Verdict: The first bubble cooler does what it promises - shame that was low noise levels rather than high-performance cooling.
You've read about the theory, now let's find out how the first bubble-pump HSF fares in practice. Installing the Revo is incredibly easy, as the mounting clip for LGA775 and Socket AM2 CPUs is separate from the main contraption. Fix this in place - and there's no chance of the Revo getting in the way - and then use the two-pronged clamp on this mounting clip to clamp down the Revo. It can be slightly fiddly to thread the two clamp arms through the two pipes of the Revo, but not nearly as awkward as installing the Intel push-pin legs with a bulky heatsink around which you have to work your fingers.
Akasa recommends installing the Revo so that its fan blows upward into your PSU, since this is the best way to engage the chemistry of the bubble pump. Mounting it in any other way can reduce the Revo's cooling performance by as much as 15 per cent, which is a shame, as it isn't ideal to use the PSU to exhaust heat from the processor.
It's worth pointing out that the Revo is the first bubble cooler to be manufactured, and that it's been optimised for quiet cooling, not overclocking. However, it's made entirely from aluminium, so it's very light. Akasa has used three types of aluminium, and claims that the bonds between these essentially identical components leads to better heat transfer through the Revo than if it were made of copper and aluminium.
Slightly worried, we began testing. Sure enough, the Revo ran our overclocked and overvolted Intel Xeon X3210 6ûC hotter than it did with the Intel reference cooler fitted, even in its optimum orientation. That said, the 92mm fan makes barely any sound. It's mounted at an angle to the main radiator too, so there's a little throw-off air for cooling components around the CPU socket, albeit only on one side, if it's mounted optimally. When we remounted the Revo so the fan blew air out the back of the case, its cooling ability plummetted, with the CPU running 22ûC hotter than it did with the reference Intel HSF.
Conclusion
Despite its innovative technology, the Revo isn't a good choice for cooling a quad-core CPU. However, as a proof-of-concept product, the Revo isn't bad - it's certainly quiet. Interestingly, however, producing a high-performance version is simply a matter of using a different dual-component fluid - something that Akasa will hopefully do soon.
