Introduction

Here we are again, with some brand new water blocks to cool your Nehalem or Lynnfield monster CPU. We got some strong contenders this time, which will give the blocks, that we already tested, a serious run for their money. Last roundup was really lacking most of the Europe fabricated blocks. This time we got them in the lab, due to the big effort done by the guys from Aquatuning. Gathering samples is not easy these days, as many of our mail requests go unreplied. So a big kudos to the manufacturers that already shipped their blocks for the previous I7 Roundup Part 1

Let's get that fluid flowing.




Alphacool Livingstone:

Alphacool, based in Germany is a well known and respected brand in Europe. Alphacool's headquarters and main production facilities are based in Braunschweig.

Some technical data ripped of the Alphacool's website:

This block is the result of combining the proven design of the NexXxos XP X² Highflow and the XP Bold Cooler. Due to a high flow rate ( up to 4.7 liters/min) the block ensures good performance on Intel and AMD CPU's. The block in its current design is compatible to all Intel sockets (S775/1366 and the new I5 1156 socket). The AMD version is fully compatible with all the known AMD socket designs known to mankind.



This block was based on the interiors of the NexXos X² blocks, while the exterior was derived from the XP and Bold blocks from Alphacool. Weighing 404 grams this is not a lightweight at all. The all massive metal nickel coated top and bulletproof mounting plate are responsible for its elevated Body Mass Index.



Isn’t she pretty? Look at that massive mount and top block, if ever ya PC should fall of the table, I'm pretty sure the block will be intact while the rest of hardware might be shattered all over the floor.





Base is smooth; some might have expected or preferred a polished surface. It's a known fact however, that the latter does not warrant a performance advantage over the rawer version.



The mounting plate also acts as the diffuser for the incoming fluid... Most modern blocks use a separate jet-plate for that purpose. Alphacool went here for 53 tiny venture inspired jets. If this nice craftsmanship still works on modern CPU's, that's another question.





The mounting mechanism is based on the well known and most common used screw, spring, washer and nut mechanism. No back plate, nor fittings in the box. Only a small tube of thermal grease is added as accessory.





Livingstone mounted and ready to handle some bucket loads of heat...

Alphacool Yellowstone:

This block is specially developed for cooling I7 Nehalem based CPU's, thus leading to high expectations in this roundup. The fluid is injected straight onto the cores for maximum cooling performance. Flow rates of 4.9 liters/min can be reached depending on your setup. Compared to the Livingstone this is a pure lightweight.





Same blister type packaging, heck why change a good solution.





Micro pin structure looks a lot like the previous block, though it's a slightly refined pin design. Sadly I had some performance issues with the block. Opening the block revealed that some of the coating of the dispenser was on and in-between the pins, thus hindering water flow. I tried to clean it up as much (yet you can still see some black markings on the pins) as possible and got more respectable results afterwards.



Second issue I encountered with this block is the compatibility with some fittings as they are very very close to one another. As you can see I had to install tie raps to ensure the tubing was properly attached.



Like with the Livingstone, socket compatibility for S775, 1156 and 1366 out of the box. No picture of the delivered mounting, or the thermal paste tube lads, as it's exactly the same as the other Alphacool block(s).

Aquacomputer Cuplex XT Di²:

Aquacomputer is the 2nd based in Germany company in this roundup. Being proud that all design and manufacturing is done in its own factory since 2001. No 2nd party contractors here for making covers, CNC, laser cutting etc... All is done under the one and the same roof.



There high end entry in this roundup is a real beauty; you absolutely can't avoid looking at the magnificent details on this block. The Cuplex XT Dié is claimed to perform as good with low as with high flow setups. A higher flow would only provide minimal gains according the Aquacomputer guys. Let's have a closer look at their pearl:



You can clearly see the marking of the "IN" through the Plexiglas cover, overall the attention to detail is breathtaking.



The base is polished for maximum looks. Notice the abrasive markings on the mounting plate. Apparently this is done on purpose, to ensure a more equal mount.







Aquacomputer's patented Double impact technology should ensure good cooling performance on all types of CPU's (single, dual, quad cores) whatever the brand. Let's explain the Double impact Technology in a few simple words: the fluid is injected in the first chamber and flows over the first part of the copper pins. Then via channels, it's accelerated into the 2nd chamber, to cool once again at the same flow rate, before finally leaving the block.



