I have been directing extra airflow to my computer’s memory ever since RAM heatspreaders came out. I figured that if there was an actual need to distribute heat produced by the memory, then that heat could be better dissipated by some extra airflow. Nearly every DDR2 module now has heatspreaders, and DDR3’s specifications actually require them. Modules can easily reach 150 degrees, which is about the same temperature that motherboard chipsets reach, and many of them have active cooling to ensure stable performance. DDR2 modules are now reaching over the 1GHz range, requiring more than 2.3 volts to keep them stable. Active RAM cooling is no longer in the realm of the hard-core overclocker; it is virtually essential to maintain performance on modern hardware.
CoolIT Systems has recently burst onto the aftermarket computer component market with innovative products designed to cool your rig down. Their RAM Fan is intended to address the problem of hot memory while having over the “minimum requirement of flair”. The extra airflow doesn’t just cool your memory modules; the cool the surrounding voltage regulators and chipsets, which only improves overclockabiliy, stability, and longevity.
The CoolIT Ram Fan comes in a clear plastic clamshell package and includes nothing more than the unit itself, and an informational insert. The RAM ran is a simple one-piece design with no removeable parts. The device is designed to clip over any standard 4-slot DDR or DDR2 RAM slot bay. The unit’s design raises the fan slightly at an angle, which improves airflow by not trapping new air under the cooler.
CoolIT RAM Fan Specifications
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The RAM fan is basically a flat sheet of thick aluminum that has been shaped and cut with a die. To eliminate unsightly mounting holes, the fan has been carefully placed with triangular pieces of double-sided tape. While this makes the fan pretty much permanent, the double-sided tape will dampen any vibration the fan may produce. It would have been thoughtful if there was some foam on the clip ends, to prevent vibration transfer between the aluminum unit and plastic RAM slots.
Power to the fan is delivered using a standard 3-pin fan header, but only the positive and negative leads are attached. The absence of the third lead means that there is no way for your motherboard to monitor the fan’s rotation, eliminating the possibility for automatic noise reduction. Also, there is no onboard rheostat or potentiometer to control the fan’s speed, either: the fan is either full-blast or off.
The clear 60mm fan’s base has pre-formed holes for side-mounted LEDs, but they are not filled. Instead, two small blue LEDs are included in the center of the fan blade assembly. These tiny LEDs do not light up the fan blased effectively, and merely look like tiny blue eyes.
Installation is very simple and only takes a few seconds. The assembly clips onto your DIMM slot’s plastic retention clips. A notch at the center of the aluminum hook is intended to be placed between the two memory banks present on nearly all DDR, DDR2, and DDR3 modules. We tested the Coolit RAM cooler unit against our Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR2-800 2GB kit memory, which gets rather warm. The unit was tested on an Asus P5W Deluxe motherboard (Intel 975 chipset) with an Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo processor. The memory’s heatspreader temperature was measured using our trusty Radio Shack IR thermometer. We ran 3dMark 2006 in a continuous look while taking temperature measurements.
The results show that the CoolIT RAM Fan does lower temperatures considerably on the heat spreaders of the modules. The stock passive cooling of the Crucial Ballistix keeps the
Tracers have some very neat green and red LEDs on the top of the memory, which blink in different patterns, and is pure eye-candy in a windowed PC case. I was originally reluctant to install the RAM fan over the Ballistix Tracers, thinking that the fan would block the blinky goodness. To my joy, the memory’s LEDs shine right through and actually illuminate the clear fan blades better than their pre-installed blue LEDs.
There’s no denying that the CoolIT RAM Fan performs well: it cooled our DDR2 memory down by half, which means more stability when overclocking, and a longer lifespan. Based on its performance, installing this cooler is a no-brainer, but a few flaws are clear when compared to competing products. The included 60mm fan is moderately loud, but not excessive, and there is no onboard ability to adjust the RPM. In addition, the blue LEDs are barely noticable, negating some of the aethetics. Also, the fan header does not have the ability to monitor fan speed, and doesn’t look as polished as the rest of the unit. Other similar products either include a quieter fan, or the ability to adjust the noise level.
The retail price of this cooler varies depending on where you look. Some retailers have this unit for $25, priced well above competing products, but a quick look online places this cooler at $16.99 or below, the same price as/or below the Corsair Airflow and OCZ XTC Cooler.
The unit performs great, is easier to install, and has a much better sense of style than other RAM cooling products, in my opinion. The unit would be improved if it included a 3-pin header and adjustable fan speed. While adjusting the fan speed would decrease the performance, users could find a happy balance between cooling and noise.
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