Spire is officially introducing the release of the all new Spire VertiCool II Pro. This universal turn-n-lock mounting, high-performance cooler has everything that you could need. Featuring 45 stamped aluminum micro-fins thermally supported by 2 U-shaped 8mm thermally improved heat-pipes and all copper base for rapid heat transfer. Patented Turn-n-Lock EZ Installation is simple and tool-free, Spire 420 Thermal compound and multi language installation manual is included in the retail package. Supporting the latest Intel 775 & AMD AM2 and AM3 micro-processors, this towering cooler is a great pick for those upgrading their system with a modest budget.

Thermaltake has four new CPU coolers in the making, part of the series marked with "ISGC" (abbreviates Inspiration of Silent Gaming Cooling) in the model name. The naming scheme propagates as ISGC 100, 200, 300 and 400. The first two supporting all current AMD sockets and Intel LGA-775, while the last two supporting all those sockets, plus LGA-1366.

ISGE 100 and 200 measure 124 x 96 x 70 mm and 90 x 96 x 140.5 mm respectively, and feature 92 mm fans, while the 300 and 400 measure 126 x 71 x 161 mm and 126 x 71 x 60 mm respectively and use 120 mm fans. Using copper heatpipes as thick at 6 mm, and aluminum fins. Press Release follows:

Yet to be released worldwide, the Kabuto CPU cooler by Scythe made an appearance on the company's Japanese website. It is designed to be a high performance stock-cooler replacement for Intel sockets x478, LGA-775, and LGA-1366. All AMD desktop sockets since s754 are supported.

Measuring 124 mm (l) x 133 mm (w) x 132 mm (h), the cooler seems like a complex work of metal: A CPU contact block doubles up as a small heatsink. From it, arise six copper heatpipes. The heatpipes, in groups of two, convey heat to three independent aluminum fin stacks. A 120 mm PWM-controlled fan, operating at speeds of around 1300 rpm blows air onto the three fin stacks. At those speeds, its noise levels remain around 26.5dBA. The cooler tips the scales at 730 g (around 1.6 lbs). It remains to be seen when Scythe announces this cooler worldwide.

PC component cooling major Arctic Cooling is readying a revision for the Freezer XTREME CPU cooler. The new cooler, simply called Freezer XTREME Rev. 2, retains the basic design, while having a reworked retention module. Due to the size and cooling efficiency of the cooler, it was found of it to be capable of supporting the entire range of desktop processors based on Intel's Nehalem architecture.

The new, reworked retention module provides support for Intel sockets LGA-1366 and LGA-1156. That aside, standard features and design of the cooler remain: copper CPU contact block, four copper heatpipes, large aluminum fin array, and a central 120 mm fan to circulate air. Arctic Cooling is expected to announce this cooler soon. Whether it comes up as a separate SKU or it replaces the existing Freezer Xtreme model from the lineup remains to be seen.

German cooling specialist Alphacool released two new CPU water blocks that boast support for all existing and upcoming Intel sockets, the HF 14 series. Its two members are Livingstone and Yellowstone. While both have an identical retention mechanism design, the block design itself is where the differences lie. The Livingstone uses a bilateral-symmetric design, while for the Yellowstone block, the inlet is positioned in the center, to gush right onto the heat-exchange fins.

The company is yet to publish data-sheets for the water blocks, so we could tell you more, though they have been listed on the company store. The Livingstone block sells for 59.95 €, while the Yellowstone is priced significantly higher at 74.95 €. Both blocks support Intel LGA-775, LGA-1366 and promise support for the upcoming LGA-1160/LGA-1156 socket. Pictured below, in order are Livingstone and Yellowstone (red RM brace).

Following the release of the X58 SuperComputer high-end motherboard, ASRock made an addition to its socket LGA-1366 motherboard lineup with the X58 Deluxe. The new SKU is simply a trimmed-down package of the X58 SuperComputer, with a few features and accessories removed. The motherboard continues to be a high-end offering from ASRock that supports leading multi-GPU standards in their highest-possible configurations: ATI CrossFireX and NVIDIA 3-Way SLI and Quad-SLI. It retains the PCB and component-layout of the X58 SuperComputer for the most part.

