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- Date:
- Friday , July 16, 2004
- Author:
- Steve Lynch
- Editor:
- Sean Quinn
- Google +1
GlobalWin Jefi Watercooling Kit
GlobalWin's latest foray into the world of watercooling is a unique open reservoir evaporative cooling system with a style that has to be seen to be believed.
Introduction
When you think of GlobalWin you think of high quality computer components like aluminum cases, CPU heatsinks, power supplies, and fan controllers. Recently GlobalWin entered into the watercooling arena with the introduction of compact low noise watercooling kits aimed at computer users that value a quiet cooling solution opposed to the all out brute force watercooling required by overclockers and performance enthusiasts. GlobalWin's latest foray into the world of watercooling fits into the first category (silent cooling), but it does so with a style and flair all its own.
GlobalWin was founded in Taiwan in a space of 720 square feet(67m2) crowded with office and production line all together. With total of 3 people working as delivery personnel in the morning, sales people in the afternoon, and production workers in the evening. We have been working diligently and prospered. In 1993 We expanded to a bigger place (Shih Lin District in Taipei), with space of 1800 square feet (168m2). In our fourth year (1995) our office/factory space: 3600 square feet (335m2); total number of personnel has increased to 20 people. GlobalWin opened U.S. offices in 1996. In 1998 we bought and moved to our current office and factory located in Taipei Science Park in Neihu. Taipei Science Park has housed many high-tech headquarters such as: Compal, Delta, Abit, Acer, Primax, Nokia Taiwan, Advantec, etc.. By 1999 we established 500-people production lines in Mainland China to accommodate increasing worldwide sales demand. In 2001 we proudly announced the establishment of our European office located in France.
The GlobalWin Jefi
The GlobalWin Jefi is targeted towards users wanting a solid yet silent cooling solution...with a twist. The twist is the unique design of the Jefi that turns a simple watercooling kit into what can only be described as an open reservoir evaporative cooling system with a unique aquarium-style look and feel. One thing is for sure, the Jefi's unique design is at the very least a conversation starter. The Jefi has many of the same components you would find in a traditional watercooling kit, but where the Jefi varies most from a standard watercooling kit is the heat exchanger. Normal watercooling kits use a radiator/fan combo to remove the heat absorbed by the coolant after it passes through the system's water block. The method of heat dissipation the Jefi uses is what sets it apart from any cooling solution we have seen to date, and believe me we have seen them all.
Features:
Kit Features
Water Block: Dimension 71 x 68.5 x 18.4 mm Material Aluminum Alloy 6063T5 Copper 1100 Weight 360g / without water
Water Tube: Material Silicone Heat Cure Elastomer Length 150cm x 2 pcs
Heatsink: Dimension Diameter 116 x 20mm Material Aluminum (Nickel-Plating) Weight 140g
Fan: Rated Voltage 12V Rated Current 0.15A ~ 0.45A Power Input 1.8W ~ 5.4W Bearing Type Nanometer Ceramic bearing (NCB) Fan Speed 2000rpm ( 25°C) ~ 4000rpm (40°C) Air Delivery 26.7 ~ 55.2 CFM Noise Level 20 ~ 40.9 dBA Safety Fan Yes RPM signal output Yes
Water Pump: Dimension 51.5 x 37x 61.5mm Rated Voltage 110V / 60 Hz or 220V / 50 Hz Rated Current 0.3 A Power Input 3 W Pump Speed 180L / Hour Noise 22dBA Life 2 year
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Component Overview:
We will take a cursory look at each component and its function before we get too far into the review. This will give you an idea what the Jefi kit is composed of before installion and testing takes place.
Packaging:
Nothing is worse than components that are damaged during shipping. As you can see from the photo, GlobalWin has done a top notch job packaging the individual components to protect them from damage. Stiff black form fitting foam is used throughout the box to keep everything in its place.
Waterblock:
The base of the Jefi water block is a composite of aluminum alloy with an embedded copper base. The aluminum outer housing of the block is rough finished with some signs of discoloration and oxidation. The CPU mating surface though was very nice. Clean, clear and level with no pitting and minimal scratches. We tested the mating surface for flatness with a straightedge and found no distortions or gaps. The top of the block is made up of a hardened hollow plastic shell.
The lower portion of the plastic housing is screwed onto the base of the block for a water tight fit. I have to assume that the four retention screws found on the top (corners) of the housing serve as an added or safety method of fastening the plastic shell to the base of the block. I say "assume" because removing the screws in an attempt to remove the plastic cap yielded no results, as the cap was firmly held in place by the sealant.
The high dome on the block serves a dual purpose. The primary purpose of the dome shell, in the case of the Jefi, is part of the AMD hold down retention mechanism. The tension screw for the AMD hold down bracket places pressure directly in the middle of the dome to secure the block firmly against the CPU. The secondary reason for the dome is that this block is also used with the Silent Stream where a small 12v pump is housed inside the plastic dome.
Pump:
The small black 110v AC pump is capable of 3L per minute (180L per hour). To put the flow rate of the Jefi pump into perspective, the Koolance Exos flows between 1.1L and 2.3L per minute.
The pump is simply placed in the bottom of the reservoir tank and attached firmly to the base via four small suction cups attached to the base of the pump. While not the most ideal method of securing the pump in the reservoir, in all fairness, the unit is not meant to be moved often after being installed anyway.
Reservoir / Tank:
The Jefi reservoir / tank is made of tempered glass and is open at the top. The reservoir serves as just one part of the unique heat dissipation unit for this kit. Capacity of the reservoir is roughly 1/2 gallon without components installed, depending on how far you fill the unit. Assembled, the reservoir holds just over 1/3 of a gallon of coolant/water when the pump and other components are installed.
Jefi Body / Fan Assembly:
The body of the Jefi can best be described as an elaborate plastic inner tube-like device that also doubles as the frame for the 12v 55cfm multi-speed fan. The inner tube-like frame acts like a shower head and dumps the heated water back into the reservoir via small holes on the underside of the body. If you can imagine a donut shaped shower head with a fan in the middle, you will get the idea of how the Jefi body functions. We will look at the body of the Jefi extensively later in this review. The body of the Jefi also has four slotted arms that allow the unit to straddle the sidewalls of the glass reservoir. The multi-speed fan also features a temperature sensor that can be used to either monitor the ambient temperature or water temperature.
