MaxXxpert MX-EVA3 - CPU Freezer, 56k BEWARE Options

[Marci]

Review kindly donated by OPPAINTER over at Icrontic.com / Icronticforums.com



The MaxXxpert MX-EVA3 CPU Evaporator Cooler gets the Oppainter challenge today; a unit for the Xtreme Overclocker to take their CPU to the top...or will it?

As you can see it's an evaporator cooler and is similar to the Vapochill but larger. It can supposedly suck up a good 200 watts of heat and still keep your temps at -20c.



It's designed to sit under your case. That means you'll have to do some custom case cutting.

What do you get?
Here's what you get with your MX-EVA3. It comes with neoprene gaskets for both socket 462 and 478, mounting clips for both the 462 and 478, a one-page instruction manual and a tube of Dielectric grease.






First I wanted to make sure this baby would run so I plugged it in to see how cold it would get. I didn't want to fry my XP2100.



Not bad, it made it to -35c in less then 2 minutes, closer to 1 minute actually.

Now that I knew it worked I had to drill a hole in my nice aluminum Cooler Master Case. The good thing about aluminum cases is that they cut like butter.




Before mounting this b****r on my XP2100 I wanted to ensure that my XP core had a bit of protection from being crushed by the copper evaporator. I took the rubber shock pads on my chip and moved them closer to the core. This would help alleviate some of the pressure from the tension exerted by the evaporator. This tweak isn't in the instructions but I had heard this was a method used for the Vapochill. It worked great and I would highly recommend doing this should you happen to get the MX-EVA3.



I also wanted to make sure I had the T-Clamps adjusted correctly. I mounted the evaporator to my motherboard outside the case to check the indentation of the thermal compound to make sure I had good contact between the CPU core and the evaporator.



It's a bad picture but if you look closely you can tell that with just a few adjustments to the mounting screws I would be good to go.



I won't get into the process of making the chip and motherboard condensation proof (Over-Clock UK will be releasing a condensation prevention guide in the near future... Marci). The instruction page uses a good technique. It's the same as I use on all my systems. Use the foam and Dielectric grease and you'll be in good shape.

Let's get the motherboard in the case and hook her up. The MX-EVA3 comes with 3 basic wires; a 12v to hook to the PSU, a power on wire and a reset wire.




The MX-EVA3 uses a basic power supply cable for power that plugs into your wall socket. It's over by the screwdriver



Looks like we're ready to plug her in and do some testing.



I'll be testing using my unlocked XP2100, thanks to the people at Xtreme Tek Werkz , AbitKR7 motherboard volt modified, and Leadtek GeForce3 stock. Motherboard Monitor, using the Mobo socket probe, will measure the CPU temps. Room temps were at 23.1c


I turned the system on and waited for the evaporator to pre-chill to -22c before it kicks the system on and releases the reset switch. I think the default is -10c but I like it COLD. This took less then a minute. I set my speed to the chip's default of 1733Mhz at 1.75 volts. After in windows for 10 minutes at idle, this was my result.



Here's what the Evaporator temps looked like.



Let's run some Prime 95 and see what the stress temps turn out to be. Not bad, only went to -5c. This was maybe about 45minutes of Prime, the temps were solid and didn't go anywhere after a while.



The evaporator temps.



All in all the MX-EVA3 delivered very good performance in my opinion. The evaporator stayed strong at -25c only losing a few degrees right from the start. After the first 10 minutes it held at -25c. That was pretty good sub-zero CPU temps even under stress.

Before we get started overclocking I'll try to explain the noise level of this cooler. It sounds like a refrigerator. I guess it sounds about as load as a 65cfm 80MM delta H/F setup yet with a lower pitched hum. I can tell you its much Quieter then my R404A Evaporator water chiller, but not even close to the Swiftech Quiet Power.

Sorry I just can't explain it. It's not quiet but it's tolerable. How's that? In other words the Xtreme Overclocker will have no issue with the noise.

Enough jabber, lets do some overclocking. Heh-heh.

I'll tell you that this chip of mine can run prime95 at 2134 MHz and handle 3Dmark 2001 at 2160 MHz. Just so you know I use a 220 pelt cooled by -5c water to get these results.

Overclocking

Before we get started overclocking I'll try to explain the noise level of this cooler. It sounds like a refrigerator. I guess it sounds about as load as a 65cfm 80MM delta H/F setup yet with a lower pitched hum. I can tell you its much Quieter then my R404A Evaporator water chiller, but not even close to the Swiftech Quiet Power.

Sorry I just can't explain it. It's not quiet but it's tolerable. How's that? In other words the Xtreme Overclocker will have no issue with the noise.

Enough jabber, lets do some overclocking. Heh-heh.

I'll tell you that this chip of mine can run prime95 at 2134 MHz and handle 3Dmark 2001 at 2160 MHz. Just so you know I use a 220 pelt cooled by -5c water to get these results.

Here's a shot of my rig.

[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/opprig.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/opprig2.jpg[/img]

Back to the MX-EVA3. Now after running some overclock testing I came to my highest stable overclock. When I say stable I mean I can run Prime95 solid. My result with the MX-EVA3 is 2176 MHz at 2.16 volts. Room temp was 23c.

[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/2176.jpg[/img]

Idle temps at this speed using 2.16volts after 15 minutes in windows are at 7c

[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/idle2176.jpg[/img]

Idle Evaporator temps at 2176 MHz

[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/evaptemps2176.jpg[/img]

Now we can check them out stressed after running prime at 2176 MHz and 2.16volts which shows only 12c.

[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/2176prime.jpg[/img]

Evaporator temps under prime at 2176 MHz.

[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/18.5evaptemp.jpg[/img]

Now that is some excellent overclocking. I thought my system was pretty good but the MX-EVA3 kicks its butt by a good 40 MHz! That is a lot when you're topping out your chip. Very nice temps I might add.

We're not done yet. That was just the stable speed. Let's see how high we can run 3D mark 2001 at.

Well check it out 2200 MHz. That's right...the MX-EVA3 got my chip running 3D Mark at 2200 MHz.

[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/2200.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/2200mem.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/cpu2200.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/mm2200.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/3d2200.jpg[/img]

Don't mind the score...I've done better. Heh-heh.

[img]http://www.icrontic.com/mm/Reviews/Hardware/cooling/tekwerkz/evasmall/3d22002.jpg[/img]

Now that's some big time overclocking! This is definitely the best cooling solution I have ever used. I left my system at 2200 MHz and turned it off. The next morning I turned it back on and when it hit -22c the system fired right up and went straight into windows without a hiccup using 2.16 volts. You have to love that!

Good things

As you can see the MX-EVA3 can take care of some very high heat load. It is by far the best extreme cooling solution on the market today. I've used all sorts of cooling to get to the top and I was under the impression that my 220 pelt and chilled water cooler was bringing my chip to its limits. I was wrong.

With the MX-EVA3 you can eliminate the use of pelts, extra power supplies and water. Now you use just one simple evaporator hook up.

It also is pretty good for space. It fits under your case so all you're doing is adding about 9 inches to the height of your case. As far as the noise level it is very tolerable for any Xtreme Overclocker. This can only be written up as a good thing.

Bad things

I'll start with the instructions. They are very good for condensation proofing but that's about it. There are no instructions for adjusting the Digital Display as far as setting the boot temperature or setting what ever it is you can set with the 4 buttons on the Digital Display. This would be nice to know.

They have no recommendation on moving your 4 AMD CPU tabs which in my opinion is a critical must.

Mounting is a bit tough but if you take your time you can get it right. It's always a scary moment when it comes to risking frying your CPU. I'm sure the Intel 478 mounting may be a lot easier.

Price

I believe the MX-EVA3 retails at $499 (USD). I personally find this price to be a descent deal. I know I've spent thousands of dollars for cooling since I began overclocking. For anyone that wants to skip the trial and error method of cooling then the $500 outlay will save you money in the long run and bring you straight to the top. (Over-Clock UK hope to be able to retail the unit out in the UK between £275 & 345 exc VAT... awaiting price confirmations from suppliers... Marci)

OPPAINTER's final words
There you have it. I have to tell you that this product kind of makes me nervous. Now anyone can get the best cooling solution and go straight to the top. I'll have to really pull out my overclocking skills to beat future competition. Hay, I can do that, I'm OPPAINTER heh-heh.
I give this Cooler a 9.8 on the OPPAINTER scale and highly recommend it.

=============================
Marci's After-words...

Well, I'm currently speaking with various sources and should know very shortly when and for how much we will have the EVA3... we are planning on getting a small order initially to check out demand, and if they sell quick then we'll get in a stack load!! Keep your eyes open in the New Product Suggestions forum for latest news!

[Guest__*]

So, when they coming?

I remember when i asked in original thread - and you said something like a few weeks.

