Battle of the Water Cooling Kits
XSPC X2O Dual Xtreme
Published: 19th June 2006 | Source: Alphacool | Price: |
Overclock3D have been very lucky to receive a pre-release water cooling kit from XSPC. XSPC are a UK company dedicated to high performance water cooling components, and have been in business since 2003.
As this water-cooling kit has not yet been officially released, please keep in mind the version we are reviewing will not be as polished as the retail version.
The kit arrived in a plain cardboard box, with everything inside protected by a combination of both bubble wrap and air cushions. In addition to this, the majority of components in the kit were also contained within their own boxes. It would take a pretty brutal courier to cause any damage to the components within this box. I would also like to add that when the X20 Dual Xtreme kit is officially released, it will be contained within a more aesthetically pleasing packaging.
I was thoroughly impressed with the components included in the Dual Xtreme kit. I certainly wasn't expecting XSPC to include their Aluminium Passive Reservoir (blue tube on right of picture), which should further improve the cooling performance of the kit. The total kit comprises of the following items:
- XSPC R120-D Crossflow Radiator
- XSPC X2O Xtreme CPU Water Block
- XSPC X2O Pump with built-in Reservoir + Blue LED
- XSPC 150mm Passive Aluminium Reservoir + Blue LED (Choice of Black, Blue or Silver)
- 2x XinRuiLian 1700RPM 120mm Fans *2400rpm
- PVC 10/8mm High Transparency Hose
- Generic Silver Paste
- Zerex Water Additive (Coolant)
- UV Water Dye (Choice of colours)
- 2x Silicone Gaskets Fan Shrouds
- Mounting hardware for Pump, Radiator & Passive Reservoir.
- Manual
- PCI Plate for external tubing routing
- 2x Radiator mounting bracket set (120mm to 80mm)
- XSPC R120-D Crossflow Radiator
- XSPC X2O Xtreme CPU Water Block
- XSPC X2O Pump with built-in Reservoir + Blue LED
- XSPC 150mm Passive Aluminium Reservoir + Blue LED (Choice of Black, Blue or Silver)
- 2x XinRuiLian 1700RPM 120mm Fans *2400rpm
- PVC 10/8mm High Transparency Hose
- Generic Silver Paste
- Zerex Water Additive (Coolant)
- UV Water Dye (Choice of colours)
- 2x Silicone Gaskets Fan Shrouds
- Mounting hardware for Pump, Radiator & Passive Reservoir.
- Manual
- PCI Plate for external tubing routing
- 2x Radiator mounting bracket set (120mm to 80mm)
XSPC have included a full colour manual in English language only. The manual covers all aspects of setting up your water cooling system and mounting the water block and other components.
The included manual was actually for the single radiator version of the X2O kit, so some of the instructions differed slightly. However XSPC are working on a manual exclusively for the Dual Xtreme, which will be shipped with the retail version of the kit.
Water Block & Accessories
A new addition to the XSPC family is the X20 Xtreme water block. Previously XSPC were making use of the highly acclaimed 'Zern' water block, which despite producing some great results, did not have a universal mounting plate, and was therefore not a great companion for a water-cooling kit.
The included manual was actually for the single radiator version of the X2O kit, so some of the instructions differed slightly. However XSPC are working on a manual exclusively for the Dual Xtreme, which will be shipped with the retail version of the kit.
Water Block & Accessories
A new addition to the XSPC family is the X20 Xtreme water block. Previously XSPC were making use of the highly acclaimed 'Zern' water block, which despite producing some great results, did not have a universal mounting plate, and was therefore not a great companion for a water-cooling kit.
The block comes with pre-assembled mounting hardware that supports the following platforms:
- AMD Socket 939
- AMD Socket 754
- AMD Socket 940
- Intel Socket 775
- Intel Socket 478
- Intel Socket 603
- Intel Socket 604
* AMD AM2 mounting plate coming soon.
Also included is a "CPU Extension Ring", which can be used to raise the height of the mounting plate on the water block. This is useful for motherboards that have capacitors or other electronics close to the CPU socket which may hinder mounting of the water block.
