This is a great product. After installing our GeForce 6800 GS back to our PC we couldn’t even hear the fan working. Really amazing. Arctic Cooling also gives a 6-year warranty to their VGA coolers, which is really impressive.
We think this product is good for both the enthusiast and the regular user. It will probably bring a better VGA overclocking experience for the enthusiast and, at the same time, lower the overall noise produced by your PC.
We found it great that this product also cools down the memory chips.
Even though it is a great high performance cooler, we miss Silencer series duct design, which blows the hot air produced by the video card to outside the computer case. With Accelero series the hot air will still be inside the computer case. According to the manufacturer, since this product is BTX-compatible, it was not possible to include this feature.
Michele Scherrer, Arctic Cooling VP for North America, sent us a very instructive e-mail on this question. It is so elucidative that we decided to post it below for your knowledge.
"Hi Gabriel,
Thank you for the review.
I would like to provide you some comments on why we are using heatpipe technology instead of DHES in order for you and your readers to understand why this type of technology is more advantageous:
The Accelero offers a much better cooling performance at a lot lower noise level. This is possible because we rejected the DHES.
Advantages of DHES: reduces the air temperature in the computer case by about 1°C.
Disadvantages: A lot more pressure is used. Therefore the fan generates a far higher noise level at the same performance.
For a modern, quiet high performance PC, a DHES doesn't make sense. The 1°C plus in ambient temperature doesn't matter since it is easy to cool CPUs quietly with adequate case fans- but it is not easy to cool a GPU quietly. Therefore air should be drawn directly from outside to the VGA cooler, basically exactly the opposite of a DHES.
The exhaust air of about 35-40°C is no problem for the mainboard. All components are specified for at least 85°C or more and therefore if these
components run hot, the air stream works as a cooling. Compare to the P4 cooling, where the exhaust air is also used as a cooling. The warm air
rises automatically in the PC case and will be blown out by the case fans.
Conclusion: For people who are looking for a quiet high performance VGA cooler, the Accelero is the best choice. See also
http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33854396
DHES doesn't make any sense any more. Problem number one in the future will be to cool the GPU. To do so quietly we need cool air directly from
outside. The CPU cooling and maintaining the air temperature in the computer case at a reasonable level is no more challenge.
If you could provide a short paragraph to your readers on the above explanation that would be much appreciative.
If you have any further questions please let me know.
All my best
Michele"
Really instructive.
The only problem we see on this product is its price. We think its suggested price (USD 33.00) is a little bit high for this product – even though it is a high quality and above the average product – and what is even more problematic is that this product can be found costing even more (it is being quoted at USD 39.99 at Tigerdirect.com). So you need to pay close attention to not be overcharged.
