Thermaltake Reveals the XPRESSAR RCS100 Phase-Change Processor Cooling

[malware]

Back in March 2008, Thermaltake introduced its first phase change cooling prototype. At the time, we were able to reveal only a few pictures, without knowing what was to come. Today Thermaltake said that after four years of research, the company's first DC inverter type micro refrigeration cooling system is finally ready to hit the market. The so-called Thermaltake XPRESSAR utilizes cyclic refrigeration method based on the vapor-compression refrigeration, to take away the heat produced by processors. Vapor-compression refrigeration systems use a circulating liquid refrigerant as cooling medium which absorbs and removes heat from the space to be cooled and subsequently reject that heat elsewhere. All such systems have four components: a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. For now the XPRESSAR phase-change cooling will be paired with a Xaser VI case and sold as XPRESSAR RCS100. The total weight of both parts will equal to 22.2kg. Thermaltake ensures that such a system will result in 20ºC better temps than most liquid-based systems, and also be compatible with all Intel LGA775 and LGA1366 (Nehalem) processors (maybe an AMD kit will be released sometime later). More information on the XPRESSAR RCS100 can be found here. Pricing and availability are still to be announced. It's time for the reviews now.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[erocker]

I really, really like it! If the price is justified, I would love to get one.

 

[Cuzza]

Looks like the new show off part for the "money is no object" set.

or for "out of the box mind boggling overclocks" i guess it's perfect. they need to get it set to cool the gpu as well, otherwise only hardcore overclockers will be interested and i cant imagine it being quiet, compressor would draw quite a bit of power too right? that's my musings...

-cuzz to the max

 

[KBD]

very, very sweet looking unit. I hope you dont have to own a TT case to have it installed. And like erocker said if the price is right, these things could become quite widespread.

 

[Sasqui]

Ummmm... I don't see anything really new here other than a nice package and some buzzwords that talk about what effectively is the same thing as:

A 'fridge
An airconditioner
A freezer

Am I missing some new technology in this press release?

 

[erocker]

Ummmm... I don't see anything really new here other than a nice package and some buzzwords that talk about what effectively is the same thing as:

A 'fridge
An airconditioner
A freezer

Am I missing some new technology in this press release?

Nope! That is basically what makes up a phase unit.

 

[jbunch07]

I really, really like it! If the price is justified, I would love to get one.

I would like to get one anyway, regardless of price.

But no your right, If price is right it might be mine.

 

[WarEagleAU]

Me too, but no out of the box AMD support kind of irks me.

 

[btarunr]

Does that 120x120 radiator look small? Will the single 120mm fan handle flow for the radiator as well as ventilating the rest of the case well?

 

[Sasqui]

Nope! That is basically what makes up a phase unit.

Oh, ok - what new technology do you see?

 

[erocker]

Oh, ok - what new technology do you see?

I don't, other than it's a phase unit pre-incorporated in a case. Where in the article does it state that it's "new technology?"

 

[btarunr]

Oh, ok - what new technology do you see?

The compressor and sink radiator sharing space with the rest of the system, unlike most phase unit+case setups using distinct compartments for the phase unit and the rest of the system.

 

[mrw1986]

I like it!

 

[Salvadorian Stuff]

Nice looking and desing. but I think thats gonna be the heaviest case and cooling device in the market

 

[zOaib]

can someone post links to where i cna purchase if i wanted to the phase change compressors seperately , thx .

 

[theJesus]

can someone post links to where i cna purchase if i wanted to the phase change compressors seperately , thx .

Pricing and availability are still to be announced.

 

[Kursah]

That is really cool! Cooling like that comes at a price, but if they can mainstream it a little more like this and maybe with kits for compatable ATX chassis in the future, this could be very lucrative for them! Who wouldn't want an affordable, easy maintenance phase-change kit integrated with a nice case? Nice to see this made it this far...hopefully it hits the market soon, I'm sure it'll be spendy before shipping costs, but eventually if popular enough, phase-change cooling for the masses could be very realistic!

 

[thebeephaha]

I usually dislike Thermaltake but this is a BIG plus factor in my book.

 

[H82LUZ73]

this is from the manual under downloads

Compatible Motherboards List (Please check www.xpressar.com for the latest compatible M/B list)

MSI
- P45 Diamond
- P45 Platinum
- P45D3 Platinum
- P7N Diamond (Only for one VGA card plug in 4th slot)
- P7N2 Diamond (Only for one VGA card plug in 4th slot)
- X48C Platinum (Only for one VGA card plug in 4th slot)

Gigabyte
- EP45-DQ6
- EP45T Extreme (DDR3)
- EP45 Extreme (DDR2)
- X48T-DQ6 (DDR3)
- X48-DQ6 (DDR2)

Asus
- Blitz Formula
- P5Q
- P5QC
- P5Q Pro
- P5Q Deluxe
- P5E Deluxe

it also looks like it will take away dual graphics card support .

