Vantec Stingray WaterCooling Kit

Introduction:

   Since 1994, Vantec has been manufacturing and developing everything from fans and heat sinks to power supplies. Their power supplies did quite well in that they were very quiet and reliable. Then Vantec released the Iceberg VGA heat sinks and fans that many enthusiasts found to be great for modding their systems. A couple Icebergs even found homes in to ATI and Geforce test platforms back then.

   Here is a little information about Vantec and what their company envisions:

   Founded in 1994, Vantec is recognized as one of the premier thermal solutions leaders. We are devoted to manufacturing and developing total PC solutions for every computer user, from mainstream to enthusiast. Utilizing our technical expertise and innovative designs, we are constantly expanding our product line to offer advanced computer peripheral to meet the personal and industrial needs of modern computer users. Our primary goal is to create viable solutions to satisfy the consumer’s needs. Offering complete and affordable ways to upgrade and maintain your personal computer, Vantec is a name you can trust for quality and reliability. At Vantec, our mission is to produce the best thermal solutions on the market. Vantec produces quality products that help you keep your system cool...

   With a mission statement like that, one can't help but wonder what new and exciting designs will be released. Since, thermal solutions are of the highest priority, Vantec developed an alternative cooling solution called the Vantec Stingray.

Impressions:

   While we have seen many of Vantec's products cross our systems in system cooling, the STG-100 Stingray Water Cooling Kit is their first revision to the market. Compared to their heat sinks and coolers this is indeed, very extreme cooling. When you get your Vantec Stingray, it will arrive in a nicely packed and presentable box. Inside the box are individual boxes with the contents labeled on the side. Sure, it's just packaging but it makes a great first impression when presenting a product.

Graphics on Front

Graphics on Back

Box Features

Labeled Boxes

   Inspecting the contents in each box, revealed a surprisingly great looking set of water blocks. This kit is different from the common complete water cooling kits which come with the CPU, Chipset, and VGA water blocks. This Vantec Stingray comes with the CPU, VGA, and two chipset water blocks. You get two chipset blocks for both the Northbridge and Southbridge chipsets, which is excellent and should appeal to Intel system users. Current AMD systems have one chipset die, while Intel systems have North and South bridge chipsets.

The Family

Chipset Blocks

VGA Block

CPU Block

   These are well manufactured and are nicely constructed water blocks. The blocks themselves have a very nice brushed aluminum finish that brings an aluminum sports car engine block to mind. The copper bases are just short of mirror quality on all the blocks. Any screws used to assemble the chipset and VGA blocks are on the bottom of the block instead of the top which presents a much more finished look. The CPU block, although, has its assembly screws neatly located and is still a nice block.

Smooth Texture

Great Finish

SouthBridge Block

NorthBridge Block

Ring Nut Barbs

   The entire kit's barbs are ring nut construction which means easy to install and easy to tighten. This also happens to be a reliable way to make a good strong connection. You still should test for leaks none the less no matter how good you may think your setup is. The tubing is clear and a bit stiffer than many other tubing used in other kits. It is still pliable enough to configure, but can also kink if too much of a bend is put in it.