Articles

Sharkoon Silent Eagle SE 120mm & 80mm Fans July 12, 2010 - It isn't often that you see innovation in PC fans. Other than the occasional oddball sizes, fans are generally standardized in design. Seemingly answering the call, Sharkoon has created the Silent Eagle series of PC fans. Sharkoon has applied some clever ideas to their fans in hopes to differentiate them from the others on the market as well as increase performance. Today, HardwareLogic has the Silent Eagle 80mm and 120mm models up for review in order to determine if the innovation equals improvement. Read full article

Thermaltake Frio CLP0564 May 13, 2010 - Over the past few years, we have seen a myriad of new coolers in our lab here at HardwareLogic and time and again, Thermaltake has proven themselves very capably of making a great product. Today we take a look at Thermaltake's latest offering, the Frio. Does this cooler continue Thermaltake's trend of creating great coolers, or will this just be a forgotten chapter in cooling history? Read on as we put the Frio through it's paces and see if it lives up to its name. Read full article

Zalman CNPS10X Extreme August 27, 2009 - If you can get past the installation headaches, you'll be rewarded with superior air cooling performance. Read full article

Thermaltake SpinQ CPU Cooler July 27, 2009 - Today we take a look at one of Thermaltake's more recent offerings, the SpinQ CPU cooler. Boasting an original rotary fan design, fifty aluminum fins, and support for new Intel LGA1366 CPUs, the SpinQ is supposedly a "perfect combination of strength and aesthetics." Does it have what it takes to demolish the competition, or is just another cooler to relegate to the bargain bin? Stay with us and find out. Read full article

CoolIT Domino A.L.C June 11, 2009 - CoolIT systems is an innovative company that specializes in unique coolers using water and TEC's to achieve great performance. Today's review sample is their new Domino A.L.C. (Advanced Liquid Cooler). Let's see how it performs on our HardwareLogic testbed. Read full article

AMA Aragon 900 - A Second Look May 13, 2009 - Read full article

Zalman ZM-NC2000 Notebook Cooler April 23, 2009 - Zalman is one of the leading producers of enthusaist gear, with a wide assortment of products ranging from CPU coolers to Cases and Power Supplies. Today's product is a notebook cooler, their ZM-NC2000. Does it stack up to Zalman's reputation? Read full article

Zalman CNPS-9900LED CPU Cooler April 21, 2009 - Zalman is unquestionably one of the leaders in PC air cooling technology. Their previous CNPS-9700 and CNPS-9500 dominated the CPU air cooling world upon release. With the CNPS-9900, can Zalman maintain air cooling supremacy? Read full article

Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme GTX 280 April 1, 2009 - Arctic Cooling has made a name for its self in the enthusiast cooling market and has attempted to tame the heat produced by nVidia's high-end GTX 200 series video cards. We take a closer look and find out if the Accelero Xtreme GTX 280 can stand up to the heat or literally falls apart. Read full article

AMA Aragon 900 Liquid Cooling System March 15, 2009 - The Aragon 900 comes with a dominant visual appeal most enthusiasts will likely love. But sometimes looks can be deceiving (like that hottie across the way you later discovered had a creepy manly voice). Of course, our primary concern is with performance, and we already know what hardware the Aragon 900 is packing. Join us as we strap this water cooler to our test bench for the ride of its life. Read full article

Cooler Master Hyper N520 CPU Cooler February 22, 2009 - One of Cooler Masters lastest offerings is the Hyper N520 CPU cooler. With the promise being able use the Hyper N520 on most recent motherboards, even the LGA1366 sockets, the Hyper N520 looks like it could be another high performance HSF from Cooler Master. However, we won't know until we toss it on our test bench and see how it compares to other coolers. Stick with us and check out the results. Read full article

Scythe Musashi VGA Cooler December 22, 2008 - We have reviewed a few Scythe CPU coolers here at HardwareLogic. We have also reviewed some non-Scythe VGA coolers. But there is a first time for everything and today we will be taking a close look at our first Scythe VGA cooler, the Musashi. Scythe is known for offering CPU coolers that provide a respectable balance of cool and quiet. They are trying to do the same here with their latest VGA cooling option. Let's dive in and take a closer look at the Scythe Musashi. We shall see if this should be a consideration for enthusiasts desiring a cooling upgrade for their video card. Read full article

Silverstone Noble Breeze NB01B Notebook Cooler December 7, 2008 - We’re all familiar with Silverstone’s exquisitely crafted enclosures, but how many of us realize that Silverstone also caters to the laptop crowd? Entering the fray is Silverstone’s debut into the notebook cooler arena, the Silverstone Noble Breeze NB01B. Utilizing three 92mm cooling fans and all aluminum construction, this cooler looks to usurp our long standing favorite, the NZXT Cryo LX. Will the NB01B manage to oust its competition? Has Silverstone crafted a notebook cooling masterpiece, their first ever in this hotly contested market? Peep this, as only HardwareLogic has the answers! Read full article

Thermaltake ProWater 850i Water Cooling Kit October 29, 2008 - Thermaltake is a widely respected company that provides much support to enthusiasts offering enclosures, power supplies, cooling products and other accessories. When it comes liquid cooling they provided some complete prebuilt systems with their BigWater series of units. Thermaltake is now tossing a new series in to the arena and we have been testing the mettle of this ProWater 850i. Read full article

Zalman CNPS9300 AT CPU Cooler October 26, 2008 - Zalman has been chilling CPUs for many years. They have produced a wide range of cooling products. Some that make the enthusiasts drool, like the Zalman Reserator XT, and some that do a great job cooling while not burning a hole in the pocket (for our international readers, that means not costing too much :) ). Zalman recently sent us the new CNPS9300 AT that they tout as an "ultra quiet" cooler. We were glad to slap it on our test bench to see how it performs. Not only are we going to check on the acoustic, but we want to see if this still offers the same chill to our CPU that most Zalman products offer. Stick with us to find out. Read full article

LapWorks Wizard Notebook Stand October 16, 2008 - We're no stranger to LapWorks products, having reviewed three of their notebook stands over the past year. But when they approached us about testing their new Wizard Notebook Stand we were really excited. The Wizard is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale market, and although there are good products to choose from, very few have a great degree of flexibility. If you had the chance to check out the video, you can easily see why we're excited about this particular notebook stand, and why college students or professionals that live out of a suitcase should continue reading about this product. Read full article

LapLogic W800 Aerogel Extreme Notebook Cooler October 15, 2008 - Feel that strange sensation? No, it’s not rug burn, it’s your notebook burning holes in your legs! Chances are if you are a laptop road warrior, you are well versed in just how hot your portable friend can get. No doubt you have felt the fiery dragon breath of your notebook sitting on your lap as you feverishly crank out that overdue TPS report. Well, the good folks at LapLogic have a solution for you! The W800 Aerogel Extreme is aimed at professionals and enthusiasts alike that abhor having to suffer a notebooks hot exhaust on their laps. By utilizing the latest in space-age materials, the W800 lap desk is primed for consumers that demand a better cooling solution for their mobile lives. Read full article

LapLogic G800 Aerogel Extreme Notebook Cooler October 2, 2008 - The G800 Aerogel Extreme is aimed at professionals and enthusiasts alike that abhor having to suffer a notebook's hot exhaust on their laps. By utilizing the latest in space-age materials, the G800 lap desk is primed for consumers that demand a better cooling solution for their mobile lives. Can it deliver? Read full article

Thermalright True Black 120 September 23, 2008 - Thermalright is widely known among enthusiasts for its prowess in computer cooling products. Thermalright produces many heatsink products for every major PC component that might require cooling. Along with CPU coolers, Thermalright offers many products to help chill your chipsets, RAM, video cards and much more. According to their website, they insist on not cutting any corners. Their products include nickel plating for protection and solder points at every point of contact to assure maximum heat transfer. Many enthusiasts hold their latest CPU cooler, the True Black-120, in high regard. Weill we? Read full article

Asus Lion Square CPU Cooler September 3, 2008 - Asus is one of the most respected companies by computer enthusiasts.  Everyone knows them more as a powerhouse in the motherboard industry but they do dabble in wide range of hardware, including CPU coolers, like the Lion Square that we will be examining today.  At first glance it does seem like Asus is trying pack a little bit of flare in a package that can hopefully keep up with top tier air coolers on the market.  Asus is apparently trying to present an eye-catching product for enthusiasts that are looking for something beyond the typical bland.  If they can do that and still sufficiently chill our CPU then many enthusiasts could be impressed.  Let's test this thing out and see if you will be impressed. Read full article

Thermaltake DuOrb CPU Cooler August 28, 2008 - Thermaltake needs no introduction for enthusiasts that have been around the block. They have proven themselves to be an effective leader in the industry with many offerings including cases, liquid and air cooling, power supplies and more. We previously took a look at Thermaltake's DuOrb VGA Cooler. They offer a similar product for enthusiasts looking to chill their CPU. This dual fan cooler comes with a different look compared to much of the latest top tier coolers that sport a tall heatsink and vertically mounted fan. This DuOrb for the CPU looks to be much like the VGA offering with wider coverage but a lower profile. The main question is, can this DuOrb keep up with the top tier coolers on the market? Read full article

