Question Gelid Products and Discounts

[ReveurGAM]

I need your thoughts here.





Gelid Solutions sent me a message via NewEgg on Monday, offering special discounts and a discount code or what the discounts were, or even WHICH products.





This is what happened.





When I clicked the links and selected a product as a test, the code was invalid. I tried ALL of their products with the same result. I wrote back and told them this.





They wrote back with a list of the products (their 120 & 360 AIOs, as well as some of their pastes and pads), links and the individual discounts for each - no more code. When I looked, however, the stated discounts were not reflected in the products. I felt this was kinda suspicious but since it was legitimately their NE shop, I wrote back and told them the product discounts didn't match the stated ones in the email. I pointed this out to them:

Quote


My apologies, but the discounts you have stated are not reflected on NewEgg. For example, the 360 AIO reflects an 11% discount, not 30%. Given the poor specs of your AIO, even at 30% off, I'm just not interested. I would consider it at maybe 60% off because it just isn't good value based on the specs on your website. I'm sorry if that is offensive, but I'm an honest person.

https://gelidsolutions.com/product/gelid-liquid-360/





Finally, this morning, I got a response to this, and it's a bit incongruous:

Quote


Thanks for your suggestion, AIO360 water cooling 30%OFF, for you to reference, any suggestion please feel free to let us know

They included a link to ONLY their 360 AIO. The price on their website is $120, but is sold out. Given this price, 30% off would be $84. On NewEgg it is $98 (not that I'm surprised because NewEgg doesn't try too hard to compete with the highly unethical monster, Amazon).





As I told them, why should I spend this much on a substandard AIO? They don't even list the waterflow or the head.






Pump Specifications:

ARGB Connector:	3 Pin
ARGB Voltage (V):	5
Block Material:	Copper
Pump Connector:	3 Pin
Pump Dimension (mm):	75 x 75 x 56
Pump RPM:	2600
Radiator Dimension (mm):	120 x 393 x 27
Radiator Material:	Aluminium
TDP (W):	max. 300
Tube:	FEP sleeve
Warranty (years):	5
Water Pump Voltage (V):	12
Weight (g):	1500 (with mounting kits and fans)

Fan Specifications:

Air Flow (CFM):	max. 61.9
ARGB Connector:	3 Pin
ARGB Voltage (V):	5
Bearing:	Hydro Dynamic
Current (A):	0.2
DC Voltage (V):	12
Fan Connector:	4 Pin PWM
Fan Dimensions (mm):	120 x 120 x 25
Fan Speed (RPM):	750 - 1800
Life Time MTTF at 40°C (hr):	50000
Noise Level (dBA):	max. 34
Static Pressure (mmAq):	1.67

Included: GC-4 - The State of Art Thermal Compound



Does anyone have any comments or suggestions - on the products, the repeated discount flubs, as well as this AIO that seems to be lame?

 

[Ralston18]

Suggestions:

Read some reviews about other AIOs via recognized reviewer and sources.

Set aside Gelid, Newegg, and ignore discount codes and offerings for the time being.

Go to the applicable manufacturers websites to read user/install manual, FAQ, and Forums.

Look for both what is said and what is not said.

Then look into prices, discounts, codes etc.. Read all fine print. Very carefully.

 

[ReveurGAM]

Read some reviews about other AIOs via recognized reviewer and sources.

Sorry, I'm not feeling well this week, so my processor is on the fritz. Can you explain why I should do so? I can tell from looking at the specs on Gelid's website, and what's missing from them, that it's not a very impressive product. That said, Thermalright is abyssmally bad at putting up specs on their stores and website, yet they put a lot on their boxes, so maybe I'm wrong.

The offer of 30% off their AIO, while not enough for something as weak as this appears to be, only lasts till the end of the month. Also, I'm wondering if I should snag some of their discounted TIMs for future testing as I have little/nothing from them to date and the prices seem low.

I feel really stupid right now because I've been dizzy all weak (in the sense of hypertension-induced dizziness), so I would appreciate some clarity on the rest of your excellent suggestions, Ralston, if that's ok.

There's no discount code this time around, nor any fine print.

What things should I be looking for in particular, other than the obvious, such as AF, SP, flow rate, head (aka lift), RPMs, MTBF, bearings types, etc. for fans and coolers? For TIMs, what aside from the thermal transfer (w/mk) and quantity/dimensions?

 

[Ralston18]

Referencing:

"What things should I be looking for in particular, other than the obvious, such as AF, SP, flow rate, head (aka lift), RPMs, MTBF, bearings types, etc. for fans and coolers? For TIMs, what aside from the thermal transfer (w/mk) and quantity/dimensions?"

