Pros: Excellent thermal and acoustic performance, aesthetics, GTX 680 compatibility, 2-Year Warranty
Cons: Price, Encroaches on 3rd expansion slot
The Accelero Hybrid has met or exceeded my expectations on all fronts, from thermal and acoustic performance to ease of installation. Despite tape-related issues, I found the packaging to be adequate and secure. The installation directions were straightforward and left little room for confusion. I also enjoyed working with the new thermal glue. The Hybrid is appealing aesthetically and it offers compelling performance. All together it’s an impressive package that will tame any blazing graphics card you have to offer.
Arctic Cooling has put together a compelling product that exceeds expectations… but it comes at a price. The suggested MSRP per the Arctic Cooling website is $179.90 USD. NewEgg offers it for a bit less at $169.99, but that is still a difficult pill to swallow. Arctic Cooling offers a 2-year limited warranty with the Accelero Hybrid, which is reassuring. Is the Hybrid worth a much higher price tag compared to the Twin Turbo II, which is also a strong performer? It depends on what you’re looking for. The Twin Turbo II is a cooler that requires width-clearance beyond the PCB, occupies a third expansion slot, exhausts heat within the case, and supports only one orientation. The Hybrid, on the other hand, is a bit slimmer (although it still encroaches slightly into a third slot), has flexible installation options, and offers even better performance than the Twin Turbo II with a much higher cooling ceiling (With the capacity for an additional radiator fan or higher-performance fans).
The Arctic Cooling Accelero Hybrid is a premium product and it commands a premium price. It is a great option for consumers looking for an alternative to a custom water loop and it is a very well thought out, well-built product. I highly recommend this cooler to anyone looking for water-cooling performance without the hassle and expense of a custom loop.
See my full review in the nVidia Cooling forum here: http://www.overclock.net/t/1294303/review-arctic-cooling-accelero-hybrid/0_20
Arctic Cooling has put together a compelling product that exceeds expectations… but it comes at a price. The suggested MSRP per the Arctic Cooling website is $179.90 USD. NewEgg offers it for a bit less at $169.99, but that is still a difficult pill to swallow. Arctic Cooling offers a 2-year limited warranty with the Accelero Hybrid, which is reassuring. Is the Hybrid worth a much higher price tag compared to the Twin Turbo II, which is also a strong performer? It depends on what you’re looking for. The Twin Turbo II is a cooler that requires width-clearance beyond the PCB, occupies a third expansion slot, exhausts heat within the case, and supports only one orientation. The Hybrid, on the other hand, is a bit slimmer (although it still encroaches slightly into a third slot), has flexible installation options, and offers even better performance than the Twin Turbo II with a much higher cooling ceiling (With the capacity for an additional radiator fan or higher-performance fans).
The Arctic Cooling Accelero Hybrid is a premium product and it commands a premium price. It is a great option for consumers looking for an alternative to a custom water loop and it is a very well thought out, well-built product. I highly recommend this cooler to anyone looking for water-cooling performance without the hassle and expense of a custom loop.
See my full review in the nVidia Cooling forum here: http://www.overclock.net/t/1294303/review-arctic-cooling-accelero-hybrid/0_20
The 6850 has a cool GPU with a small die, it SHOULD run cooler than the GK104 GPU given equivalent heat dissipation. Performance is also dependent on fan choice.
"The Mod" is a great budget solution for a small segment of consumers. The Accelero Hybrid is a premium product that commands a premium price. I'd like to see it down around $150, but who knows where it will end up in the future as more models / competition are introduced. It's still cheaper and easier to implement than building a custom GPU water cooling loop.
There will always be cheaper DIY solutions available to those who are interested. The existence of such solutions does not imply that a product is not viable at a given price point.