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asetek Antarctica Waterblock Review
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Introduction
The one thing that we don't normally see from asetek here in the states is the whole DIY (Do It Yourself) side to the Waterchill product line. Granted you can find a few parts here and there but when checking the asetek online store you can easily see how big the Waterchill product line has gotten. One of the more recent additions is a new performance oriented waterblock called Antarctica.
The Antarctica comes equipped with 3 1/2" OD push on hose fittings. These fittings are similar to the ones found on the mainstream Swiftech waterblocks, they are easy to use though require some extra effort when it comes to removing the hose. The base is machined flat, but remains unpolished.
With the top is removed you can begin to see a minor resemblance to the popular Dtek White Water, though highly stylized for multi platform operation. The Antarctica shares a profile shape with the original Waterchill block both in outline and height.
The above photos are provided to give you a closer look at the Antarctica water channel; the design appears to be very refined and includes a lowered region near the exit barbs. An overflow channel is located along the edge that doesn't appear to do anything except to maybe relieve excess pressure.
Mounting hardware is often an overlooked accessory that is rarely easy to install or use. asetek has again provided some interesting mounting hardware that appears to break this trend. Not only does the steel mounting posts provide some lateral stability to the waterblock but the thumbscrews stop when adequate pressure is applied.
The only concern is how much the PCB flexes after everything is installed, this isn't so much a problem on AthlonXP systems but on the Pentium 4 and even Athlon64 motherboards the extra strain can really put a burden on the PCB and even induce uneven pressure between the top of the processor and base of the waterblock.
