SUMMARY: Very compact external kit with mid-range performance.

The good guys at Comserver Components were nice enough to send a sample of their Standalone Water Cooling Unit. This is a very compact external unit with about 6' of 3/8" OD tubing, so it can be located some distance from the PC. The unit features:

• AC ball bearing 26 dba 120 mm fan
• 12 Ounce aluminum reservoir
• 300 Gallon Per Hour Pump
• Nickel plated, O-ring Push-To-Lock fittings
• Aluminum radiator

A closer look reveals how it gets its compact shape.

There's not much wasted space here - this diagram gives a good view of how things are stitched together:

Note that the pump is directly bonded to the reservoir - saves a lot of space. One thing I noticed is that the pump makes a "rattling" sound for about a minute, then quiets down - this is the pump cavitating and purging air from the system. The radiator is closely tied to the pump, so lines are kept to a minimum - a very neat, compact design.

There are two waterblocks - a P4:

The base is reasonably flat:

And a Socket A version, which features spring-loaded clips:

The base appears flat and polished:

I tested the Comserver kit using the Die Simulator for both the P4 and Socket A versions. The Socket A clip is easy to mount and engages all three socket lugs; simply screw the bolt in, set it on the lugs, and unscrew until the bolt clears the top of the clip - simple.

However, I did notice that the clip might "hang up" as the clearance between the block and springs is quite tight - this could result in misaligned CPU contact; Comserver is correcting this problem.

Fan noise is tolerable - I measured it at 59 dBA three feet from the fan - not terrible, but definitely noticeable.

Interpreting C/W: For every watt (CPUw) that the CPU consumes, the HSF will limit the CPU's temperature rise to (C/W x CPUw) plus the temperature at the HSF's fan inlet. For example, at an ambient temp of 25 C, a C/W of 0.25 with a CPU radiating 50 watts means that CPU temp will increase 50 x 0.25 = 12.5 C over ambient temp, or 37.5 C. The lower the C/W, the better.

Die Simulator results place the Comserver P4 with the P4 and Socket A waterblocks in the middle of watercooling kits tested to date (Heatsink Ranking). The higher pressure P4 mounting system resulted in better performance - not unexpected.

The Comserver Components Watercooling Kit is nicely built and quite compact - locating the "base" unit about 6' from the PC is possible with resulting noise reduction. All told, a very nice unit to consider for relatively quiet, effective CPU cooling.

Thanks again to Randy at Comserver Components for personally delivering this unit.

Email Joe