[Marci]

Yup, then MaxXxpert revealed they had no import agent in the UK and all of a sudden it's gonna cost us over £300 per order just to get them thru customs etc, and the paperwork required top get them thru customs etc and collected from heathrow involve a lot of legalities which can only be filled in by an import agent, which costs a hell of a lot to hire... we're trying to find a way to do it that isn't going to affect the price of the units and it's proving rather difficult, hence why no-one else in UK is stocking yet either afaik... sorry about this!!! We are working on it...

[Marci]

Brief update... MaxXxpert are now attempting to set up a forwarder to bring them in to the country for us, so now we're waiting for them to sort themselves out...

[Guest__*]

Hi people

This is a fascinating review of an obviously extraordinary piece of kit - I'm very pleased to see that you are doing everything possible to arrange a supply channel for the UK.

While reading it, though, a thought struck me. Perhaps those with more practical overclocking or refrigeration design (or retail ) experience could attempt to give an answer...

If you want the best cooling solutions available today, you either choose a good watercool system, which are becoming pretty standard in concept and design now, or something like this. The watercool system has the advantages of quietness and the ability to cool all critical system components with appropriate waterblocks, even hard drives, maybe soon memory... This refrigeration unit though, however effective in a brute force way, is hampered by only being able to cool one single component, the CPU, so you still need alternative cooling for other parts.

I've seen posts in watercool forums showing people proudly adding huge blocks of ice to their watercooling reservoirs to improve the cooling factor. This has to be more effective than a simple radiator design, which can only cool to the ambient air temperature. My question is this then: is there a market for a unit that could combine the best features of these systems, ie. a hybrid watercool and enclosed refrigeration system?

I envisage such a design would effectively replace the standard air-cooled radiator in a sealed water system with a comparable refrigeration unit. Although the absolute temperature of the water circulating through it would likely be greater than the "spot"-cooling effect down to -30C of the EVA3, it would still end up significantly colder than ambient air temperatures. And this in itself could be an advantage, as the flow/cooling rate could be controlled so that the actual water temp never dipped below 0C, so there would never be any frost buildup. Not only that, but because this is a relatively "low-tech" cooling solution, the extra costs and design flaws of the CPU probe gizmo and housing would be avoided - it should be FAR cheaper.

Am I mad, or is this a practicable solution? Is there in fact a real system out there you can buy right now that attempts to do this? I'd be interested to hear people's comments - it sounds like a darn great idea to me!

ianb

[[O-CuK]Hantai]

Hi people

This is a fascinating review of an obviously extraordinary piece of kit - I'm very pleased to see that you are doing everything possible to arrange a supply channel for the UK.

While reading it, though, a thought struck me. Perhaps those with more practical overclocking or refrigeration design (or retail ) experience could attempt to give an answer...

If you want the best cooling solutions available today, you either choose a good watercool system, which are becoming pretty standard in concept and design now, or something like this. The watercool system has the advantages of quietness and the ability to cool all critical system components with appropriate waterblocks, even hard drives, maybe soon memory... This refrigeration unit though, however effective in a brute force way, is hampered by only being able to cool one single component, the CPU, so you still need alternative cooling for other parts.

I've seen posts in watercool forums showing people proudly adding huge blocks of ice to their watercooling reservoirs to improve the cooling factor. This has to be more effective than a simple radiator design, which can only cool to the ambient air temperature. My question is this then: is there a market for a unit that could combine the best features of these systems, ie. a hybrid watercool and enclosed refrigeration system?

I envisage such a design would effectively replace the standard air-cooled radiator in a sealed water system with a comparable refrigeration unit. Although the absolute temperature of the water circulating through it would likely be greater than the "spot"-cooling effect down to -30C of the EVA3, it would still end up significantly colder than ambient air temperatures. And this in itself could be an advantage, as the flow/cooling rate could be controlled so that the actual water temp never dipped below 0C, so there would never be any frost buildup. Not only that, but because this is a relatively "low-tech" cooling solution, the extra costs and design flaws of the CPU probe gizmo and housing would be avoided - it should be FAR cheaper.

Am I mad, or is this a practicable solution? Is there in fact a real system out there you can buy right now that attempts to do this? I'd be interested to hear people's comments - it sounds like a darn great idea to me!

ianb

Well, technically, what's to stop you from getting an EVA and dunking the CPU block into your water tank? Very primitive kludge, I know, but if you check the insultation on the block I can't see why not.

[Marci]

However, see other threads in the forums regarding this product.... it now has an 80% failure rate and production has been halted... Maxxxpert may be going down the pan from releasing this product too early... only time will tell...