The changes kick-in where, the X58 Deluxe makes do with only a single gigabit Ethernet interface, as opposed to two on the X58 SuperComputer. It does away with an SLI interconnect bridge that spans across two expansion slots (2S). The SuperComputer package originally bundled three SLI bridges in all: 2-way 2S, 2-way 3S and, 3-way. The 2S bridge connected two NVIDIA graphics cards on neighbouring PCI-Express x16 slots. With the red-coloured slots wired-up for a maximum of 8 PCI-E lanes only, the 2S bridge become redundant and not recommended for common two-card SLI setups. The rest of the offering remains the same, with support for up to 24GB of DDR3 memory, four PCI-Express x16 slots, 8-channel HD Audio and gigabit Ethernet. The new model is expected to be priced a little lesser than the X58 SuperComputer. It is yet to be officially announced by the company, though already listed on its website.

After introducing some of the most efficient CPU coolers, the Japanese cooling specialist, Scythe, is now planning to launch a new cooler named KillerWhale, designed and manufactured originally by DeepCool, distributed by Scythe. This cooler is specifically designed keeping the Intel LGA-1366 socket in mind, where a slightly bigger, rectangular base serves the application better.

The most characteristic feature of this cooler is its large, rather thick fan and sweep area. Its construction seems fairly simple: six heatpipes arise from a rectangular copper CPU contact block, which convey heat to an aluminum fin array that propagates along the plane of the motherboard. The entire cooler measures 54.5 x 143 x 143.5 mm, and weighs 900g (around 2 lbs). The 120mm fan rotates at speeds between 800 and 1800 rpm to dole out up to 78.32 CFM of air. The KillerWhale supports Intel LGA-1366, LGA-775, AMD AM3, AM2+, AM2, 940 and 939 sockets. It will hit stores soon.

Spire today released its two new retention module kits that provide support for Intel's Core i7 LGA-1366 socket, using existing Spire coolers. The two kits: Core i7 Clip (model: SB-03MK092) and Core i7 Clip II (model: SB-03MK091) consist of metal clip(s) with screws. The Core i7 Clip II, with its two split clips support Spire's SP604,SP605,SP607,SP608 CPU coolers, while the Core i7 clip is built exclusively for the SP602B3 cooler. Both kits are made of nickel-plated metal are are backed by Spire's 2 year warranty. As for its pricing, they are expected to be nominal as with similar retention module kits from several other companies.

There has been a lot of hype generated around Cooler Master's Cosmos Black system case. A special edition offering of this would bundle the Cooler Master Hyper Z600 Black CPU cooler. As the name suggests, the cooler would be dressed all in black, starting from its vital heat-dissipation components, to its shroud, and of course its fan.

The cooler consists of a metal CPU contact block from which six heatpipes carry heat through a dense array of aluminum fins. The fins are shaped in the form of a cross. A shroud directs air-flow from the fan attached to either of the array's sides. The 120mm fan is PWM controlled and its speed ranges between 800 and 2,200 rpm. The cooler will support all current desktop CPU sockets, including the Intel LGA-1366. The main aim of this new release is to provide aesthetic value to the cooler, as it blends with the black theme of the new Cosmos model. At this point in time, this cooler is intended to come as part of a bundle with the Cosmos black case, slated for December 11.

Noctua today presented a new special edition of its flagship NH-U12P CPU cooler for Intel Core i7. The NH-U12P SE1366 includes the highly reliable, easy-to-use SecuFirm2 mounting system for LGA1366 as well as Noctua's pro-grade NT-H1 thermal compound and two NF-P12 120mm fans for superb quiet cooling performance on Core i7 CPUs.

