One of the most important items to consider when overclocking is cooling.  We have fans for the processor, graphics card, power supply, chipsets, and all over the inside of the case.  What has been neglected until now is cooling for your memory.   With DDR2 pushing well past the Gigahertz mark at insane voltages, it was only a matter of time before they warranted active cooling.

Features and Specifications

Simple to Install
• Simply clips onto all
standard DIMMs
•Plugs into any available
fan header

Cools The RAM
•Eliminates any risk of your RAM overheating.
•Provides the ultimate in overclockability.

Cools Motherboard Components
•Provides direct airflow across the motherboard to cool heat sensitive components like the chipsets and voltage regulators.

Front

Though the RAM Fan looks quite large in these pictures it is actually only 5.5" long by 2.5" wide.

Back

     Here we can see CoolIT advertising their MTEC technology, present on their line of hybrid Peltier based CPU Coolers.  The 60 mm fan is mounted directly to the aluminum housing with a double sided adhesive.  Although CooIIT has chosen a 3 pin connector to allow you to plug the RAM Fan directly to your motherboard, the fan does not have a third lead to control the RPMs.

Installation 

     Installation is as straight-forward as can be.  The cooler just clips onto your memory modules, just above the socket tabs on each side.  The fan is powered by a typical 3-pin connector.   If you don’t want to use a motherboard header, 3-pin to 4-pin adaptors are relatively easy to find.  I had one laying around, so that is what I used.

     The cooler can be a tight fit depending on your motherboard’s layout and the heatsink you are using, however it should not be a problem with most stock heatsinks.  The angled mounting is designed to direct air flow across the RAM modules and surrounding components.

     The cooler also features two very bright LEDs, which can add that extra splash of style that we are always looking for.

Here we can see how well the cooler covers the RAM.

Testing Methodology:

     To test the RAM fan, we will utilize an IR Thermometer.  The thermometer is placed inside the case on top of the drive bays, where it is pointed at the center of the outermost DIMM.  We will test both Idle and Load.   Idle is determined by letting the PC sit at the windows desktop until temperatures stabilize.  Load is determined by finding the maximum temperature achieved by running Orthos in Blend mode for 15 minutes.  The RAM tested is two sticks of generic Micron 1GB DIMMs. 

Performance:

     As you can see from the chart, there is quite a large temperature difference between the standard configuration and using the CoolIT RAM Fan.   The RAM Fan is effective enough that the Load temp is still significantly cooler than the Idle temp when it went un-cooled.  The temperature delta shrank as well, from 9.6 degrees without the fan to a mere 4 degrees with the fan.    A 17.9 degree difference under load conditions are very hard numbers to argue with!

Conclusion

     Here we have a product that acts as a fine complement to CoolIT's line of CPU coolers.  Because CoolIT's CPU coolers do most of their work of removing heat at the back of the case, the RAM itself no longer benefits from it's close proximity to the CPU like it does when using standard air coolers.  The RAM Fan handily remedies that problem, and can be used in any situation where air flow is not sufficient to keep the RAM as cool as it needs to be.  The RAM Fan also is styled in the same brushed aluminum look, and carries the same CoolIT logo that adorns the infamous FreeZone and the new Eliminator, which will appeal to those that like a common theme throughout their PC.   

     The fan on the CoolIT, though small, still pushes a significant amount of air without being too noisy.  There is some whine, however this was still quieter than the stock CPU fan, and much quieter than my chipset fan. The LEDs are nice and bright, and the retention mechanism is simple and effective.  The cooler is a simple, elegant solution to help get that extra overclocking edge.

     The only drawback I could see is the lack of speed control.  Since the fan plugs into a standard motherboard header, an RPM sense wire would have been icing on the cake, and allow us enthusiasts to choose our own balance between silence and performance.

Innovation:	8.0 out of 10
Performance:	9.0 out of 10
Quality:	9.0 out of 10
Stability:	N/A
Overclocking:	N/A
Software/Drivers Pack:	N/A
Value:	7.5 out of 10
Overall Rating 8.5
Project Skill Level (10 being most difficult)	2 out of 10