Final Thoughts
Looking at just the WaterChill Xtreme 12V pump and reservoir, with none of the other bells and whistles, Asetek have a great product. It performs well, it's easy to setup and it is quiet. It's as simple as that.
Look at some of the extra features and the appeal of the package increases further. The ability to control pump speed is clever, very clever. No, I didn't notice a significant difference in noise as I changed the speed of the pump, nor did I see any change in cooling performance. However, my system isn't geared towards absolute silence. If you're a fan of silence and have a lot of components dumping heat into your cooling circuit, then I expect you will get more out of the speed control than I did.
The only let down for me is the software. It's buggy, has a cumbersome interface and is prone to becoming non-responsive if you start changing settings too quickly. Thinking positively however, improvements to the software can be implemented, providing Asetek are willing. Software problems are easier to fix than hardware problems, and with respect to the hardware, from my experience over the last few weeks, the Xtreme 12V pump is perfect. I'm quite happy to run the pump without using the software, sacrificing a certain level of control, but that does raise the question of whether the product is truly good value for money without reliable software to back it up.
To sum up. The Waterchill Xtreme 12V Pump/Reservoir kit made my life of watercooling easier, and it can probably make life easier for you too. The design is revolutionary. I'm sure we'll see copycat designs surfacing to flatter the Asetek engineers. Performance is excellent, this pump should be able to handle the most taxing of watercooling circuits. Now all Asetek have to do is sort out the Control Panel software.
HEXUS Awards
HEXUS Right2Reply
Morten Berg-Christensen provided HEXUS with the following comments under our .right2reply initiative.
1) Please notice that the issue (bug) with sensor 2 showing incorrect value has been changed and that the latest version [1.3.3] of the software can be downloaded in the support section at www.asetek.com - please try it yourself.
2) The "strange" startup values are just some small "interference" in the dataflow - they will only occur in the beginning (approx. 5 min.). The buffer in the software needs some readings before it can actually show the correct values.
3) Our R&D department is working on an improved help function that should be even more user-friendly.
4) Fan regulation via temperature readings is a possible future feature but we have chosen not to do this in the current version. On the other hand we think that the end-user has a lot of options with the current software - especially the fact that the end-user can control the fans for perfect match between performance and noise level. It's designed for the end-user to make his or hers own preferences.
5) The software is definitely safe to use and one of the really smart thing related to the 12V pump - during normal circumstances. Of course it is also possible to seize up an engine if you expose it for extreme conditions.
Best regards,
Morten Berg-Christensen
We thank Morten for his response.
