Conclusion

As we stated earlier in the review the initial installation of a VapoChill LS system can be quite daunting. Having completed the process twice now we are happy to say that it is actually a relatively easy task. There are aspects which can stretch abilities such as having to cut sections from the PC case if we wanted the "perfect looking" install, however this isn't essential and from experience our review system case sits open all the time anyway due to various component changes and tweaks that most enthusiasts would also perform on a regular basis.

The one aspect of the install we were unhappy with was the quality of the manual provided with the VapoChill LS. The black and white pictures are far from clear and this makes them hard to use. The instructions themselves are not badly written, just let down by the images. Asetek do provide an on-line version of the manual which is clearer, however this won't be much use to someone who is sitting with their PC in bits on the floor part way through an install.

The software control panel is a nice addition to an already very good bundle and the ability to monitor numerous temperatures and fans in one place is fantastic. If Asetek could add an option to monitor CPU speeds etc. to this software it would make a great all in one package.

The performance area is where the VapoChill LS excels and it allowed us to over clock the CPUs to their limits. The results we achieved on the FX-60 were great, however it is the LS's affect on our Core2 X6800 which blew us away. Running the X6800 at 4.1Ghz all day every day is a great experience and the difference it makes to the performance of the system is quite staggering. Whether it be playing games, image editing or video encoding the VapoChill LS and X6800 combined is a real extreme users heaven.

 

Summary:

The VapoChill LS doesn't come cheap and is rather daunting to install for the first time, however once up and running it is one of the most exciting mainstream PC components we've reviewed and the performance level achievable with the unit is nothing short of amazing.

What do these awards mean?

 

The Vapochill LS is available from Overclockers.co.uk for £550 and Frozen PC for $850

Need to find a dealer ? click here

Vapochill LS Update 22/08/06

Since the publication of our Vapochill LS review we have been busy tweaking away in the BIOS of the Intel D975XBX and as of today have achieved a new highest over clock on our Core 2 X6800. The Vapochill LS is the only cooling solution which has been able to get above 4Ghz on this CPU and this result makes the system an even more worthy winner of the Driverheaven Gold Award. Below is our latest screen shot showing the CPU at 4236Mhz.