![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Monday , July 07, 2008
- Author:
- Marc Adams
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
EVGA AKIMBO
If you are looking to add an "aftermarket" cooler to your very hot video card, EVGA looks to be serving up some very fine cooling with their AKIMBO cooling systems it launched a few months ago.
EVGA AKIMBO
The EVGA AKIMBO is a dual slot cooler for the extremely popular 8800GT video card from NVIDIA. As mentioned earlier, besides being sold together with the video card from EVGA, the AKIMBO is also being sold separately for those of you who already own an 8800GT and are looking for better (read: less noisy) cooling solution. The stock cooling solution on the 8800GT works very well but only if you crank it to the max and at that point you better be using earphones and live in the middle of nowhere because the noise will be unbearable.
Package
EVGA packages up the card in a plastic shell and encloses it inside a thin cardboard box full of marketing material. All of the accessories are neatly tucked away inside the shell. To help prevent fraud EVGA places a window on the rear of the box for those who may be purchasing the unit inside a store. Through the window you can compare the serial number on the card with the serial number on the box to ensure they match.
Contents & Flatness
The first two pictures show you the contents if you receive just the cooler. Not shown below is the double slot bracket that will replace the single slot one used on the 8800GT. The third image shows the contents of the kit should you buy the card along with the cooler. It is the typical assortment of adapters and manuals.
The final image shows us the flatness of the AKIMBO. It is very flat as detailed by the uniform light shining through the tip of the blade. This is also confirmed later on by viewing the contact patch after installation.
Photos
Here is a look inside the AKIMBO. Removing the cover shows us three heat pipes and a larger blower fan as the secrets to the AKIMBO. To be honest I was a bit surprised. I was expecting a bit more engineering under the hood. But I am getting ahead of myself here. We will see how well this simple design works and then we can either praise it or berate it.
Installation & Contact
Installing the AKIMBO is a bit more involved than is the case with other aftermarket coolers. The reason for this is simple. The AKIMBO uses a replacement bracket for your video card and will require you to remove the single slot bracket that comes with your card. Even though the unit comes with a total of sixteen screws the entire process is pretty easy. What I like most about this unit is that it makes use of the PWM circuit on your card. This means you can control the fan speed from programs like RivaTuner or nTune for extra cooling or increased silence. Not many aftermarket coolers can make that claim.
Contact with the AKIMBO is solid. A clearly visible outline is present showing us where the GPU core sits. The excess thermal compound is squeezed to the outside leaving only what is necessary to bridge the minute gaps.