The base of the block is similar in finish to that of Swiftech's. The surface is very flat and there are no visible marks or scratches. It would have been nice to see the bottom of this block polished to a mirror finish, however, whether this would have any noticeable effects on performance is debatable.
The block is designed to give maximum performance while keeping the flow resistance to a minimum. Inside the block, the copper base has a grid of 429 pins with a brass insert to direct the flow around the block.
- AMD Socket 939
- AMD Socket 754
- AMD Socket 940
- Intel Socket 775
- Intel Socket 478
- Intel Socket 603
- Intel Socket 604
* AMD AM2 mounting plate coming soon.
Also included is a "CPU Extension Ring", which can be used to raise the height of the mounting plate on the water block. This is useful for motherboards that have capacitors or other electronics close to the CPU socket which may hinder mounting of the water block.
The base of the block is similar in finish to that of Swiftech's. The surface is very flat and there are no visible marks or scratches. It would have been nice to see the bottom of this block polished to a mirror finish, however, whether this would have any noticeable effects on performance is debatable.
The block is designed to give maximum performance while keeping the flow resistance to a minimum. Inside the block, the copper base has a grid of 429 pins with a brass insert to direct the flow around the block.
XSPC have included both a Water Additive and UV dye in with the package. Judging by the colour, the Water Additive looks to be Zerex - regarded by many as one of the best coolants available.
Also included in the kit are two LED's. These can be inserted into the holes drilled in the perspex on the reservoir and pump to add a bit of 'bling' to your water-cooling system. One thing I would like to have seen is the use of UV LED's rather than coloured LED's. This would mean that the water would glow with whatever colour UV additive had been used.
The reservoir mounting brackets can be used to place the reservoir anywhere within your case (drilling may be required) and can even be fixed to an 80mm fan hole.
In a similar fashion, the radiator can be mounted at the back of your machine over a 120mm fan hole, or the included brackets can be used to fix the radiator to an 80mm fan hole.
Should you wish to mount radiator on the outside of the case, XSPC have included a PCI Bracket for routing your tubing outside.
Pump & Reservoir
The XSPC X20 Dual Xtreme kit is supplied with XSPC's very own X20 pump and passive reservoir. Interestingly, the XSPC X20 pump actually has an integrated reservoir, so should you not be able to find a place to install the passive reservoir, you can use the pump's reservoir instead.
Also included in the kit are two LED's. These can be inserted into the holes drilled in the perspex on the reservoir and pump to add a bit of 'bling' to your water-cooling system. One thing I would like to have seen is the use of UV LED's rather than coloured LED's. This would mean that the water would glow with whatever colour UV additive had been used.
The reservoir mounting brackets can be used to place the reservoir anywhere within your case (drilling may be required) and can even be fixed to an 80mm fan hole.
In a similar fashion, the radiator can be mounted at the back of your machine over a 120mm fan hole, or the included brackets can be used to fix the radiator to an 80mm fan hole.
Should you wish to mount radiator on the outside of the case, XSPC have included a PCI Bracket for routing your tubing outside.
Pump & Reservoir
The XSPC X20 Dual Xtreme kit is supplied with XSPC's very own X20 pump and passive reservoir. Interestingly, the XSPC X20 pump actually has an integrated reservoir, so should you not be able to find a place to install the passive reservoir, you can use the pump's reservoir instead.
The included XSPC Passive Reservoir is 150mm in height, which should prove easier to install inside a mid-tower case than XSPC's larger 250mm version - especially with the included brackets which allow for it to be installed over an 80mm fan hole. The reservoir has a plexiglass top and base which allows you to easily check water levels at a glance. As mentioned earlier, the base of the reservoir can be illuminated with one of the included blue LED's to add a cool effect to the water.
The reservoir shaft is constructed from anodised aluminium with fins to disperse heat more effectively. This should help to reduce the temperature of the water slightly.
XSPC have chosen to come up with their own solution for a pump rather than using a solution from another manufacturer. The pump is powered directly from a 3-pin fan header which is certainly the first pump I've ever seen powered this way. The pump is designed to run at 12v, and at this voltage XSPC state that it should be "near silent". An obvious advantage to having the pump powered in this way is motherboard rpm monitoring: - If the pump was to stop functioning, you could configure your motherboard's BIOS to alert you to this.
