You may wonder why you need a video graphics card fan that glows in the dark. You may also wonder why you need a video graphics card fan at all. If this is the case, you are probably not a modder and your time may best be served looking through Precious Moments auctions on Amazon rather than reading this review.
However if you want to learn about modding, we should probably with introducing you to one of the most well-respected modding accessory companies out there. Vantec, a company founded in the early 90's makes high-quality computer parts for cooling and modding PC's. Their line of products includes cables, removable HDD racks, power supplies, cathode kits, & fans such as the Iceberg 4.
The first thing you notice about the Iceberg 4, apart from the neat and colorful packaging, is that it is a pretty sturdy little fan. The beautifully molded copper feels heavy in your hands. You can tell right away that this is a quality component just by looking at it and feeling its weight. A clear blue plastic covering protects the copper housing, while letting the bright blue LED's shine through. The fan blades are made of transparent plastic.
The Iceberg 4 isn't just a fan. It's a kit. It comes with everything you need to install it, including two rubber push-pins, a power cable, chipset heat sinks, thermal tape, and a small tube of thermal grease. The box also features clear easy-to-read instructions with diagrams, which make installation a snap.
We ripped this little guy out of the box and plugged it on a GeForce 3 MX. It took about a total of 10 minutes to get the unit installed and working. A little thermal grease on the GPU, snap the plastic inserts into place, attach the power cable and you're done. How satisfying it is to see that cool blue glow!
The Iceberg 4 looks great, but performance is what this fan is all about. Temperature sensors placed directly on the GPU read a cool 38º C. Some modders feel that VGA fans are not really necessary and do not provide any noticeable difference to a simple passive heatsink. However, a lack of any type of cooling will cause your graphics card to overheat and possibly crash your system. Since this kit retails for only $19.99, why take your chances? Besides, a passive heatsink won't light up for you, and none of them look this cool.
Overall the Vantec Iceberg 4 looks great, performs spectacularly, and is reasonably price. You can't really get better set of features than that. This kit gets our highest score.
