Installation:

   As I read the directions, it was evident that some users will have to modify their case by drilling two 7/8 sized holes just below or above the power supply, or you could also drill holes in a different location to allow for the In and Out tubing. This particular modification isn't too difficult as long as you have the drill and bit on hand. You will have to pre-mount the MCB-120 R2 Radbox plate so you can properly align the MCR220 Radiator and mark where the holes are to be drilled. If you install the radiator facing outward then you can forego the pre-mounting.
 

Removable Mounting Tray

Mounted Standoff Tray

"Radbox" Mounted To Tray

Freshly Drilled Holes

Grommets in Place

   Another option is to upgrade to one of the new preconfigured cases liquid or water cooled ready. These cases already have holes drilled among other good features. If you decide to upgrade to a larger case for better working space inside, do consider an aluminum case. These are much easier to drill through than the steel.
 

Holes in Frame for Mounting

Two Adjustable Mounting Wings

MCW60 VGA Mounts from Bottom

Four Point Screw Mounting

   The Apogee CPU Water Block is easy to put since the motherboard has already been removed. The mounting kit included two screws, washers, springs, and CPU Back Plate which was a cinch to install after thinning on some thermal paste. The chrome top half of the CPU cooler block has holes that doubles as the mounting plate. This is a very nice, simplistic design in that requires very few parts to mount.
 

Mounting Barbs

Mounting the Block

Ready to Go

   Moving on to the MCW30 Chipset Water-block, the chipset heat sink needs removing and cleaning so more thermal paste can be reapplied. The mounting kit also included nearly the same screws, washers, springs, and black thumb screws to secure the water block. This block is as close to the perfect size as a design could ever be. It fit neatly and securely directly on the fragile chipset die without any tilting. When tightening the water block, it's best to alternate tightening each side a couple twists at a time. This will keep the block perfectly balanced.
 

Mounting Barbs

Prepping the Kit

Mounting the Block

Ready to Go

   The VGA block is probably the most secure and simplest to understand and mount. Many VGA water blocks use a couple flimsy screws to mount and secure. Those blocks require a extra care to keep it steady and centered while tightening. This block is very easy to mount as it has four screws and washers to mount to the bottom of the chrome top plate. The block was exceptionally rigid and absolutely refuses to budge. You can rest easy with this block as it is definitely a well thought out secure mounting design.
 

Mounting Barbs

Block Mounted

Back Plate

Ready to Go

   (Caution: Trying to attach the tubing to the barbs without any sort of lubrication may put too much stress on the chipset, GPU, and also the CPU die depending on the type of processor you have and damage the components.) I then measured out the tubing and cut it to the lengths needed. It was necessary to put the tube clamps through the tubing before attaching the hose to the barbs. I used a non-detergent water based lubricant to lightly coat the barbs which allowed the tubing to easily slip over the barbs. Then the clamps were moved down around the barb and with a good squeeze, locked in to position. 
 

Tube Mounting

Successful Finish

Careful with Chipset

UV Lighting

   Before turning on your computer, you should always leak test your kit configuration. Now it was time to fill and prime the system. To turn on the system without actually powering on the computer, you use the green or any wire to short the green and any black ground lead within your 20 or 24-pin motherboard power connector. I chose to use a paper clip as it fits a bit more snug and less likely to get bumped loose.

   The system was tested and double checked thoroughly using every pump speed. After proving it a successful seal, I powered it off and started reconnecting all my power cabling and wires. I triple checked one last time just before finally hitting the POWER BUTTON!


Testing:

   To test the Swiftech Apex Ultra Plus, the kit was tested first using distilled water and then with the UV Anti-Algae additive. Some additives have been known to inadvertently hamper performance. The ambient room temperature was 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The distilled water was kept to room temperature at all times.

Summary:

   The Swiftech Apex Ultra Plus did very, very well and looked great doing it. The Apogee excelled above and beyond expectations. The MCW30 Chipset water block seemed to be working pretty hard as the temperatures were up and down during the entire test, but did very well during overclocking.

   The MCW30 has a smooth internal copper base plate which doesn't have any machined channels to cause any real turbulence. Machining channels in to the copper base would undoubtedly change scores, but really aren't necessary as the temperatures were still very low.

   GPU results weren't a surprise as the latest factory overclocked 7800 GT video cards can kick up quite a bit of heat over the large die, which is a lot of die to cover. The MCW60 VGA water block does have channels machined in to the internal block surface just like the Swiftech Apogee water block. In this case, the Diamond Pin Matrix handles those out of control temps so much better than a stock video card's heat sink and fan.

   The system will appeal to silent computer users when the fans are on low. With the fans on high, you'll soon be enjoying a rather hefty whirring sound that is around 36db. The choice is solely up to you as to whether the noise is worth it, assuming you have a fan controller. If you don't, then normal operation will completely satisfy any user.

   The mod factor with this kit can be a good or bad thing depending on what kind of results you are willing to work for. Some people will not mind at all modifying their case by drilling two holes and may find this hands-on kind of work fulfilling. If you are not capable of expediting two holes or simply aren't willing, then you could always reverse mount the MCR220 Radiator and feed the hose through an empty PCI slot into your case. It does work and won't restrict water enough to affect performance. 

Conclusion:

   The Swiftech Apex Ultra Plus is definitely a fantastic complete water cooling kit. It is a kit meant for the serious enthusiast who intends to run silent or drain every ounce of computing power from their computer system. Overclocking was a great experience that pushed the system in to uncharted territory transforming it in to a new machine. The Ultra Plus has great performance, engineering, and design offering nearly every piece of hardware to work with the latest systems and the test results show it.