Id-Cooling Icekimo 120 Compact Liquid CPU Cooler Review

[Crashman]

Id-Cooling believes its inch-thick 120mm closed-loop cooler can handle a mildly overclocked six-core LGA 2011-v3 processor. But should it? We take a closer look!

Id-Cooling Icekimo 120 Compact Liquid CPU Cooler Review : Read more

 

[Math Geek]

could be an interesting option for a small build for sure. would love to see it with an i5 and a mini 1070. could be interesting in a small htpc/gamer build

 

[Onus]

If you have room for a 120mm air cooler like the Gammax 400, get that. If you don't have room for such a large cooler, this one is a good choice if you're limited to a single 120mm radiator.

So, is this an accurate synopsis?

 

[JackNaylorPE]

With even ITX cases having room for large coolers, I don't see the point given the noise and temp penalties.

 

[anbello262]

With even some ITX cases having room for large coolers, I don't see the point given the noise and temp penalties.

Fixed that, a bit more realistic now.

It makes sense when you want the smallest possible machine. There are some ITX cases that are only slightly larger than a console (while there are other that are as large as a mATX case)

 

[photonboy]

It would be nice to include a chart where the temperature is the SAME under load so we can compare NOISE.

What matters to ME is:
a) is the cooler GOOD enough for my CPU? and,
b) what will the IDLE and LOAD noise be?

PUMP NOISE can also be annoying despite showing a low dB in the same way a small, whiny fan can be lower dB but annoying. They can also worsen over time, and AIO have roughly a 5-year life just FYI (due to tube permeation of the liquid).

So I'd avoid liquid coolers unless absolutely necessary. Scythe has a new cooler for normal sized ATX cases: https://www.pcper.com/news/Cases-and-Cooling/Scythe-FUMA-SCFM-1000-may-be-next-favourite-heatsink

 

[JackNaylorPE]

You nailed it, if you want the smallest possible machine and that instead of performance is your priority, you can meet that goal with a console or a laptop.

Each increment of shrinkage brings compromises in not only in cooler / GFX card sizes but in case cooling ability as well as room to get in there with human sized hands to route wires and grab that dropped screw. If performance is a priority, you buy the ITX 14" x 9" x 15" case (1.09 cuft) that has more fan mounts, fits larger GFX cards. That's always going to be a bigger case than the 0.5 cuft one using IGP / 65 watt GFX card and a non K series processor. The "free bonus" that comes with the case that fits that big 1070 / 1080, assuming that you have selected a well designed case with enough case air flow, is that the larger size also allows the bigger cooler.

I just don't see the point in ever giving up performance for case size. If case size smaller than ITX is important and performance is not, a console will fit the bill. Or, again, with today's 10xx mobile GPUs which give up very little compared with past generation cards, so will a laptop.

Back in the 90s we were asked to do a fair amount of small builds so users could easily take to LAN parties. But when the internet came along and replaced the network cable for multi-player gameplay; the need to relocate became unnecessary. That being the case, the appeal of a case with an 80 sq.in. desktop footprint with performance limitations versus one with a 125 sq.in footprint with none just escapes me.

 

[anbello262]

You nailed it, if you want the smallest possible machine and that instead of performance is your priority, you can meet that goal with a console or a laptop.

You're going from one extreme to the opposite one. If i was looking for a mini ITX build, I would be looking at Size/Performance ratio, and looking for a sweetspot for my use scenario.
Therefore a console wouldn't fit the consideration, but neither would something that supports a full length video card AND a big air cooler at the same time.

I want a very small ITX case because I need to relocate often (I live in 2 different places, so I basically move once a week).
A laptop doesn't have what I'm looking for (either way too expensive, or not enough performance/cooling at the same price). I want a desktop PC I can fit in my backpack. Most of the builds I've been seeing also weight about the same as a powerful laptop, and can fit a half length 1070.
So I would be one of the potential customers of this specific cooler. With this cooler, I can also fit a K processor and OC it quite a bit.


If performance was the main priority, I would just go mATX or full sized tower. But it is not, size comes first, but performance is also there, just in a second place. In the third place, there is price.

Laptops are usually way too expensive compared to a small mini ITX build (same specs), and there are upgradeability concerns. Different enough to not fit the bill. I would be also paying for a battery, monitor and peripherals that I wouldn't use most of the time. I considered one, but I would have ended up paying about double the price of an ITX build.

Consoles are not to even be considered, they are such a completely different thing, it doesn't even deserve mentioning here. A PC is a lot more than a "Gaming Box", and even in the gaming department the differences are too big. It's like comparing a 3DS to an XBOX.

Also, I really don't think that "building difficulty" is important enough to even consider, especially when making a "niche" build. I'm going to spend a day or two building it, but years using it, after all. I understand that you might be concerned with it, when making lots of build for other people, but that's certainly not my case.

What I'm trying to say is that this is NOT meant to be a mainstream product. This is a niche product, and therefore you should look at the intended market when assesing the product.

 

[Crashman]

If you have room for a 120mm air cooler like the Gammax 400, get that. If you don't have room for such a large cooler, this one is a good choice if you're limited to a single 120mm radiator.

So, is this an accurate synopsis?

Yeh, that's good. This is only a "great" solution if you don't have room for big air.

 

[BulkZerker]

"Yeh, that's good. This is only a "great" solution if you don't have room for big air."

From what I've read its a good solution even if you do have room for "big air".

 

[Crashman]

"Yeh, that's good. This is only a "great" solution if you don't have room for big air."

From what I've read its a good solution even if you do have room for "big air".

It could be, but you could just get a Gammaxx 400 if you had room for it.

 

[n0ns3ns3]

well, Arctic Liquid Freezer 120 performs better and quieter.
Also comes with 2 fans (of course you can remove one if space restrictions require that)