Kingwin Arctic Watercooling Kit

Kit test – Joe

SUMMARY: A very nice entry level kit with OK performance.

The kind folks at Kingwin sent a sample of their Arctic Water Cooling Kit to try out. One of the compelling features of this kit is that the base unit mounts within a CD ROM slot. The kit includes:

• CPU and GPU waterblocks with P4, AMD K7/K8 mounts
• External radiator and fan
• Tubing (¼” ID) with screw-on mounts
• Thermistor cable
• Assorted screws, washers, thermal grease, tubing tool
• Anti-freeze

Note that in addition to the CD ROM size unit, there is a second radiator which mounts in an 80mm fan cutout. This adds significantly to the kit’s performance, as will be seen in the test data.

The base unit includes a radiator, waterpump, reservoir and LCD control panel. There is a radiator fan in the top which exits through the bottom of the unit.

When installing this unit, there MUST BE sufficient clearance at both the top and bottom for sufficient cooling of this radiator. Therefore, the CD ROM slot in which this is placed must have clearance top and bottom. Installing the unit at the topmost CD ROM slot may give sufficient top clearance, but the slot below must be empty.

A look at the back

shows the inlet/outlet ports, pins for the thermistor, external radiator fan and four pin power plug. The front

features the radiator fill port, LCD screen, temperature adjustment buttons and fan speed knob. I found the base unit’s 80mm fan speeds to vary from 1825 to 3735 rpm. When powered, the LCD displays the thermistor temp, external fan condition, temperature alarm points (50, 60 and 80ºC) and pump condition. The dial of the fan speed dial lights up, varying depending on fan speed selected (blue low, purple high). When thermistor temps hit 50ºC, the 50ºC flashes; same for 60 and 80ºC.

When the external fan kicks into high gear, the fan symbol activates. Finally, if the pump fails, the pump symbol flashes. There is a beeper which beeps once when powered up, and will beep if the pump fails.
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A look inside

shows the radiator, reservoir with waterpump inside and the PCB control circuit. The waterpump is on the small side – I did not measure waterflow, but judging from the speed at which I saw bubbles moving through the tubes, it’s a low-flow system (I would guess less than 15 gph).

A second radiator is inlcuded with the kit:

This features an 80mm fan and will fit in a case’s 80mm exhaust port.

The kit features two waterblocks – CPU and GPU. The CPU waterblock

is nicely finished with a chrome outer shell. The square plug at the top is for the mounting hardware – a nice feature, as forces are centered over the CPU core. The fittings are ¼” – definitely on the small side. The copper waterblock base

is polished. Included are mounts for P4 and AMD K7/8.

The GPU waterblock

is also attractively finished with a copper base and has mounts for a variety of situations.

Included are all the necessary parts, including screws, tubing, spare washers, thermistor cable, anti-freeze fluid, thermal grease and a tool for securing the tubing to the fittings. I found it very easy to screw the tubing to all the fittings. There is an instruction manual which is adequate and shows how to configure the kit, purge air through the lines and mount it.

Overall, nice build quality and everything you need to install the kit into a case. I would estimate it would take no more than an hour to get up and running, including reading the manual. With no case modifications required, this kit is fairly easy to install.
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I tested the Kingwin kit using the CPU Die Simulator which gives results that are unaffected by motherboard influences, with the Socket A clip. I tested the unit with the CPU waterblock only.

The unit was tested in the open air – installed in a case with restricted airflow will compromise performance; consider these results as the best the unit will do under optimum conditions.

I tested the kit with the thermistor cable placed next to the die’s side – similar to placing it next to the CPU’s core. I found temps displayed on the LCD panel to vary by about 3-4ºC of temps measured at the die. The thermistor is an important part of the system as it controls the speed of the external radiator fan; users can set the lowest temp to 40C – once reached, the fan kicks into high gear.