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ATake Phantom ROBOT Pipe Tower Sponsored By WisetechUSA
Wisetech, a distributor of many PC products, was nice enough to provide our team with the ATake Phantom ROBOT Pipe Tower for AMD socket A CPU cooling. This cooler uses heat pipe technology similar to many other manufacturers we have reviewed in the past, but this is the first one I have seen with copper fins. Generally, the heat pipes that I have seen all have a copper core and either aluminum or nickel plated fins. I am not sure if this will make a difference with cooling, we will need to test it and find out. Also note that this is one of the smallest heat pipes I have reviewed, so let's see if the copper makes up for the size loss.
Specs:
Features:
Application & Thermal Performance
Will be available in February in the US...
Installation: This install is pretty standard and I think the illustration below shows the steps very thoroughly, so I am not going to get into the procedure too much. I did, however, want to mention that ATake does put in a nice hinge to make the pressure bar install a bit safer, so no need for the pesky screwdriver that will most likely slip off at least once during the process. Overall, it is a pretty stock-style install and gets a thumbs up from us.
Appearance: The Phantom ROBOT looks very similar to many of the latest heat pipes with one major difference, they use copper fins rather then aluminum. The look of this cooler is small and sleek. I like the overall design and the fact that it is much smaller then many of its competitors. This leaves more room for air flow and easier compatibility.
After removing the outer fan frame, you can see the copper fins a little better. The overall construction is nicely done. Also note the 1" core pipe diameter, making for a better overall cooling surface.
The fan mounts look pretty cool and use a stock 80 mm fan, so if needed, you can add and extra fan to the other side. Please note if you do this, make sure that it is top quality. The stock fan that comes with this cooler runs at around 4500 RPM's, meaning don't buy a 2500 RPM case fan and slap it on, it will probably reduce the air flow. Make sure you get one that can compete with ATake's fan.
Performance: We are going to test the performance of the ATake "Phantom Pipe Tower", using a 2400+ AMD CPU and our test machine. We will run a series of load and idle tests. We will start with an internal case temp of 70(f) or, in other words, B zone to simulate a standard scenario or average usage. If you want more details concerning exact procedures, feel free to contact us at preitschky@marnscda.com . We are more then happy to answer any questions. Please note all tests are static. The load situation is done identical from cooler to cooler to accurately collect data on multiple hardware pieces.
Here are a few screen shots of the ASUS probe used to collect the data. I know they are a bit tough to read, but the resolution is pretty high so you can view them well if you print this at home, or just right click - go to properties - copy the URL and paste it in a Explorer address window.
Illustration 1.0 Stock Box AMD XP Cooler with 100% CPU load 36(d)c
Illustration 1.1 Atake Phantom Pipe Tower with 0% CPU load 29(d)c
Illustration 1.2 Atake Phantom Pipe Tower with 1000% CPU load 32(d)c
As you can see from the screen shots above, this cooler performs very well. Remember these results are with no other cooling equipment inside the case so they are purely the cooling power of the heat pipe. This means that I feel this cooler will do well with over clocking, but be careful and as always, put some extra fans to circulate the air within the case. The cooler the case, the cooler the CPU.
I was impressed by the very thin fan ATake provides. It not only reduces space in the case but it moves air very well. The fan stayed at a constant 4500 RPM's barely moving, even minute amounts keeps a very stable airflow through the fins.
Quality: There was one negative part I noted about the overall quality of this product, "the packaging". It may be pretty, but when it comes to shipping a product, anytime a piece can move you are taking a chance at getting a piece DOA. The outer plastic casing is very thin and provides little to no protection. If there is one thing I would improve on, it would be this. Other then that, I can't say too much more about the overall quality. The heat pipe and fan are both well made and leave little to be complained about.
Pros: Very good cooling performance. Easy to install. Very small leavening, lots of room in the case. Fan runs very well. Ability to add an extra fan if needed. Cons: Packaging needs a little work for shipping protection. Conclusion: Even though I didn't like the packaging, I am still going to give this product a perfect score. Purely because of size and performance. ATake took the heat pipe to the next level and produced a quality product. Nice job ATake, you earned our coveted Marns CDA Editors Choice Trophy of Excellence for a product that does that little bit extra.
Rating: Perfect score 6 out of 6 Stars!!!!
Review Date: 01/17/05 Reviewer: pr101j (Paul)
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Marns CDA By pr101j |
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