Thermoelectric Cooling (TEC)

Before we delve into the CoolIT Systems Freezone Elite, let's have a quick lesson on the technology behind it.  The premise behind thermoelectric cooling (TEC) is rather simple actually.  Instead of using mechanical cooling such as a pump and radiator in a traditional watercooling setup, a TEC setup has a "plate" made of two different metals or semiconductors that has an electric current passed through it. In essence, you have two sides: a hot side and a cold side. So, electrical energy is applied and the cooling side of the TEC lowers the temperature of the liquid coolant, then that heat is transferred to the hot side of the plate, which is then cooled by the exhaust fan. So then, the liquid coolant is pumped through several thermoelectric cooling blocks which chill the water housed inside them, and the heat from the hot side is exhausted by a fan at the rear of the unit.  TECs are often used in with a watercooling system or a heatsink. The Elite uses the latter a large heatsink. And that's it, quite simple in practice. Historically TEC has been fairly inefficient, but they do have some very distinct advantages such as limited mechanical parts, a closed system, ease of installation, and the ability to achieve temperatures far lower than a watercooling system with a pump and radiator.   CoolIT Systems appears to believe they have produced a unit that overcomes some of those inefficiencies and now offers benefits that outweigh the drawbacks.

CoolIT is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and has recently made some big headlines due to several large system builders such as Alienware, Dell, Biohazard, AVA, Shuttle, and Velocity Micro choosing to integrate CoolIT's products into their high-end gaming systems. For the consumer who wishes to use a standalone cooling solution, CoolIT offered the Freezone, widely regarded as an innovative TEC product, but not without its criticisms either. Back from the drawing board, CoolIT has responded with the Elite, which is an updated revision of the original Freezone. So the Elite is not an upscale version of the Freezone; rather, it is an evolution of the same product that offers improved functionality and seeks to correct the issues raised after the release of the original Freezone.

The Elite is a self-contained liquid cooling system that is viable for over 50,000 hours according to CoolIT.  Designed to be virtually maintenance-free, and comes pre-plumbed, the Elite is targeted to today's Quad Core processors and has a thermal dissipation potential of approximately 250w. 

Let's take a look at the Elite's specifications and contents in greater depth...