to be much lower than on my stock cooler, although it did perform better than my stock, which is the intended idea behind a aftermarket cooler. Once again, temperature results are dependent on the ambient air temp along with many other factors in an individual's system setup. Overall, the design is great and it looks good in the case. I would like to thank KWI for sending this item out for VH to review.

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