CoolIT Boreas MTEC Chassis Review

Conclusion

When we reviewed the Elite I said not everything was completely perfect with it since its cooling performance wasn't without fault. However, when we look back at what the Boreas was able to achieve, it was almost beyond comprehension. Cooling performance was without a doubt the most impressive CPU cooling solution we have tested to date.

I have to admit that just like many people, I too had my reservations about the Boreas before I got it and wrongly dismissed it as nothing but an E-Penis enhancer at best or a “white elephant” at worst. I can now proudly say I was wrong and the Boreas MTEC Chassis isn’t just for people who want the biggest and / or the coolest (whether they need it or not). Most people don’t max out their quad cores, let alone overclock to excessive amounts and as we saw at standard speeds the fans & TECs cruise along at low power levels. At these power levels they are darn near silent, making this cooler a silent PC enthusiast's wet dream. Sure it eats juice but lets face it electricity is cheap, yet silence, real silence is golden.

Unfortunately, we do have some nits to pick with this unit. The first and foremost of these is the lack of standoff markings on the motherboard tray. Yes this is typical for the TJ07 but this is a custom rig which costs $800 and would a cardboard cut out showing the various ATX options have added much to its cost? At this price range there should be absolutely ZERO guess work involved when you are building your ultimate system. While this issue was a bit annoying, the other problem we discovered could be dangerous.

When you set the coolant temperature to sub ambient, the TEC housing units and the waterblock do have a nasty tendency to sweat bullets. It would be a shame for an inexperienced person to accidentally change this easily modifiable temperature to a level which leaves them with a fried motherboard. We really think CoolIT needs to add in a confirmation pop up when you set the coolant temp to anything below 20°C. Heck, the pop up should come warning you not to go below ambient every time you want to change it. This way at least you get a warning and if you ignore it you reduce temperatures further at your own peril.

In the end, and even when you include these small issues, you really do get your money's worth. Not inly do you get one of the best cases out there which has been customized for the Boreas but best of all, you get the Boreas unit itself which is truly an awe inspiring CPU cooling solution. What is the most interesting thing about the Boreas is that it can be completely customized to your needs if you order directly from CoolIT. Got an itch for QUAD-Fire or QUAD-SLI? CoolIT will gladly customize it for you, and we know the Boreas has the horsepower to handle it.

If you have the money, there truly is nothing better out there unless you are willing to go to phase change. Indeed, the Boreas truly oozes quality and the only thing better than its looks is its performance. In the Elite review I compared that CoolIT unit to a Royals Royce and that is still a fair comparison. However, if the Elite is a Royals Royce than the Boreas MTEC Chassis is a fine Bentley automobile with every option, $4000 chromed rims and a supercharger that would shame a Mack truck. Its just as nice and comfortable for cruising as a Royals but when you want, it can really lay down some rubber. More importantly, and just like the Elite, you have one of the best Canadian customer service orientated companies there to back you up if you run into problems. What more could you ask for from a company? Expensive or not this truly is a DAM GOOD piece of kit.


Pros:
- Amazing cooling performance
- Great Case
- Good custom job
- Low noise for most cooling situations
- Who needs Viagra?! THIS is the ultimate E-Penis enhancer!

Cons:
- Price
- Can be loud at full load speed
- Air exhausts from top, back and both sides of the case(space required all around the unit for optimal performance)
- Even at its lowest setting it may cause condensation if you have a cool running CPU
- May cause E-Penis envy in friends and relatives.