CoolIT Systems Domino Liquid CPU Cooler

A Closer Look

First let us jump in and talk about the radiator itself. The radiator is a custom designed unit that is made from aluminum which gives the end user greater performance and it helps keep the overall size of the cooling unit down. Using a radiator setup rather than a heat pipe set up was chosen for an increase in compatibility and the greater surface area of the fins to help remove the unwanted heat from the coolant.

A the heart of this electro-mechanical system is a pump that was designed from the ground up. The pump was created to last for over 7 years at a temperature of 50c. To reach the goal that CoolIT set for themselves, a ceramic bearing is used that can withstand high temperatures and offer a long life.

Water Vapor Conduction Loss is the cause of why most liquid systems have the need to be refilled often. All plastic or rubber is porous on one level or another. The liquid loss through that material increases dramatically (depending on the material, more than double with a 10 degree rise in temperature) Although the material is slightly more expensive (and a little harder to work with) the ribbed tubing you see on the Domino ensures the most long-lasting and lowest permeability available.

Every single unit is leak tested using mass spectroscopy at a high differential pressure so that it does not have a risk of leaking.  Every joint, connection and fill port is thoroughly inspected prior to being filled. The “blood” that flows through the cooler is a 25% propylene Glycol Mixture with a very comprehensive anti-corrosion package to ensure there will never be any performance reduction due to build-up or inter-metallic reaction

Moving the air through the radiator is a 120x120x25mm fan which is speed controlled from the controller. So what if the fan goes out or something gets caught up in the fan what will happen? Two things you will see a System Alert icon appear on the LCD screen with that also comes a high pitch audible alarm that can easily be heard from another room. I tested this feature out by jamming my finger in the fan, at slow speed of course, and I also watched the temperature of the CPU to see how fast it would raise and I was pleasantly surprised to see the temperature slowly climb rather than race up like a fan/heatsink combination would do. This will give you plenty of time to react in the event of this kind of failure. But there should be no fear as CoolIT has chosen a high quality fan since they know how important this part of the system is.

The fan is used as the mounting point for the CoolIT Domino ALC to any case that has a 120mm fan hole. The removal of any existing rear exhaust fan must be done to install the Domino. There are two methods in which you can attached the cooling unit to your case. One is by using the per-installed rubber mounting pins. Yeah I know, they look like they  could not hold up the unit but in fact the do a really great job at it! Add to the fact that they also work as isolation pads to help eliminate any vibration traveling from the Domino to the case. Just in case you don’t think that the rubber holders will do, you can use four screws and nuts to securely anchor the Domino to your enclosure.

Time to check out the LCD. The main function of the LCD is to give you a visual confirmation of the status of the Domino A.L.C. What a surprising added feature to an entry level liquid cooling system. Even the higher priced water cooling setups do not include this kind of setup. The LCD is built into the portion of the Domino that is home to the pump and circuitry. At 1 3/4 inches wide and 1 inch tall the LCD is really easy to see and read. During testing I had the LCD at about a 33-40 degree angle and the font sizes that were chosen by CoolIT I was able to read the display without problems.

Pretty much all the information you need to know about the what the cooler is doing is located on the display. The only thing that it can not show you is what the actual temperature is of the CPU. You will have to rely on other software for that.

Three different levels of cooling can be achieved with just one finger and the press of a button. Along the outer edge of the control housing you will find the only physical interaction that you need with the cooler. Located in a small dimple, so that there can not be any accidental hits, you will find a small button. This button will allow you to change how the cooler will run and cool down you processor.

With the three levels of cooling at you finger tip, CoolIT once again uses both a visual and audible to communicate with you. Each time the button is depresses you will get tones and an icon showing you that you have moved along the line graph; the farther up the graph the more cooling you can expect. Now you also have to realize that this also means the fan will increase in speed and with that comes more noise.