No surprises for the mounting system. The usual stuff and again no backplate for this German competitor.

Phobya waterblock

Phobya was a pretty unknown brand to me. Aquatuning is warranting its distribution to the European masses. Their first block, being released in November 2008, carries the same name as the company. In fact Phobya is not a company but a union of several ones. This to allow each participant has its own saying in the development and production process.



When I received the box I thought it was empty... This block absolutely is the absolute featherweight amongst these Nehalem blocks.





Clear IN and OUT markings on the top will ensure proper hook up in your loop. If you mess up, then you must be partly blind. Outside looks are futuristic, yet kept very basic without too much rif raf.



The bottom copper plate is extremely thin (reminding me of the Corsair H50 bottom plate) I really wonder how it could ensure proper conductivity between the microscopic small pin structure and the fluid passing by. If you look closely you can see the copper being bend by the screws.





The inside is less dull then the outside. A super crafted dispenser plate with micro nozzles and channels directs the cooling fluid in and out of the block. On a sidenote : don't dissemble the block for fun, took me ages to get the o-ring back into position.



Hmmm without sounding too repetitive, yes the same stuff here; screw, springs, washers and nuts and one tube of thermal paste included in the package...



Last piccie of the Phobya block completely mounted and ready to rock...

Watercool HK and HK Lc:

Being crowned with several awards, I was kind of eager to get these blocks into the test rig, to see if they could live up to the hype. Watercool, another German based manufacturer, owned by sir Rico Weber has been collecting award after award with his HeatKiller series. There are 3 different models; the HK 3.0, Lc and Lt version. We got the first two in the lab, the 3.0 being the most expensive, the Lt in between and the Lc the least expensive.






Both top and base are crafted out of copper. If this enhances cooling is questionable, but sounds pretty reasonable.




The interior looks pretty straightforward, but everything is designed for maximum flow with massive channel cutouts. The jet plate is removable/interchangeable to allow the block to perform better on eg dual core CPU's.



No pin structure here, but sleeves are cut into the big copper block, optimized again for good flow and less turbulence.




Watercool deviates from the other German manufacturers with its mounting system. A screw with a spring is screwed into an offset. Watercool advises to use the 20mm tension in their manual with I7 CPU's, a guideline which I totally adhered too. A back plate can be ordered separately to improve the mounting of the block and to avoid warping of the motherboard.



Some more detailed shots, tells more than words.



Watercool HK LC

Being the cheapest of the three, I assume Lc stands for Low Cost, does this mean also inferior performance? At first glance it looks like they replaced the copper top with a delrin version. But there's more under the hood than that, or is it less?



The top's interior looks alike its bigger brother, but there's no dispenser here at all.



The base also has cutouts but fewer ones then the full blown version.

Ybris Eclipse Chrome:

Those familiar with water-cooling, will surely have heard of the A.C.S coolers from the Italian brand Ybris Their current Chrome block needs to go head to head with its European competitors. Like the name suggests this block is entirely chromed, and if I say entirely chromed I mean entirely chromed.





Each block carries its own serial number, no idea why, but some will find it looks pretty cool :) Maybe they add minor changes to the design and can cross check with e.g.: reviews like these, how that particular block performs. But that's pure speculation on my behalf.



Not an entire flat base, Ybris goes for the same solution like OCZ and XSPC, with a small protrusion to ensure the contact with the heat spreader. Did I already say it was completely chromed?



Ow what's this now ? A back plate ? Amasing, good job there Ybris. The back plate is S775 and 1366 compatible (just flip it around ) and a nice cutout for them Fujitsu chip powered mobo's.



A detailed shot of the Micro block design of the bottom plate.





Interior shots, Ybris uses a nylon diffuser plate, to force the water into the block via the middle and out via the smaller holes on the edges. There are in total 3 different plates. The second one has got slightly smaller holes (mainly the inlet) , the 3rd one is ready for your drilling pleasure. But could the end user improve a design created by an engineer?



Not only do we get a back plate but also 3/8 fittings in the package. Job well done and some extra points for the Italian team.

