READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. Sorry for shouting that but I am some one who never reads instructions except for CPU coolers. Follow the instructions or you will end up bricking either the MotherBoard or your CPU. The V10 CPU cooler will fit on the following sockets:
Intel LGA 1366 & 775
AMD 754/939/940/AM2
Dimensions are (L)9.32 x (W)5.11 x (H)6.36
Weight 2.65lbs
For full specs see the Cooler Master website.
Installation was relatively easy: the V10 CPU cooler came with CM's new Thermalfusion 400. It's a thermal non-curing compound that also acts as a glue. Spread the Thermal paste evenly over the CPU. Attach the right hardware for your CPU to the V10 and attach the V10 to your motherboard. You will have to take your motherboard out of the case to do this.
If you have to take the V10 CPU cooler of your CPU be careful or you will pull the CPU out of the socket. Use a twisting motion (after the screws are out, obviously) turning clock and counter-clock wise sligtly, to pull it off.
Don't rock the cooler, it shoud stay perpendicular to the motherboard until you have turned enough to loosen the adhesive and pull the cooler straigh up. Rocking the cooler or pulling it off at an angle could do untold damage to your chip or motherboard. That isn't particular to this cooler, any cooler where the thermal compound has cured, even where it isn't supposed to be adhesive, will make the CPU want to stick to it.
The biggest knock against Peltier or TEC cooling is power consumption. This piece of hardware takes up 70W all to itself through the attached molex connector, as much as a low-end graphics card. Make sure your power supply will cover the V10 along with all the other hardware in your box.
The V10 CPU Cooler cools my box in any situation. With a full 100% CPU load (running folding, videos, and other apps) when testing under load, or at idle, the V10 cools my CPU 6 degrees Celsius lower then the stock cooler.
Ambient Temp. 75F (24C)
Core0
Under Load: 24C
Idle: 17C
Core1
Under Load: 14C
Idle: 7C
Measurements with my hand held IR thermometers concur. 6 degrees lower than the stock cooler. More impressive, the V10's Peltier Element can cool a CPU to below the ambient temperature. Wait what am I saying here? A stock CPU cooler uses the ambient air to cool the CPU. It other words it just moves the air, it can't lower the temperature below that of the air in the room. The V10 with TEC actually lowers the temperature.
At the moment I am testing water cooling systems for a future article. The V10 CPU cooler out performs all of them. A water cooling system attempts to lower the temperature by running water over a CPU block. Then it runs the water through a radiator which lowers the temperature. I was amazed when I saw the results. I did additional tests which all turn out the same averages.
The fans are rpm controlled. But even at full load the fans where barely noticeable. Of course this might also be because of the excellent isolation of the Cosmos case.
At Amazon the V10 is going for $125.33; at Newegg $139.99, of course this is while writing this article (Feb 20). That may sound expensive by air cooler standards, but offers amazing value and performance, as well and much easier installation, compared to water cooling systems with prices starting at $200.
With these results Cooler Master won the award of “Best Cooling Product Feb 2009” in the category “Active CPU Coolers”. Two thumbs up for Cooler Master.