Ultra ChillTEC Keeps Its Cool

System builders face a delicate challenge in adding more power to machines while keeping them cool. In addition to air cooling and water cooling, there are thermoelectric cooling (TEC) products that use hot and cold plates to transfer heat from the processor to the heat sink. Ultra Products' Ultra ChillTEC CPU Cooler effectively balances TEC and heat-pipe cooling.

The first thing Test Center engineers noticed about Ultra ChillTEC is its bulkiness. It tips the scale at 2.2 pounds and measures approximately 3.75 x 3.75 x 6 inches. Despite its mass, engineers found ChillTEC to be a high-performing hybrid air cooler and a reasonable alternative to water cooling.

Ultra Products ships the cooler as a complete installation kit, with the heat sink, display unit, some cables, adapter hardware and screws. The company claims ChillTEC is compatible with most modern motherboards with the following processors: AMD socket AM2, 754, 939 or 940, and Intel socket 775. Inside the box, there are three mounting back plates, one for Intel and two for AMD processors, to use during installation. Installing the mounting properly is critical in order to support the cooler's weight. The fan blowing through the cooler toward an exhaust to expel the heated air is optimal. The noise level of the cooler is only noticeable when the computer first starts up.

While the suggested price of $149.99 may seem a little on the high side, the Ultra ChillTEC effectively cools down machines, even overclocked systems, and is an option to water cooling.

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