discussion Coolink GFXChilla GPU Cooler Review

[SKYMTL]

Cooling Particulars and SNAFUs

Cooling Particulars and SNAFUs

*Please note that Coolink is aware of this problem and all new GFXChillas which are presently shipping out have lower profile heatsinks

Now that we have seen what the Coolink GFXChilla can really do it’s time to show you what NOT to do and why Coolink needs to revise how this heatsink is installed. All of the past benchmarks were achieved with the two (what we find unnecessary) low-profile ramsinks uninstalled.

At first, we were experiencing higher temperatures than we were expecting so we took the time to investigate a bit further and found that the heatpipes were actually pressing down on the two low-profile heatsinks. This meant that the copper baste plate of the GFXChilla was not making full contact with the core.

You can see this point illustrated a bit better above. Even with the heatsink slightly loose (picture on the left) the heatpipes are still touching the ramsinks and once the screws are further tightened, this contact becomes even worse.

Here is the difference we experienced between mounting the GFXChilla with the low-profile ramsinks installed versus them being uninstalled.

As you can see, there is a HUGE difference between the temperatures. For those of you wondering if it was the simple matter of the first mount we did not being entirely kosher, the high temperatures stayed constant through three preliminary mounts with MX-2 thermal compound. So, Confucius says: don’t install the low-profile ramsinks. Their omission did not impact on the overclock of the ram at all and the difference in temperatures due to improper heatsink contact is absolutely stunning.

 

[SKYMTL]

Conclusion

Conclusion

The Coolink GFXChilla was not created for bleeding edge cooling performance but it has shown us in this review that it is more than capable of lowering the temperatures of your card quite significantly over the stock heatsink. Incredibly, it does this by efficiently transporting heat away from the GPU core while keeping its overall acoustical and size footprint to an absolute minimum. Were we expecting this kind of performance from such a compact heatsink which is decked out with a pair of low profile 80mm fans? Absolutely not. Does Coolink have something they should be proud of with the GFXChilla? hell yeah.

While most companies are busy designing products which they think will be the ultimate cooling solution for a graphics card, Coolink has released an unassuming cooler which not only performs far better than any stock solution but does so while keeping its price down. At an MSRP of a mere $30CAD, it represents a huge savings over something like the HR-03 GT and let’s face it: many consumers are not looking for a massive, space-consuming heatsink. Rather, they are looking for something that will offer a compact, quiet cooling solution at a great price and the GFXChilla fits the bill to a tee. It’s compact size is also a dream come true for anyone running an SLI setup since we have shown that even with a pair of higher 25mm fans installed, there is still enough space for a second card below it.

Speaking of fans, it is great to see that Coolink has developed such a simple and intuitive way of installing different 80mm fans. A simple bracket with a screw hole goes a long way to alleviate the pain we feel every time we see some coolers' archaic metal retention clip systems. To tell you the truth, the entire process of installing the GFXChilla is simple as can be and unlike some instruction manuals, the instructions that come with this cooler help more than hinder the whole process.

However, there are a few caveats that prevent this cooler from garnering our top honors. First and foremost among these is the issue we had with the height of the low-profile ramsinks which are supposed to be installed under the heatpipes. They are simply too tall and stop the GFXChilla from reaching its true cooling potential by slightly vaulting the base plate which prevents it from making good contact with the GPU core. As we have shown, the difference in performance with and without them installed is like night and day. Other than that, the only relatively minor issue we had really is really a matter of personal preference; we find that the white sleeving used on the fan cable looks out of place and should be substituted with black.

So, when it all comes down to it we highly recommend the GFXChilla since it provides a great balance of performance, silence and easy installation. Thus, the Coolink GFXChilla gets our Dam Good Value Award.


Pros:

- Great price / performance ratio
- Very quiet
- Easy installation
- Stock fans can easily be replaced
- Low profile
- Broad compatibility

Cons:

- Some ramsinks get in the way of properly installing the heatsink

Thanks to Coolink for sending us this product​

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/video-cards/4737-coolink-gfxchilla-review-comment-thread.html​