As shown by the attached graphs, the Innovacool did an admirable job of coping with the significant heat load of a 1.2 gig “T-burned” churning 1.91 volts at 1.4 gigahertz. Both the socket and cpu surface temperatures remained at a steady plateau during the Prime 95 torture test and with an ambient room temperature of 74.5 degrees F, the Innovacool never let the socket thermistor rise above 40 degrees C. Moreover, the Innovacool seemed to shed heat very quickly once the Prime 95 test was concluded. In contrast to the Innovacool, my own pride and joy, the Lmandrake Ghettoblock, allowed the socket thermistor temperature to reach 43 degrees C. Comparing graphs of the differential between the socket thermistor temperature and ambient temperature shows how the Ghettoblock allowed higher temperatures.

The Innovatek Inovacool is a far cry from the homemade solutions that exemplified the early days of watercooling. Everything about the device, from its finish to its design, indicates that a lot of thought went into the product. The retention system is second to none in comparison to other solutions in the marketplace. The large serrated copper slug offers significant cooling capacity and a remarkable ability to shed heat quickly. Even with the lower flow imposed by the 5/16 hose and fittings, the Innovatek clearly outperformed the best of a series of my own homemade blocks. The inlet and outlet fittings, although small, are also first rate and are located so air cannot be trapped in the block when it is mounted on a vertical motherboard. All this does not come cheap, however, as the Innovacool will set you back at least $20 more than a lot of its competitors. Nonetheless, if you crave fine craftsmanship and performance, it may be money well spent.

• Stellar Workmanship
• Excellent Design and Cooling Capacity
• Killer Retention System
• Professional Appearance

• Smallish ¼ BSPP thread fittings
• Incompatible with Peltiers
• Pricey

Thanks goes out to our buds at HighSpeed PC for supplying us with this fine water block for testing and this review. Direct link to the $67.95 InnovaCOOL Copper-core Water Block.