Vantec ICEBERQ 5
4. Conclusion
Performance-wise, the ICEBERQ 5 managed a modest drop in temperature, which is very satisfactory as cooling isn't supposed to be one of its main features. Still, it managed to cool our X800XT PE better than the stock ATI fan and even provide the memory parts with their own cooling, thanks to the 8 included memory heatsinks.
Vantec is known for its very silent coolers and ICEBERQ 5 is one of them. We could barely hear any noise coming from the fan, even with our own CPU cooler running extremely quietly too. Also, let's not forget the LED that emits the blue light. The original ATI stock cooler also had a similar led so it'd be a shame if we had to lose out on the special FX.
What really disappointed us at first was the fact that you have to plug the fan's power cable onto your motherboard or power supply. That way we thought we'd lose the ability to dynamically control the fan's rotation speed. However, once we saw that there wasn't any difference in noise level when running in low or high speed, we were happy to leave it running at 100% all the time.
Installation of the fansink was not only easy but also safe for the card. There's really nothing you can do to damage it, even when tightening the metal clip at the back of the card. What might be a drawback for some users is that the ICEBERQ 5 takes up a second PCI slot in order to fit on your motherboard.
The price of the ICEBERQ 5 is around US$30.
Pros:
- Easy & safe installation
- Great stock-fan replacement
- Heatsinks to cool the memory parts
- Bright blue LED light
Cons:
- Fan can't be powered through the card
- Requires a second slot to fit on board
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