Conclusion:

The CoolIT Systems Domino A.L.C. CPU cooler is quite an interesting concept. I like that more and more companies are designing compact, sealed units for the enthusiast. This makes it much more affordable for those who want to get into liquid cooling without the expense of having to know exactly what to buy. The fact that this is a completely sealed unit makes it that much nicer.

The only real issues I ran into with the unit was when installing it in a NZXT Panzerbox case - the opening for the motherboard tray was a bit too tight to slide back in with the Domino pre-installed. It required a bit of work, and while it may be a case specific issue, it is quite possible that a good number of other cases would fall into the same situation. Installation in an Antec Three Hundred case was much easier, as that case doesn’t have a removable motherboard tray.

Shopping around for the Domino finds it at a variety of popular online stores, including Newegg.com, where the price is $79.99. With the price of a really good air cooler running around $50 to $75, the Domino is not that far off. It is definitely priced more competitively than most liquid cooling solutions, but it doesn't offer the extreme cooling you might expect with something like that.

Considering the convenience, performance, and pricing, the CoolIT Systems Domino A.L.C. CPU cooler receives the Bigbruin.com "Whisper Quiet" and "Recommended" awards.



Pros:

» Unit is completely sealed and maintenance free
» Barely audible on Quiet mode
» Fairly straight forward to install, great instruction manual
» Comes with mounting hardware for current Intel and AMD platforms

Cons:

» Cost is comparable to higher end air coolers
» May not be able to pre-mount on some motherboards
» Not upgradeable/expandable