The pumps specifications are as follows:
- Pump performance: 450l/h
- Delivery head: 1.65m
- Power : 9.5W
- Voltage: 12V (3pin) with rpm readout
- Connection: 1/4" thread
- Dimensions: 88x56x88mm
Mounting of the pump is similar to most in this review, with XSPC opting for a sticky pad, which not only prevents the pump from sliding around your case, but also dampens any vibrations from the pump, thus reducing noise.
Radiator & Fans
Having owned some of XSPC's radiators in the past, the greatest thing I found them is that they can be mounted in the front of the Coolermaster Stacker (and some other models) without any modification. Click here for an idea of how this was done in one of my previous projects.
The reservoir shaft is constructed from anodised aluminium with fins to disperse heat more effectively. This should help to reduce the temperature of the water slightly.
XSPC have chosen to come up with their own solution for a pump rather than using a solution from another manufacturer. The pump is powered directly from a 3-pin fan header which is certainly the first pump I've ever seen powered this way. The pump is designed to run at 12v, and at this voltage XSPC state that it should be "near silent". An obvious advantage to having the pump powered in this way is motherboard rpm monitoring: - If the pump was to stop functioning, you could configure your motherboard's BIOS to alert you to this.
The pumps specifications are as follows:
- Pump performance: 450l/h
- Delivery head: 1.65m
- Power : 9.5W
- Voltage: 12V (3pin) with rpm readout
- Connection: 1/4" thread
- Dimensions: 88x56x88mm
Mounting of the pump is similar to most in this review, with XSPC opting for a sticky pad, which not only prevents the pump from sliding around your case, but also dampens any vibrations from the pump, thus reducing noise.
Radiator & Fans
Having owned some of XSPC's radiators in the past, the greatest thing I found them is that they can be mounted in the front of the Coolermaster Stacker (and some other models) without any modification. Click here for an idea of how this was done in one of my previous projects.
The XSPC R120-D Crossflow radiator is actually the largest in our round-up, measuring in at 139x316x45mm (WxLxD). The R120-D is the only radiator in our review that has barbs at opposite ends of the radiator. I'm not quite sure why XSPC opted for the Crossflow model, rather than their standard one (with both barbs at one end), as this could make tube routing a bit more of a pain - especially when the radiator is used outside of the case.
In my opinion the XSPC is by far the best looking radiator in this review, with chromed fan shrouds making a break from the plain black radiators we've all become accustomed to.
The included 120mm fans are manufactured by XinRuiLian (*checks spelling*), and boast 60cfm at 30dBA when running at 12v. Due to this fans being 4-pin molex powered, XSPC have not included any kind of fan controller or voltage reduction cables in the kit.
In my opinion the XSPC is by far the best looking radiator in this review, with chromed fan shrouds making a break from the plain black radiators we've all become accustomed to.
The included 120mm fans are manufactured by XinRuiLian (*checks spelling*), and boast 60cfm at 30dBA when running at 12v. Due to this fans being 4-pin molex powered, XSPC have not included any kind of fan controller or voltage reduction cables in the kit.
Most Recent Comments
Welcome aboard bud...
I am going to be hacking lumps out of my eclipse 62 shortly....will post up some pics for you to digest to help you make the decision re. rad install. Personally for cleanest look I'm going for an internal fitting (in top of case)..will be using a PA120.2....and the thermochill grill will be used as a cutting template....
I am going to be hacking lumps out of my eclipse 62 shortly....will post up some pics for you to digest to help you make the decision re. rad install. Personally for cleanest look I'm going for an internal fitting (in top of case)..will be using a PA120.2....and the thermochill grill will be used as a cutting template....
Thx - that'd be excellent.
You think it's possible to get it all under the top, with just grills on the top, whilst leaving room for PSU (presume you'd have to forget the 1st 5.25 bay). Was thinking it would have to go half/half, with the rad under the case level, and the fans above... not a great explanation, but you get what I mean :)
Love the case, there's so much room for keeping all the cables tidy, and I'm sure i can get the pump etc tucked at the bottom to the right of the case.
