Antec SpotCool System Cooler
by Antec
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Category: CE
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: AntecAudio: English (Original Language)
Model: Spot Cool
Product features:
- Mount virtually anywhere inside a case on a motherboard post
- Powered from motherboard fan connector
- Can cool RAM or expansion cards
- 3-speed switch lets you balance quiet performance with maximum cooling
- Blue LED illumination
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Antec SpotCool System Cooler
Customer Review: Cool Marks the Spot
Summary: 5 Stars
Cooling has always been an issue and I could just never put a fan in the right place. Besides, no one can easily put an 80mm fan or have it hover above your memory modules. Many have tried starting of with the Zalman Fan Bracket series. Believe me, that was a great solution and being able to adjust your fan here and there is a key selling point, unfortunately, you just couldn't bend it or have it reach in those hard to reach areas. Fortunately for us someone came up with a novel solution to get cooling into those places and more. The company is Antec and today they present Antec Spot Cool. No need for explanations really as the function is self-explanatory; it's quite easy to imagine what it actually does but what it actually looks like is anybody's guess.
Packaging:
It weighs around 0.7lbs (310grams) encased in a solid plastic shell. A thin cardboard with the product name and model some sandwiched in between and a small manual. Nothing really fancy but what is inside is what matters most.
The Merchandise:
Well, the best way I can tell you what it looks like is a mechanical lollipop with a fan attached on the end instead of hardened candy, if you guys still don't get it, think of Sherlock Holmes and his magnifying glasses. The fan at the end can rotate like a gyroscope; on the other end is a strong base where you can attach a screw (included) to your motherboard mount holes or even the PCI slot mount hole. But it doesn't end there, the beauty of it is in the stick mount, it bends so it can be locked at the base and bent to reach your memory, motherboard and even chipset heat sinks.
The product itself is made of durable plastic, the fan and casing it is in with the stick mount made of some metal alloy that can bend and lock into place. On the fan shell is a switch for 3 settings, Low (1800RPM), Medium (2500RPM) and High (3000RPM). The last thing about this product is the blue LED emanating when powered on. There are a total of four LEDs shining in a cross configuration. 3-Pin power cable is attached to the fan where fan speed can be detected by your motherboard.
There really isn't much to explain how it is used. Operation is quite simple. Screw it your desired mount, bend the stick mount and point it to those hot spots, or vice versa. (I suggest you do the later to avoid damaging you motherboard as some force is required) Rotate the gyroscopic fan a bit and fine tune your cooling (I call it spotting) and set your desired speed. Power on and enjoy. I had my motherboard heating up to 45C on normal operations; it cooled it down to 36C and decreased my processor temp by 2C. You just need to point it at the right spot, I had mine installed where the fan was cooling my memory modules, motherboard and some part of the base of the heatsink. You can apply this even on your video card and Northbridge / Southbridge heatsinks. Finally someone listened up and designed something a little bit more flexible (pun intended).
Recommendations:
It is really hard to find something faulty about the Spot Cool. It does the job well. Unfortunately, since it is a new product, it does cost a bit. I got mine for 16USD including shipping but now the unit itself costs 11USD to 16USD alone. It definitely will be a popular item for enthusiasts and people looking for great aftermarket cooling solutions. It won't outperform a NB/SB heatsink with a fan (Thermaltake Extreme Spirit II) but the fact that it can do so much more is something you can consider. The stick mount unfortunately is not as "bendy" as one would expect and sometimes may recoil back to its original posture, so you may need to fix it in place. The fan is also generally quiet, low produces an inaudible hum, but moving it to medium or high produces a humming noise. It isn't irritating but those who are intolerable of loud fans would notice it at these settings. Another issue is for people with really big aftermarket coolers, it may take a little bit of placing and bending to get things right, I really can't say it would be a motherboard issue but with so many mounting holes all over, I doubt that your creativity will get the better of you. Finally, "spotting" is important so that it can cool as many PC parts as possible.
Uppers:
* Flexible and bending stick mount
* Can be attached anywhere inside your PC, cool those hard to reach places, can cool your video cards, chipsets, motherboards and memory modules
* Gyroscope-like fan
* Three speed controller
* Circulates air and really does cool them spots
Downers:
* Stick mount is not as flexible as it seems
* Fan power cable can ruin aesthetic design of a very clean case
* Humming noise on medium and high settings
* May cause some problems with big HSF and long video cards
Wishlist:
* Making stick mount more flexible
* Make the fan power cable "invisible"
Alternatives:
* Zalman FB123
* Tweakmonster Dual 80mm Fan Bracket
Description of Antec SpotCool System Cooler
Antec Spot Cool is specifically designed to mount on any motherboard to provide cooling wherever you need it most. Simply mount it on a motherboard mounting hole, angle the fan as you desire and power it from a motherboard fan connector. 3-speed switch lets you balance quiet performance with maximum cooling.Digital Cameras and Photo Categories
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