We recently had the opportunity to review CoolIT's Freezone Hybrid Cooler here at ClubOC.  While we were impressed with both the ease of use and the performance; the high price tag places that unit out of reach for most builds.  CoolIT is back with the Eliminator hybrid designed to give you the same ease of use we have come to expect from CoolIT and save you $100 in the process.  Does the Eliminator bring the same hybrid cooling performance without breaking the bank?  We take a look at the Eliminator right here at the Club!

     Like the Freezone; the CoolIT Eliminator uses a combination of water cooling and Peltier coolers to keep temperatures down.  In this hybrid system the CPU gets cooled by water first, then the water is cooled by three Peltiers running in a series, also known as Thermoelectric Coolers (TECs). These Peltiers use what is known as the "Peltier effect", which essentially converts electrical power into a temperature delta between two plates. One plate is a hot plate, and the other a cold plate, and the temperature delta is a known value based on the amount of power applied to the Peltier. The water from the CPU block gets cooled by the cold plate, and the hot plate is cooled by the 90mm fan. Because the temperature delta is a fixed value, keeping the hot side cool becomes extremely important. How cool you keep the hot plate will essentially decide how effective your cooler is. More information about the Peltier effect can be found at Wikipedia.

     The Eliminator comes tastefully packaged in a windowed box that provides a nice look at the actual product and a preview image of just how the Eliminator will look installed. Nice!  CooliIT has chosen the slogan "Target The Heat...Kill The Noise" and this simple train of thought is further emphasized by the rest of the marketing speak.

Much of the information found on the back and side of the box is mirrored on the CoolIT site for your perusal. 

     The amount of information available on the box is a refreshing change from some of the water-cooling kits we have covered in the past.

     I know the Hybrid cooler is a new concept to most enthusiasts and CoolIT does a nice job of providing all the information needed to help potential builders decide to make the plunge.

Eliminator VS Freezone

     So the Eliminator costs a whopping $100 MSRP less than the Freezone.  So what is the difference?  CoolIT has targeted two different uses for the two coolers.  The Freezone is clearly the enthusiast choice and is recommended for systems running CPUs with a total heat output of up to 175W before any performance hit should be felt making it ideal for the upcoming quad core Kentsfields and todays tope end CPUs..  The Eliminator is targeted for systems with a total CPU heat output of up to 125W making it a more logical choice for mainstream or HTPC builds.  The Eliminator should be more than capable of handling today's processor loads like those required by Core 2 Duo processors.

     The Freezone unit used a series of six TECs attached to a larger square heat sink and fan.  In an effort to keep costs down and reduce power needs, the Eliminator makes due with 3 TECs and a slightly smaller radial heat sink with a 90mm fan. The Eliminator draws about 40W excluding the 12V pump and fan.  The Freezone takes about 56W to handle the extra TECs.

     Our Freezone featured a Thermal Control Module (TCM) to regulate the temperature of the coolant like a thermostat.  This active control allows for more precise cooling and reduces the risk of condensation.  The TCM on the Eliminator is manual and has three settings: Low for very low power CPUs and low noise installations.  Medium for most common applications including gaming and multi-tasking and gaming.  High for maximum cooling demands brought on by high end processors and overclocking.

     Using the data from the Freezone, we can see how that unit performs in CoolIT's tests against three common water-cooling setups.

     CoolIT has also tested the Eliminator against three different types of water cooling setups as shown above.  Without the full specs to go by we are comparing systems that may be different than those used by the Freezone.  Comparing the Eliminator specs to those of the Freezone makes it clear that the addition of three TECs provides a dramatic difference in their testing.  At a glance the major differences can be seen in the Thermal Transfer Rate, Max CPU Temperature and sound levels.  Also the Eliminator features a fan with a slightly larger fan depth and no automatic controls.

     To provide a level playing field of our own, I will be testing the Eliminator in the same build used in the Freezone tests.

Specifications: