Test Configuration
Liquid cooling often offers excellent cooling capacity, but that wouldn’t matter much if hot case air destabilized another part of the system. In order to test both, we used an overclocked Intel Core 2 Quad processor to heat the liquid and a pair of HD 4870 X2 graphics cards to heat the air.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | 2x Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.00 GHz, FSB-1333, 12 MB Cache Overclocked to 3.80 GHz, FSB-1688, 1.425V |
| Motherboard | Asus P5E3 Premium Intel X48 Express, BIOS 0402 (04/21/2008) |
| RAM | 2x Crucial Ballistx BL12864BA1608 2x 1024MB DDR3-1600 DIMM Overclocked to DDR3-1688, 1.90V |
| Graphics | 2x Gigabyte GV-R487-512H-B AMD Radeon HD 4870 GPU (750 MHz) 512 MB GDDR5-3600 (Per Card) |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital Caviar WD5000AAKS 500 GB, 7200 RPM, 16 MB Cache |
| Sound | Integrated ADI 1988B Codec |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Power | Ultra X3 1000W Modular |
| Chipset Driver | Intel INF 9.0.0.1008 |
| Graphics Driver | AMD Catalyst 8.8 |
| OS | Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit, SP1 |
New to today’s tests are a pair of Gigabyte HD 4870 graphics cards in Crossfire mode. AMD’s recent graphics processors are famed for both high gaming power and high power consumption, and should assist in our evaluation of case temperatures as other components compensate for the high-power demand and workloads.
System performance doesn’t change with temperature unless a processor reaches its “thermal throttling” threshold. Since these cases are more than adequate for keeping components below their thermal thresholds at full load, benchmark performance wouldn’t be an issue. Focusing instead on cooling capability only required us to approximated full load prior to taking our temperature readings.
| 3D Mark 2006 | Resolution: 1920x1200 Video Quality: 4x AA, 8x AF Test: Perlin Noise (SM 3.0), Looping |
| Prime95 Version 24.14 | Test: Small FFT’s Number of Instances: Four |
All components were run at the above load for several hours before taking temperature readings.
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I don't really see the point of reviewing these serious water cooling solutions if you don't test the additional coolers the companies offer. For example, why not test the Koolance rig with the chipset and graphics card coolers attached? This would have substantially lowered the chipset temperatures. The Koolance case was not designed to air cool internal components like an air cooled case. Koolance systems are for people who want to easily water cool as many components of their system as possible.
Also, you kept mentioning the Koolance's noise at maximum fan levels. In the 7 years I have owned a Koolance system (with CPU, Chipset, SLI Video card and RAM water blocks fitted), I have never seen my Koolance ramp up the fans beyond the low levels.
I purchased the Zalman LQ1000 in early September after reading the positive by xsreviews.co.uk review. Like Tomshardware I also had problems with the motherboard mounting holes and had to bend, twist and force the PCI Express cards into place as well as my PCI Audigy Sound Card. Really poor for a premium priced £400 case. Given that this looks like a general problem it is disappointing xsreviews.co.uk did not mention this and neither does the more recent bit-tech.net review.
Also I contacted Zalman through their web form with the following questions:
1) Looking into the case from the side, the hose coming out of the left side of the pump (factory preassembled), does not have a tube clamp on it. Is this a problem i.e. should this have a tube clamp fitted?
2) The other end of the same hose connected to the nipple near the radiator (factory default) does not have a clamp attached. Should there be one and therefore is it missing?
3) The CPU waterblock comes with Tube Clamp Size A (13.8mmx9.5mm) and Tube Clamp Size B (11.5mm 8mm). Which size tube clamps should I use?
4) The LQ1000-Z Machine manual advises not to use thermal paste with the CPU block. The CPU block comes with thermal paste sachet. Why would I not use thermal paste?
I posed these questions twice during September and have not received a response from Zalman either time. Again not good for a premium priced bit of kit. This lack of customer service would stop me purchasing Zalman again.
Apart from the mounting hole problems the case is superb and quite easy to set-up. It is very quiet and keeps my Q6600 CPU (o/c to 3.2Ghz) at 22C idle or 40C load (hottest core). Although my graphics card is air cooled it gains from the overall low ambient temp in the case. The left panel with the radiator and large fan does let a fair amount of dust in. The case is very heavy, even though it is aluminium.
Update, Zalman support in the UK is via QuietPc.com. So even though I didn't purchase through them they have arranged with Zalman for a new motherboard tray to be sent to me with correctly positioned mounting holes.
So my faith in Zalman customer service has been restored. Zalman never responded to my web form questions which is disappointing though.