by John Bogush  09/99

swiftech@swiftnets.com

  It is not often that I come across a product that leaves me feeling as giddy as I did when I fist got to try the Swiftech MC1000 PPGA cooler.  I have never been a proponent of TECs (peltier elements) for processor cooling for a number of reasons.  Sure they can take your processor way below room temperature but concerns regarding condensation and power requirements have always made me look to other cooling solutions.  Well the MC1000 has definitely changed the way I look at TECs.   Mind you it is not the TEC itself that has changed my mind but the well engineered and constructed MC1000 PPGA cooler.  Lets get to the action...

  What is the MC1000...

  The MC1000 is a complete processor cooling solution that utilizes TEC technology.  The solid-state TEC has gained a lot of notoriety in the last year or so since overclockers have been trying to find ways of taking their processors to lower temperatures in the hopes of better performance and greater stability.   The MC1000's basic components include a TEC, large pin-fin type heatsink, four insulating gaskets, two powerful 60mm fans, an ASUS slotket adapter, and two aluminum plates.  It arrives almost completely assembled so all you have to do is install your PPGA Celeron onto the slotket adapter and attach the MC1000's insulated aluminum back plate.

  As I mentioned earlier one of the problems associated with using TECs is the power requirements.  The MC1000 uses a TEC rated at 6 amps using 12 volts.  Thats 72 watts and considering most 50mm heatsink fans use less then 2 watts you start to see what I'm talking about.  Using the MC1000 will require you to have a good quality power supply rated at least to 10-12 amps on the +12 volt output.  That usually means a 300 watt or greater capacity power supply.  If your power supply is not up to the task then it is not a complicated matter to add a second power supply to your system.  The instructions on doing so are contained in the documentation supplied with the MC1000 and also available at Swiftech's site..  Though it was not necessary for me to add a second power supply I did so anyway to see what was involved.  A couple of neat wire splices and the MC1000 had it's own dedicated power source that switched on with my system's original power button.

  Does it work...

  I wanted to test the MC1000 using a couple of different Celeron 366 processors.  The first processor is a 366 that has stability problems at 550MHz regardless of the voltage settings and the second processor is a sweet chip I got courtesy of PCNut that will do 604MHz at 2.0 volts and even run 616MHz as long as I avoid any 3D gaming using a GlobalWIN FDP-32 heatsink.

  I installed the first 366 in place on the supplied Asus slotket card, applied a little thermal compound then sandwiched the MC1000's major components together.  I then installed the MC1000 onto my Soyo SY-6BA+III motherboard and connected the TEC and fan connectors to the appropriate power supply leads.  Now since this particular 366 has a lot of problems at 550MHz I decided to start there leaving the core voltage set at the default 2.0 volts.  Before I knew it Windows98 had finished loading and I was ready to start trying to trip the system up.  I started up Prime95 and closely watched the monitor for errors or some other indication that the processor was not up to the task.  After about 20 minutes I decided that 550MHz wasn't much of a challenge so I upped the fsb setting in the BIOS to 105MHz and gave 577MHz a try again at the default voltage of 2.0 volts.  Windows98 again loaded without a problem so I started up Prime95 again and after about 10 minutes I got bored so I decided to run to the store for a few things and let the system run.  I returned about 2 hours later and Prime95 was still going at it so I was pretty sure 577MHz was no problem using the MC1000 to keep this troublesome Celeron 366 nice and cool.  Keeping my hopes up I decided to bump the fsb setting in the BIOS up to 110MHz and give 604MHz a try.  Thats right folks, 600+MHz from a processor designed to run at 366MHz.   Windows98 again loaded without incident but unfortunately Prime95 almost instantly locked the machine up.  I had a little more success by bumping the voltage up to 2.3 volts but stability definitely was not to be.  Well I guess I'd have to say that 577MHz from a processor that would not even do 550MHz with a conventional heatsink is quite an accomplishment.

  Now I feverishly removed the first 366 from the MC1000 and installed the second Celeron 366 processor.  I decided to skip right up to an fsb setting of 115 MHz which would give me 633MHz.  Again Windows98 loaded just fine and not so surprising Prime95 zipped along without incident.  Well now it was time for "extreme" overclocking.  660MHz at an fsb setting of 120MHz and again Windows98 loaded  fine and Prime95 cruised right along but then after about 5 minutes the the screen locked up.  I decide to up the voltage to 2.1 volts but again I had problems with Prime95.  At 2.2 volts the system now seemed rock steady at an amazing 660MHz.  Now I've seen fast systems with remarkable overclocked processors but running a processor 45% faster then it's rated speed is an outstanding accomplishment.

  I decided I needed a little relaxation to calm down so I fired up an on-line game of Counter Strike (Half-Life mod) while cruising along at 660MHz.  After about an hour of intense uninterrupted on-line 3D gaming I was ready to continue the testing to see how far I could go.  The next step was 122MHz fsb setting for a processor speed of 671MHz.   Surprisingly Windows98 again loaded without any problems but Prime95 wasn't gonna happen regardless of any voltage I tried up to 2.5 volts.  It was obvious that an amazing 660MHz was gonna be the practical limit for this sweet processor using the MC1000 cooler.  Just for kicks I wanted to see what I could get the system to POST at so in the BIOS I set the fsb to 133MHz but all I got was a blank screen.  After getting back into the BIOS I decided to try 126MHz fsb and after letting my attention slip away from the expected black screen I turned around to see the Windows98 splash screen!   Folks the system loaded  Windows98 at 693MHz with the L2 enabled and the voltage at 2.3 volts!  Needless to say I couldn't do much else once I was there but I did manage a screen shot..

  I couldn't run the SiSoft Sandra CPU benchmark without locking up so I dont have any performance numbers but it was exciting even if it was what I consider a "stunt" at 693MHz.  Now mind you I know that this particular Celeron 366 is not your average 366 but just the same I have no doubt that the MC1000 would enable any PPGA processor a little more performance then what would be possible with a conventional heatsink.

  Things you should be aware of...

  Not only does the MC1000 require a bit more power them some of you may already have available in your system but there are a few other details you should be aware of.  First of all the MC1000 will block the first two DIMM slots on many popular motherboards such as the Soyo SY-6BA+III but all the DIMM slots will still available for you Abit slot1 motherboard owners.  The MC1000 also will not fit on dual slot1 processor motherboards and the supplied Asus slotket card does not support SMP operation.  Another concern for some might be the Papst 60mm fans on the MC1000.   They are very powerful at 33cfm but along with that power comes some significant noise.  Now I know that somebody is gonna want to try less powerful (more quiet) 60mm fans on the MC1000 but keep in mind that it's heatsink already gets pretty warm and the system is specifically engineered to operate with the current supplied parts so I would not mess around with the fans.  Heat inside your case is something else you need to be aware of.  The TEC develops a lot of heat that is dissipated through the MC1000's heatsink into the surrounding air inside the computer case.  I would definitely have some auxiliary case fans to help rid the system of that hot air, I'd say a good 80mm intake and an 80mm exhaust (blow-hole) fan appropriately positioned would be adequate but thats my personal preference and probably not absolutely necessary.

  My overall conclusion...

  The Swiftech MC1000 PPGA Cooler is definitely the best PPGA cooling solution I have come upon to date.  It is not a "kit" but a completely assembled well engineered high performance cooler ready for the installation of your PPGA processor.  I have no doubt that the MC1000 will allow any PPGA Celeron to exceed it's present performance limits when compared to using a conventional heatsink cooler.  If you are in the market for the best PPGA cooler available for your slot1 motherboard and PPGA Celeron then I highly recommend the MC1000.