Testing:
To test the Blue Ice, I installed it in the following system:
• AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor
• 1.5GB PC3200 DDR memory
• MSI K8T800 NEO-FIS2R motherboard (default settings)
• PNY Geforce FX 5600 Ultra video card
• WD 200GB SE hard drive
• Cooler Master CoolDrive 4 (used to take temperatures and fan speed)
• Case Temperature at 26.5C
To take the load temperatures, the following applications were run for several hours:
• EverQuest 2
• Folding@Home 4.0
• Sisoft Sandra 2004 Burn In Wizard
The chart below lists the temperatures indicated by the Cooler Master CoolDrive 4 during testing. As you can see the Blue Ice performed approximately 8C cooler than the stock MSI Northbridge heat sink while at idle, and in the load condition it was able to keep the chip 12C cooler!
The included fan ran at a default speed of 4600 RPM. Using my Cooler Master CoolDrive 4, I could turn the fan down to 1500 RPM, and up to 5170 RPM. At any speed, the fan was indistinguishable from the rest of my system.
Lowering the fan speed only changed the temperature readings 1.5C, which will still put it well below the stock MSI cooler. Raising the fan speed to 5170 resulted in another 1C cooler!
Conclusion:
There are certainly other Northbridge coolers, but they don't compare to the Cooler Master Blue Ice's unique looks. As for the performance, that is truly an area where this unit shines when compared to a passively cooled Northbridge cooler. On Idle, I received an 8C drop in temperature, and on Load temperature, I received a 12C drop in temps! That should show you how efficient this little unit is.
The main issue I had was with the size of the unit. It is certainly larger than other Northbridge coolers, but that is also part of the reason for the efficiency. This is a great cooler, but before you buy it, be sure it will fit on your motherboard.
The Blue Ice is priced around $21.99 at such places as Directron.com, which is very reasonable for the amount of cooling it offers. Now, there is no reason to overlook the Northbridge when you're modding or overclocking your system.
It is really difficult to come up with any negatives for the Blue Ice. It does its job very well, is extremely quiet, and even helps make your case look good. The only negatives I can find are due to the physical size of it, the single LED fan, and the unwrapped power cable. All of which are pretty minor.
Overall I have to give this a 4.5 out of 5... "Readily Recommended".
Final Rating (4.5 out of 5 stars):  
Pros:
• Unique design
• Great cooling performance
• Quiet, high performace fan
• All accessories included for any possible chip set
Cons:
• Large - Might not fit all motherboards (including many nForce4 boards)
• Single LED Fan
• Power cable not wrapped
Special thanks to Cooler Master for providing the Blue Ice chipset cooler to BigBruin.Com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to discuss this review.
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