D-Tek Fusion Waterblock

Author's product rating:   

Reliability	Excellent
Ease of Use	Simple
Quality	Excellent
Durability	Excellent
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Brilliant performance, compatibility and price
Disadvantages:	Average and fiddley hold down system

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Watercooling your computer used to be a hazardous and complicated affair usually involving the need of making parts yourself and using bits from other cooling systems like those of cars and pumps normally used in fish tanks. A few years ago, companies like Thermochill, Dangerden and D-tek pioneered the way for enthusiasts by introducing components specially made for use in PC watercooling. This revolutionised the industry which is now booming.

While the original parts worked well, they were far from perfect and waterblocks were little more than lumps of copper with two threaded holes for barbs. The latest generation of components made a huge leap in terms of performance with more powerful, quieter pumps able to cope with multiple block/radiator systems and waterblocks designed to cool the latest dual and quadcore processors far more efficiently.

The D-Tek Fusion is one of these blocks. The surface is extremely flat and polished but the main feature is the inside of the block. Made up of scores of copper fins arranged in a symetric circular pattern, the block is brilliant for cooling modern processors with integrated heat speaders. The barbs are for 1/2inch ID tubing but the threads are 1/4inch so they are compatible with practically all barbs out there.

The inlet is placed over the centre of this design with the outlet to one side. The copper cooling fins are among the largest and most numerous of any waterblock but the design means they will not restrict flow so the block is ideal for both CPU only systems and those with numerous cooling blocks.

Performance is amazing. I've used nearly ten different blocks in various systems I've built and this is by far the best block I've ever used. The CPU idle temperature was several degrees down but the best bit was that the load temperature - the cooling system was able to keep this several degrees cooler and was very quick indeed at recovering. I can highly recommend the block for cooling dual core processors especially if you are overclocking as the heat transfer capabilities are quite amazing.

The only downside I can see is possibly an average hold down device - a large chrome plate sits in a ridge on the block and is held down by a number of springs held by screws. Most blocks have the plate/holes built in which means there is less chance of the block sitting incorrectly on the processor. Still there is little evidence of this occuring with my setup and aside from the usual fiddley business of fitting the hold down springs and screws, it works well.

Perhaps the best thing aside from the brilliant price (only £30 which is the same as some air coolers) is the fact that the block is universal - compatible with all modern motherboard socket types. This not only means you don't have to worry about finding the right version but also that there is a very good chance the block will be compatible with future socket types too (whether or not a newer better block will be around then is something we will have to wait for!)

All in all a fantastic processor cooling block with brilliant compatibility and performance for a very reasonable price.