PC Cooling
  Home arrow PC Cooling arrow CRITICOOL POWERPLANT
Dev Hardware Forums 
Computer Cases  
Computer Processors  
Computer Systems  
Digital Cameras  
Flat Panels  
Gaming  
Hardware Guides  
Hardware News  
Input Devices  
Memory  
Mobile Devices  
Motherboards  
Networking Hardware  
Opinions  
PC Cooling  
PC Speakers  
Peripherals  
Power Supply Units  
Software  
Sound Cards  
Storage Devices  
Tech Interviews  
User Experiences  
Video Cards  
Mobile Linux 
APP Generation ROI 
IBM® developerWorks 
Weekly Newsletter
 
Developer Updates  
Free Website Content 
 RSS  Articles
 RSS  Forums
 RSS  All Feeds
Write For Us Get Paid 
Request Media Kit
Contact Us 
Site Map 
Privacy Policy 
Support 
 USERNAME
 
 PASSWORD
 
 
  >>> SIGN UP!  
  Lost Password? 
PC COOLING

CRITICOOL POWERPLANT
By: Cygnus_X_1
  • Search For More Articles!
  • Disclaimer
  • Author Terms
  • Rating: 4 stars4 stars4 stars4 stars4 stars / 8
    2003-10-08

    Table of Contents:

    Rate this Article: Poor Best 
      ADD THIS ARTICLE TO:
      Del.ici.ous Digg
      Blink Simpy
      Google Spurl
      Y! MyWeb Furl
    Email Me Similar Content When Posted
    Add Developer Shed Article Feed To Your Site
    Email Article To Friend
    Print Version Of Article
    PDF Version Of Article
     
     
    ADVERTISEMENT


    With the recent trend towards water cooling these days, there have been some products released to make the transition easier. Today we are going to look at a PCI card relay to turn on your pump with your system. The CritiCool PowerPlant is touted as "The worlds first Plug & Play PCI Relay Card". While simple in design, it is a nice addition to a water cooling system so you don't have to worry about turning your pump on. Without further delay, let's see what makes the PowerPlant tick.

     

    Manufacturer:

    CritiCool
    Product:CritiCool PowerPlant

    Price:

    USD$ 24.00

    Availability:

    NOW

    Reviewed By:

    Cygnus_X_1

    Edited By:

    Mack "SPeeD"

     


    Intro

    With the recent trend towards water cooling these days, there have been some products released to make the transition easier. Today we are going to look at a PCI card relay to turn on your pump with your system. The CritiCool PowerPlant is touted as "The worlds first Plug & Play PCI Relay Card". While simple in design, it is a nice addition to a water cooling system so you don't have to worry about turning your pump on. Without further delay, let's see what makes the PowerPlant tick.


    Packaging and Specs

    Nothing special on the packaging side of things, just the run of the mill cardboard box, with CritiCool's info on it.

     


     

    The specs listed on CritiCool's site are pretty self explanatory, but here they are anyway:

     

    FEATURES

    • All cards come with silicone on the high voltage points for added safety

    • Toggle switch - bleed your system with the computer off

    • On board relay controlled by PCI Bus

    • External Molex 12VDC connection for external fan power

    • Inline fuse for overload protection

    • No case modifications for installation

    • Compact design

    • Easy operation, plug it in your PCI slot, plug in the AC cord through the power inlet on the PCI flange, and then hook up your pump wires to the pump terminal.

    • Will ship to anywhere in the world

    • Ships with cord for North America, Europe, or Australia

    • Can be used to power Pelletier coolers

    SPECS

    • 12VDC external power (5 watts max)

    • 2 amp fuse (200 watts maximum draw)

    • 110VAC / 220VAC design for worldwide power compatibility

    • CE compliant, UL listed components and designed

     

    Ok, all the 'formalities' are out of the way, lets get some juice flowing though this thing, and see what happens...


    Installation

    Installing the card is as simple as plugging in into one of your available PCI slots, and securing it with a screw. The version I have does not have the silicone on the high voltage points for added safety since the sample I have was provided early on in the release. I had emailed Jonathan at CritiCool in early April about the shock risk of the first production runs with my solution of covering the exposed contacts with liquid electrical tape. While not a pretty job, it works. So bare in mind, if you have first run version, BE CAREFUL! When version 2 of the PowerPlant was released, the contacts were covered with the clear silicone to prevent shock, but as always, unplug the power if you are planning on doing any work inside your case.

     



     

    The hookup of the wires is well documented, although they do not include documentation in the packaging, you can find it here on CritiCool's site. Start by cutting the pump cord to length, and strip back the wires.

     

    For North American cords:

    1. Ground (Green)

    2. Hot (Black)

    3. Neutral (White)

    For International cords:

    1. Ground (Green w/ Yellow Stripe)

    2. Hot (Brown)

    3. Neutral (Blue)

     

    Once the pump has been wired into the relay, just pop the card into a PCI slot, secure it down, and plug it in. The switch on the card controls the pump operation. With the switch in the "Open' position, the pump will operate independently from the system to ease in bleeding the air from the system. In the 'Closed" position the pump will operate when the power switch on the PC is depress, starting the pump along with the system.

     



     

    One thing to note for anyone running more than one cooling loop. I am currently using the PowerPlant in my peltier system, and have a separate H2O loop for the SPP (Northbridge) chip on the NF7-S. The card is rated to 200W Max Draw, so I was able to power both pumps (Hydor L20 & Hydor L30, 11W and 23W respectively) off the PowerPlant effectively cutting down on the amount of wiring coming from the rear of my case.


