Review

PCApex.com, November 22, 2006
Vigor Monsoon II TEC CPU Cooler

Manufacturer: Vigor Gaming

Sponsor: Vigor Gaming

Author: Dominik "Anonymous" Haas

Editor: Gary "GlitterKill" Mullins | Product info link. | Read similar articles. | Available at FrozenCPU.

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Vigor Gaming, known for making fully-assembled gaming rigs, was founded by a group of gamers. In their mission statement they say that their goal is "to innovate and incorporate leading-edge technology into your next extreme rigs." The Vigor Monsoon II is one of the newest inductees into their line of products.

Being an overclocker, gamer, and all-around PC enthusiast, I'm always interested in what's cutting edge. This is especially true in the cooling-arena because heat is one of the major hurdles facing chip manufacturers, and heat transfer is a big part of my major. For this reason, I was very interested in reviewing the Vigor Monsoon II because it is one of the first heat sink models to incorporate a thermoelectric cooling element (TEC), or peltier, into the design. TEC cooling has traditionally been reserved for overclocking and water cooling enthusiasts who were willing to tackle many of the inconveniences associated with TEC cooling, such as condensation. Vigor's aim with this hybrid TEC / air cooling device, however, is to bridge the gap between functionality and user-friendliness.

Specs

Here are the specs as listed on Vigor's website:

Model Number	CLT-M2A
Socket Type	AMD Socket 754/939/940/AM2
Cooler Dimensions (DxWxH)	5.51 x 3.74 x 6.30 in
Thermoelectric Chip	1.57 x 1.57 in / 12V DC
Heat Sink Material	4 heat pipes, Aluminum Fin & Copper Base
Heat Sink Dimensions (DxWxH)	3.54 x 3.54 x 6.30 in
Fan Dimensions	3.62 x 3.62 x 0.98 in
Fan Voltage Rating	12V DC
Fan Speed	Low-2000 rpm Mid-2400 rpm High-2600 rpm
Noise Level	24 dB(A) ~ 34 dB(A)
Weight	1.85 lb (with Fan)
Thermal Resistance	0.13(°C/W)
Control Interface System	5.25" Management Unit
LCD Display	Ο
Temperature Monitor Range	0°C~99°C/32°F~210.2°F
TEC Temperature Response Time to Control Unit	‹1 second
Control Unit
TEC Sensor	TEC temperature sensor on Cooling Assembly
Power Input	12V DC / 5A
Controller Dimensions (DxWxH)	5.90 x 5.74 X 1.69 in
Weight	1 lb

Special Features

Active CPU Cooling	The world's first CPU cooling system combining patented advanced software controlled Active TEC technology and heat-piped cooling module.
Automatic Temperature Control	5.25" Management unit with LCD Display.
Ultra-low Thermal Resistance	Excellent thermal resistance provides extreme cooling performance.
Worldwide Patents	Including USA, Germany, China, etc.
Fail-safe Protection	Alarm system will alert user in the unlikely event of CPU cooler malfunctioning.

Package & Contents

The uncharacteristically-large-for-a-heat-sink box arrived completely intact and unscathed. The box itself is very clean and minimalistic... just my style. The front of the box shows a small picture of the cooler and the back contains a similar list of specs to that listed above. The components are encased in a thin plastic enclosure within the box to absorb any impact.

The contents are:

CPU Cooler	This includes the main device as well as a removable shroud covering the HSF to which the fan(s) mounts.
5.25" Management Unit	Temperature monitor and LCD display.
Mounting Hardware*	Includes AM2 and K8 back-plate, socket clips, and various nuts & bolts.
Stock Variable-Speed 92mm Fan	Specs unknown.
Thermal paste	Specs unknown.
Cables and Installation Guide	Cables include ATX power supply extension cable and management unit-to-cooler cable connector.

*** Note: This table is only valid for the AMD version. More on this later.

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