Test Setup and methodology

Leeghoofd's I7 940 Test Setup
CPU	Intel I7 950 @ 3.8Ghz 1.29 vcore HT ON
Cooling	MCP655 vario 2 and 5, Thermochill PA120.3
Mainboard	Asus Rampage Extreme II 1204 bios
Memory	6Gb Corsair Dominator PC16000 C8-8-8-24 1T
PSU	Enermax Galaxy 1kw

Like in the previous roundup we tested in the same way. Here's a quick overview

All blocks were mounted 3 times (in the by the manufacturers recommended optimal position ) by using the supplied mounting kit. This means no back plates or other stuff was used to improve temps (if the WB was delivered without back plate that is)

I used a little carton template to get the same amount of TIM on the IHS. The Arctic Cooling MX2 (provided by JAHA.BE) was spread out by the pressure of the water block mounting. After the tests, the TIM was checked for a good spread out. If there was a bad mount the test would be repeated.

Tubing used was 2 meters of Tygon Black 3/8" tubing.

The Pump test were done via the MCP655 Vario equipped with an EK Waterblocks D5-X TOP, this to allow 1/4 AG fittings (pump speed setting 2 and 5 tested)

The total amount of fluid used each time was 800ml of Aquatuning Innovatek Pro fluid.

All test were started at 22°C ambient temp. The rig was allowed to heat up the fluid during half an hour at idle speed 3.8ghz at 1.2Vcore (no EIST enabled). Small note : under load the Asus Rampage Extreme II, tends to overvolt. So during testing the Vcore was fluctuating between 1.21-1.22Vcore.

As testing program I used Prime95 Custom 20K run for 1 hour stressing all 8 cores ( HT enabled )

The CPU temp was monitored by Everest Home and the Core temperatures by Realtemp. The latter is a nice program as it logs the highest core temps measured (making my life easier).

Due to the new i950 CPU (instead of the i940) and the use of other thermal paste we opted to retest all the previous blocks.

Enough Chit chat (already glad if you read through it all) let's show some results.

”Low Flow” Pump Speed 2 Results :



The Watercool blocks are sandwiching one of the NDA blocks I got from Enzotech to try out. Sadly I can't release any further info or pictures on it, as I don't have had the green light from them yet. But you can see they got a nice block up their sleeve in the near future.

It's amazing to see how most of these different crafted/designed blocks are really so close to one another regarding performance. The Heatkiller is really THE block to own at the moment for the enthusiast crowd. There's no real alternative, if you are looking for that last half a degree. The new blocks really are all performing well in the low flow setup and are giving some of the previous high end ones a good run for their money. Even though it's not one of the better performing blocks in this roundup, the lightweight Phobya block is close to the EK Supreme and Swiftech GTZ block. The latter two being quite respected blocks within the water-cooling community.

I'm still puzzled about the performance of the Yellowstone block, being claimed to be specially designed for I7. Yet it not even manages to nibble of 1 degree off the older Livingstone design. Without taking into consideration the king of the hill Heatkiller and the NDA block, most blocks are within one degree and a half of each other. Talk about a close competition.

”High Fow” Pump Speed 5 Results :



Once we whack up the pump speed, we see a big climber in the roundup. Namely the highly restrictive Koolance 350 AC block gains some serious ground. The EK Supreme also known for its restrictiveness, benefits pretty good too from the extra flow. This also counts for the Heatkiller v3.0 block as it enlarges the gap to almost 2°C towards its nearest rival.

Like in the lower flow setup, most blocks remain within the same tight margin of each other. Plus for most the extra performance gain over the low flow setup is negligible. But there's absolutely no denying it, the Heatkiller v3.0 is really a class on it's own. However Swiftech just released their new Apogee XT block (which is claimed to best their current GTZ block by 3°C under certain circumstances) A review sample has been requested and granted, so an update will follow shortly... if it can live up to the hype, it could be a worthy contender for the performance crown. EK is also working hard on a new block or at least a new mount to improve performance... we will keep you updated as soon as any news pops up.

Comparing the two pump speed settings and the gain (if any) expressed in this chart:

Conclusive Thoughts

So there you have it; all in all no real surprises (unless my testing method was messed up somehow) the Heatkiller block is THE block to own when looking for max performance. Followed closely by its cheaper derative the Heatkiller Lc block. Depending on the generated flow rate, the Koolance 350 AC is still a high performance contender if the flow is high enough. Enzotech's older Luna rev B design still can keep up with the big boys, no matter what you throw at it. And one of their NDA blocks is even better. For the rest of the European blocks ; I was pretty amazed by the engineering and design of certain blocks. And they all perform quite nicely, beating a TRUE eXtreme with a powerful fan, by at least a healthy 10°C.