"Intel's new Core i7 CPUs mark an exciting advance in processing power, but they definitely require a high quality heatsink if you want to cool them without the expense of excessive noise", explains Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "We strive to provide an easy entry into the world of premium quality quiet cooling with the new NH-U12P SE1366, offering a premium value package that gives you everything you need to cool Core i7 CPUs quietly!"

Intel will be releasing its newest processor: the Core i7, in the days to come. The first releases of the i7 are based on the Bloomfield core, which happens to be the poster-boy for the Intel Nehalem CPU architecture. The processor uses Intel's new LGA-1366 socket, it is a quad-core processor with HyperThreading enabled.

Expreview pictured the Core i7 (non Extreme) package, which reveals a largely standard pack that's seen on Intel's processors these days. Also pictured is Intel's stock cooler for the non-Extreme i7 processors, which largely resembles the stock-coolers of most Intel processors. It consists of a central block made of copper, which makes contact with the CPU. The thermal interface material is pre-applied to it. Aluminum fins project radially from the block, which fork into thinner fins, to increase surface-area. Also included in the package is the related documentation, warranty declaration and bezel sticker. The CPU pictured by Expreview is the i7 920, clocked at 2.66 GHz, with 8 MB L3 cache. The processor has a QuickPath Interconnect speed of 4800 MT/s.

Thermalright, better known for aluminum fin blocks based coolers, is ready with a Core i7 supportive variant of the Ultra-120 eXtreme cooler. The cooler comes with the same Ultra-120 eXtreme heatsink, consisting of 52 aluminum fins across six heat-pipes, with the required bolt-through retention module for LGA-1366 socket, along with the fluid-dynamic bearing fan which operates at ~1600 rpm with a noise level of 29 dBA.

Thermalright will be announcing this cooler shortly.

ASUS plans to launch a fleet of CPU coolers compatible with the LGA-1366 socket, and the upcoming Core i7 processors from Intel. It's newest entry is the Triton 81. VR-Zone pixellated the cooler, which provides support for a broad range of sockets and processors.

The Triton 81 cooler consists of a nickel-plated copper CPU contact base, from which four heat-pipes convey heat to a dense array of aluminum fins. Dissipation is powered by a push-pull mechanism of two PWM-controlled fans that light up blue, on either side of the heatsink. ASUS claims that during normal operation, the cooler maintains a small acoustic footprint of 18 dB despite having two fans. It tips the scales at close to 700g. An official announcement from ASUS is expected.

Noctua today announced the impending availability of a new mounting kit which makes it possible to install Noctua CPU coolers on Intel's upcoming Core i7 processors for socket LGA1366. The new SecuFirm2 mounting kit is compatible with all Noctua CPU coolers since 2005 and will be supplied to Noctua users free of charge after uploading a proof of purchase on Noctua's website.

"We always strive to provide premium quality service for premium quality products and we like to think of our coolers as safe long-term investments", explains Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "That's why we've decided to stick to our policy of providing mounting kits free of charge with the new LGA1366 socket so that our customers can continue to use their coolers on the new Core i7 CPUs."

With Intel Core i7 Processors and compatible motherboards around the corner, related hardware manufacturers such as memory and coolers, are having an equally busy time with product launches. Noctua on its part, has decided to provide its customers with free mounting plates and retention modules, that make all its coolers post-2005 compatible with Intel's new socket.

The Austrian manufacturer plans to throw this offer open shortly, with customers requiring to submit their proofs of purchase online to avail their free retention modules. A public announcement of this offer is expected shortly.

The entry of the LGA-1366 socket Intel Core i7 processors puts a whole section of the industry into business: compatible motherboards, compliant memory kits, and CPU coolers to name some. Overclocker 3 PC Cooler, a relatively unknown brand to the west, that concentrates on Asian markets, has released an LGA-1366 compatible variant of the Red Sea cooler.

While not meant to be an extreme-level cooler, the Red Sea is intended to be an inexpensive stock-cooler replacement, with some overclocking thrown in. The cooler consists of a contact block, in which two heatpipes make direct contact with the CPU. The heatpipes go through 44 aluminum fins. These fins are dimpled, to effectively increase their surface-area of dissipation. The cooler uses push-clip mechanism for motherboard retention.

