System Setup

CPU	Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition @ 3.6Ghz
CPU Cooler	Asetek LCLC Self-Contained Liquid Cooling
Motherboard	Asus P6T Deluxe
Graphics	2x HIS Radeon 4870 X2 CrossFireX
Memory	3x 1GB Kingston DDR3 1800Mhz
Hard Drives	2x Western Digital VelociRaptor 10k 300GB SATAII in RAID-0 1TB Samsung 7200RPM w/32MB Cache SATAII
Optical Drives	Sony Optiarc 20x LightScribe DVD+RW Lite-On DH4-1S 4x Blu-Ray Drive
Power Supply	Thermaltake ToughPower 1000W
Case	Thermaltake Spedo Advance Package
Removable Storage	12-in-1 Internal Card Reader
Operating System	Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit
MSRP	$4209

Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition

First, let’s talk about the processor, the Core i7 965 Extreme Edition. While the CPU architecture surrounding the Core i7 was codenamed the Nehalem, the first batch of Core i7 chips are built around the Bloomfield core. As is the case with any Intel CPU carrying the Extreme Edition moniker, the 965 features a fully unlocked multiplier for easy overclocking.

CyberPower has overclocked the Core i7 from the factory, from a stock speed of 3.2Ghz to 3.6Ghz. They also conduct a 72-hour burn-in procedure on all their systems, ensuring that any defects or glitches are found prior to a product leaving the floor. Since we’ve already done a pretty heavy technical breakdown on what’s in the Nehalem architecture, we are going to focus instead on a few other interesting components of this system starting with the CPU cooler, the Asetek LCLC Self-Contained Liquid Cooler.

Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition
Socket	LGA1366
Fab Process	45nm
Cores(Threads)	4(8)
Stock Speed	3.20Ghz
TDP	130W
Chipset	1x QPI 6.4 GT/s

Asetek LCLC

Asetek, known for their VapoChill line of CPU coolers, designed the LCLC (Low Cost Liquid Cooler) for use in high-end OEM applications, like gaming and server PC’s. The LCLC is a self contained water block and radiator that mounts to any available 120mm fan spot, like the one on our systems Thermaltake Spedo Advance case. The LCLC has been designed from the ground up for the OEM market, which means zero maintenance for the end-user after installation. For you as the buyer, this translates into no reservoir, and no need for periodical refills. This is achieved thanks to the use of plastic tubing instead of traditional silicone, which is permeable and leads to liquid evaporation issues in standard water setups. The water pump has been integrated into the CPU block, further simplifying the entire system. This allows the system to be completely enclosed, and could potentially offer better thermal performance than air cooling, thanks to the thermal properties of liquid. We’ll see how well it works later on in our review. It’s important to note that the LCLC is not readily available to consumers, instead being offered almost exclusively to PC builders.