My Mrs just said "whats the point in having it inside - dont you want the radiator outside to cool down the water".. maybe I should just get her to put it together for me :D
You think it's possible to get it all under the top, with just grills on the top, whilst leaving room for PSU (presume you'd have to forget the 1st 5.25 bay). Was thinking it would have to go half/half, with the rad under the case level, and the fans above... not a great explanation, but you get what I mean :)
Love the case, there's so much room for keeping all the cables tidy, and I'm sure i can get the pump etc tucked at the bottom to the right of the case.
My Mrs just said "whats the point in having it inside - dont you want the radiator outside to cool down the water".. maybe I should just get her to put it together for me :D
[quote=PapaLaz]
Not sure if I fancy mounting it at the back of the case, on the 120mm mount, due to the jungle of cables that reside there, but I quite like the sound of having it external on the top. Wasn't aware the kit came with fixings for that - how does it mount exactly, you mentioned brackets, does it clamp across the top or something ?
..
Haven't been able to find any review of the XSPC VGA block, but it was stated for the x1800/1900 so should be fine. If I start enjoying the wc lark I might get one of the complete gpu/mem blocks, but thought i'd start out gradually :)
Thanks again for all the help/advice !![/quote]
The radiator actually comes with 4 polished steel brackets. Normally these would be used for fitting the radiator over an 80mm fan hole, but i found them equally as effective for mounting the radiator on top of a case. They give the radiator around 5cm space from the case, so airflow is not a problem.
You'll see what i mean when you get the kit tomorrow ;)
Not sure if I fancy mounting it at the back of the case, on the 120mm mount, due to the jungle of cables that reside there, but I quite like the sound of having it external on the top. Wasn't aware the kit came with fixings for that - how does it mount exactly, you mentioned brackets, does it clamp across the top or something ?
..
Haven't been able to find any review of the XSPC VGA block, but it was stated for the x1800/1900 so should be fine. If I start enjoying the wc lark I might get one of the complete gpu/mem blocks, but thought i'd start out gradually :)
Thanks again for all the help/advice !![/quote]
The radiator actually comes with 4 polished steel brackets. Normally these would be used for fitting the radiator over an 80mm fan hole, but i found them equally as effective for mounting the radiator on top of a case. They give the radiator around 5cm space from the case, so airflow is not a problem.
You'll see what i mean when you get the kit tomorrow ;)
Not sure what the thickness is on your rad but I know I will lose the use of 2.5 drive bays. The PA120.2 is 64mm thick...but pretty much pwns on the cooling front!! The thermochill grill provides a good template for cutting and looks nice too!!
http://www.thermochill.com/
http://www.thermochill.com/
Well the kit arrived, and I'm one very unhappy bunny !!!
Everything inside was perfect, except this forgot to ship one vital ingredient - no tubing. I've sent a couple of emails through the contact page at watercoolingshop and also fired one off to Paul at XSPC (his addy was on the back of the manual)... sent them about 4.40pm, hoping someone would sort it out and get tubing in the post to me... still no replies.
More annoyed as I'd taken tomorrow off work to get it all built, after intending to assemble and leak test tonight. Shocking - how can you miss out such a vital piece.... No contact numbers for the store or XSPC so all I can do is send them mails.
Sorry, just venting, obviously I'm pretty gutted. :(
Also, FYI, the retail pack is shipping in the same brown box you recieved, and the manual is still based on the single 120mm rad.
Update - as I write this Paul has just emailed me to apologise, and he's gonna try and get some tubing in the post for me tonight. Fingers crossed.
Having now had a good look at the rad, I'm probably gonna mount it on the back 120mm for now - mounts look pretty sturdy. Will go inside eventually but think I'll leave the hacking to the pro's ;)
Everything inside was perfect, except this forgot to ship one vital ingredient - no tubing. I've sent a couple of emails through the contact page at watercoolingshop and also fired one off to Paul at XSPC (his addy was on the back of the manual)... sent them about 4.40pm, hoping someone would sort it out and get tubing in the post to me... still no replies.
