Quick rant warning - why did this have to be pre-order only? I understand the limited edition nature, which is fine, but Swiftech made an error here by attempting to leverage their brand name only to get people to open their wallets on an otherwise unknown item. They provided some pictures and a couple of videos, which did help provide some context to the customization options available, but in a market where you no longer have the word-of-mouth reputation, and given the previous CPU block was not very good, this was a risky business move. If they had some review samples ready and had some coverage before the pre-order time was up, I strongly feel this would have gone much better. Instead, I see a lot of people simply saying they will wait for reviews before buying, and now, no one ever will be able to.

Okay, that was not as quick, but the point remains. The Apogee SKF "Heirloom Series" from Swiftech really could have been so much more in terms of market propagation, especially since it is actually a very good product overall. Beginning with the order process itself, where there are hundreds of customization options available, the Apogee SKF offers the most variety of any other CPU block today to mix and match to a specific build's color scheme. When you do get the product, you then spend a few minutes in awe admiring the unboxing experience with the felt drawstring bag and wooden box, which presents the block as a heirloom indeed. Build quality is top notch here, sans the cold plate perhaps, which could have done with a better clear coat passivation if it was indeed done in the first place. The ease of installation makes up for it, however, as does the next set of customization courtesy of the built-in lighting with the controller (and presumably also its compatibility with a motherboard vendor's LED controls) and the new process Swiftech used to get uniform 125 micron thick microfins and channels coupled with the large cooling engine, which helps with a good performance increase over the previous generation. The Apogee SKF as it is now is a proper flagship-performance CPU block for 2017.

There remain a few things to note here, though. You had better have a pump that can handle the pressure drop across this, as it is among the most restrictive components I have tested. Also, going strictly by numbers, the Apogee SKF "Heirloom Edition" does not offer the best bang-for-your-buck. However, as I mentioned on the previous page, this is a poor way of looking at items that offer non-quantifiable aspects as seen here. Finally, if the diagonal series flow method coupled with the new microfin manufacturing process is the current limit of Swiftech's R&D, then it is enough to keep them in the game for a while yet, though it does leave open some questions regarding what is possible next. I am curious to know if a split central-inlet flow design will aid here or not, though. Overall, this is a good product, and I look forward to seeing more from the other versions that are due in a few weeks.

This review is also an attempt to cover the upcoming non-limited edition Apogee SKF, which does come with metal and acetal top options and the same cooling engine, but not much more is known at this point aside from the promise of a lower price point. As such, the test results should transfer over fairly well to those, and they should also look better from a performance/price basis. If you already have a "Heirloom Series" on the way, this review only helps validate the decision since looks are always subjective and you decided that this was for you. Given that the subject of the review as-is can not be purchased anymore, I will refrain from an award since it makes no sense in this context. For those with an AMD Threadripper-based system, the Apogee SKF-TR4 "Heirloom Series" is still up for pre-order for another 5+ days as of the time this article went live.

Update: Swiftech let me know that the Apogee SKF "Heirloom Series" will come back at some point, and that it is part of a strategy of "Heirloom Series" products that goes beyond this particular CPU block. They are going to make a web page soon on this to remove any confusion, and honestly, this should have been done already. Knowing this will be available again makes this review a lot more applicable and thus, an award is also presented now.