Introduction

Gigabyte is mainly known for making motherboards, but if you didn't know they make a lot of other products. A while ago we took a look at their 3D Rocket II CPU cooler and it did perform well at all. They have just released a new cooler the Volar, which is very different from any CPU cooler that I have seen. And believe me I have seen a bunch of different CPU coolers! Let's see if this unique design can help the Volar perform better than the 3D Rocket II.

Features

- Universal design for both LGA775 and AMD AM2/K8 platforms
- Copper core with Aluminum fins provide large heat dissipation.
- Angular conical airflow ensures maximum cooling of MOSFET areas
- Spiraling fin design for increased surface volume ventilation
- Omni-directional high-conducting heat pipe for maximum dissipation in any mounted position
- Large 120mm fan with fan speed control cable, for a quiet and effective operation
- Easy installation

Specs

H/S Dimension: 122 x 125 x 141 mm
Fan Dimension: 120 x 120 x 38mm
Heat Pipe Number: 3
Heat Sink Dimension: Copper
Fin Material: Aluminum
Rated Voltage: 12 V
Rated Current: 0.2 Amp
Fan Speed: 2,000 rpm(default) / 1,500 rpm(low speed)
Noise: 2,000 rpm, 23dBA (default), 1,500 rpm, 18dBA (with fan speed control cable)
Bearing Type: EBR
Life Expectancy: 30,000hr

Packaging

As we saw on the 3D Rocket II and the Triton case Gigabyte does a great job with product presentation. The Volar comes in a nice and colorful retail package. Part of the front is cut open so you can see what the cooler looks like. On the back there are pictures of the cooler as well as a features and compatibility list.

Getting everything out of the packaging we have the Volar cooler, installation hardware for Intel and AMD CPU's, fan speed controller, thermal paste, and instructions. The fan speed controller looks like an extension cable, but it has an inline resistor that drops the fan speed from 2000RPM to 1500RPM.