Like in the previous roundup I made a chart for those, who not only base their decision on performance, but more towards a price/performance ratio. The chart below expresses the amount of Euro(s) you pay to get a certain degree temperature drop compared to the least performing block in this roundup.



With the addition of 7 new blocks and some big price drops, the older chart has become completely obsolete. Which block you should get, if money plays an important factor is a bit easier to find out now.

Again it's one member of the Watercool family : The heatkiller Lc takes over the price/performance ratio of the OCZ hydroflow MK II block. It's as cheap as the OCZ, yet cools heaps better. What more can you ask for ?

The Alphacool and Aquacomputer are too expensive, yet they are generally well designed and crafted ( I say generally as one of the Alphacool samples had a few manufacturing flaws ). The Italian Ybris Chrome sample, if not being fully chromed ( so less in price ) would also gain a few places in this chart. But if the *bling* factor is important to you, then it might just be your next block (recap that it's one of the few blocks in this roundup that's delivered with fittings ). Same killer looks count for the Cuplex XT di² block which is a real show stopper in anyone's case. Too bad for the Swfftech GTZ and Koolance block, as they are (were) so expensive at the time of writing and although they perform, their retail street price, totally kills their price/performance ratio. (Yet they too include fittings and co like the Ybris block)

Once again this chart has to be adapted once I get the new sample(s) in and as prices (can) change rapidly nowadays. Don't overanalyze or stare yourself to death on this chart. If you want to know the absolute performance, turn one page back. If it's a mix of performance and cost, this chart might give you some valuable information, but please always crosscheck with your local prices and the raw performance results.

If you’re looking for a new block you can surely find one that suits your needs within these 13 blocks. Going from very cheap to uberly expensive. From very cheapishlooking to overworked pieces of art. Each user will have his own specific desires to pick one out.

Most blocks are really performing very alike and performance will of course depend on your own setup (tubings, pump used and amount of blocks). It's clear that the European blocks can be very competitive with the big names from abroad. There's no reason to overlook the highest performing block in our roundup : the Heatkiller rev 3.0 and the best price/performance ratio block : the Heatkiller Lc. Double victory for the Watercool company.

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Alphacool Livingstone

Pros
+ nicely engineered ultra durable water block
+ Solid medium range performance
+ Medium flow block, performs as good with low or high flow setups
+ For the case modders : available in an abundance of colour variations

Contras
- No Back plate, still the old school mounting system.
- pretty pricey: retailing at 65 euro's

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Alphacool Yellowstone

Pros
+ Good performance block (low or high flow)
+ specially designed for I7 but...
+ For the case modders : available in an abundance of colour variations

Contras
- Expensive (56 euros)
- Incompatibility with some pressure fittings
- Some issues with my review sample

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Aquacomputer Cuplex XT di²



Pros
+ Mid range performing water block
+ Amazing looks and attention to detail; a real showstopper

Contras
- Very expensive : 70 euro's, seems Craftmanship needs to be paied :)

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Phobya

Pros
+ Good/price performance ratio
+ Lightweight design

Contras
- Simplistic looks, feels cheapish.

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Watercool Heatkiller



Pros
+ Highest performing block I've encountered
+ Excellent mounting and instructions included.
+ Performs amazingly with low flow setups.

Contras
- Expensive (63 euros)
- Would it be even better with a backplate ?

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Watercool Heatkiller Lc



Pros
+ Very high performing block
+ very cheap (37 euros), best overall price/performance ratio
+ Same solid mounting and guidelines included as it's bigger brother

Contras
- Really can't think of any, can you?

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Ybris Eclipse Chrome



Pros
+ Solid performing block
+ Very complete package (backplate, fittings,...)
+ Multiple dispensers in the kit to adapt to other types of CPU's

Contras
- Bit pricey: 60 euros, but package is 100% complete.

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Well I hope you liked it, testing took ages to complete and I wish to thank again the persons who without this review would never be possible :

Herr Schultze from Aquatuning thanks for all the blocks and the abundance of time you gave me to complete the tests.

Hans Jacobs from JAHA who was my savior when I ran out of thermal paste. Thanks man for giving me my dose of Arctic Cooling MX2

And Milan from ASUS for the Rampage Extreme II motherboard