MASSCOOL VF1-PLUS

[napes22]

Hi,

I've been using this cooler for over a year now and have been satisfied with the results; however, because it takes my remaining PCI slots, and it is pretty tall, it restricts any mods or additions I can make to my rig.

Has anyone used this cooler, and have some sort of camparisons to others? If there isn't much of an advantage to the masscool over lets say the zalman or Accelero, I'd rather swtich and save the space.

MassCool VF1-Plus

Thanks in advance.

 

[VinDSL]

I'm running one of those in my wife's machine. LoL! I guess that says it all...

j/k

Actually, I love the VF1-Plus, and I AM running one in my wife's machine!

Looks great in a regular ol' mini-tower case, works great, however it was a PITA to install...

Comparison?

It runs circles around the stock fan - no doubt about it! And, it was last years' bad boy VGA cooler...

Supposedly, the TR HR-03 series coolers have bested the VF1-Plus, but I'm starting to get very leery of this company - especially when they start adding 'Rev A', 'Plus', 'R600', 'Ultra', 'eXtreme', et cetera to essentially the same product, you know?

The only reason I'm NOT running the VF1-Plus in my MM U2-UFO is because it *looks* like garbage in there! It's an aesthetics thing...

The size overpowers the rest of my MM case! It's the first thing your eyes are drawn to - the same thing that makes it *look* so good in a mini-tower! Go figure...

Anyway, I'll stop there..

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i know the zalman vf-900 kept my x1900xt 512mb @ 39C idle and 50C load when gaming for 2 hours in a 65F room.

(lian li v1000B case = upside down mb = correct heat movement in heatpipes in a vga cooler)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I used a Sytrin (MassCool) VF1 on my nVidia 7600 GT (AGP) card. It was the LeadTek 7600 GT AGP, and got some rave benchtest reviews long after we entered the PCI-E era -- as a card that would "extend the life and power" of past-generation AGP systems.

The problem I had with it is a problem you are less likely to have, if you have determined the card is compatible with your VGA card.

The compatibility list showed "7600 GT" AGP version as compatible with the Sytrin, but the LeadteK version of the card was "almost" incompatible. The cooler sits at an angle in reference to the top edge of the VGA card, when it's horizontal edges should be parallel to the VGA card. Even so, I was able to install it, and it was great.

It was great without a fan. I couldn't install the fan because it was oriented as I described. I had plans to wire-tie some SUNON 40x25mm fans to it, and this would've given it optimum performance. And as I said, the "no-fan" installation was still quite satisfactory.

But as VinDSL said -- among bling-bling coolers, the Sytrin looks like a rusty old dump-truck. Even so -- "screw the bling-bling -- performance is the thing."

 

[napes22]

Thanks for your help!

Unless the thing starts failing on me, I'll stick with it - even if it is an eyesore.

 

[VinDSL]

I don't know if you guys know this, but Masscool/Sytrin has taken a lot of flack over their "Build Your Own Cooling" slogan. Ppl just don't get it!!!

The 'Plus' in VF1-Plus means it comes with a rotary fan - and, dude, that 'Plus' IS A 'Plus' - blows like a ^%$& hurricane.

The thing is, as BD said, you can run the VF1 as a passive heatpipe cooler - with an (optional) axial fan (tapped holes are pre-drilled on the frame) - or the "Plus" squirrel cage rotary fan - with or without the ramsinks - your choice. That's what the slogan means...

Anyway, this is a dandy cooler, IMHO, but much understood by the general public!

Originally posted by: napes22
Unless the thing starts failing on me, I'll stick with it - even if it is an eyesore.

To wit: If the looks bother you, you might consider sticking an A.C. Ryan UV/LED fan on it...

 

[VinDSL]

n/m

Double-post...

 

[BonzaiDuck]

For the GPUs it was designed for, it is a nifty cooler though. Even if it looks like a box-shaped garbage truck . . .

Right now, I've replaced it with the ThermalRight V1-Ultra. I think the Sytrin had better cooling potential. And the TR cooler's pipes interfere with my case side-panel. I think -- with a little dremeling on two of the optional support bracket-plates that are bundled with the Sytrin, I can get it to sit straight on my VGA. When I get around to doing that little mini-project, I'll dump the V1-Ultra for the Sytrin, because I can use the barrel-fan with it.

Anyway, a garbage-truck dressed up with Xmas tree-lights -- may look more like an Xmas tree than a garbage truck . . . .

 

[VinDSL]

In a year 'n a half, I have successfully squashed the AS5 and Lian-Li rebels on this site.

I see, now, I need to put more emphasis on you ThermalWrong hold outs...

 

[BonzaiDuck]

You've just got a burr up your *** about ThermalRight.

If you look back over the history of these heatpipe coolers since '03, TR blew away ThermalTake's product and other early entries with the XP-120 -- all for cooling performance.

The fact is, I didn't like the tower cooler designs at first, whether they came from Scythe, TR, TT or anyone else. But with Citarella's review of the Ultra 120 (original) at OverClockers -- measuring the thermal resistance with expert, scientific objectivity -- I reluctantly accepted the "tower" design.

If you can show me a Sunbeam model improving on the Tuniq which breaks TR's records, I'll drop TR and go with the Sunbeam.

I HAD to replace the Sytrin with the V-1, only because it made the mounting of a fan easier. I should've just extended my crude duct (on the Prescott system) to pull air off the Sytrin -- and it would've approached the Sytrin-plus-fan configuration in the idle and load temperature values.