PDA

View Full Version : Swiftech H20-220 Compact Watercooling Kit



Trace
06-07-2008, 04:58 PM
Well, I recently ordered Swiftech's H20-220 Compact Watercooling Kit, after suggestions from you guys, especially Spawn-Inc.

It arrived, and after a little modding, I got to test it out.

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090153.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090153.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

(Arriving)


Packaging 10/10

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090157.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090157.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

(out of the shipping box, front side)

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090158.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090158.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

(back side)

If you look closely, you can see a chart of its performance in different scenarios.

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090159.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090159.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

(the chart)

When you pull it out of the box, you notice a beautifully cut piece of foam with chambers for every different piece:

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090162.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090162.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

(front)

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090161.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090161.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

(back)


What's included

Waterblock with pump, pre-assembled for LGA775. (Random fact, LGA = Land Grid Array)

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090166.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090166.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090167.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090167.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Mounting bracket for AMD sockets (AM2, 939)

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090168.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090168.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

2 X 120MM fans, with speed adapters

<a href="http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/?action=view&current=P1090164.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090164.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090169.jpg

Misc Items.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090172.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090171.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090170.jpg

Patented Radbox (tm) lol

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090165.jpg

Rad and Tubing

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090176.jpg


Installation 9/10
The only reason I gave it a 9/10 is because the lack of support for HTPC cases. I had to do a little modding to make it work, more on that later.

Before disassembling:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090177.jpg

Motherboard tray removed:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090181.jpg

We need to remove the Intel cooler:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090183.jpg

Baby bottom smooth, very nice quality:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090185.jpg

This is where I diviate from their installation instructions. It would be too hard to do it their way in my case.

Apply thermal paste, included.
Attach water block, screw down.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090186.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090187.jpg

Attach tubes:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090188.jpg

Bring tubes through back PCI bracket (included) and attach to radiator, out side

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090189.jpg

Adjust tube lengths, leaving room for video card:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090191.jpg

Get ready to jump power supply
(i used this old one, just in case)

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090190.jpg

Fill, prime, leak test. No leaks? Let's move on

The way the tubes were didn't allow installation of my PSU:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090193.jpg

Back together:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090197.jpg


Radiator mounting

I decided to mount it as such:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090200.jpg

We ended up making a custom stainless steel bracket, I even got my dad into it!

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090203.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090205.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/P1090206.jpg


Performance 9.5/10
Temps are taken with fans on silent 5 volt operation, and stock cooler on full.
Only CPU in loop. Records of hottest core in Q6600 @ 3.0GHz stock vCore.

Graph of temps:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii232/TraceHagan/graph.jpg

Consider my socks blown off.


Ratings and conclusion

Overall: 9.5/10 (first watercooling attempt, went off without a hitch)
Packaging: 10/10 (looks great, keeps everything safe)
Installation: 9/10 (not great for HTPC cases)
Performance: 9.5/10 (Excellent temps, a little loud)

All in all, Swiftech has made an awesome kit with this one. They really out did themselves. Even on 5 volts though, the fans can be a little noisy. I hope to be replacing them with some quieter ones. Also, be careful about what screws you use to mount the fans, there are 3 types and they are all almost the same size. 1 will be slightly short, and the other will puncture the rad, which I almost did.

I would recommend this product to anybody new to W/C, but if you have been around a little, you might consider using individually chosen parts.

Spawn-Inc
06-07-2008, 05:17 PM
awesome, great review and glad to hear you liked/like it! i really wish my stuff would get here! great work on that bracket, i will be doing something like that for mine so i can mount it to the back.

and if you want even better performance when/if you get quieter fans get 4 and do a push pull configuration. +rep

Trace
06-07-2008, 05:21 PM
Thanks, it was because of you I went with this kit.

Did you get a kit or individual parts?

Spawn-Inc
06-07-2008, 06:09 PM
individual parts, here is the list.
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8450/orderhc9.jpg

Trace
06-07-2008, 06:12 PM
Looks like that will be a good system.

Now, I'll be expecting some performance specs. :)

Spawn-Inc
06-07-2008, 11:12 PM
you could probably up your overclock too. whats your VID BTW?

