Despite being the makers of one of the best CPU air-coolers in the world, we will forgive you if the name Prolimatech doesn’t ring any bells. This is because the company itself is just two years old, while their first product was released just a year ago now. Prolimatech did quickly become a well known name amongst enthusiasts, due to their Megahalems CPU cooler that was able to match the performance of existing high-end products.

Just one other product followed the Megahalems in 2009 and that was the Mega Shadow, which was exactly the same product but with a shadow chrome paintjob, which apparently warranted a much higher price tag. With just two products on offer and one design, Prolimatech didn’t have companies such as Thermalright scrambling to release new products.

Still, Prolimatech is looking to carry the momentum they had throughout 2009 into the New Year with a completely new product, one that can complement their existing CPU coolers. This new product is a VGA cooler, which has simply been named “MK-13”, which seems a bit drab when compared to the names they came up with for their CPU coolers.

However there is certainly nothing boring about the MK-13 and although it may look like just another oversized VGA cooler, there is quite a bit more to this product. Perhaps the biggest issue large aftermarket VGA coolers face is getting them to fit comfortably inside your case, especially if you want two of them for some SLI or Crossfire action.

Prolimatech has come up with an interesting solution to this problem, by developing a special mounting system that can accommodate for up to four 120mm fans, that’s right, four! Another impressive feature of the MK-13 is its ability to suit all modern single-GPU graphics cards, which of course includes the Radeon HD 5870 and GeForce GTX 285 for example. Keeping this in mind, let’s check out the new Prolimatech MK-13 in greater detail...

The physical heatsink dimensions are 99.87mm wide, 205mm long, and 43.5mm tall. The heatsink weighs 555 grams without fans installed, making the MK-13 quite heavy. Though having said that, much heavier VGA coolers have passed through our lab.

At the base of the MK-13 we have a nickel-plated copper base plate, which is connected to a massive array of fins via six individual 6mm copper nickel-plated heatpipes. In total there are 76 fins that measure 100mm long and 25mm tall, while they are 1mm thick. The five copper heatpipes that pass through them are positioned 15mm apart for even heat distribution.

Now there are a number of ways that the MK-13 can be configured. Assuming you are using a single card setup there are four recommended options here. The first and most basic option is to just install a pair of 120mm fans on the heatsink itself. Those wanting to go a little more extreme can use four 120mm fans for a single graphics card by mounting the other two at the top of the graphics card.

It is also possible to mount a pair of 120mm fans on the graphics card with a pair of 92mm fans at the top. This is recommended for graphics cards with the PCI Express power connectors at the top, which would otherwise be blocked by a pair of 120mm fans. Alternatively, for graphics cards with top mounted PCI Express power connectors, a single top mounted centrally located 120mm fan is also an option.

Many of these configurations are also possible when using SLI or Crossfire technology, though Prolimatech also says that users can get away with just a single 140mm fan when using two MK-13 heatsinks. If this is true, then it would really make the MK-13 a must have item for multi-GPU users, as I can tell you a pair of Radeon HD 5870 graphics cards can make quite a racket when gaming.

The huge range of fan mounting options available on the Prolimatech MK-13 are impressive, though it is worth noting that the heatsink does not ship with any fans. Therefore the user is free to configure the MK-13 or MK-13’s as they see fit.

The package contains a total of 18 large RAM heatsinks, 4 medium RAM profile heatsinks, and 4 low-profile RAM heatsinks. There are 5 zip-ties included, along with a tube of thermal paste. The package also features a mounting system for Radeon and GeForce based graphics cards, along with a unique mounting system for the fans.

Hardware - AMD Phenom II X4 945 (AM3) - x2 Kingston HyperX 2GB DDR3-1333 (CAS 8-8-8-24) - Seagate 500GB 7200-RPM (Serial ATA300) - ATI Radeon HD 5870 (1GB) - ASUS M4A79T Deluxe (AMD 790FX) Software - Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit) - Nvidia Forceware 190.38

Testing notes: First we run FurMark to stress test the coolers and record the maximum temperature. Then we close FurMark and leave the system to sit idle at the Windows 7 desktop top for 10mins, at which point we record the minimum temperature, or as we call it idle temperature.

