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Koolance PC3-720BK

Koolance is back with a completely redesigned water cooling system that they claim is capable of dissipating up to 700W of heat energy. We evaluate the PC3-720BK on both an Intel and AMD-based system.

Four years ago next month, we posted the very first review of a liquid cooled case from an unknown company named Koolance. Most of you will remember that in early 2001, water cooling, while popular among overclockers and enthusiasts, was far from being considered a mainstream alternative to traditional air cooling. For most people, having water inside their computer was unthinkable.

In the early years of enthusiast water cooling, much of the thrill associated with this exotic method of cooling a system was the actual process of hand selecting each component, modding your case and building a complete system from the ground up. Unfortunately, for most people, properly assembling a custom water cooling system required more time and effort than the average person was willing to sacrifice in the name of lower temperatures and the pursuit of higher clock speeds.

Koolance’s first systems were designed specifically with the average PC user in mind, someone that needed a user-friendly all-in-one product. At that time, there were only a handful of companies like Danger Den and Swiftech that offered high performance water blocks and complete DIY kits, but there weren’t any companies offering an easy to use, mainstream system. The initial line of Koolance liquid cooled cases not only gathered a good deal of press coverage and positive reviews, but they also, perhaps most importantly, brought water cooling to the technologically-challenged people of the world.

Five short months after the launch of the Koolance line of liquid cooled cases, the company introduced the Koolance II, a totally redesigned product that addressed the limitations of the original design, incorporated more advanced cooling features, and gave the system a new, more aggressive look. The heat exchanger and fans had been moved from the base of the system and relocated to the top of the system in a special molded enclosure that bore a striking resemblance to a hood scoop.

A year after that introduction of the Koolance II, Koolance once again raised the bar by introducing the Koolance Exos line of external water cooling units. The Exos not only introduced portability to the world of water cooling, but it also brought style, power, and versatility with it. Another cool feature was the ability to install the Exos in minutes, and the fact that you could also easily take the Exos from system to system when upgrading your computer.

Not too long after its introduction, Koolance decided to make a few minor improvements to the original Exos, such as a new lighter aluminum chassis/case that literally weighed half as much as its predecessor. This new Exos system was called the Exos-Al. It should also be noted, in addition to our reviews of Koolance products, we also use several Koolance Exos units on all our mainboard/CPU test beds here in our review facilities.

Now that we have the history of Koolance out of the way we can focus our attention on the latest from product from Koolance, the PC3-720BK professional line of water cooled cases. Let’s get started, shall we?

Koolance's mission statement has stayed the same over the years. Although the company profile below is now several years old, it still holds 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.

Features:

Packaging:

As always, Koolance has done a fine job of packaging their product to insure against damage during shipping. The outside of the box simply says “Koolance.”

The PC3-720BK is held in place by two form fitting Styrofoam inserts at either end of the case. Unlike the Koolance Exos line of products, the components such as water blocks and clamps do not have fitted compartments in the Styrofoam packaging. Instead, every component was actually packed into the case itself. Some components had come loose from their individual packaging during shipping, but no damage occurred to any components or the case itself.

The Case:

The case itself is pleasing to the eye but rather large. In a day and age where small form factor PCs are all the rage, the full tower design does take a bit of getting used to. The case stands almost 2 feet tall, but it seems much taller than that.