Trace
06-08-2008, 12:20 AM
VID?
I can't :/ No voltage control on the board I have, just FSB
Mobo is the next upgrade!

Spawn-Inc
06-08-2008, 04:21 AM
VID is , well i'm not sure what exactly it stands for. but it has to do with the minimum voltage it can run on, mine is a bit high at 1.3V check core temp to find out.

Trace
06-08-2008, 03:36 PM
mine says 1.325v but CPU-z says its using 1.296v

Spawn-Inc
06-08-2008, 04:48 PM
the one from core temp is suppose to be what the cpu needs to run at stock, but i don't think its fully right. the voltage from CPU-Z is what your cpu is actually getting.

since you can't control your voltage then your not gonna be able to get very high, you will have to wait for your next motherboard.

The boy 4rm oz
06-08-2008, 11:05 PM
Nice review mate. Swiftech make great gear but I am apposed to those Apogee Drive CPU blocks. Having the pump built directly into the CPU block is just unnecessary extra heat being dumped onto the CPU.

Spawn-Inc
06-08-2008, 11:49 PM
thats what you would think but if you get the flow fast enough it doesn't matter as it travels so fast that it gets dumped out just as quick as it gets put in. thats why it normally doesn't matter how you have your loop setup, just make sure the res/t-line is before the pump. but you knew that already :). and no matter where you have the pump it will always add heat, this may add a bit more since its close together but its all good.

The boy 4rm oz
06-09-2008, 12:04 AM
And it's bulky and looks ugly lol.

985323
06-09-2008, 01:20 AM
I completely agree with tb4o its ugly and adds heat, why not just use a seperate pump

Trace
06-09-2008, 01:54 AM
Cuz the kit comes with that one ;p

The boy 4rm oz
06-09-2008, 02:50 AM
Hey that is true, that's the selling point of the kit, it is compact. Yes it is a good kit. I was just kinda thinking out loud. The block isn't that appealing and as Spawn said the fluid should be moving fast enough to avoid heat up.

Hey if it does the job run with it.

The_Crippler
07-17-2008, 08:41 AM
Cuz the kit comes with that one ;p

A stellar reason as any.



So, are there any good "small words and big pictures" guides to watercooling anyone can link to? It's something that I've wanted to look in to, but like OCing, I don't know where to start.

PartyLikeARockstar
07-18-2008, 08:41 PM
I own one of these, and it's great. My temps are good, and it is quiet. It is a good starter kit. That is where it stops.

The good:
*Awesome setup for a Micro-ATX
*2x120mm radiator
*High flow
*Able to use brass barbs on the radiator
*All-inclusive for a CPU-only solution, easy to expand to GFX cards
*Michelle in the RMA deparment!!! She is awesome

The bad:
The fan blades broke on the included 120mm fans
The pump's barb broke off (RMA) because I was using tubing that was too thick, I think (3/8" ID, 1/2" OD). Sticking with 3/8"ID, 5/8" Tygon from here on out.

All in all, It was a great into to WC!

VGComp
08-02-2008, 11:37 AM
Keep in mind this kit does 100% of what it's supposed to do - watercool in a compact case. I have one of these in a MountainMod compact case and you can't tell by looking at it. It cools better than any air cooler on the market and even cools better than most water cool kits. CoolerMaster, ThermalTake, Asetek can't compare to this kit. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

True, if you put together your own kit, you will get better results but at a much higher cost and you have to have a good case. Most builders I see water cooling their rigs do it wrong. I get an extra 8C drop in temps if I setup the rad to pull air in as opposed to mounting it on the back of the case and blowing air out of it.

The other advantage this kit has over all the other kits out there is that it mounts securely. Once you are finished, you can pack it and ship it. You can't so that with other kits because you have to mount the res and pump to the case. I'm a system builder and I don't have the time modding a case. This kit installs in 30 minutes to start and 20 minutes by the end of the day. The other kits take much longer - almost an hour to mount the pump and res (not including time to install the rad and blocks). One perk to this kit is the fewer hoses needed. My cases stay cooler because the airflow isn't being restricted by all of the hoses a normal system uses. That's a drop of 6 to 8C in case temps. Pretty awesome to me.

As for this kit, I give it a 97%. Best kit on the market.

VGC