Please note that the Prolimatech MK-13, which does not come with any fans, was tested using two Thermaltake ISGC 12cm fans. Finally, the ATI Radeon HD 5870 was tested at the default specifications, which see the core operating at 850MHz and the memory at 1200MHz.

The Prolimatech MK-13 has a huge impact on GPU temperature at idle, reducing them by up to 42% when compared to the standard cooler. Having said that, the all important VRM temperature increased by as much as 16%, though the rest of the temperatures did favor the MK-13. The MK-13 appears to perform best on the Radeon HD 5870 when the fans are mounted directly on top of the heatsink, which we have called “Front Mount”.

Although placing the dual 120mm fans above the graphics card did not impact the idle temperate of the GPU or VRM, it did for example have a negative impact on memory temperatures. Finally the low speed (900-RPM) 140mm fan moved much less air when compared to the dual 120mm fans, though that said it was also considerably quieter. At idle the reduced air-flow did not have a significant impact on performance.

Using FurMark to stress the Radeon HD 5870 we see quite a change in the results. The MK-13 kept the GPU around 39% cooler than the standard heatsink, and even the low RPM single 140mm fan saw a 19% reduction in temperature. However the good news ends there, as the VRM temperature increased significantly when using the MK-13. Best case scenario for the MK-13 still saw the VRM temperature 69% higher when compared to the standard cooler.

While the Shader, MemIO and DispIO all showed a reduction in temperature, the massive spike in VRM temperature is a huge let down for the MK-13. Although the GPU temperature is significantly lower when using the MK-13, users will likely be unable to overclock their graphics card any further due to the high VRM temperature.

By this we mean if a company was to develop an aftermarket cooler specifically for the Radeon HD 5870 then chances are it would be a better choice. Products that do not feature a universal design are traditionally better equipped to cool the intended product, as they will sport custom VRM cooling for example.

The little heatsinks supplied in the MK-13 package are simply inadequate for cooling the VRM of the Radeon HD 5870 and other high-end graphics cards like it. Although they did work, stress temperatures of near 100 degrees are unacceptable, especially when the standard cooler never saw them rise above 51 degrees. Therefore this is something to keep in mind when purchasing the MK-13 and products like it.

There was just one other problem we encountered with the MK-13 and that was to do with the mounting design. While it was very easy to install the MK-13 to our Radeon HD 5870 graphics card, we found that the spring loaded screws did not apply enough tension to the mounting bracket. This meant that the heatsink would wriggle around on the GPU and at one point caused the heatsink to break contact with part of the GPU, sending temperatures skywards.

An easy fix was to unscrew the mount and add some washers to take up the slack, and although the card worked perfectly once this had been done, it is not exactly ideal. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the heatsinks do not stick to the VRM circuitry very well, and we did have quite a bit of trouble getting them to stick in place. The only solution here is to use thermal adhesive, but doing so means that the MK-13 is permanently installed.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Prolimatech MK-13 is its fan mounting system, that allows for several configurations. This means that there will be at least a few configuration options available to you whether you are using just a single graphics card or running a multi-GPU setup. Although trying out various configurations can become time consuming, it is worth trying to work out what will work best with your setup.

Overall the Prolimatech MK-13 is an impressive product, though despite this it does come with a few annoying flaws. That said, the VRM cooling issue that plagues the MK-13 is also a problem that is present on similar coolers, such as the Thermaltake DuOrb Extreme, ISGC-V320, Scythe Musashi and Thermalright T-Rad² to name just a few. Finally, with a suggested retail price of $70 US, we feel that the Prolimatech MK-13 is a little too pricey given competing products are selling for around $50 US.

Reviewed By Steven Walton