Asus Star Ice

Sooty · Post by **Sooty** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:39 am

Custom PC (UK Mag) were very impressed, calling it: “the best performing HSF we’ve ever tested”.

Designed to fit all modern CPU sockets. More edited quotes:

“With fan speed controlled automatically, with a P4C 3.2GHz overclocked to to 3.36GHz, the fully loaded temperature never breached 41c (11 degrees cooler than the reference Intel HSF).”

“Fan speed adjusted automatically by a thermal sensor, or manually using one or two rheostats.”

“it’s relatively quiet” – using auto mode, so manual rheostats should make it quieter still.

Asus link

Custom PC also tested a Gigabyte 3D Rocket Cooler, describing it as “incredibly quiet”. Doesn’t cool as well as Asus though – only one degree cooler than reference Intel HSF (tested with 3.36GHz).....probably good enough cooling for most peoples needs.

mathias · Post by **mathias** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 4:13 am

To me, it looks a lot like that thermaltake heatpipe monstrousity:

except the fan shroud.

Sooty · Post by **Sooty** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 4:56 am

mathias wrote:To me, it looks a lot like that thermaltake heatpipe monstrousity:

except the fan shroud.

Typical Thermaltake, it’s someone elses design they’re using, again! (que Ralph).

meglamaniac · Post by **meglamaniac** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 5:29 am

Is it just me that thinks this is slightly overkill?

davidstone28 · Post by **davidstone28** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 5:31 am

I always wondered where the jet engine which fell off that Boeing 747 ended up......

On a serious note though, it looks as if you can't change the fan at the front of the 'jet engine' which is shame. Couldn't they have built it around something bigger than a 80mm fan?

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 6:20 am

Didn't Coolermaster do one of these "jet engine" things earlier this year? I'm starting to lose track of who's ripping off who here.....

mathias · Post by **mathias** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 6:49 am

Sooty wrote: Typical Thermaltake, it’s someone elses design they’re using, again! (que Ralph).

Umm, the thermaltake one has been around for a while. At least since may.

Ralf Hutter wrote:Didn't Coolermaster do one of these "jet engine" things earlier this year? I'm starting to lose track of who's ripping off who here.....

No, that was a blower type fan on a regular heatsink. I guess the whole jet engine theme is just truth in advertising, you can't really make a heatsink/fan that looks like a dremel, drill or vacuum cleaner.

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 7:38 am

mathias wrote:
Ralf Hutter wrote:Didn't Coolermaster do one of these "jet engine" things earlier this year? I'm starting to lose track of who's ripping off who here.....
No, that was a blower type fan on a regular heatsink. I guess the whole jet engine theme is just truth in advertising, you can't really make a heatsink/fan that looks like a dremel, drill or vacuum cleaner.

I was thinking about this one. I just never bothered to look at "what was under the hood".

icancam · Post by **icancam** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 7:53 am

Ralf Hutter wrote:I was thinking about this one. I just never bothered to look at "what was under the hood".

Although noisy and with mediocre performance, one can imagine that it must have been a lot of fun to concoct that particular (if the word not too strong) monstrosity and that it would be a hit in its intended market niche.

Once upon a time, I got a thrill out of driving around without a muffler on my old jalopy but these days I aspire to the quietness of a Lexus with its creature comforts.

Sooty · Post by **Sooty** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 8:22 am

davidstone28 wrote:On a serious note though, it looks as if you can't change the fan at the front of the 'jet engine' which is shame.

It does accept a second fan, so if the front fan turns out to be too noisy, even with rpm adjustment, then you could remove the front fan, and try using only a rear fan to suck thru the sink.

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 9:42 am

Probably no ripping off at all. They just order the default parts from some unknown company in mainland China. (How many ways are there to attach three U-shaped heatpipes to a copper plate?)

The sudden appearance of all the jet engine like products for the bling-bling concious is called fashion. Next year we'll see another theme.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:21 pm

Open comment to Coolermaster, ASUS, and other jet engine type CPU cooler manufactuerers -

We want quiet, logically-sensible designs for our CPU coolers. We also want our computer to STAY put, and not RIP OFF our sockets. Thanks.

Signed,
Alex.

mathias · Post by **mathias** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:08 pm

acaurora wrote:Open comment to Coolermaster, ASUS, and other jet engine type CPU cooler manufactuerers -

We want quiet, logically-sensible designs for our CPU coolers. We also want our computer to STAY put, and not RIP OFF our sockets. Thanks.

Calm down, I doubt that's true for most people, I've felt that I'm definitly not in the majority in being sceptical about heatsink weight, and I don't think gimicky heatsinks are all that widespread.

The coolermaster jet's are bad in terms of weight, but they're not exceptionally bad. However, coolermaster does seem to be one of the worse socket strainers, especially with the hyper6. And it's those tower heatsinks that seem to often have this problem, that thermaltake copper heatpipe tower is among them. But keep in mind that at least coolers meant to be silent need to have thin spaced out finns, so they'll be lighter in general.

Sooty · Post by **Sooty** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 4:42 am

Just to correct any misconceptions, the Star Ice weighs 570 grams with fan. I’m guessing that’s a lot less than TT’s version, so perhaps the only identical part they share is the base.

Found another review of the Gigabyte 3D Rocket Cooler:

http://www.hardwarezoom.com/viewcontent ... 3&PageNo=1

They seem equally impressed on how quiet it runs. It also cools the surrounding mobo, inc. Northbridge, which isn’t achieved by all the latest coolers.

POLIST8 · Post by **POLIST8** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:02 am

That thing is ridiculous.

Sooty · Post by **Sooty** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 5:58 am

POLIST8 wrote:That thing is ridiculous.

In what respect is it ridiculous?

Straker · Post by **Straker** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:34 am

ridiculous in the sense that you suddenly have a big barrel filling half your case

Sooty · Post by **Sooty** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 3:28 am

Straker wrote:ridiculous in the sense that you suddenly have a big barrel filling half your case

It'll take up half your case, only if you're running a SFF

otherwise I can't see a problem. 570g is not excessive, and considering the Star Ice air-flow design, I doubt case air-flow suffers.

I don't think POLIST8 was being entirely serious. Yes I'll admit, it does look like it fell off a 747

Sooty · Post by **Sooty** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:01 am

Another very favourable review (..takes a long time to download if you're on dial-up). It's not quiet at 4,500 rpm, but there's no mention of noise levels when the rpm is at its lowest. Mike needs to review one, along with the 3D Rocket Cooler.

pony-tail · Post by **pony-tail** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 2:35 pm

It looks like it would be a pretty good cooler if you took the plastic junk off it.

Sooty · Post by **Sooty** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 3:37 am

pony-tail wrote:It looks like it would be a pretty good cooler if you took the plastic junk off it.

You're wondering if it would cool better without the plastic enclosure? That’s what I wondered when I first saw the AeroCool HT-101, but both these coolers perform so well, I’m sure their plastic enclosures must aid cooling, rather than ‘cook’ the sink. The enclosures also help duct hot air to the exhaust case fan. The Star Ice, being that much bigger (than the HT-101) exhausts hot air nice and close to the rear case fan. The enclosures might also help with noise.

Btw, the Star Ice 80mm fan can be adjusted down to 1500rpm, so I’d be surprised if it’s not capable of running very quiet (Nexus 80mm @ 1500rpm = 17dB).