The VertiCool II Content

After having checked the box itself we can take a closer look at the items included in the Spire VertiCool II package. Although it is a small box, much is included. The main part being the Spire VertiCool II cooler itself with next to that the extra parts like metal/plastic mounting components, metal mounting clips, thermal compound and an installation guide. One remarkable fact is that the VertiCool II has the fan on the side, which means the air will be drawn sideways. This way of placing the fan is becoming more and more a standard for CPU cooling solutions.

Spire put together an excellent package, with an easy and user friendly installation in mind. With its vertical dual thermal improved heatpipe construction the VertiCool II is designed for high performance applications and overclocking. The Spire VertiCool II cooler uses heatpipe technology to transport heat away from the CPU to other parts of the heatsink where it can be cooled much more efficiently than a standard heatsink.

Inside the box you'll find the Intel retention mechanism pre-installed complete with a black plastic X-bracket that serves as the backing plate for this application. Next to that are the AMD socket 754/939/940 brackets. Both retention designs feature captive screws and springs. Also included is a steel backplate with an adhesive pad applied and a syringe of thermal paste. A quite complete package that will serve a lot of buyers who are looking for a high quality cooling solution.

The Spire VertiCool II is a tower-type CPU cooler, which stands vertical and has the fan mounted to the side and not on the top. The universally compatible VertiCool II is the newest innovation from Spire. The VertiCool II CPU cooler is made of an all copper heatsink with dual copper heatpipes leading up to forty five aluminum micro-fins providing the optimal cooling configuration. Initial impressions of the Spire VertiCool II are quite optimistic, due to the heatpipes technology and aluminum micro-fins that will be very beneficial towards the cooling capabilities.

Specifications

• Socket 775 support:
  • Intel Celeron D ~2.93GHz (340J)
  • Intel Pentium 4 ~3.73GHz (775 Prescott)
  • Intel Pentium D ~3.4 GHz (775 Dual-Core)
  • Intel Pentium EE ~3.73GHz (775 Dual-Core)
• Socket 754/939/940 support:
  • AMD Athlon 64 ~4800+ (K8)
  • AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 (K8)
  • AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 (K8)
  • AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 (K8)
  • AMD Opteron ~2.6 (K8)
  • AMD Sempron ~ 3300+ (K8)
• Dimensions: 95 x 65 x 100 mm
• Noise Level: 19.0dBA
• Ball Bearing Fan: 80 x 80 x 25 mm
• Rated Speed: 2300 RPM +/-10%
• Air Flow: 25.8 CFM at 2300 RPM
• Current: 0.13A
• Life Hours: 50.000 (Ball Bearing)

Forty five aluminum fins surround the two heatpipes, but don't appear to be soldered to them. The fantail is nicely sleeved in a white material and finished off with black shrink tubing. This cooler is not grossly oversized, or incorporating a non-replaceable proprietary fan like some products I have seen in the past. According to Spire, the UV reactive 80mm Spider style fan allows air to enter the sides as well as the rear; claiming a quieter fan due to less turbulence of the incoming air.

The Spire VertiCool II CPU cooler has two copper heatpipes that extend up into fins that run horizontally. It looks like four heatpipes are coming out, but the heat pipes are actually sandwiched in the copper plate so that they come out on either side. The Spire cooler has an impressive look and excellent design.