CoolIT Domino ALC Water Cooling Kit Review

CoolIT has certainly made a name for themselves with their award winning hybrid cooling systems.  Today we will be looking at their first entry into the sub $100 market, the Domino A.L.C.  With the Domino, CoolIT offers the advantages of a high-end liquid cooling setup in a simple bolt in design.  If the ease of installation doesn't catch your eye the brilliant status display should.  No other cooling system offers this type of onboard monitor without a complicated breakout box.  But how does it perform?  Lets find out!

The Domino ALC (Advanced Liquid Cooling) is a plug-in system requiring no additional assembly right out of the box.  With a flat black color scheme, the Domino should fit right in with just about any system.  To use the bright blue, back lit display will require a window in the right place, or a bit of clever modding.

The Domino packaging is clean and features the product with just enough information to grab your eye.  Although CoolIT has won may awards with the Domino already, they proudly show their 2009 CES Innovations award.  The rest of the box is dedicated to providing a wealth of information and product pictures.  The Domino heatsink is compatible with all the current generation of processors.  The socket LGA 1366 arrived preinstalled but brackets for Socket 775 and the AMD AM2+ sockets can easily be switched out.  In addition to the technical specifications, CoolIT offers a two year warranty for peace of mind.

Domino A.L.C. offers the technological advantages of liquid cooling by efficiently transporting damaging heat away from the CPU as well as reducing overall chassis temperature levels. The system provides incredible thermal headroom, keeping pace with advances in processor technology and thus supporting the ability to maximize the performance of high performance PCs.  ~CoolIT

Specifications:

User Interface

• High contrast backlit LCD
• Single push button control for configuring operation mode and temperature scale
• Audible status alerts

Operation Modes (Fan Speeds)

• Quiet: 1100-2500 RPM
  
• Performance*: 1100-2500 RPM
  
• Full: 2900 RPM

*System automatically increases cooling
performance at an increased rate compared to Quiet Mode.
Physical Specifications

• Dimensions: 14.0 x 12.5 x 15.5 mm
• Weight: 1.03 kg
• Operating Voltage: 11.6-12.4V
• Power Consumption: 8W (Max)
• Life Cycle: 50,000 Hours (MTBF)

Fan

• Long life, low noise
• Dimension: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
• Noise: 19.2 dBA (Min)

Pump

• CFF1 long life ceramic bearing
• Noise: <21 dBA

Radiator

• Custom engineered for low noise heat dissipation
• Dimension: 157 x 120 x 27 mm

• Copper Micro-Channel
• Surface Dimension: 50 x 50 mm

Coolant

• Proprietary with anticorrosion/antifungal additives

CPU Thermal Grease

• Proprietary Pro Advanced Thermal Compound

Warranty

• 2 Year Manufacturer

CoolIT ships the Domino in a plastic clam shell style with everything nicely separated and easy to find.  From this angle the L shape of the main unit closely resembles the design of both of the higher end CoolIT systems we have used here at the Club; The Eliminator and the Freezone.

Here is a closer look at the goodies found in the box.  A full color Installation and Users Guide, the two back plates for Intel installations, the AMD bracket and more than enough screws and such to install it all (or replace an accidentally lost piece).  The AMD bracket used the same AM2+ backplate provided with you motherboard.