CoolerMaster CoolViva!

Big B · Dec 13, 2006

<h2>CoolerMaster CoolViva</h2>
 
CoolViva? Does this cooler come with a sombrero? Yeah, the name is a little interesting, but it looks like it could be another hit for CoolerMaster considering what they've been putting out. The past year or two has turned CoolerMaster from a relatively unknown or value company into a recognizable name with their stylish cases and some solid performing CPU, albeit <strike>large</strike> massive, heatsinks. They've even started putting out some power supplies and multi-function panels. The latest addition to CoolerMaster's lineup is the CoolViva VHC-L61 heatpipe VGA cooler. Zalman and Arctic Cooling have been the two main participants in aftermarket VGA coolers, but for the buyer, additional competition is always welcome.
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-01.jpg">
 
This kit includes a lot of small parts, which for the most part are screws, but I'll go over what's in the CoolViva kit.
<ul>
<li>1x small heatsink
<li>1x large heatsink
<li>2x blue heatsink plates
<li>1x 60mm ball-bearing fan
<li>1x copper heatpipe
<li>2x long screws
<li>4x short screws
<li>10x medium screws
<li>4x metal arms
<li>2x washer
<li>2x mounting studs
<li>2x stud caps
<li>1x thermal paste
</ul>
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-02.jpg">
 
One thing that I did notice a discrepancy on was the type of fan used. On the retail packaging, the fan is listed as a sleeve-bearing fan, while CoolerMaster's website lists it as ball-bearing. All other sources I've checked also list it as ball-bearing. I didn't see anything else that differed from the packaging, however. Anyway, let's look at the parts of the CoolViva.

Big B · Dec 13, 2006

<h2>CoolViva Close Up</h2>
 
First off, all major parts of the kit are aluminum, save the heatpipe itself. While copper tends to best aluminum in heat disappation, it's also quite a bit heavier. As the CoolViva's weight is noticeable, I'd have to say that making the same kit out of pure copper would've made it even heavier. I suspect that having an all-copper unit would've made the CoolViva dangerously heavy, but this is just a theory.</h2>
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-03.jpg">
 
The most noticeable part of the CoolViva is the blue heatsink plates. Both have a groove along the long edges where the supplied fan clips on. While I don't know if CoolerMaster sells the CoolViva fans separately, you could easily attach another one on the backside of the card.
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-04.jpg">
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-05.jpg">
 
There are two heatsinks supplied with the kit, both are, as previously mentioned, aluminum. CoolerMaster has a fairly smooth surface on the first one, but some tweakers might want to lap it for a smoother surface. The second heatsink is for the back of the card. I hadn't really thought much about these VGA heatpipe coolers, but what CoolerMaster did makes sense. With all the solder points on the back of the card, a big chunk of metal could easily mean an extra crispy video card by shorting a number of them all at once. Having a non-conductive surface is essential to this, or any similar kit's usefulness.
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-06.jpg">
 
A 60mm fan is included in a custom plastic bracket that snaps on to one of the blue heatsinks. However, putting this on is optional. I did install the fan, and it's silent, or at least very near to it, which is good news for those of you who want a silent or very, very quite PC.
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-07.jpg">
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-08.jpg">
 
The last major piece is the heatpipe, and it should be long enough for any card out their today. The second pic is the heatpipe beside a GeForce 4 Ti4600, which is a massive card. While CoolerMaster is unspecific about which cards it works on, aside from nVidia and ATi cards, I don't see a problem with it fitting most, if not all cards.

Big B · Dec 13, 2006

<h2>Installation</h2>
 
The first few steps of the installation are the trickiest. The screws used to attach the metal arms to the heatsinks are extremely small and getting them to go in is rather taxing. I don't have bear paws for hands, but it took me several minutes to get these screws in. The next fun part is getting the back of the card setup for the rear heatsink. Getting the washers on the two long screws was also tricky due to their small size. Once they were on and the mounting studs tightenend, things went much easier.
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-09.jpg">
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-10.jpg">
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-11.jpg">
 
The heatpipe went into grooves between the blue and plain heatsinks, which were screwed together. While CoolerMaster did supply some thermal paste, I quickly found this to be watery and discarded it for some silicon paste I had in store.
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-12.jpg">
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-13.jpg">
 
One thing I wish CoolerMaster would've included was a thin screwdriver. If you look at these pics, there's some marring around the heatsink where the screws are. Having some jewler screwdrivers would've helped, but I don't know what happened to mine, so I had to resort to the smallest philips head I could find. But it wasn't small enough. It shouldn't be immediately noticeable, but it's not difficult to pick out either.
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-14.jpg">
 
And here it is, all assembled and ready to go.

Big B · Dec 13, 2006

<h2>Installation, cont. & Conclusion</h2>
 
Here it is installed in a system.
 
<img src="http://www.zone365.com/img/2005/jan/coolv/cmcv-15.jpg">
 
If you use the fan, expect to give up the first two PCI slots below your AGP (or PCIe) card. While the Abit IS7 series of boards don't have a PCI slot immediately under the AGP slot, I had to move the PCI card in the first PCI slot because of the heatsink's size. I'm also fortunate to have a small northbridge cooler. Anyone with a northbridge cooler more than a hair or two taller than the AGP slot is going to find themselves in trouble. Additionally, there could be trouble between the heatpipe and the DIMM slots, depending on the motherboard. This, however should not be looked at as Cooler Master's fault. It's a large heatsink and it needs space.
 
Final Thoughts
 
Without any real solid way to test the temps, I had to rely on the ol' finger test. It was only noticeably warm on the heatsink block directly contacting the GPU. This was after a few hours of looping 3DMark 2001SE tests at 1600x1200 resolution. I also had the GPU overclocked by about 15MHz, which isn't huge, but the GeForce 4 Ti4600 stock speeds run very close to the limits of the chips capabilities.
 
Fans, being mechanical, will inevitably fail. With this kit, I don't see that being a real issue. Even if the included fan does fail, it's so quiet, I doubt you'd notice it immediately. While it is aluminum, it seems to cool very well, but its effectiveness will differ depending on your case ventilation.
 
Newegg lists the CoolViva for $20.49 + shipping. Zalman's Heatpipe VGA cooler runs for $30.99 + shipping. Arctic Cooling's Silencer series run anywhere from just under $18 all the way up to $33.49. I haven't tested any other VGA cooler before, but this is to put the CoolViva in perspective to the competition. If you're hunting for a cooler and are limited on space, the CoolViva is simply not something you should be looking at.
 
The bad points of the cooler would be that it's a little tricky to install, and might be intimidating for some, depending on the experience level. If you don't have a thin philips screwdriver, you can be sure you'll be making some unplanned mods whilst installing the blue heatsink plates. I know Zalman has included a screwdriver with their VGA heatpipe cooler, and I wish CoolerMaster had taken a cue. Lastly, and by far the most obvious, is the sheer size. This thing is a beast and is not suitable for tight fits, so I wouldn't be looking at the CoolViva if you need something for that SFF system you're planning.
 
In the end, while it's got a few minor points, I'm very pleased with CoolerMaster's CoolViva. It seems to be capable of fitting most, if not all, consumer video cards on the market. It's price makes it one of the least expensive VGA coolers available at just a tad over $20. While the installation may be a little tricky, it's not the only cooler with more than a couple installation steps. Yes, it's large, but the technology it uses necessitates the size. It seems to be a capable cooler with or without a fan attached, which will please those who are into silent computing. I feel really positive about this cooler and highly recommend taking a look at it if you're in the market for a new VGA cooler.

CoolerMaster CoolViva!

Big B

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