Design & Features

**click to enlarge**

I will tell you that the very first thing you'll notice is just how light this entire unit really is.  Considering it is a self-contained unit with its high-end coolant already loaded and sealed, I just couldn't get over how light it was.  It will "feel" as if there's no coolant in it and weighs in at roughly 1.03kg.  That's only 2.3lbs and it is significantly lighter than their other higher-end models.  There's lot's of plastic here and that's obviously part of it.  As with all their unique coolers, lots of thought was put into its design and it clearly shows.

An Overall Look

Unlike their previous models, the Domino provides complete control over operation right out of the box.  At the touch of a button, you can easily switch between three different operating modes that include not only fan speed, but pump speed as well.  The unit consists of a radiator, pump, fluid heat exchanger, speed-controlled 120mm fan and a unique control module/interface with LCD display.  More on the blue backlit LCD and its features will be covered in the next section of this review.  Moving on, let's have a closer look at the key components...

The Domino sports a highly custom 50x50mm radiator with built-in reservoir.  It is designed to provide maximum heat dissipation in a compact package.  When I first touched its surface, it actually felt like rubber.  Obviously it isn't, but the point is that is unlike any radiator I've used or tested for a PC.

The tiny pump features a long-life ceramic bearing, providing low-noise operation.  It measures in at only 67x47x29mm and most importantly, it has an impressive life cycle of 50,000+ hours.

The tubing is highly unique, just like their others sporting this signature design feature.  However, on the Domino, they chose yet another approach.  It is covered in nylon wire loom similar to what you probably have in your system for wire management.  While it is not see-through, I personally like this design approach, as it not only blends in well with the rest of its all-black design, but with your system in general.

Finally, a look at their their Fluid Heat Exchanger (FHE).  It is copper micro-channel, providing such benefits such as improved functionality, performance and cost-effectiveness.  The product ships ready for install on a LGA 1366 system.  If installing it on another supported system, you'll need a couple of extra steps I'll cover in the install portion of this review.  We all love Arctic Silver by now and some of us enthusiasts won't consider using the compound provided with such products.  However, CoolIT doesn't use crappy compound and the FHE comes ready with their proprietary "Pro Advanced" thermal compound. 

I end with some additional features and benefits that were kindly provided to me along with the sample...

o  Simple Installation – Compact and light plug and play design with an innovative retention mechanism allows for quick installation into even the most crowded chassis supporting a 120mm fan. Domino ALC is universally compatible with Intel and AMD processors including Intel’s next generation Nehalem-based Core i7 processors.

o Advanced Control and Configuration– Configurable options range from whisper quiet operation to extreme cooling for overclocking…all at the touch of a button. The micro-controller auto-regulates the system in all modes of operation to ensure continuous protection.

o Intuitive LCD Display – Conveys system status and issues a visual/audio alert notifying the user should the system require attention

o Whisper Quiet Operation – Allows gamers to hear their games…not the cooler

o Highly reliable – Advanced design and highly reliable components provides over 50,000 hours of maintenance-free quiet cooling 

o Other Benefits – High efficiency design allows for minimal power consumption (8W max). Lightweight build places up to 70% less weight on the motherboard than heat sink/fan solutions thus removing risk of damage to vital components

Next: Installation & Performance