CoolIT's OMNI ALC for GTX480 review

Hello all,
Just got CoolIT’s Omni ALC 120mm version. So here are some game results/QUICK review
*Just letting you know i’m not an expert reviewer, but i’ll provide as much details as i can. Review and test results are just based on playing video games because thats what i mainly do with my computer*

My test setup:
Case: 800D – w/ 120mm front inake (via sycthe kama bay) and modded 2 x 120mm side intake. Rear (exhaust) and bottom (intake) fans replaced with Xigmatek XLF 140’s. 1 x 120mm exhaust fan on top. (the other 2 fan bays are occupied by the H70 and OMNI)
CPU: i7 930@4.2ghz [1.35 vcore] w/ H70. Top mounted: Push>Shroud>Rad>Pull (using SFLEX-G)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 SLI E758
RAM: G.Skill 6gb 9-9-9-24 w/ Zalman RC1000 cooler.
Power supply: Corsair HX1000
Video cards: EVGA 480 2-Way SLI (GPU 1 - 16x and GPU 2 - 8x)
*Because of the mobo, both cards are automatically running PCI-E 8x/8x*
(i may move my other card to the 16x slot so i can have 16x/16x)

I used to run both GPU's at 80% fan speed via EVGA Precision. Yes they are loud, they sound like 2 mini hair dryers, but it was the max i can tolerate for noise. I installed the OMNI on "GPU 1" (GPU 2 always ran warmer, but decided to put in on GPU 1 for now).
**comparisons will be made w/ GPU 1: Stock Cooler@80% fan speed VS OMNI (stock fan) VS OMNI SFLEX-G on Pull w/ 25mm shroud**

Ambient room temp is: 23C (73.4F)
GPU1: Stock – IDLE (after 30 mins): 41c
OMNI (STOCK) – IDLE (after 30 mins): 34c
OMNI (SLFEXG) - IDLE: (after 30 mins): 31c

Gaming sessions at 25min each:
Playing Battlefield Bad Company 2: 1920 x 1200/Max settings/ 8x MSAA/8x AF/vsync on/DX11
Stock Cooler 80% = GPU1: 60c
Omni = GPU 1: 56c
Omni (SLFEXG) = GPU 1: 50c

Playing Far Cry 2: 1920 x 1200/Max settings/vsync on/DX10
Stock Cooler 80% = GPU1: 59c
Omni = GPU1: 57c
Omni (SLEXG) = GPU1: 49c

Playing Crysis Warhead 2: 1920 x 1200/Enthusiast settings/AF 8xQ/vsync off/DX10 64-bit
*This game humps my cards to town*
Stock Cooler 80% = GPU1: 74c
Omni = GPU1: 66c
Omni (SLFEXG) = GPU1: 58c <---very impressed!!

So its been a long wait for the OMNI and i'm glad i got my hands on it. I think i got a sample version because there was no officail box and no design on the plate. Just a flat piece of black metal, oh well, i'll just make some OMNI decals and slap those on later. Anywho, in my opinion, in terms of the stock fan for the OMNI, it's kinda lacking. I believe the stock fan is auto-regulated by the OMNI itself, but i dont think it speeds up enough in terms of high temps. So i feel the OMNI performs just like the stock/reference cooler set at 85-90% fan speed, but these speeds on the reference cooler is very loud. The stock OMNI fan is very quiet and i feel it's quieter than my Scyth S-Flex's. Just wish i had more control over it. But as soon as you slap on your favorite performance fans i'm sure you'll get a good performance jump (Gentle Typhoons, Noctura's, CM R4's, etc). So just like the H70, dump the stock fan and put a better one on! For people who do their own loops they shouldn't even bother looking or even going near the OMNI.
Anyways, i'm very happy with my OMNI, and i'm leaving it with my shroud + SFLEX-G Pull Combo. 8 of of 10 ^__^

Pro's:
- Sleek, slim and low-profile, 1-slot desgin.
- Perform's very well (with another performance fan)
- Easy to install
- No hot air expelled around your case, goes right out of the radiator
Con's:
- Although very quite, stock fans perform just as good as the reference cooler at 80-90% fans speeds. (well not really a con cause the trade off is no noise, but yea....)

So, if your looking for a good aftermarker cooler for your 480 and want a slim design go for it, its awesome

Any other questions let me know,
Thanks,
Mark


Edited by Yokes29 - 9/27/10 at 2:18pm

*update:
Did a quick and slightly ghetto mod to my OMNI. I decided to be stupid and I was able to put a push fan under the radiator, just to see what it was like.
So setup goes as follows: Pump>Push>Rad>Shroud>Pull
I did a quick test and played Bad Company 2 for about 20 mins and max temp went down to 47c. Not to much of a change, considering the pump is blocking half of the fan. I should stop messing around with my OMNI, i'm gonna destroy the tubing.

Yea, price might be an issue, but i guess its "supposed" to be a universal cooler for future cards as well. So in the future, all you have to do is get a new interposer plate for your new graphics card. Each plate should probably cost $50 each. but only time will tell i guess.
And i'm kind of a noob, so these "noob" or "pseudo" water coolers (H50/H70/ECO/Vantage/etc) are ok for me. hehehe

Quick Furmark test:
Furmark:
Run mode: Benchmark, Xtreme Burning Mode, 1920 x 1200,
MSAA 32x, 180000 (3 mins)

Ambient room temp: 23c (73.4F)
GTX 480 stock cooler @ 100% fan speed = 63c
GTX 480 with OMNI (push/pull SFLEXG) = 52c

I think anyone who is skilled enough to make their own water cooling loop shouldn't even be looking into any of these "closed system" water coolers. DIY water cooling is always superior to these (ex:H50/70, Vantage ALC, OMNI ALC). Heck, even those air coolers (ex: TRUE, Venomous X, Icy Vision, Accelero Xteme, etc).

For someone like myself, LAZY, a noob, and don't know how to do water cooling, then these "noob" water coolers are for me. It's already done and made for me, and its maintenance free! i barely have to do a thing, just install on your card or cpu and mount. Done!
But i understand the price of the OMNI is a hard bite. $165 for the system, and then $50 for the specific interposer plate. It 's made to be universal , and is supposed to support furture video cards. So basically 50 bucks every time i get a new card . I guess it's kind of a gamble , because who knows how efficient the OMNI will continue to cool future video cards. But how much are good quality water blocks for the 480? Don't they range from $110 -$ 120 and up? And if someone gets a new card then its probably another 100 plus for a new block.

If it just comes down to card cooling i know i could of waited for the Xtreme Plus, cause i've heard it cools the 480 well. But i really like my OMNI in push/pull, and i think it does an awesome job on the 480.
Plus is turns your card into a 1 slot
Oh well, whats that saying? each to their own or something lol!