Performance:
Many of the claims Voyeurmods.com make about PrimoChill ICE can not be tested in the confines of this review, such as longer pump life and reducing internal build up. So we will focus on how it affects the cooling properties of the water cooling system.
Voyeurmods.com claims a 2-5 Celsius drop in CPU temperatures with the use of PrimoChill ICE. With this system running at an average CPU temperature of 52 degrees Celsius while under a full CPU load from Folding@Home, anything that would help lower the temperature would be greatly welcomed.
The graph below shows that in our test system PrimoChill ICE did meet
Voyeurmods.com's claims for improving the performance of the water cooling system in our test bed computer. CPU load was achieved by running Folding@Home, and temperatures were taken with a digital thermal probe.
As the chart shows, the PrimoChill ICE lowered the temperature by almost 3 degrees across the board. This type of drop in temperature could be expected on any system, as the chip used may be old, but it is also hotter than many modern chips.
PrimoChill ICE is UV reactive, unfortunately the only UV lighting I had available was a fluorescent UV light and I was not able to do photographic justice to the glow effect from the PrimoChill ICE.
For those with a color scheme that doesn't work with UV Blue,
Voyeurmods.com carries PrimoChill ICE in a variety of colors (UV Blue, UV Red, UV Green), as well as clear.
Conclusion:
PrimoChill ICE performs as advertised, with a noticeably lower temperature in our test system. Given the slick oily feel, and the fact that PrimoChill ICE lived up to the claims regarding lower temperatures, I am inclined to believe that it will also live up to the claims of longer pump life and reduced internal build up in any water cooling system. $19.95 seems like a lot to lay out for something that is meant to replace water, but given the improvement in cooling, the promise of extended pump life, and the eye candy of the UV glow, it seems a reasonable value to me. Shopping around shows that other "mod shops" carry PrimoChill ICE for about the same price, so Voyeurmods.com is definitely competitive in that sense.
I give PrimoChill ICE 4 out of 5 stars for living up to
Voyeurmods.com's claims of lower temperatures.
Final Rating (4 out of 5 stars):
Pros:
• Lowered temperatures
• Longer pump life
• Reduces internal build up in water cooling systems
• Available in a variety of colors, plus clear
• Compatible with all water cooling systems
Cons:
• A lot more expensive than water
Special thanks to
Voyeurmods.com for providing the
PrimoChill ICE UV Blue Water Cooling Fluid to Bigbruin.com for review!