Vizo Xena II Notebook Cooler July 30, 2008 - Vizo is back with a new notebook cooler aimed at enthusiasts looking for the perfect blend of performance and portability. Leveraging on the success of their popular Ninja line of notebook coolers, Vizo introduces the Xena II, a lightweight and highly functional notebook cooling solution designed for 12” to 15.4” laptops. Boasting a unique tilting, 360 degree swiveling base, the Xena II looks to supplant its competition. Will Vizo’s newest addition to their notebook cooling lineup pass muster? Can it compete with other more expensive coolers in its class? Let’s take a look and find out! Read full article

Scythe Orochi CPU Cooler July 1, 2008 - Is bigger better? Well that probably depends on what we are talking about. Right? Get your mind out of the gutter. Scythe sent us their new Orochi CPU cooler and they made no bones about hiding the bulge. This thing is huge, plain and simple. Scythe has manufactured some fantastic high performance coolers, as well as some respectable bang-for-buck quiet mid-range coolers. This time they set their sights on more size and less noise to try to get respectable performance out of the Orochi. They expect this cooler to be used as a passive cooler (fanless) or with a large nearly silent fan. So back to our original question: Is bigger better? Let's check out this monster and find out. Read full article

Zalman Reserator XT Liquid Cooling System June 29, 2008 - Once considered the ultimate in geekdom, liquid cooling (also known as water cooling) has become almost mainstream. For those pushing the envelope, there's high performance (and high cost) kits from retailers such as Danger Den, DTek, or Swiftech. However, those kits usually require either a great deal of patience, or experience, during installation. For those less schooled in the art of exotic cooling, your choices are fairly limited. While there are no shortage of pre-fabbed kits, both internal and external, marketed at the novice, these kits usually forego quality to make themselves as easy to install and user friendly as possible. Read full article

ZEROTherm ZEN FZ120 Cooler June 22, 2008 - ZEROTherm focuses on cooling products, such as CPU coolers, VGA coolers and high performance thermal grease. Their focus has led to top-notch products in all the previously mentioned areas. They have broke of out of the OEM market and, without question, earned the respect of computer enthusiasts and the cooling industry. Last October the release of the Nirvana CPU cooler rocked our socks off. The Nirvana did such a fantastic job we were ecstatic to get the opportunity to test the new Zen FZ120 on our new cooling testbench. But how does he stack up against his big brother and many other fine competitors? Read full article

HL Cooler Testing and Methodology June 22, 2008 - At HardwareLogic we strive to keep our reviews fair, unbiased and accurate. When it comes to the cooling arena, there are several areas of consideration;Case Fans, Fan Controllers, Video Card Coolers, and CPU Coolers are among the main items that come to mind. While every aspect of cooling is very important, we feel that the CPU is the most critical component of concern when it comes to cooling. Few will intelligently argue against that. In an effort to bring even more accurate results to our readers, we decided it was time for an upgrade to our cooling test bench. Read full article

Thermaltake DuOrb CL-G0102 VGA Cooler May 20, 2008 - With GPU's raising the bar in terms of performance and heat output with every generation, aftermarket cooling is taking a larger role in today's high performance gaming systems. Today we take a look at Thermaltake's DuOrb CL-G0102. Does the DuOrb have the performance to match the good looks, or is this another case of Ms. Teen USA South Carolina? Read more to find out! Read full article

Lapworks Attaché Laptop Stand April 22, 2008 - Enthusiasts know all too well the struggles that come with trying to keep a loaded desktop from overheating, but what happens when your new notebook gets hot under the collar? Read full article

NZXT Cryo LX Notebook Cooler March 20, 2008 - With the introduction of their first ever notebook cooler, the Cryo LX, NZXT introduces a new product geared towards enthusiasts that own laptops. In an age where computing components require ever more elaborate cooling solutions, notebook computers are no different. Utilizing all-aluminum, 3mm thick construction, and three adjustable RPM 120mm fans, the Cryo LX is designed to keep your notebook ice cold. Can the Cryo LX deliver? Will NZXT’s first foray into the notebook cooling arena be met with standing ovation or bitter defeat? Read on to find out! Read full article

Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 Rev 2 VGA Cooler March 4, 2008 - Along with scorching speeds, GPUs also get scorching hot. No longer the exception, dual-slot cooling solutions have become the norm to battle increasing temperatures. Where does that leave passive cooling solutions, and more specifically, Arctic Cooling's Accelero S1 Rev 2 VGA cooler? Read full article