More annoyed as I'd taken tomorrow off work to get it all built, after intending to assemble and leak test tonight. Shocking - how can you miss out such a vital piece.... No contact numbers for the store or XSPC so all I can do is send them mails.
Sorry, just venting, obviously I'm pretty gutted. :(
Also, FYI, the retail pack is shipping in the same brown box you recieved, and the manual is still based on the single 120mm rad.
Update - as I write this Paul has just emailed me to apologise, and he's gonna try and get some tubing in the post for me tonight. Fingers crossed.
Having now had a good look at the rad, I'm probably gonna mount it on the back 120mm for now - mounts look pretty sturdy. Will go inside eventually but think I'll leave the hacking to the pro's ;)
Hi Papalaz,
Thats a bit of a bummer. Paul is normally really quick at replying to e-mails. I imagine he was probably just rushed off his feet at the time.
It's a shame they havn't got the manual and packaging sorted yet, but if you need any help - just ask :)
Fingers crossed for the arrival of your tubing tomorrow :cool:
Thats a bit of a bummer. Paul is normally really quick at replying to e-mails. I imagine he was probably just rushed off his feet at the time.
It's a shame they havn't got the manual and packaging sorted yet, but if you need any help - just ask :)
Fingers crossed for the arrival of your tubing tomorrow :cool:
I think to be fair to Paul, he said he'd just got home, so was probably travelling around 4.45 when I sent the mail. He's since mailed me back to say he had some tubing at home which he's got out in the last post for me, and will send the original stuff tomorrow. Fair play to him, that's a decent enough response - was just gutted when I got home "ready for work" :)
Not too bothered about the manual and packaging, looks simple enough to install. Only thing which will take some working out is the VGA block (I got the XSPC one to match the rest). Bundle of strange tiny washers to clamp in onto the supplied backplate... sure it'll all make sense once I whip the VF900 off, and if not I can polly use the nipples/clamps from the 900.
Overall though the kit looks awesome, really is a nice rad. Also the fans are now supplied with 3-pin connectors which is a real result - they're nice long cables too to get inside the PC (and can then go on my akasa fan controller).
Lol - last thing to slow me down will be the filler cap on the pump/res, think it was put on by Superman !!
Thanks again for the advice and offers of help... will probably make some posts late on tomorrow.
Oh, one last thing... as I'm putting the rad on the back, I was gonna build it all up, then leave it outside the case to leak test. Think I'll have to put long tubing on the rads, as that'll have to stay near the case, with the tubing going through the pci backplate. Yeah, only way to do it... sorry, thinking out loud :)
Not too bothered about the manual and packaging, looks simple enough to install. Only thing which will take some working out is the VGA block (I got the XSPC one to match the rest). Bundle of strange tiny washers to clamp in onto the supplied backplate... sure it'll all make sense once I whip the VF900 off, and if not I can polly use the nipples/clamps from the 900.
Overall though the kit looks awesome, really is a nice rad. Also the fans are now supplied with 3-pin connectors which is a real result - they're nice long cables too to get inside the PC (and can then go on my akasa fan controller).
Lol - last thing to slow me down will be the filler cap on the pump/res, think it was put on by Superman !!
Thanks again for the advice and offers of help... will probably make some posts late on tomorrow.
Oh, one last thing... as I'm putting the rad on the back, I was gonna build it all up, then leave it outside the case to leak test. Think I'll have to put long tubing on the rads, as that'll have to stay near the case, with the tubing going through the pci backplate. Yeah, only way to do it... sorry, thinking out loud :)
[QUOTE=PapaLaz]Well the kit arrived, and I'm one very unhappy bunny !!!
Everything inside was perfect, except this forgot to ship one vital ingredient - no tubing. I've sent a couple of emails through the contact page at watercoolingshop and also fired one off to Paul at XSPC (his addy was on the back of the manual)... sent them about 4.40pm, hoping someone would sort it out and get tubing in the post to me... still no replies.
More annoyed as I'd taken tomorrow off work to get it all built, after intending to assemble and leak test tonight. Shocking - how can you miss out such a vital piece.... No contact numbers for the store or XSPC so all I can do is send them mails.
