Introduction
Around this time last year was when I had just wrapped up a trilogy of Bitspower Summit M CPU water blocks representing the company's then newly announced series of updated CPU blocks. That also included the launch of its new Premium lineup of products, which began with the
Premium Summit M before we moved on to the two OLED versions from the
Bitspower and
TouchAqua brands. Bitspower clearly decided that one thick metal block was not enough, and they needed more for the regular lineup. So here we are taking a look at one more Summit M block, and thanks again to Bitspower for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!
Right away we see that the design scheme is different from the Premium Summit M, with a cleaner and simpler look that is more in line with the older Bitspower CPU blocks. I will also mention right away that this is NOT a silver CPU block despite the name. It still uses the same nickel-plated copper construction for the top and cold plate—the silver color is all the name gets to defend itself. Not off to a great start thus since I suspect the name will be deemed misleading by many readers and potential customers. But we'll see how it fares in our standard test suite and begin with a look at the product specifications below.
Specifications
Bitspower Summit M Silver Metal Version |
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Top: | Full copper in a nickel-plated finish |
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Mounting (hold-down) Bracket: | Metal, matte silver finish |
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Cold Plate: | Nickel-plated copper |
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CPU Socket Compatibility: | Intel LGA 775, 115x, 1200, 2011(-3), 2066 (Square ILM only); AMD AM4, FM2+, sTR4 |
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Ports: | Two, BSP G1/4" threaded |
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Warranty: | One year |
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Packaging and Accessories
Packaging is more in line with the average Bitspower product, not the new Premium line. We get a black cardboard box with the company logo on front, and it is only on the back that you see a sticker that tells you exactly what product is inside. This allows Bitspower to use the same packaging for pretty much all their CPU blocks. There is a second sticker on the back, this time with a QR code that leads you to their installation guide on
the product page. You won't find a printed installation guide inside since Bitspower has stopped including those for over two years now. A seal on either side keeps this box intact on its way to you.
Opening a seal, we see a two-piece packaging here. Also, Bitspower includes two AMD mounting brackets, which are packed separately in plastic bags. The smaller of these is for the more popular AM4 socket, while the larger brackets cater to Ryzen Threadripper on the sTR4 socket. The other items come in the inner box also made out of cardboard, with a black wrap and the same logo upfront.
Opening the box reveals the CPU block inside another sealed plastic pouch, with the rest of the items either alongside inside another cardboard layer or underneath. The large zip lock bag on the right has a 2 mm L-shaped hex key, and two smaller plastic bags have the installation hardware consisting of four metal standoff sets for Intel LGA 2011(-3)/2066 and AMD sockets each, longer screws for Intel LGA 115x/1200, metal locking nuts, metal springs, spacer nuts, and eight plastic washers.
The Intel socket backplate is found in more plastic under the block. It comes in three pieces; a rubber back pad, metal back plane, and 3M-branded sticky pad. There is also no included thermal paste, which is a no-go in this product segment.