For many enthusiasts, water cooling represents a line they are not willing to cross.  While there is no doubt that water cooling provides many benefits, however there are also some serious drawbacks.  Cost, maintenance, and an elevated risk of damage are all roadblocks to the wide acceptance of water.  In response, what we have seen happen in the water cooled market is a divergence; one path for the extreme enthusiasts who will overlook the cost and risk for the maximum possible performance, and another path for more moderate kit enthusiasts that still want the advantages of water but without the risk or the price tag. 

     Now, to hear it from the overclocking forums around the web, they will all tell you that buying kits is a bad idea, and that high end air cooling will outperform low end water cooling, and that kits are generally a waste of money.  This is enough to chase many potential water coolers right out of the market.

     So, what we have here is a reviewer that has never done full blown water cooling, and a new water cooling kit from Gigabyte, the 3D Galaxy II.  Will this kit finally bridge the gap of the low cost and high performance? Will the installation and maintenance be easy enough for a n00b like myself?  These are all questions I hope to answer.

     First off, let us look at what makes the 3D Galaxy II different from other kits.  One big difference is the way the radiator is mounted.  The radiator attaches to a bracket that screws into the power supply, hanging off the back of the case.  This is interesting for two reasons:  this allows the exhaust fan to help in cooling the radiator, and it means that the tubing runs through a PCI bracket to the outside of the case.

     Another big difference is the GBT Splitter valve.  The splitter valve is supposed to allow quick additions to the loop without having to drain your system and re-cut your tubing.  An interesting idea indeed.

     The other innovation is the MOSFET cooler.  It is essentially a fan that sits on top of the CPU block and ensures that your MOSFETs and chipset still get some air flow. 

     Will these ideas help with the implementation of water cooling?  Let us look and see.

Product Features and Specifications

• Large, pure copper base with unique water path design

• Long-life, quite and powerful ceramic bearing pump

• Low water-level protection (LWP) and over-temperature protection (OTP) (Patent pending)

• Clear blue LED tank for straightforward coolant refilling

• Large aluminum radiator with 4-part water-path design

• Radiator-- easy installation

• Multi-purpose Nano-scale GIGABYTE coolant

• 1/2 inch special UV tubing material allows for extreme angling and flexing

• Fully compliant with MOSFET cooling solution. (Patent pending)

• GIGABYTE excusive 4-way splitter valve design for faster replacement and add new cooling equipment

• PCI rear fan controller

• Free heat sink for memory

• Optimal chassis solution: Gigabyte 3D AURORA, Triton and Poseidon series chassis

Out of Box Experience:

     At first glance, the packaging for the Gigabyte 3D Galaxy II reminds me of a lot like Christmas.  The clear front, the bright colors, and the placement of the goodies inside would almost make it seem like a toy ready to be wrapped up and put under the tree.   All that is missing is a badge on the front that says “Super Water Cooling Action!”. 

     The back of the box shows off the kit’s many features, including pics of the radiator, fan, coolant, blocks and tubing.

     All the important components on the inside are packed in foam and laid out in a presentable fashion.  From left to right: radiator, reservoir and pump, splitter valves, MOSFET fan and CPU block, and fluid. All the rest of the bits and pieces lay underneath the foam.

     Once we get everything laid out, we can finally start to see what we are getting ourselves into.  In addition to what was already mentioned, we have the thermal control module, fittings, fan controller bracket, CPU brackets, tubing and extra heatsinks for RAM.