Thermalright Ultra 120 has been one of the most successful high-performance air coolers. The company planned to release a pure-copper version of this cooler. The cooler will indeed hit shelves later this month, but only limited quantities would make it. The company plans to make only 2000 units of these, dismissing earlier reports of 3000. Its price could range between US $100~110. A full list of features has been issued.

SUPoX follows other tier-one manufacturers such as ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte, with its motherboard based on the Intel "Tylersburg" X58 chipset. The motherboard supports the upcoming Intel Core i7 series processors, with its LGA-1366 socket. Perhaps it sticks to older memory specifications from Intel, that stated the i7 processors to support DDR3-1066 memory standard. It features three long PCI-Express x16 slots. The two red ones do x16, x16 when two video cards are connected. When all three slots are populated, the PCI-Express lanes arrange as x16 (red), x8 (red 2), x8 (yellow).

Optionally, the package includes Q-Fi wireless network controller. The six SATA II ports routed to the ICH10R southbridge provide RAID functions. Additional controllers handle E-SATA and two internal ports, and the E-IDE port. As with most X58 motherboards, it features six DDR3 DIMM slots for tri-channel memory. There's no word out on its pricing and availability yet.

The Dutch PC component cooling and power specialist, Nexus revealed its second CPU cooler that supports the upcoming 1366-pin Land Grid Array (LGA-1366) socket from Intel, called Low 7000. The cooler boasts of great cooling efficiency while being low-profile. It stands tall at only 7 cm while spreading its heat across a 138 x 123 mm aluminum fin array, to which heat is conducted by four copper heat-pipes that draw heat from the CPU contact. Interestingly, the cooler is backwards compatible with LGA-775 processors with the necessary attachments provided for that.

The 120 mm PWM-controlled fan spins at speeds between 500 to 2000 RPM and claims to have a low noise level between 15 to 24 dB depending on the speed. For details, please visit the Nexus website.

The functionality of NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire on the same motherboard isn't something new, we saw Intel's high-end D5400XS "Skulltrail" support it, where it used BR-04 chips made by NVIDIA to support the SLI functionality. Not much has changed with NVIDIA's plans on cashing in on the first wave of Nehalem LGA-1366 processor even though it's not ready with a native chipset for the new Intel chip, the nForce 200 (BR-04) chips will be used on some motherboards based on the Intel X58 chipset, thereby making the motherboard support both NVIDIA SLI technology. ASUS will release a high-end motherboard targeted at the gaming and overclocking community branded under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) banner. This board, according to a recent presentation by ASUS supports SLI and Crossfire.

Derek Yu, responsible for the R.O.G. series, told NordicHardware that the new NF200 is already performing adequately in most cases, and above expectations in other. He also revealed that the NF200 (BR-04) chip is hot (temperature-wise), like so many other chips form NVIDIA, and that ASUS has had to look at a variety of cooling solutions to keep the temperatures at bay.

Motherboard vendors are preparing rigorously for catering to the market that the upcoming Intel Core i7 series processors generate. The processors are based on a new 1366-pin land grid array (LGA-1366) socket and would require you to purchase a compatible motherboard. ASUS had recently revealed that it would be in a position to make its LGA-1366 offerings available by launch-day of the Core i7. Gigabyte is getting ready with its high-end offering, the GA-X58-EXTREME, TweakTown caught more than just a glimpse of it.

With the entry of the Core i7 Bloomfield series processors this September thru October, the computing world will witness the entry of a new motherboard processor socket, the 1366-pin Land Grid Array (LGA-1366). FrostyTech demystified the new socket in respect to the way coolers are to be designed to be compatible with it, which will have implications on a vast segment of DIY consumers since LGA-1366 is meant to be a high-performance flagship computing platform. There are two key factors at play:

• The layout and cooler-retention mechanism of the socket
• The area of contact between the cooler and the processor's integrated heatspreader (IHS).