Introduction

From the GELID Solutions website:

GELID designs and manufactures packaging, thermal solutions, CPU coolers, fans, and other computer hardware for both gamers and silent enthusiasts and for international OEM and ODM customers. We provide computer hardware distributors, retailers and system integrators with innovative, virtually silent, high- performance and top quality thermal solutions with unique design and packaging.

GELID Solutions is, having been formed in 2008, a newcomer when compared to some of its competition in the enthusiast PC space. They offer everything from cases and case fans to VGA- and CPU coolers; they even offer multiple thermal compounds. Simply put, GELID offers a multitude of products for consumers to choose from in a variety of categories. That said, it's not often you hear a lot about them as they tend to fly under the radar. That doesn't mean you should avoid their products; it's, on the contrary, a good reason to take another look at what they offer as they may have something unique that fits your needs.

The product that originally brought GELID Solutions to my attention was their Icy Vision cooler for both AMD and NVIDIA GPUs. In fact, many users looking at aftermarket cooling for their GPUs will have undoubtedly run across this product themselves. They, of course, have far more to offer than just a pretty cooler. Their thermal compounds, like the GC-Extreme, are a solid choice that I have found to perform well in my personal system. That said, I hope to see GELID grow and offer even more cooling products as the heatsink I review today shows that they have what it takes to shake things up in the fiercely competitive and crowded PC cooling market.

Now, when it comes to the GELID Black Edition, which I will be reviewing today, I had to wonder if the cooler had the performance to match its looks. From the Slim 12 PWM fan to the low noise advertised on the box, I simply wasn't sure if it would stand out from the pack, but appearances can be deceiving so let's inspect its specifications before taking a look at what GELID has included in the box.