| nMedia System ICETANK CPU Cooler |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cooling | ||||||
| Written by Olin Coles | ||||||
| Wednesday, 20 September 2006 | ||||||
nMedia ICETANKIt’s not often that a new company can jump right into a fierce market and offer top-quality products that are immediately comparable to the industry leaders. nMedia System is better known for its luxury line of HTPC enclosures, but with an ever-expanding market a company must grow its product line if it really wants the attention of computer enthusiasts. With a solid base of products offered right from the start, nMedia System has the means to become a major force in the aftermarket computer components market. In this segment, I will review the new nMedia System ICETANK active CPU cooling solution. I will take a comparative look at the nMedia System ICETANK, positioning it against similar active cooling solutions. We will see just how efficient the unique heat pipe and fin design really are, and whether it is worth it for you to use this cooler. 
About the company: nMedia SystemnMedia System should not be familiar to you, yet. Like most emerging companies that have made a success in the enthusiast market, nMedia System originates from overseas. With offices in Hong Kong and Gunagzhou, China, as well as a stateside presence in Fremont, California, nMedia System offers a wealth of research and development for their enthusiast line of products. Northern California, Castro Valley-based NMEDIA SYSTEM, INC. was founded in 2004. The company's vision is to create future home entertainment PC systems that are optimal for today's consumer electronic gear such as Plasmas TV, LCD TV, HDTV and Home Theater Projectors. Package and ContentsAll marketing hype aside, nMedia System has done a great job of catching my eye with their packaging. It is both colorful and offers a clear presentation of their product. I have seen cheesy cartoon mock-ups, plain brown boxes, and totally clear packaging on other coolers by different manufacturers; and I am happy that nMedia System has not followed these poor examples.
The packaging does not hold the cooler firmly in place, but it does not allow it to move much either. If the package were to be dropped, I feel comfortable knowing that there should not be any damage to the unit inside. I would label the packaging as adequate for safe shipment, so long as it is packed inside a standard brown shipping box. Inside the retail box you will find the following contents:
ICETANK SpecificationsMost unique to this cooler is the use of mixed materials for the cooling fins. Comprised of both Aluminum and Copper, the ICETANK finds a great balance between performance and value. With the low-profile construction, the ICETANK is especially useful inside of SFF (Small Form Factor) and HTPC enclosures. Just small enough for the compact application, but just large enough to handle more demanding full size applications for overclockers.
Special Features
Closer Look: ICETANKThe nMedia ICETANK cooler offers great looks and widespread compatibility to its efficient design and included accessories. Even the most demanding application will benefit from the impressive features this product offers. Prices have been reduced over the past few weeks to as low as $26.99 at NewEgg.com, which is a very reasonable price from a dependable online merchant. 
The unit itself sits relatively low compared to other heatpipe-based CPU coolers. With the addition of a 90mm fan, the ICETANK rests very low and is the perfect cooling solution for HTPC, compact, and rack unit cases. The wires on the nMedia System ICETANK have received heatshrink wrapped ends and a braided sleeve. Heatsink fins are both of Aluminum and Copper materials, and add a nice touch to this unique cooler. The Copper material on this heatsink is well polished, and the base has received a mirror finish. 
A fan speed controller is included with the ICETANK. This item will mount into the expansion brackets of your enclosure, but due to the mounting position it will be out of reach. Most HTPC cases have a front panel fan speed control built in, and most computer enthusiasts who want a fan controller often purchase a bay mounted controller with card readers. For this reason, in addition to cost, I would recommend that nMedia System discontinue offering the fan speed controller with the ICETANK. The one item in this package that receives little notice is the Copper-colored thermal compound. I have to call it “colored” because it does not list ingredients, and there is no additional documentation with details. I personally found this compound to be comparable, and possibly better, then some Silver-based compounds. It would be interesting to see nMedia System market this item all on its own. InstallationInstalling the ICETANK cooler is very simple and straight-forward. No tools are necessary, as the socket mounting plates utilize a direct mount over the preformed holes in the motherboard. You then use the included expansion pins to spread the retention prongs but pushing them into the mounting plate holes, as illustrated. The easy clip system allows you to depress each clip down onto the mounting plate for a secure installation. I found the pressure was very firm, but not excessive, in applying the clips.
Test MethodologyTo properly test the efficiency of the nMedia System ICETANK cooler, I measured the temperatures at full load. This full load condition will be reached by utilizing the Folding at Home project console clients on each CPU core. The dual-core power-hungry Intel Pentium D 930 will be over-clocked to 3.3, which is sure to also help raise the temperatures up a few degrees. Temperature readings will be obtained through software, via the integrated thermal sensors and SpeedFan v4.29. I normally dislike using integrated sensors, because they are only as reliable as the person who built the BIOS. As I learned when I updated the Foxconn BIOS, temperatures are all relative; this newly flashed BIOS added 17°C to Intel 9xx series CPU’s. Ultimately this test is only a self-contained comparison, but it will be as uniform as possible. Test System
Compared Heatsinks:
Test ResultsAlthough I did expect better results, I was reminded that this heatsink is barely larger in mass then the reference retail heatsink that Intel ships with their CPU's. In comparison, the ICETANK is nearly half the mass of the Thermalright and probably one-third the mass of the Scythe. In addition, nMedia System is focused on the HTPC segment of products, and neither of those two larger heatsinks would ever fit into that environment, making the performance of this mighty mite downright incredible. 
ConclusionFor the price, the nMedia System ICETANK offers a very attractive design to match its performance. Currently available at NewEgg.com for $26.99, this is a very solid performing heatsink, and a product I can recommend. Although it did not outperform the Scythe Ninja, a much larger and more expensive cooler, it did compare to the Thermalright HR-01 and absolutely deserves to replace the stock retail Intel cooler. This product is best suited for low-profile and small form factor environments. I do not recommend using the included fan speed controller, mainly because the heatsink retains a good amount of heat requiring full fan speed, but also because it is just a cumbersome accessory. The Copper-colored thermal compound is something unique, and it proved to be a step well beyond the ordinary. Pros:
Cons:
Ratings:
Final Score: 8.8 out of 10.
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