Swiftech Apogee XT Installment
October 20, 2009
Intro The Swiftech Apogee XT is the new flagship Swiftech block. It's a major update from the stalwart Apogee GTZ and GTZ SE and promises to be the best performing CPU block ever. It carries over a few fundamental similarities from the GTZ and GTZ SE--the excellent mounting system (but now compatible with LGA775, LGA1156, and LGA1366 natively), the .009inch micro-pin structures, and the chrome plated brass top from the GTZ SE. The most interesting part of the Apogee XT is, of course, what's new about it. While the XT uses the same basic micro-pin structure, there are some major changes to the base. First, the .009inch micro-pins now cover almost the entire base of the block and have been made taller (which does two things--increases surface area as well as decreases the thickness of material underneath the pins, bringing the flow even closer to the heatsource). The entire flow pattern has changed as well; it now simply injects at the center of the base, spreads radially over the base, and recollects in a 'moat' and goes out the outlet (in contrast, the flow pattern of the GTZ is almost too complicated for words). The external changes are almost as important--one bracket supports the three most popular Intel desktop sockets, the top has full support for barbs that have a recessed o-ring (GTZ was only compatible when used with doubled-up or larger o-rings with Bitspower barbs), and the inlet is now on a modular plate allowing for an alternate inlet positioning supporting the largest compression fittings. The top is also black chrome plated and makes the XT their most alluring block ever. The introduction of the Apogee XT has also brought one other major improvement to the market. Rather than replace the GTZ at a higher pricepoint, Swiftech is maintaining production of the Apogee GTZ and bringing it to market at a lower pricepoint. The GTZ now MSRP's for $49.99 while the XT MSRP's for $79.99. Swiftech aims to have an option for every buyer with these two options. This test will focus on the performance of the blocks in general and over a large flowrate spectrum. Results from the installments of Roundup #2 will be compiled, as they're posted, into an Overall Comparison page. |
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Thermal Testing Methodology/Specification Methodology My waterblock testing methodology has evolved over the past few months and I think it's finally at a resting point where I can start piling up test results rather than tweak the methodology (and thus preventing cross-comparisons). I use Dallas One Wire DS18B20 temperature probes at various points through my watercooling loop and at the air intake to measure temperatures, I've isolated the radiators so that the flowrate through them never changes, I use six different pump settings for each block, and use good testing practice by performing 5 mounts. Where applicable, I will also test various modifications to the blocks. These include testing various orientations and removing/adding various midplates, nozzles, dividers, etc. In some cases I will also modify the mounting system and present results from increased mounting pressure. For my waterblock tests, I'll perform 5 mounts of each configuration for every waterblock. The best configuration will then go on to be tested through the full flowrate spectrum. Specification
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Thermal Test Results Now finally some results! First up, the individual configurations testing. |
 Unlike many other blocks on the market, Swiftech prescribes the orientation of the block so there's no orientation testing here, just the results of the XT against the GTZ and GTZ SE. In addition, I tested the XT with the alternate inlet positioning "XT Alt" and observed roughly a quarter of a degree drop in performance. The drop in performance is largely from the drop in flowrate. On my testbed, flowrates went from 1.38GPM to 1.27GPM by changing the inlet positioning; the small drop in performance is the price to pay for compatibility with large compression fittings. It should be noted that the XT's chief rival, the Heatkiller 3.0 LT/Cu, provides no compatibility with larger compression fittings, aside from purchasing additional adapters/fittings from Bitspower or Feser or elsewhere. In addition to basic testing, I also attempted to tweak the Apogee XT by using the familiar "silcone mod" I debuted with my Heatkiller tests. I've dubbed the tweaked version of the XT as "XT+" and it provides roughly a 1C increase in performance at the expense of 5 minutes of work, a couple dollars of 100% silicone (many varieties are available), a few Q-Tips, and a slight increase in block restriction (bringing flowrates in my testbed from 1.38GPM down to 1.26GPM). Here is a picture of my mod before I installed it (it obviously doesn't have to be perfect to perform great--mine is definitely not perfectly applied!).  |
Specific Pumping Power Now that we've figured out what the best configuration is for each block, let's chart its performance over the entire flowrate spectrum.
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Other Graphs
Here we see something fascinating--low flow resilience from a high performance block. While this block performs amazingly at 'normal' pumping power settings (single/dual DDC3.2/D5), it also has very little performance degradation from reduced flow. What does that mean in Layman's terms? For a low-flow system (one with a weak pump and/or a lot of other secondary components and/or 1/4" tubing), this block really distances itself from its predecessors--its performance is easily the best in the business. |
Conclusion Pardon me while I gush for a bit, but this block is amazing. With it you get the best performance of any block on the market, you get the best mounting system of any block on the market (with no extra cost or disassembly procedures to switch sockets), you get full compatibility with all G1/4 fittings (something that's increasingly rare with high performance blocks), and you even can get a little more performance out of it if you've got tinker-itis. The other amazing thing about this block is just how well it performs in low flow scenarios. Of all the blocks I've tested, it's the most resilient to low flow rates and when you add that to best-as-tested performance in normal and high flow scenarios, that equates to untouchable performance in low flow scenarios. The mounting system is a carry-over from their GTZs and has been improved by extending compatibility to the three most popular Intel desktop sockets while only using one bracket. Usage of the mounting hardware is slightly clumsier than previous generation because the screws don't always stick straight out (because of the usage of a slot rather than a hole for the screw), but it's still the easiest and most consistent system to use of any mounting system on the market. This is especially true when you compare it to the mounting system of some of the European blocks (EK and Watercool come to mind first) that use off-the-shelf components. I said it in the GTZ review and I'm going to repeat it here: this mounting system should be mimicked by more manufacturers, it's a huge boon in usability of the product. The other big thing that impressed me with this block is the modular inlet plate. Having a second configuration to allow the use of the largest compression fittings available is a great idea and it was implemented wonderfully. It has only a small knock on performance (very small increase in temperatures and a small increase in restriction), so it's an attractive option for those who need it. Overall this is an incredibly well-rounded product with the best performance I've ever seen from a block and I'm exceedingly impressed. Without any doubt, it's the best block I've ever tested. In addition to the block itself being great, it's also pushed the GTZ to a lower pricepoint, greatly increasing competition in the $50 range. Swiftech has a winner here.
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