Sorry, just venting, obviously I'm pretty gutted. :(
Also, FYI, the retail pack is shipping in the same brown box you recieved, and the manual is still based on the single 120mm rad.
Update - as I write this Paul has just emailed me to apologise, and he's gonna try and get some tubing in the post for me tonight. Fingers crossed.
Having now had a good look at the rad, I'm probably gonna mount it on the back 120mm for now - mounts look pretty sturdy. Will go inside eventually but think I'll leave the hacking to the pro's ;)[/QUOTE]
Aye....my EK blocks arrived without barbs!! Not so worried tho...not Paul's fault....a balls up at EK's end of things...he has already responded and 6 shiny barbs are making their way to me.
PapaLaz.....what rad did u go for in the end? Here's a pic of another install done by someone I know on an eclipse 62 using the PA120.2
[IMG]http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f11/Dazbo110903/P7300004copyLarge.jpg[/IMG]
Measurements are included......
Looks very nice IMO
Everything inside was perfect, except this forgot to ship one vital ingredient - no tubing. I've sent a couple of emails through the contact page at watercoolingshop and also fired one off to Paul at XSPC (his addy was on the back of the manual)... sent them about 4.40pm, hoping someone would sort it out and get tubing in the post to me... still no replies.
More annoyed as I'd taken tomorrow off work to get it all built, after intending to assemble and leak test tonight. Shocking - how can you miss out such a vital piece.... No contact numbers for the store or XSPC so all I can do is send them mails.
Sorry, just venting, obviously I'm pretty gutted. :(
Also, FYI, the retail pack is shipping in the same brown box you recieved, and the manual is still based on the single 120mm rad.
Update - as I write this Paul has just emailed me to apologise, and he's gonna try and get some tubing in the post for me tonight. Fingers crossed.
Having now had a good look at the rad, I'm probably gonna mount it on the back 120mm for now - mounts look pretty sturdy. Will go inside eventually but think I'll leave the hacking to the pro's ;)[/QUOTE]
Aye....my EK blocks arrived without barbs!! Not so worried tho...not Paul's fault....a balls up at EK's end of things...he has already responded and 6 shiny barbs are making their way to me.
PapaLaz.....what rad did u go for in the end? Here's a pic of another install done by someone I know on an eclipse 62 using the PA120.2
[IMG]http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f11/Dazbo110903/P7300004copyLarge.jpg[/IMG]
Measurements are included......
Looks very nice IMO
Just about to dabble inwot watercooling and a change of case. Been looking at the Antec P182 and the H20-220 Apex Ultra. Just been asking in another thread if they will fit together.
As this review is quite old, are there any newer kits out there that will out perform the Swiftech kit for around the same price?
Looking for performance/silence really but not at an silly price!
As this review is quite old, are there any newer kits out there that will out perform the Swiftech kit for around the same price?
Looking for performance/silence really but not at an silly price!
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Long term I think I'll look at getting the holes cut into the top (and possibly get Kustom to do it - thx). All the kits arriving tomorrow, and as I'm sooo impatient I'll be setting it up right away.
Not sure if I fancy mounting it at the back of the case, on the 120mm mount, due to the jungle of cables that reside there, but I quite like the sound of having it external on the top. Wasn't aware the kit came with fixings for that - how does it mount exactly, you mentioned brackets, does it clamp across the top or something ?
The main reason I've decided to go water was for temps. My system is very quiet on air atm (120mm front & back, Scythe Ninja + 120mm, Zalman VF900 on the gfx), but I'd like the temps more stable. With the E6600 @ 3GHz-ish it idles@39-40 and loads@60-65. I can get the E6600 stable @ 3.6GHz, but I have to pump around 1.6v into it, and that gets me idle@48-50 load@65-75... waaay too warm.
Haven't been able to find any review of the XSPC VGA block, but it was stated for the x1800/1900 so should be fine. If I start enjoying the wc lark I might get one of the complete gpu/mem blocks, but thought i'd start out gradually :)
Thanks again for all the help/advice !!