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CoolIT Systems is a company that has quickly
gained a high level of exposure thanks to their highly innovative CPU
coolers that honestly are a step above all other cooling options on the
market. First was their Freezone cooler which provides the next best
thing to phase change cooling. Second was their Eliminator which was
designed primarily for the enthusiast on a budget looking for very similar
performance. Their third component cooling product is a very inexpensive memory cooler
labeled appropriately as the RAM Fan. This simple cooling accessory is
designed to effectively cool your overclocked memory modules. They kindly sent one over and we agreed to have a brief look at
it.
**click to enlarge**
Not
much to brag about the packaging. It comes in a standard blister pack
with some minor details on the product. No installation instructions are
included simply because it is that easy to install.
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**click to enlarge** |
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Its design is fairly straightforward as well. It is made entirely out
of aluminum and sports a low profile LED fan in the center. Its design
is universal, and will easily clip on securely to practically all standard memory
modules. There's a 3-pin fan connector that you can plug in to any
available fan header on your motherboard.
Specifications
They do not list its specs on their website so I contacted them for more
information. They kindly provided the following specifications:
Size: 60x60x10 mm
Airflow: 17.74 CFM
Speed: 4200 RPM
dBA: 31.6
Power: 12V/2W
The
fan is quite small so it spins at a high 4200rpm. With that said, the fan can be a
little loud, but not a high pitch whining noise that is usually what bothers
many.
Installation
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**click to enlarge** |
**click to enlarge** |
The
RAM Fan is very easy to install. All you have to do is clip it on to
your existing memory modules. For those wondering, it will hold in
place very well and there will be no need to worry about it falling off.
For those with
a CoolIT TEC CPU Cooler, the product is designed to compliment your setup quite
well as shown above. When powered, it will reveal two bright blue
LED's. They don't really provide much of an effect, but those fans of
blue LED's won't complain.
Performance
The
RAM Fan will do one thing, and that is provide some very acceptable cooling
for your memory
modules. I'm one who happens to overclock both my CPU and memory to
their utmost stable settings.
The OCZ XTC
4000 modules tested would normally
run just slightly above "warm" to the touch. To measure what kind
of cooling, if any, it does provide, I did bring out my trusty
ThermoHawk 200
to capture the surface temperature of the modules with and without the
cooler installed. For those unfamiliar with this excellent tool, the
ThermoHawk 200 provides highly accurate surface temperature readings.
Most importantly, this infrared touch-less thermometer provides readings
that are highly consistent. Measure in the exact same spot with the
same ambient temperature, and you'll get the exact same reading every time.
It is the perfect tool for PC enthusiasts. Anyways, back to the
subject at hand, the results are shown in the table below...
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Surface
Temperature ºC |
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Without RAM Fan |
With RAM Fan |
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39.8 |
31.2 |
Ambient temperature was 75ºF. The results were certainly impressive
and did exceed my expectations. The RAM Fan was able to provide a
significant change in the temperature readings of the modules. They were
no longer running hot and would actually be quite cold to the touch. I'm sure
many will be quite satisfied with the results.
Conclusions
While obviously not as impressive as any of
their other products, the RAM Fan is a low cost, easy to install accessory
that will help provide some much needed cooling to your memory modules.
If your an overclocking enthusiast that usually pushes your hardware to
its limits and tends to bump up the voltage on your memory modules to
uncomfortable levels,
the RAM Fan will certainly provide some peace of mind. Selling for
roughly $20, it's a small price to pay for some very acceptable cooling that
will certainly aid in overclocking and overall system stability.
Simple design, effective cooling. That's what this product will offer.
EMHz Recommended.
More information on the CoolIT RAM Fan can be
found on the
CoolIT Website.
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Pros |
Cons |
- Simple Installation
- Impressive cooling
- Looks appealing in case
- Inexpensive
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Questions?
Comments?
Discuss them here...
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