Swiftech has been through plenty of trouble with its renown H220 water cooling unit. To avoid litigation, the company decided to simply stop selling it in the U.S., and instead sold it through other companies with their branding on it. Of course, Swiftech still wants its name on an all-in-one water cooling product, so the company is releasing a new unit that is wildly different from anything we've ever seen before. Pictures of this unit did get leaked a few months back.
The new H220-X follows the same principle idea of the original H220. It is a closed loop liquid cooler that can be opened up and expanded. This cooler is built using a dual-120 mm radiator with a built-in reservoir and pump. The powerful MCP30 pump is capable of handling very long water loops. The CPU block is the new Swiftech Apogee XL block, which comes with adjustable LED lighting. The reservoir is also LED lit.
Given the way the reservoir and pump are mounted to the radiator, we do foresee some compatibility issues. In most cases, the fans will be mounted in a 'pull' configuration, and the protruding reservoir and pump might get in the way of optical drive bays or other elements in certain cases. We're also curious to see whether it can be mounted in various orientations, or if it can only be mounted in the pictured orientation.
"Our patent pending technology is the result of years of development and it clearly demonstrates Swiftech's ability to think outside the box. The H220-X CPU cooling kit embodies everything we stand for at Swiftech: innovation, performance, quality, and most importantly an unwavering dedication to our customers," said Gabe Rouchon, CEO and Founder of Swiftech. "I also want to take this opportunity to thank the entire staff at Swiftech for the passion and perseverance that have led us to this moment. Development of the H220-X has allowed us to implement several enhancements to the pump that is also at the heart of the original H220 kit, and the H220 will continue to be marketed in regions where intellectual property rights are not disputed; in the end, both H220 and H220-X have greatly benefited from these efforts, and I look forward to see them fill different market niches based on users' tastes and preferences.”
Oh, and if you're worried that this unit might also face litigation, worry no more. Chispy, from the Guru3D forum, who appears to be associated with Swiftech, wrote: "No worries this time as Asetek cannot patent troll and ban Swiftech from selling in the USA because of the patent BS in the past, as this is an exclusive patent pending design 100% made by Swiftech."
Pricing is set at $139.99, which is actually quite friendly for all the gear you get. It also comes with a three-year warranty, and the company claims that the unit is maintenance free for this entire period.
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