    Conclusion

    The CritiCool PowerPlant is an excellent addition to any water cooled system just for the fact that no case mods need to be done to add a relay to the system. While the first revision had a major drawback if you touched the card while it was plugged in, with the addition of the protection on the exposed contacts, this PowerPlant should be finding its way into many H2O systems. With the ability to handle some hefty wattage, the PowerPlant is able to grow with your water system as your needs change.

     

    Pros

    • Very easy to install

    • Ability to bleed the system while your PC is off

    • Finally covered the exposed contacts for added safety

     

    Cons

    • No documentation enclosed

    • Original release had no shock protection

    We would like to thank you for joining us today, as well as Sidewinder for providing the PowerPlant. As always, and questions/comments can be emailed, or drop by our forums to get the full experience.


    DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware.

    More PC Cooling Articles
    More By Cygnus_X_1

     

    IBM® developerWorks developerWorks - FREE Tools!


    Check out the new Jazz space on developerWorks

    <a href="http://zeus.developershed.com/shonuff.php?blackbird=3853&zoneid=442&source=&dest=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ibm.com%2Fdeveloperworks%2Fspaces%2Fjazz%3FS_TACT%3D105AGY31%26S_CMP%3DDEVSHED&ismap="><img src="http://images.devshed.com/corp/img/news/jazz01.gif" alt="developerWorks Jazz space" align="left"></a>You've heard the buzz about Jazz... want to know more about it from a developer's perspective? Check out the Jazz space on developerWorks. This space is an up-to-date resource for developers, including technical information about Jazz and products built on Jazz, like Rational Team Concert Express. The Jazz space includes content from a wide variety of sources, including links, feeds, and comments from experts.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    IBM DB2 Deep Compression ROI Tool

    The IBM DB2 Deep Compression ROI tool is designed for DBA’s and IT management personnel to perform a clinical analysis of the cost savings gained from the Storage Optimization feature of DB2 9 for Linux, UNIX and Windows. The feature, also known as Deep Compression, compresses data that lies within a database by up to 80% at times.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! "ebook: Exploring IBM SOA Technology & Practice

    Learn field-tested SOA principles, methodology, technology and implementation from the global SOA market leader - in a new e-book by an IBM SOA expert. Written by IBM Certified SOA Solution Designer Bobby Woolf, "Exploring IBM SOA Technology & Practice" is the ultimate insider's guide to SOA - a PDF e-book packed cover to cover with IBM's specific advice on how to make your SOA implementation a success.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Achieving True Agility -- How process can change the behavior of your tools

    Achieving true agility is a never-ending effort. We will showcase how you can become agile incrementally, a few practices at the time.Which practices should any agile team strive to adopt? What additional practices should you consider based on your needs to scale? Adopting practices are however made much easier with the right tool support. What about if your tools adapt to your practices? We will take a look at how the Jazz technology can be leveraged to make your process change the behavior of your tools.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Discovering the value of WebSphere Process Server

    WebSphere Process Server delivers a unique integration framework that simplifies existing IT resources. Often, as IT assets grow to support business demand, so too does their complexity and manageability. In this webcast, we’ll discuss how WebSphere Process Server helps deliver an SOA infrastructure that provides a common model to orchestrate, mediate, connect, map, and execute the underlying IT functions. Discover how WebSphere Process Server simplifies integration of business processes by leveraging existing IT assets as reusable services without the complexities of traditional integration methodologies.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! IBM Rational Systems Development e-Kit

    As systems increase in complexity, communication between systems and software teams becomes more and more difficult. Now, there’s a way to improve product quality and communication.<br />Read the “Model Driven Systems Development” white paper to see how. Also included in this kit are more educational white papers, customer examples, tutorials, informative Webcasts, and best practices for designing, building and managing systems.<br />
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Rational Talks to You: Manage RUP-based CMMI initiatives

    Join this Rational Talks to You teleconference on December 4 at 1:00 pm ET to discuss how Rational Method Composer can help meet your compliance objectives. Get your questions answered!
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Software Change and Configuration Management Solution Guidelines

    This whitepaper provides areas to consider when evaluating any software configuration management solution. It addresses how the IBM solutions (Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest) meet the needs and requirements of both project leaders and developers to provide successful Software Change and Configuration Management.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! The role of integrated requirements management in software delivery

    This paper is about the critical role that a discipline called integrated require­ments management can play in helping to ensure that your business goals and IT investments are continuously aligned—whether you are sourcing, integrat­ing, building or maintaining software. It also looks at ways that automated IBM Rational® products can work together to help you use requirements in the very best way.
    FREE! Go There Now!


    NEW! Webcast: Quickly provide customized, integrated user interfaces with Lotus Notes 8

    IBM Lotus Notes 8 provides a wide range of developers the ability to provide customized, integrated user interfaces via composite applications and via custom sidebar and toolbar plug-ins. This webcast provides you with tips and techniques to use with out-of-the-box capabilities of Lotus Notes 8, and survey how you can share useful components within your own company and within a larger community.
    FREE! Go There Now!



    All FREE IBM® developerWorks Tools!

    PC COOLING ARTICLES

    - Scythe Ninja Plus Rev B
    - Adequate to Extreme PC Cooling Methods
    - A Sequel to Adequate Cooling Methods
    - Zalman 9500 LED Review
    - Thermalright HR-01 Review
    - Cooler Master Eclipse Review
    - Bluegears B-Flexi Fan Review
    - An Introduction to Adequate Cooling Methods
    - Measuring Temperatures with Thermal Probes a...
    - Bluegears b-COOL and b-ice fans
    - Antec Performance CPU Cooler
    - Antec HDD Cooler Review
    - Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro Review
    - Cold Cathode Card Cooler XT Review
    - Heat Sink Lapping






    © 2003-2009 by Developer Shed. All rights reserved. DS Cluster 5 Hosted by Hostway
    Stay green...Green IT