You should read some reviews by recognized reviewers and sources simply because you need more information.

And professional reviewers are free of bias (most of them anyway)and have hands-on experience with many product categories and products within those categories. Some reviewers specialize more than others.

As a result they have both an understanding and a sense of what really matters. And why...

There are always trade-offs and products change. Plus lots of product fine print that may effectively say that some quality was measured under idea conditions. In a lab versus real world. MTBF/MTTF measurements as an example; some are simply calculated based on design criteria. or extrapolated from shorter run times.

50,000 hours - convert that to years. And what meant is by 40 C (hr).

Is ARGB really important - I think not. Actually not important at all. That is just me.

Knowing more about leak problems/rates/statistics would be important......

The above "Block Material" - likely important. Just "copper" is not enough. How thick, how pure, etc..

Radiator Material = "Aluminum". How about surface area?

Bearings = "Hydrodynamic" - what does that mean and why is it important? Google it, but do note that the above spec is "Hydro Dynamic".....

Many of the cited values (e.g. fan sizes) are simply the standards that have been established. Having the same standardized size fan does not make one AIO better than another.

I (cyncism conceded) am not impressed by the words "State of the Art" with respect to thermal paste (or anything else for that matter). Would such words be used with toothpaste? Or hemorrhoid cream?

"Compatible with" being another catch-all phrase. Raises red flags for me.

I look to reviewers and other knowledgeable sources to tell me things that I do not know about or otherwise understand. Hopefully measurable or otherwise quantifiable facts/specs that are important.

Do you have a budget? How much are you willing to spend with or without a discount?

Start here:

https://www.pcgamer.com/best-aio-cooler-for-cpus/#:~:text=The reliability of AIO coolers,should it get too hot.

And keep in mind the proverbial big picture: case, all installed components, other fans, airflows, airflow directions, etc..

The cooling ability of any AIO can be nullified by other factors.

 

[ReveurGAM]

Referencing:

"What things should I be looking for in particular, other than the obvious, such as AF, SP, flow rate, head (aka lift), RPMs, MTBF, bearings types, etc. for fans and coolers? For TIMs, what aside from the thermal transfer (w/mk) and quantity/dimensions?"

You should read some reviews by recognized reviewers and sources simply because you need more information.

And professional reviewers are free of bias (most of them anyway)and have hands-on experience with many product categories and products within those categories. Some reviewers specialize more than others.

As a result they have both an understanding and a sense of what really matters. And why...

There are always trade-offs and products change. Plus lots of product fine print that may effectively say that some quality was measured under idea conditions. In a lab versus real world. MTBF/MTTF measurements as an example; some are simply calculated based on design criteria. or extrapolated from shorter run times.

50,000 hours - convert that to years. And what meant is by 40 C (hr).

Is ARGB really important - I think not. Actually not important at all. That is just me.

Knowing more about leak problems/rates/statistics would be important......

The above "Block Material" - likely important. Just "copper" is not enough. How thick, how pure, etc..

Radiator Material = "Aluminum". How about surface area?

Bearings = "Hydrodynamic" - what does that mean and why is it important? Google it, but do note that the above spec is "Hydro Dynamic".....

Many of the cited values (e.g. fan sizes) are simply the standards that have been established. Having the same standardized size fan does not make one AIO better than another.

I (cyncism conceded) am not impressed by the words "State of the Art" with respect to thermal paste (or anything else for that matter). Would such words be used with toothpaste? Or hemorrhoid cream?

"Compatible with" being another catch-all phrase. Raises red flags for me.

I look to reviewers and other knowledgeable sources to tell me things that I do not know about or otherwise understand. Hopefully measurable or otherwise quantifiable facts/specs that are important.

Do you have a budget? How much are you willing to spend with or without a discount?

Start here:

https://www.pcgamer.com/best-aio-cooler-for-cpus/#:~:text=The reliability of AIO coolers,should it get too hot.

And keep in mind the proverbial big picture: case, all installed components, other fans, airflows, airflow directions, etc..

The cooling ability of any AIO can be nullified by other factors.

Thanks for the drill-down!

50,000~=5.7 years. The temperature listed is important because, the higher the temp and the higher the hours, the more resistant it (theoretically) is to temperature degradation.

