Worst cooling product ever...

[vandersl]

After picking one of these up today, I had to rant, and maybe have some fun with it...

The tiny fan on my Radeon 8500 started to fail on me last night (was making funny noises - could have something to do with me ripping the frame off of it). Rather than slap another one on, I decided to try out a slot cooler/blower (Antec brand). It was rated at 12V, 0.15A, 3100rpm, 41cfm, and 'super quiet' (one of the specs is accurate, guess which).

Now, I should have known better, but I figured 'hey, 41CFM, that should move enough air near the vid card to keep it cool with the big HS I have on it'.

Well, this thing is junk. I can't measure it (can't really feel it, even), but I'd be amazed if it was more than 20cfm. I feel nothing at the intake, and little at the output.

So, currently this goes down as the single worst $16 (ya, I know) I have spent on any cooling device.

I was wondering if anyone else has a favorite worst cooling product story. Maybe we can save someone some money.

 

[Diggrr]

Worst thing I bought was a coolermaster hsf/w peltier, way back for my k6-2 400.

It had no coldplate, and it was a 36 watt pelt! I pryed off the pelt and the frame around it, and used the heatsink/fan...got better temps that way too, though I had to change clips for the narrower base.

I haven't bought a CoolerMaster product since, (no heatpipe for me either, I watercool now) and probably never will.
Do me once, shame on you...Do me twice, shame on me....ya know?

 

[Neco]

I have a super duper slot fan from 3dcool.com


when I had my Geforce2MX I put it next to it and my case temps went down pretty close to their 10 degree claim.


I would not trust it with a high end video card tho...


if I had to money I'd just throw a waterblock on my radeon 8500 too. heh

 

[NASsoccer]

actually mine was when i didn't know a great deal about HSF and i was ordering my first athlon and the website i ordered from had the upgrade your HSF option . To cut it short i payed 40 or dollars for a 5 cent HSF and that company succesfully got the best of me

 

[Yodums]

IT might be because, it is an exhaust, try feeling the back where its exhausting.

These thing really do help (At least for me).

The worst product I had to buy hm... The blorb!!! So much lapping.

 

[Intraveinous]

Worst I've ever been burned is by Step Thermodynamics... Paid $60 some odd dollars for one of their "Custom Designed, Top of the line" coolers and got a Globalwin WBK38 I could have picked up for $25. When I returned it, I never got a refund... Oh well, such is life, right...
Peace
John

 

[Crazy Jayhawk]

Vantec dual-fan slot cooler. Two 40-mm fans on the end of a plastic duct. Did nothing but pull dust into the case.

 

[William]

Yodums is right, it is almost certainly an exhaust blower(most of the slot coolers are). You didn't waste your money per se, you just got the wrong type of fun. Its doing what it is supposed to.

 

[CSaddict]

I have the Radeon as well and I have a slot fan under it and it moves tons of warm air out! Doing its job well for me. I do have 3 90mill fans pushing in though and 2 80's pushing out and 2 60's pushing out. But I can still feel it moving a good amount of air.

 

[Hotsauce]

I've had one of the "double fan" slot coolers lock up on me. I didn't notice it until the computer started having some serious stability problems.

Can't even begin to guess how much time I wasted trouble shooting windows and everything else. Finally took the side panel off, the cpu was too hot to touch.

I replaced the fans with another set I had.

It's now in my wifes machine, just checked it today. and As soon as I powered her machine down to clean it, one fan stopped almost immediately, the other just cruised to a stop.

Piece of junk.

 

[craigiz1]

I have the exact same exhaust blower right under my ASUS vid card and it is working very well. I can feel a strong air flow out of the back from it. Paid $19 at CompUSA. High price I know, but I would have had to pay shipping and wait for it otherwise.

Maybe yours is bad?

 

[Stephen Castles]

beware of these slot coolers, the bearings go bad and they make some funky noises within a month, just dont waste your cash...

 

[vandersl]

Well, since this turned into a slot cooler debate...

I am feeling the flow at the exhaust (you can't feel anything at all at the blower intake, really). It is blowing air, and I can see how it would make a difference in a case with little other ventillation.

I have a fair idea of what 41cfm feels like - and this isn't it (ok, maybe I need to get my hand recalibrated...). The air speed is significantly lower than from a standard fan, and its coming from a smaller area.

Maybe the 41cfm is measured before they put the plastic shroud around it

 

[ButcherUK]

A shim is my worst. I was green and bought one... utter waste of money, didn't even stop me mismounting a hsf and frying the chip (only cpu ever fried ).

 

[CraxySerge]

Stephen Castles is right. I had a slot cooler back in the day of my K6-2 500 and the bearings went bad within 2 months. And the worst product I ever bought was a no name Golden orb for my K6 chip. The temps were crap.

 

[boonmar]

the worst product I bought has to be the fan filter. After putting that on my 80 mm. fan, no airflow at all