Swiftech H2O-220 Apex Ultima

Final Thoughts

Although we recognise that some readers may be put off by the all inclusive nature of the Apex Ultima, its excellent cooling abilities means you should set any prejudice aside, and judge it on its results. After all, all Swiftech has done is bundle together several individually highly rated components, such as Apogee GTZ CPU waterblock and Laing D5 pump.

As such it should come as no surprise that the Apex Ultima performs significantly better than any of the atrocious low-cost, all-in-one water-cooling kits that some manufacturers continue force onto the market. Compared to their Lada-like performance and build quality, the Apex Ultima is a Formula One car.

The Apex Ultima also signficantly outperforms any Core i7 air cooler we've tested - even when the fans are running at a whisper quiet 5V. If you're planning on a big overclock the Apex Ultima is also a great purchase - at 7V its delta T is much lower than any air cooler, while its still pleasingly quiet. Even at 12V the fans aren't that brutal - they are certainly much quieter than a high-end graphics card running flat out, and the CPU temperature is simply unparalleled.

Given that the kit also includes everything you need to watercool a Core i7, Xeon or Core 2, unless you already own some water-cooling components, the Apex Ultima is well worth buying.

• Features
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• 9/10

• Performance
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• 9/10

• Build Quality
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• 8/10

• Ease of Use
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• 9/10

• Value
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• 8/10

• Overall
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• 9/10

Score Guide