Exos Koolance Review - INSTALLATION: page 3
(Page 3 of 5 )
Koolance Exos External Liquid Cooling System and CPU-200S Waterblock
INSTALLATION:
Installing the Exos, as expected, was relatively easy with only a few gotchas. I was thinking about explaining step by step how to install the Exos but the 24 page user's manual and Koolance's website are very good. The only things to consider that they don't mention is that since the hoses go through an available PCI slot you cannot assembly the Exos separate from the case to check for leaks. I did place the external chassis beside the case and have the CPU cooler hang outside the case and ran it for a while to make sure the connections, CPU cooler and external chassis did not leak. And when filling the reservoir, the included funnel will quite frequently cause air locks. So fill it slowly and keep something (a small screwdriver or pen) handy to pop the air bubble so you can add more water.
The installation clip is very good and easy to use. It fits Pentium III socket 370, Pentium IV socket 478, and AMD socket 462 motherboards. The screw down mechanism is ratcheted so there is no fear of crushing a core or shearing off one of the socket nubs on a P3 or AMD system. The only thing to remember is to select the correct "dip" in the CPU cooler for your platform. The Pentium IV uses the center dip, while the Pentium III or AMD will use either the left or right dip, which ever one is centered over the CPU's core.
I particularly liked that the unit did not require that the waterblock be screwed to the motherboard through the four mounting holes on the Pentium IV and AMD systems. While that method does hold the waterblock more securely onto the motherboard I think the Koolance clip does a good job and it makes it much easier if you someone like me that moves stuff around in your case often the clip is very convenient.
Some thing for you LAN junkies, Koolance has two ways to place the external chassis on your case. Either regular rubber feet for or it, or it can be velcroed to it. The also sell a Strap that goes around your case and the chassis for a more secure way to transport the unit.
A couple things to note: Koolance has really gone out of their way to make sure everything is included in the kit (minus the distilled water and a couple of common tools) to make sure you have everything you need. I was impressed by them including thermal grease, ethylene glycol to mix with the water, the funnel I mentioned, and even a jumper for your ATX connector for when your bleeding your system.
There may be one downside to the design of the Exos cooling system. The diameters of the hoses are very small. Based on popular knowledge of water cooling systems larger diameter hoses are better, providing more flow to dissipate the heat quicker. The Koolance's hoses have an inner diameter of 1/4" while most people feel 3/8" is the minimum and 1/2" is preferred.
USING THE EXOS:
On the front of the external chassis is a digital display with two LEDs and to small black buttons. These are the controls for the Exos. The digital display shows the temperature as reported by the thermal diode that comes with the kit. The LED on the left is lit to show when the system is on. While the other LED is label "Accel" for acceleration and shows when the three 80mm fans mounted on the chassis are operating above 45%. The button labeled C/F is for setting the digital display to Celsius or Fahrenheit. And the last button labeled "Mode" is for setting the fan speeds to one of three modes. Mode 1 has the fans spin at 45% speed unless the thermal probe is reporting temps of 45C (113F) when it would speed up the fans to 100%. Mode 2 starts the fans out at 45% until temperatures reach 35C (95F) where it would gradually start speeding up the fans until the reach 100% if temperatures continue to climb to 40C (104F). Mode 3 has the fans spin at 100% all the time. Also, an audio alarm will sound if temperatures reach 50C (122F) and the system will go into auto shutdown at 53C (127F). That seems like a pretty nice safety feature on there. The final thing to note about the digital display and the temperatures reported is they ARE NOT CPU core temperatures. The thermal diode is mounted on the CPU cooling block but is somewhat away from the CPU core. The temperatures reported are an approximation of the liquid's temperature inside the CPU waterblock.
The Slot Interface also provides a few features as well. It has places to install two three pin fans, the thermal diode mentioned above, and connects to the ATX power button as well as your motherboards ATX power button connection. This is how the Exos gets turned on with your system and gives it the ability to shutdown your system if temperatures get too high. Also, the fans you connect to the Slot Interface are temperature controlled depending on the Mode you have set the system to run under. The last thing connected to the Slot Interface is a typical Molex connector. This is how the Exos gets its power. That's right no need for another power cord when you use the Exos. The fans and pumps all run at 12 volts.
Next: PERFORMANCE page 4 >>
More PC Cooling Articles
More By Memphist0
