INTRODUCTION

   When AIO Liquid CPU Coolers made their debut several years ago the entire PC community welcomed them with open hands not only because of their competitive prices (always compared to custom kits) but also because of their extremely easy installation and lack of need for filling them with liquid every once in a while. Back then i too was quite excited with my first encounter with one such solution (manufactured by CoolIT if i recall correctly) but at the same time i was somewhat curious as to why manufacturers didn't choose to also implement the same hardware for use with graphics cards since all it would obviously offer much better cooling while at the same time it would reduce the weight of the card and all that just by using a different mounting system. Unfortunately however that took a long time to happen and so it wasn't until last year that ARCTIC released the Accelero Hybrid Air & Liquid Combined Cooling Solution which offered superior cooling levels and is still considered as the best AIO GPU Cooler one can find in the market. Well ARCTIC seems to think that there's always room for improvement and so a couple of weeks ago they introduced the Accelero Hybrid II-120 Air/Liquid Cooler which we have here with us today.

   The increasing heat emission of modern CPUs and graphics cards has gone beyond the capability of most manufacturers to design powerful enough yet quiet coolers. An increasing noise level was the result, which had a negative impact on productivity. A quiet computer is the basis for pleasant working conditions. ARCTIC initiated the trend towards quiet cooling systems for desktop PCs in 2001 and has given distinction to it ever since. Today ARCTIC is one of the leading manufacturers in computer cooling and has acquired profound knowhow in consumer electronics. ARCTIC is a privately-owned company with its headquarters in Switzerland and offices in Hong Kong and the USA. ARCTIC contributed significantly to the development of computer cooling solutions, created a number of patented technologies leading to greater efficiency and remarkable noise reduction. Within the cooling industry ARCTIC is recognized for offering innovative solutions with a fair price tag. Our products are sold in over 45 countries across the globe. Up until 2009, ARCTIC COOLING focused solely on cooling solutions. In 2010, we became ARCTIC with the additional aim to provide a comprehensive set of innovative consumer electronics and peripherals. ARCTIC's long term goal is nothing less than being present in everybody's home. Our philosophy is still the same since the very beginning - offering consumers value-for-money, innovations at affordable prices.

   The original Accelero Hybrid combined an 120mm AIO closed loop liquid cooler with two fans an 120mm one used to cool the radiator and an 80mm one used to cool the cards sensitive components (RAM/VR). However although active cooling is always a good thing when used on its own it may not be sufficient and that's the first thing that ARCTIC improved on the Hybrid II-120 model since this time over along with the 120mm AIO liquid cooler they also bundle a large heatsink which should offer much better cooling for both the RAM and the voltage regulators. Of course the ideal scenario would be for the people over at ARCTIC to marry active with passive cooling thus offering even better cooling but that would probably increase the price of the Accelero Hybrid II-120 quite a bit and i really doubt anyone would like that. Regardless the concept is one we've been waiting for too long to test so let's see what the Accelero Hybrid II-120 Air/Liquid Cooler can do.