KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
For many years ARCTIC have been creating some of the finest cooling solutions. Today we are looking at their latest Accelero Xtreme III triple fan cooler which has support for Nvidia's flagship GTX680 graphics card. We know this cooler will annihilate Nvidia's reference cooler, but can it possibly outperform the stunning triple slot DirectCU II TOP cooler which features on the overclocked Asus GTX680?
Today we will find out if the cooler is worth an eye popping $120.
First, let us take a look at the graphics card we are using as the guinea pig ‘test subject' today.
The Asus GTX 680 Direct CU II TOP is one of the best graphics cards on the market, aimed at the high end audience who don't mind paying a little extra for enhanced cooling and clock speeds.
At £480 inc vat it is certainly not an impulse purchase but it includes one of the best ‘out of the box' dual fan coolers, so we feel it is worth paying a little extra. The only downside with this hefty metal cooler is the triple slot design, which can cause some install problems, especially if you want to run in an SLI configuration.
The Asus GTX 680 Direct CU II TOP ships at faster clock speeds than the reference card, 1137mhz on the core (from 1,006mhz), with a boost speed of 1202mhz. Memory is clocked at 1502mhz, or 6GBps effective.
Before we get to the install phase of the review, let's take a look at the ARCTIC Accelero Xtreme III.
Specifications:
| Max. Cooling Capacity | 300 Watts |
|---|---|
| Heatpipe | Ø 6 mm x 5 |
| Heatsink Material | Aluminum fins x 84, thickness 0.3 mm |
| Fan (mm) | 92 mm, 900 – 2,000 RPM (controlled by PWM) x 3 fans |
| Bearing | Fluid Dynamic Bearing |
| Noise Level | 0.5 Sone |
| Current, Voltage | 0.12A / 12V |
| Power Consumption | 4.32W |
| Dimensions (Product) | 288 (L) x 104 (W) x 54 (H) mm |
| Net Weight | 653 g |
| Heatsink | 31 pcs |
| Screw (M2) | 4 pcs |
| Washer | 4 pcs |
| Spacer (2.5 mm) | 4 pcs |
| Spacer (3.5 mm) | 4 pcs |
| Spacer (4.5 mm) | 4 pcs |
| Adhesive Tape | 2 pcs |
| Insulation Tape | 5 pcs |
| Thermal Pads | 3 pcs |
| EVA Foam | 1 pc |
| GPU Back Plate | 1 pc |
| Thermal Adhesives (3 g) | 1 pc |
| VGA Bracket | 1 pc |
| 4-Pin Fan Power Adapter | 1 pc |
| Limited Warranty | 6 years |
| Dimensions (Packaging) | 292 (L) x 110 (W) x 60 (H) mm |
| itemnumber | DCACO-V15G400-BL |
| UPC | 0872767005693 |
| Gross Weight | 1.1 kg |
