In the big box we find...

The CPU block

The water block is the big improvement over the old kit, there is no doubt about that. Both the top and the bottom are completely redesigned. Water is blasted onto the channels at the center of the block to increase the efficiency of the heat transfer. The top is also new, you do not need to change top every time you change from processor configuration because all holes are now on one plexi top cover. S472, S754, S478, it doesn't matter anymore because they all use the same system with different holes in the top cover. In addition, because of the new system with two exits, a Y-piece is included to join the output lines of the block.
This new design is known for its performance, so I expect some decent temperatures in the tests.




The Northbridge block



The Northbridge block is one like you have probably seen a dozen of. Nothing special to see here. Carry on.

The graphics card



Your standard graphics card water block. Fits both ATI and nVidia, but does not fit Kyro cards. Kyro users beware!

The radiator



The radiator is a relabeled Black Ice Extreme radiator. You probably have seen them before, they have a very distinguishing form. It is a good radiator, but if you use all the water blocks in your loop, the radiator will get a hard time dissipating all the heat. Most people who put their graphics card and Northbridge water block in their loop use a double or even a triple radiator with two or three massive 120mm fans mounted on it. Let’s assume a GeForce FX makes about 60 watt and a Northbridge makes around 20 watt. That doubles the load on your radiator if you were using a Pentium 4 or Athlon XP, which dissipates around 80w. It is true that putting a double radiator in a kit isn't a smart move because fitting a double radiator in a case is quite a challenge. A difficult conundrum, but I think they made the right choice, because people who want more performance can fit a double radiator and get a performance increase.

The pump



It's a Hydor L20, also available in Hydor L30 version. Reviewing kits with famous components is no fun, how do you write something interesting about something of which everyone knows about already? Anyway, it is made by Seltz and has a delta-height of 135cm with a maximum throughput of 700l/h while drawing 14w. Bet you didn't know that!

The reservoir



Reservoirs is one of the most basic components of a water cooling setup as it can be anything, as long as it is waterproof. Why would you spend more money on something that you can make yourself? However, if you buy a kit you don't really have a choice. This reservoir however is quite handy, because you can attach it to your pump if you cut off a piece of hose of about 5,5cm. Then you use the plate that comes with the pump and stick the reservoir on it, that way you can attach it somewhere in your case without having the pump and the reservoir bolted trough your case.

The tubing



"CT JOINT POLYETHER TUBE 6,5mm*10mm 04-B ISO 9001" Bet you didn't knew that one either. :) The Polyether tube isn't as easy to bend as other kinds of tubing, but let the water flow through it for about a day and it becomes more flexible. The kit comes with about 2m of this hard tubing, so if you have a monstrous server case, you will probably have to search for some more hoses. Luckily, hard Polyether tubing is not hard to find, most local DIY-stores can supply you with several 100m of it.

Bolts, screws & springs

There are more bolts, screws, washers, nuts, bags of thermal paste and springs in this kit then in your average Lego Technics(c) box. The system to mount everything is always the same. You mount a bar with a screw trough your motherboard or graphics card and use a knob to tighten the spring which goes over the bar. Sounds difficult? Actually it isn't. All these things come in separate bags, and in every bag there are at least three stickers that say "WaterChill". I had a hard time finding a place for all those stickers, but eventually it worked out well. ;)

The fan



The fan in the kit hasn't changed either. Still the same loud 12V Sunon fan which can move a lot of air at 12v, but running this thing at 12v is something for the Delta & Tornado lovers, not for me. Guess I’ll have to find a way to shut this "black rotating bringer o' ear damage" up if I want to catch any shut-eye at night.

The StartSafe module





If water cooling kits had a brain, this would be it! Actually, it's not much more then a relay and a resistor but it looks smart anyway. When you start your system (and you didn't forget to plug in the power cable of the pump) the pump will start too, but it still needs 230v anyway. The Sunon fan can also be attached to this black box, which gives you the opportunity to switch to 7v with a jumper. Ahhh, instant silence! However, I discovered something very interesting here. The resistor which breaks down the 12v and turns it into 7v has a golden circle as last marker on it. Most people will say "yeah, whatever, see if I care about golden circles" But you'll hear the electronic wiz kid say "Hey, that means only a maximum fluctuation of 1%, which is quite uncommon for this kind of work." In my opinion it means that Asetek only uses quality components, from the giant radiator to the smallest resistor. Sure, such resistor doesn't cost much extra, but if you go mass production, every cent counts.

Some water wetter



25ml of Anti-algae fluid. Good for four refills. Might not be too much for the die-hard users, but it's enough for use by normal and advanced users. You can always buy more at your local aquarium-shop. One bottle of anti-algea at one of those shops and you're safe for the next millennium.

The Manual



Some manufacturers don't have or don't care about a manual, but if you sell DIY-kits, it's not a smart thing to do. You'll get dozens of angry mails from people who messed up their system by installing the kit improperly. Therefore, manuals are a necessity, one that Asetek did not overlook. A 48 page illustrated gives you the do's and don'ts of the whole kit, from installing it to telling you which chemicals are bad for the plastic covers of the water blocks. In this revision, the S754 installation guide was not included, but they assured me that it would be included in upcoming revisions. It is the same as the s478 anyway.