Comparison ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 vs ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 420

This parameter must be considered in the context of whether the fan will fit into the computer case. Standard case fans are available in the order of 25 mm in thickness. Low-profile coolers with a thickness of about 15 mm are designed for small-sized cases, where saving space is extremely important. Fans of large thickness (30-40 mm) boast high cooling efficiency due to the increased impeller dimensions. However, they are noisier than standard models at the same speed and do not always fit into the case normally, sometimes touching other components.

The material from which the substrate of the cooling system is made is the surface that is in direct contact with the cooled component (most often the processor). This parameter is especially important for models with heat pipes (see above), although it can be specified for coolers without this function. Options can be as follows: aluminium, nickel-plated aluminium, copper, nickel-plated stranded. More about them.

— Aluminium. The traditional, most common backing material. At a relatively low cost, aluminium has good thermal conductivity characteristics, is easy to grind (required for a snug fit), and well resists scratches and other irregularities, as well as corrosion. However in terms of heat removal efficiency, this material is still inferior to copper — however, this becomes noticeable mainly in advanced systems that require the highest possible thermal conductivity.

— Copper. Copper is noticeably more expensive than aluminium, but this is offset by higher thermal conductivity and, accordingly, cooling efficiency. The noticeable disadvantages of this metal include some tendency to corrosion when exposed to moisture and certain substances. Therefore, pure copper is used relatively rarely — nickel-plated substrates are more common (see below).

— Nickel-plated copper. Copper substrate with an additional n...ickel coating. Such a coating increases resistance to corrosion and scratches, while it practically does not affect the thermal conductivity of the substrate and work efficiency. However this feature somewhat increases the price of the radiator, but it is found mainly in high-end cooling systems, where this moment is almost invisible against the background of the overall cost of the device.

— Nickel-plated aluminium. Aluminium substrate with an additional nickel coating. For aluminium in general, see above, and the coating makes the heatsink more resistant to corrosion, scratches, and burrs. On the other hand, it affects the cost, despite the fact that in fact, pure aluminium is often quite sufficient for efficient operation (especially since this metal itself is very resistant to corrosion). Therefore, this variant was not distributed.

 

The dimensions of the pump that the water cooling system is equipped with.

Most often, this parameter is indicated for all three dimensions: length, width and thickness (height). These dimensions determine two points: the space required to install the pump, and the diameter of its working part. With the first, everything is quite obvious; we only note that in some systems the pump simultaneously plays the role of a water block and is installed directly on the cooled component of the system, and it is there that there should be enough space. The diameter approximately corresponds to the length and width of the pump (or the smaller of these dimensions if they are not the same — for example, 55 mm in the model 60x55x43 mm). Some operating features depend on this parameter. So, the large diameter of the pump allows you to achieve the required performance at a relatively low rotation speed; the latter, in turn, reduces the noise level and increases the overall reliability of the structure. On the other hand, a large pump costs more and takes up more space.

The speed at which the working part of the pump rotates, which is nominally provided in the water cooling system.

High speed, on the one hand, has a positive effect on performance, on the other hand, it increases the noise level and reduces the time between failures. Therefore, with the same performance, relatively “slow” pumps are considered more advanced, in which the necessary pumping volumes are achieved due to the large diameter of the working part, and not due to speed.

Manufacturer's warranty provided for this model.

In fact, this is the minimum service life promised by the manufacturer, provided that the operating rules are followed. Most often, the actual service life of the device turns out to be significantly longer than the guaranteed one. Among the modest indicators there are models with a 1-year or 2-year warranty, more serious models already have a 3-year warranty, and the most confident manufacturers give a 5-year or even 6-year warranty.

General dimensions of the cooling system. For water systems (see "Type"), this paragraph indicates the size of the external radiator (the dimensions of the water block in such devices are small, and there is no need to specify them in particular).

In general, this is a fairly obvious parameter. We only note that for case fans (see ibid.), the thickness is of particular importance — it directly depends on how much space the device will take up inside the system unit. At the same time, it is customary to refer to fans with a thin case for models in which this size does not exceed 20 mm.