1. Introduction
Imagine
you're looking for a name for a company that manufactures cooling systems, especially
cooling systems for VGA cards. The simplest name you can find is "Card
Cooler". "Card Cooler" has been manufacturing for quite some
time now, fans and coolers for VGA cards, PC cases, PC cables and accessories.
You can see their full product list on their web-site.
We are used to seeing innovative ideas and fancy designs with
most cooling systems. Since most PC enthusiasts are looking to make an impression
through the look of their PC case, new designs are always popping up on the
market that offer fancy and full of effects PC components. However, there are
some basic design rules that companies should follow when designing their new
coolers and fans. In some circumstances, the simplest designs are often the
most effective. This is where the Card Cooler XT comes to claim a place amongst
the leaders in the cooler line up. Simple design, nice look, and above all,
effective cooling.
- The fans
The first thing that we noticed when we saw the Card Cooler XT
was "why others haven't thought of this earlier?". This cooling system
consists of two 120mm fans rotating at high speed, screwed together within the
blue frames that you can see in the picture below. Of course, you can unscrew
the fans and use them as stand-alone for your PC case cooling needs.
Small wires come out from the centre of the fan and stretch to the four corners
of the fan's frame. These wires make the fan light up blue when turned on. If
you don't like the blue color, the Card Cooler also has red and a green cables
available, or then there's the "Chameleon Fan" that uses a wider range
of colors. You can see the complete list of fans here.
With the "Card Cooler" product line, there's a 4-pin to 3-pin power
adapter. This adapter comes with the Card Cooler XT. As you can see below, the
standard power cable is a 3-pin cable, but you can use the provided adapter
to convert it into a 4-pin cable.
Unfortunately, there is no rotation speed controller, but you can get one from
"The Card Cooler" for only $1.99.
The first Card Cooler XT that hit the market was the one shown below, with
no fancy lights. Just the fans and the 3-pin to 4-pin power adapter. Then again,
why not buy the light-up version of the Card Cooler XT, since the cost is the
same?
- Features / Specifications
The Card Cooler XT blows 138 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) of air when both fans
are used. Most of you might be concerned about the noise levels. Card Cooler
XT promises that it will not go above 35.5dB per fan. Note, that with two fans
working together, the sound energy reaching your ears will double which is equivalent
to an increase of 3dB. This means that the total noise level emitted will be
38.5dB from both fans. The fans rotate at 2400RPM, one of the fastest rotation
speeds that you can find for a 120mm fan.
Here are the detailed specifications as provided by "The Card Cooler":
Product Name |
Card Cooler XT |
Rated voltage |
12 V (DC) |
Rated Current |
.20 Amp/fan |
Input Power |
2.4 Watts/fan |
Fan Size |
120mm x 25mm |
Rated Speed |
2400 Rpm |
Air Volume |
138 cfm total |
Noise Level |
35.5 dB(A)/fan |
Bearing System |
Ball Bearing |
Fan Safety |
UL/CE/CSA |
Warranty Period |
Lifetime |
Dimensions |
10 x 6.5 x 2.5 |
2. Performance Tests
Since there is no way to accurately monitor VGA card temperatures, we decided
to use one fan to cool our standard AMD 3500+ CPU (Newcastle). We should point
out that temperature values shown in these tests are not related in any way
to temperature you might get with your VGA cards. We also compared the results
we got with a patented 120mm fan that rotates at the same speed.
But first, we had to see the rotation speed of the Card Cooler XT fan. As you
can see below, the fan is clocked at just under 1855RPM maximum. As already
mentioned, there is no way to control the fan's rotation speed.
We then installed the Card Cooler XT fan on the CPU heatsink, turned on our
PC and measured the temperature at CPU idle. The temperature was also measured
with the standard 120mm fan clocked at around the same rotation speed (1840RPM~1850RPM).
As you can see, the standard fan reported 37°C at 1850RPM...
normal fan - 1850RPM
|
... while the Card Cooler XT gave us 36°C at the same rotation speed.
Card Cooler XT |
We had a 1°C drop in temperature and although this might not sound like
a lot for a CPU fan, imagine both of these fans working together in a PC case.
We should comment a little bit on the test procedure. The Card Cooler XT in
not intended to replace your CPU fan or your VGA cooler. However, in this test,
we simply wanted to compare a standard 120mm that we had against the Card Cooler
XT fan.
When we finally installed these fans in our PC case for the job they were meant
to do, we were impressed with the 138 CFM of air flow. There is also another
big advantage with this design. It can cool multiple cards at the same time.
Because of their combined size, the fans can help cool almost all PCI or AGP
cards installed in a PC. About the only problem we can see is determining if
these fans can both fit in your system.
3. Conclusion
This has been the first product that we have tested from "The
Card Cooler". We were impressed at the simplicity of the design and we
never expected that the fans could look so good from the outside of the PC case
:-)
The manufacturer states that each fan will blow 69 cubic feet per minute of
air, and when both fans are operating together, they can reach 138CFM. This
is truly a lot of air. But "The Card Cooler" engineers did not only
think of performance, but also of stylish design. The fans used in the Card
Cooler XT light up blue when operating, and there are several other colours
also available for you to choose from. The fans have transparent frame and blades
to take full advantage of lighting effects under low light conditions.
Although the manufacturer promises 2400RPM, we did not reach more
than ~1855RPM. This shouldn't be a problem since 1850RPM is already a very high
rotation speed for a 120mm fan. Our tests reported good performance, slightly
better than a standard 120mm fan. The overall size of the Card Cooler XT is
big, and you should first check if it will fit in your PC case before buying
it. But because of its size, it doesn't only helps cool down your VGA card,
it can also cool down multiple VGA cards (very handy when it comes to SLI-enabled
systems), other cards installed in your PC, memory modules and other mainboard
chipsets. And if you are worried about noise levels, don't be. The fans were
very quiet, with the CPU and VGA card fans being louder that the Card Cooler
XT.
The aim of the Card Cooler XT is to provide greater and more effective air
flow inside the PC case, but it is not intended to replace the standard cooling
system. This means that if you want to change your cooling system because you
want to try a noiseless solution, this product is not for you. You cannot replace
you standard fans, but you can help boost overall performance with a larger
volume of air flowing inside the PC case.
The colored version of the Card Cooler XT is priced at US$22.99,
while the colorless version is priced at US$19.99.
There are also more fans provided by "The Card Cooler" that you can
choose from. Some are priced higher than US$22.99, but they do look fantastic.
Check them out here.
- The Good
- Good cooling performance with 138CFM
- Simple and effective design
- 3-pin to 4-pin adapters
- Very quiet
- Helps cool down almost all PC components, not only VGA cards
- Low price
- The Bad
- Might not fit in some PC cases
- No rotation speed control
- Didn't reach the manufacturer's stated maximum rotation speed