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Installation
When I received the package, I immediately noticed that it was both lightweight and also versatile. The plastic can be bent to make sure it fits into your case. In the box came instructions on using it, the unit itself and also adhesive Velcro so you can make sure it doesn't move around inside your case. Something else also came to mind and that was "can a piece of duct plastic and a fan really make my case cooler?", I can say that is an enthusiastic yes, by channeling cool air to the hottest parts of the case, hot airflow is restricted and cool air is flowing where how air was before. So if you eliminate the hot spots of the case, the case will become a lot cooler. I really shouldn't say eliminate, it is more like supplementing most of the hot air generated with cool air.
Following the instruction manual, I put the 2CoolPC kit as far back on my case as I possible could so air is channeled directly above the video card and processor area. The Velcro can be used to hold the kit in place. The last step to the puzzle is plugging in the molex connector to an available 4-pin from your power supply which isn't hard, I had my case fan and the 2CoolPC share one connector via a Y-splitter. With the 2CoolPC secure on the bottom floor of my case and the power ready, I turned my computer on.
Usage
Seriously, I was expecting a loud roar to come from the fan of the kit but I was surprised when all I heard was a dull hum from the fan, nothing even remotely as loud as my YS Tech case fan. Actually, it seemed to muffle the other sounds in the case quite well. The airflow from the fan was pretty nice, more than enough to cool most components.
I was thinking about buying many of these to put in my various cases when a thought came into my mind. Will this fit in all cases and configurations? The answer is a no. I originally tested the system first with a GF2 and a low profile PCI Ethernet card under it so there was nothing in the PCI slots. Then I tested the system in another case where there was a standard Vortex2 sound card, WinTV card, and an Ethernet card, all PCI. The 2CoolPC system will not fit in this case configuration because the cards from the PCI slots stick up too high and the 2CoolPC is too wide. The kit would not fit because the PCI slots, this would mean to use this system effectively you would need a wide case, low-profile PCI cards, or some handy bending of plastic. The latter is probably the most effective as it channels air faster. Aside from the PCI problems, this kit is a wonder to cool cases.
To describe it better to you, this is a 92mm fan in the 2CoolPC Plus, while some cases use a 92mm case fan, 80mm is much more commonplace. At airflow at 50CFM and being quieter than my 38CFM 80mm case fan, this is a far more efficient way of cooling your case. Also, while you're contemplating buying this unit, make sure that you have good ventilation in your case because hot/cool air is going to need a place to escape to and since this kit blows air towards the top of the case, a exhaust fan would be ideal. The 2CoolPC is not a small system, you will need to remove it from your case whenever you want to upgrade your computer, this might be tedious if you are the frequent upgrader like I am. Alrighty, lets see how this worked:
First of all, I tried to get the system to run as hot as it could while running all of my case fans. Overclocked 550E at 733Mhz, overclocked GF2, 7200RPM hard drive, and a hot power supply got my ambient case temperature to 36C! That has got to be some warmness in there, especially since it's idle. I decided to put in the 2CoolPC and see how it stacks up against the heat. Lets just say it cooled it down pretty darn good, down to 32C. To get a system cooled to that level even with the case fans running is quite a feat and the 2CoolPC obviously works as advertised. I didn't expect the system to work this well but it did, so I better not argue, this is staying in my system.
2CoolPC Plus (the one I used) is available at www.2coolpc.com and priced at $24.95, that is pretty high for what this is made of and I'm sure they're pocketing quote a few bucks but nothing on the market is as simple as this and as effective, if you think the investment is worth it, dive right in.
>> Pros & Cons/Conclusion
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