some answers

3.Q&A
General Questions:
Technical Questions:
Q1. Does Xpressar™ RCS100 need maintenance?
Ans. Under regular operation, Xpressar™ RCS100 has three year warranty for the case and
two years on the cooling module. And the cooling module is maintenance-free
(No re-filled needed).
Q2. Can Xpressar™ RCS100 operate 24hours non-stop?
Ans. Yes, Xpressar™ RCS100’s compressor has been tested in labs, it can run 24hours
non-stop without problem.
Q3. Does Xpressar™ RCS100 makes loud noise?
Ans. Xpressar™ RCS100 does not make much noise when it’s operating; its acoustic is
even lower then air-cooling fans.
Q4. Does system build with Xpressar™ RCS100 guaranteed overclock above 4Ghz?
Ans. The overclock range is determined by CPU and other hardware, Xpressar™ RCS100
provides optimal thermal solution, helps CPU operate in very low temperature.
Q5. Does Xpressar™ RCS100 system can operate constantly after overclocking?
Ans. Xpressar™ RCS100 provides optimal thermal solution for best overclocking platform.
If the CPU’s temperature is keeping below 40 degrees, the system can
operate normally.
Q6. Will Xpressar™ RCS100 damage your motherboard or VGA because of the condensation?
Ans. The Xpressar™ RCS100's copper tube has covered with isolation materials to isolate
the damp in contact with the copper tube. And the DC Inverter compressor has
build-in intelligent IC controller, it can adjust rotating speed according to CPU loading.
Q1. How much power the compressor consumes?
Ans. The compressor consumes 50 watts maximum.
Q2. Can the compressor operate normally in horizontal orientation?
Ans. No, while the compressor operates, put it down to horizontal orientation will damage
its internal structure; the compressor should be always kept in vertical orientation
while operates (i.e. Keep Xpressar™ RCS100 vertically while operates).
Q3. What kind of refrigerant does Xpressar™ RCS100 use?
Ans. The Xpressar™ RCS100 uses R134a refrigerant, it is industry standard and widely
used in vehicles & household conditioning.
32
Q4. How do I choose my PSU for Xpressar™ RCS100?
Ans. The system build with Xpressar™ RCS100 need extra 100W of power consumption.
Please use Thermaltake PSU calculator to find out the suitable PSU for your system.
http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com
Q5. What kind of power connector does Xpressar™ RCS100 use?
Ans. The Xpressar™ RCS100’s input is DC 12V. It’s compatible with standard PSU 4 pin
connector. Notice: Please do not connect any other device on the same cable which
Xpressar™ RCS100 is using.
Q6. How long does Xpressar™ RCS100 starts to cool the system when it turns on?
Ans. Xpressar™ RCS100 needs five minutes to reach the maximum cooling capability
after system start.
Q7. Will continues switch on/off damage the compressor?
Ans. Thermaltake recommends user to wait for 15 sec to restart their Xpressar™ RCS100
once they have shut down their system. However, soft-reset could be restart
immediately cause compressor has not turn-off during soft-reset.
Q1. Does Xpressar™ RCS100 support AMD platform?
Ans. At this stage, Xpressar™ RCS100 only support Intel platform. Thermaltake is
developing AMD platform and is coming soon next year.
Q2. Does Xpressar™ RCS100 support Intel coming new LGA1366 platform?
Ans. Yes, Xpressar™ RCS100 series has LGA775/LGA1366 clip inside the package.
Q3. Is there any limitation for VGA card when installing into Xpressar™ RCS100?
Ans. Please check section 1.2 in user’s manual (Compatibility guideline, page 3)
for detail information.
Q4. What kind of motherboard does Xpressar™ RCS100 support?
Ans. Xpressar™ RCS100 supports standard LGA775/LGA1366 motherboards.
If the first PCI express slot is at the first slot on the motherboard, the VGA card
can't be installed cause the interference of the copper tube. Please install the
VGA on the second PCI express slot if the motherboard supports dual VGA.For
detail information, please check section 1.2 in user’s manual
(Compatibility guideline, page 2&3).
Install and Compatibility Questions:
34

 

[Bjorn_Of_Iceland]

Good thing is, it looks compact and able. Unlike other external phase which are large clunky and the likes.. sure it wont perform as good as em home made ones, but thisl' cut it.

Looks sweet. Id score one If only it will be available offshore..

 

[Wile E]

Meh. I'd rather just throw a TEC under my water block and call it a day, and have lower temps to boot.

 

[mrw1986]

"Q6. Will Xpressar™ RCS100 damage your motherboard or VGA because of the condensation?
Ans. The Xpressar™ RCS100's copper tube has covered with isolation materials to isolate
the damp in contact with the copper tube. And the DC Inverter compressor has
build-in intelligent IC controller, it can adjust rotating speed according to CPU loading."

Are they saying I wouldn't need to go crazy and insulate all my stuff? If that's the case count me in for one of those units!

 

[Solaris17]

LOL!!!


cant use SLI or Xfire? and i will let you guys know right now

1 I own a TT armor i think its the biggest they make
2. i run SLI 9800GTX's probably longer or just as long as GTX280's and 4870's and i can tell you right now

not only would that in no way shape or form fit in my rig but the graphics cards are FAR to long to fit the tubing. i think its an amazing idea but im going with the CoolIT one i mean i hope companys continue to make these types of units because it means they will be cheaper and more regularly available for us but they have to find a better installation methode first..imo it should be relatively standardized like Air or water.

 

[Sasqui]

I don't, other than it's a phase unit pre-incorporated in a case. Where in the article does it state that it's "new technology?"

Oh sorry dude - we were saying the same thing!

It certainly is a nice package, just the press release makes it sound like it's new tech.

Gotta wonder how the dB levels are comapared to similar compressors.

 

[PP Mguire]

Am i the only one that actualy LOLs at this? I mean seriously.