ARGB is eye-candy, that's all. It makes no positive difference aside from aesthetics and how it might make a person feel, and it costs money for electricity...and aggravation when ARGB doesn't work right, LED coloration doesn't match, and other things don't work as expected. It's a waste, except that it gives customers way more color options than any paint/plastic can, thus obviating the need to offer many different colored models. At least it's not the insipid beige or grey of the 90's.

It's unsurprising that these companies use so much marketing language and so few facts. You learn so very little. HDB, hydro, long-life, etc. - generally mean crappy bearings. Even some FDB bearings have low MTTF. Any bearing can be crap if it's poorly designed, poorly made, and/or uses poor quality materials.

The ratio of specs to market-speak is a good indicator of how crappy the product may be. When I looked at the NE listing, it was almost entirely market-speak, which raised red flags. The fact that the website has little more than that raised more. The unavailability of technical documents about products (linked specs documents are usually marketing material instead of actual technical documents, I've noticed) is very annoying. And it doesn't really seem to matter much where they provide their specs - it's anyone's guess what they're lying about.

The fact that Thermalright sells their products cheaply can be attributed to them being a Chinese company and they're taking advantage of the local labor pool to undercut competitors. That they skimp on specs online but put lots on the boxes suggests duplicity, or at least suggests that the QUALITY of the products is questionable, even if the specs are accurate (from my use of the Thermalright Frozen Notte, and the MANY reviews of the PA120, PS120, etc., it seems like the specs are realistic, but that they make use of reviewers to market their products, hence how the review industry keeps on getting flooded by multiple reviews of one TR product after another every few months. Not surprising, since it's a marketing strategy, but I find the lack of transparency and subtle dishonesty of many of the reviewers irritating. SO many of them declare a TR product the new champ, few introduce the caveat that they only perform well within their heat dissipation range, after which they sputter, and fewer still critically eyeball them and point things out in a balanced manner - including many of the most popular reviewers. And then there are the reviewers who deliberately stack the deck to make the focus product look better than it really is by pitting it against a range of products that are around the same or worse in terms of performance and then say things like "This is the best I've tested so far," which is just BS. One of the TH reviewers has done that several times and I have no faith in him at this point.

That Arctic has taken a very similar tack is unsurprising and pretty clever, although it clearly means they're cutting some corners since their overhead will be larger than a Chinese company's.

Agreed about your criticisms of the useless phrases that company's spit out like watermelon seeds.

My income is all I have at this point, aside from getting about $100/mo from my reviews channel, and I've got two teens. I have 12 AIOs at this point, none of which, AFAICR (can remember), I paid more than $100 for, and that's about the limit I'm going to spend on any AIO, which means I won't be getting any of the overpriced ones from Asus, Corsair, Lian Li, etc. No AIO is worth $150+ in my mind unless it keeps the CPU at ambient, and I see NO reason to pay for useless decorative effects. I look at my monitor, not my AIO. XD


Your closing remarks about AIOs are very accurate. I just completed a video talking about installing AIOs based on where the pump is located. Overly long but understandably so (to me) because I've been rather dizzy this week.

Thanks for the link. I have to wonder why he:

• didn't include the IceMyst and Mystique,
• chose the Galahad II Trinity over the Performance variant, and
• reviewed so few AIOs that many excellent options were completely ignored.

Not impressive, to my way of thinking, when I can turn to HW Busters, HWCooling.net, KitGuru and so many other sources that provide much longer lists.

Then again, the only thing that can possibly be said to be modestly impressive about my tech channel at this point is that there are (only) 184 initial (based on published specs) fan reviews available. An equal (or so) number still await their debut on my channel. I hold no delusions that anyone will be counting my channel as being amongst the best anytime soon...if ever. As critical as I am of other reviewers, the only thing I know that holds me above the masses of them is my firm grip on honesty, integrity and authenticity. 🤷 Notice the lack of technical acumen, etc. I don't wear a goofy costume like the Provoked Prawn, make farting noises like Jay, pander to the audience and make geek porn like Linus...But maybe that's a bad thing since my channel isn't as entertaining as it might otherwise be, eh?

Again, thank you for your significant contributions to my question, Ralston! 🥂

 

[ReveurGAM]

Referencing:

"What things should I be looking for in particular, other than the obvious, such as AF, SP, flow rate, head (aka lift), RPMs, MTBF, bearings types, etc. for fans and coolers? For TIMs, what aside from the thermal transfer (w/mk) and quantity/dimensions?"

You should read some reviews by recognized reviewers and sources simply because you need more information.

And professional reviewers are free of bias (most of them anyway)and have hands-on experience with many product categories and products within those categories. Some reviewers specialize more than others.

