Review: A Cool Solution For System Builders

Because of the efficiency they offer, liquid cooling systems have been gaining in popularity among gamers and overclockers. Unfortunately, liquid cooling is usually an expensive and risky option. Pumps, radiators and tubing all need a place to be stored or mounted, and running any kind of liquid throughout a case of sensitive electronics carries a slight danger if a leak should develop.

Calgary, Alberta-based CoolIT Systems recently announced the Domino A.L.C. (Advanced Liquid Cooling) as an easy and affordable way to, as it states, deliver liquid cooling to the masses. Test Center reviewers had a chance to try out the new device and see if it is as simple as the company claims. Aside from a few installation issues, the unit worked exactly as promoted.

The Domino comes assembled as a single, all-in-one, sealed unit. Necessary backplates and brackets are included for Intel's LGA 775 and LGA 1366 systems, as well as AMD's AM2 and AM2+ sockets. The FHE (Fluid Heat Exchanger) is connected to a radiator module by two relatively thin, flexible tubes that are stiff enough to hold their shape when routed. The radiator module is mounted to a 120mm fan that is intended to replace the chassis' rear fan. This is how the unit is attached to the case.

After removing any current cooling solutions, installation consists of positioning the appropriate backplate to the bottom of the motherboard (double-tape is included to hold it in place) and assembling the retention bracket. The Domino ships with the LGA 1366 bracket preinstalled. Next, the FHE is positioned over the processor and screwed into the backplate. Finally, the fan mounts into the chassis with four rubber, plug-like connectors. Any additional hardware that may be needed is included with the packaging.

An LCD is attached at a right angle to the radiator, allowing it to be viewed through the assumed clear side panel of the chassis. The unit can be used with no apparent problems in a case that doesn't have a windowed panel but, obviously, status and warnings would not be visible if it did.

When we reached the final step of installation, reviewers ran into a problem with the chassis we were using. The rear fan's mounting plate was positioned just a hair's width too close to another mounting bracket, which interfered with the LCD and prevented the fan and radiator from lining up correctly. For testing purposes, since this particular chassis had a sliding motherboard tray, we slid the tray out a bit and mounted the unit in this position. To avoid a similar situation, we recommend taking note of the location of the fan for the chassis you are using before committing to the installation.

After connecting the 3-pin connector to a fan header on the motherboard, we were ready to power the system up.

Following the trend of most chassis, the Domino's LCD lights up a cool blue. Fan speed and pump speed are shown in RPMs, and the coolant temperature can be displayed in Celsius or Fahrenheit. The panel also shows the current operation mode and a warning symbol when there are system alerts.

Out of the box, the Performance operation mode is selected of three selectable choices, the others being Quiet and Full. Operation modes are essentially fan speed controls. Quiet is the slowest speed, Performance automatically adjusts for optimum quiet cooling performance, and Full is for maximum cooling. On the right side of the display panel is a small button, which is used to select the mode, as well as toggle between the two temperature scales. In all three modes, the system will automatically throttle the speed if safe temperature ranges are exceeded.

Although the display showed a difference in speed, both the Quiet and Performance modes fell below the sound level in our lab, which was 57 dBA. In Full mode, the fan was audible, measuring 62 dBA on our meter. Unless we literally placed an ear against the unit, the pump was impossible to hear.

As measured in the BIOS, on average we noted a reduction in temperature of approximately 8 degrees Celsius or 15 degrees Fahrenheit. While doing a little overclocking (which is not officially supported by any CPU manufacturer and done at your own risk), this temperature difference allowed us to push the CPU an additional 3 percent over our traditional heatsink and fan setup.

With a retail price of $79, the Domino A.L.C. costs about the same, if not less, than most of the high-end fan/heatsink solutions currently available. It is a quiet, relatively simple to install system that is a good option for those wanting the advantages of liquid cooling without the added expense.