[H]ard|OCP

Navigation

• [H] Forums
• Archives
• Search
• [H] Folding

Koolance EXOS Al

Koolance arguably makes the best external watercooling solution on the market. See what Koolance has done to make their EXOS line of watercooling units even better.

Koolance is a name well known to us here at [H]ardOCP. Not only have we reviewed the very first Koolance in 2001, we have reviewed every, other Koolance since then. In addition to our reviews, we personally use several Koolance EXOS units on all our mainboard / CPU test beds here in our review facilities. So to say we are familiar with Koolance would be an understatement to say the least.

Today we are taking a look at the EXOS Al (aluminum) unit, the latest product from Koolance. The EXOS Al is identical to the original EXOS we reviewed here some nine months ago save one minor feature, weight. If you are unfamiliar with the operation of the EXOS we highly recommend that you read the original review to get up to speed before proceeding further.

Koolance has built the reputation of their external line of cooling products from nothing to mainstream in three short years. The Koolance name was literally unheard of two years ago except among enthusiast, now it is a mainstream name that is known worldwide. Koolance has done a truly remarkable job making a name for themselves as they literally pioneered external water cooling solutions. Today the Koolance name brand can be found in OEM PCs, enthusiast PCs, servers and high-end elitist systems like Alienware.

Over the years Koolance's mission statement has stayed the same. The company profile below is now years old yet still holds as true today.

From Koolance: Technology is driven by innovation. While today's systems continue to push the speed envelope, cooling plays a vital role in performance and system reliability. As we begin to approach the limitations of traditional cooling methods, many industries are focusing on the next evolutionary step. "Legitimate" liquid cooling has long been relatively crude, often requiring components to be purchased individually, and a large compliment of power tools to install. Lacking ease of use and established support, these kits were simply not designed for the general market.

In 1995, Koolance began development on a consumer line of PC liquid cooling systems. As the most sophisticated products of their kind, many unique features were incorporated found nowhere else in the realm of computer cooling. Today, Koolance is the recognized leader in consumer-level PC liquid cooling systems. Providing the most professional products available, we cater to those who desire advanced solutions at impressive prices. After all, Koolance is not only helping the industry, we're also pioneering it.

As I mentioned earlier, the main difference between the older Koolance EXOS and the new EXOS Al is the fact that the latter mentioned unit is aluminum and weighs almost four pounds less than the original. Changes in the waterblock have been made as well as a few other specifications.

Because the EXOS Al is simply made of lighter material than the previous version with a few design tweaks, our focus today will not only be on those minor design differences, but the performance of the new Koolance CPU-300-H06 water block compared to the older CPU-200G block. Our EXOS Al review unit will be put to the test on the notoriously hot Prescott as well as the Athlon64 to see if this unit can effectively deal with the heat generated by the hottest processors currently on the market.

Features:

Packaging:

As we have come to expect, Koolance has once again done a remarkable job with product placement and packaging. The plain white box is fitted with a nicely printed outer sleeve (seen below). The kit includes:

External chassis that contains the radiator, reservoir & pumps, top cooling module with fans, and LED display. The power control board with slot interface, quick-release valves, user manual, liquid coolant bottle, funnel, tubing (external and internal), attachment strips/pads, and various smaller components.

Inside the unit is held in place by two form fitting Styrofoam inserts at either end of the unit. These Styrofoam inserts are also notched to fit other smaller components like the CPU water block. The rest of the components fit nicely into cardboard trays that rest in the open areas between the Styrofoam inserts.

Components:

Let's take a moment to look at each of the components individually starting with the unit itself and ending with the CPU 300-H06 water block.

The EXOS Al utilizes the familiar pump/reservoir system we saw in the previous EXOS line with one small difference, the reservoir can now be filled from the top instead of from the bottom. The redundant dual pump system is given a 1 liter per minute flow rate by Koolance. The low flow pumps work in tandem (push / pull configuration) that also acts as a failsafe. In the unlikely event that one pump should fail the system can get by on a single pump long enough for the system to be shut down and repairs to be made.

The same large 13 row aluminum radiator from the previous EXOS is also used in the new EXOS Al. The 11.5" x 4.5" radiator does a remarkable job dissipating heat absorbed by the system water blocks.