As a result they have both an understanding and a sense of what really matters. And why...

There are always trade-offs and products change. Plus lots of product fine print that may effectively say that some quality was measured under idea conditions. In a lab versus real world. MTBF/MTTF measurements as an example; some are simply calculated based on design criteria. or extrapolated from shorter run times.

50,000 hours - convert that to years. And what meant is by 40 C (hr).

Is ARGB really important - I think not. Actually not important at all. That is just me.

Knowing more about leak problems/rates/statistics would be important......

The above "Block Material" - likely important. Just "copper" is not enough. How thick, how pure, etc..

Radiator Material = "Aluminum". How about surface area?

Bearings = "Hydrodynamic" - what does that mean and why is it important? Google it, but do note that the above spec is "Hydro Dynamic".....

Many of the cited values (e.g. fan sizes) are simply the standards that have been established. Having the same standardized size fan does not make one AIO better than another.

I (cyncism conceded) am not impressed by the words "State of the Art" with respect to thermal paste (or anything else for that matter). Would such words be used with toothpaste? Or hemorrhoid cream?

"Compatible with" being another catch-all phrase. Raises red flags for me.

I look to reviewers and other knowledgeable sources to tell me things that I do not know about or otherwise understand. Hopefully measurable or otherwise quantifiable facts/specs that are important.

Do you have a budget? How much are you willing to spend with or without a discount?

Start here:

https://www.pcgamer.com/best-aio-cooler-for-cpus/#:~:text=The reliability of AIO coolers,should it get too hot.

And keep in mind the proverbial big picture: case, all installed components, other fans, airflows, airflow directions, etc..

The cooling ability of any AIO can be nullified by other factors.

If you are interested in evaluating my AIO testing thus far, please PM and I'll send you the link. Not all results have yet been posted, and more tests are still to be done with the GC mounted in the PCIe slot.

 

[Ralston18]

No PMs.

Links should be posted for all to see, visit , read, and comment on (if and as desired).

However, bear in mind that such links may be deleted if they are merely "click bait" or otherwise run afoul of Forum rules.

If your AIO testing and evaluation is posted on some known and recognized website as a formal review then I believe (speaking only for myself) that that would be a different matter.

Your work having been reviewed in some manner via the applicable editors and peers. (They may or may not be interested in reviewing the interim results - I do not know. Overall, be cautious about early or interim publishing regarding testing and results.)

The final review being technically sound, proper testing protocols, well-written, references, citations, meaningful diagrams, photographs, charts/graphs, etc.. Not AI produced.....

Very high bar and I cannot presume anything for anyone other than myself.

So again, no PMs.

 

[ReveurGAM]

No PMs.

Links should be posted for all to see, visit , read, and comment on (if and as desired).

However, bear in mind that such links may be deleted if they are merely "click bait" or otherwise run afoul of Forum rules.

If your AIO testing and evaluation is posted on some known and recognized website as a formal review then I believe (speaking only for myself) that that would be a different matter.

Your work having been reviewed in some manner via the applicable editors and peers. (They may or may not be interested in reviewing the interim results - I do not know. Overall, be cautious about early or interim publishing regarding testing and results.)

The final review being technically sound, proper testing protocols, well-written, references, citations, meaningful diagrams, photographs, charts/graphs, etc.. Not AI produced.....

Very high bar and I cannot presume anything for anyone other than myself.

So again, no PMs.

Sorry, the last time I linked to a video I created about Windows and keys, I was banned. I was very explicitly told I CANNOT link to any of my own work in public. So, unless the rules have changed since 2022 and you can guarantee that I will NOT be persecuted for sharing the results of my own efforts, I cannot do what you want. Even after they agreed to unban me, and in spite of the fact that some people here helped to review my script (publicly), the link was removed and that thread was closed permanently by the THF team. That is why I'm offering to send it privately - so I don't get banned.

 

[Ralston18]

I do not want anything privately in any manner.

And I certainly cannot make any guarantees with respect to this Forum.

With respect to Forum rules, past decisions, bans, etc. that is what we all must abide by.

If you have questions or concerns about such things and THF then you must contact the Community Managers.

 

[ReveurGAM]

I do not want anything privately in any manner.

And I certainly cannot make any guarantees with respect to this Forum.

With respect to Forum rules, past decisions, bans, etc. that is what we all must abide by.

If you have questions or concerns about such things and THF then you must contact the Community Managers.

Then it's settled. You won't get anything privately from me, and I'm not going to post links publicly.

It was just an offer, anyways. No worries.