At 4 in the morning, most people are sleeping; not me. I am sitting in front of my test rig testing the cpu cooling solution you are about to read about. Spire has been filling their portfolio with new products on a consistent basis and has decided to throw this one our way. Spire left me hanging with the DiamondCool unit; let's see if they can win me back with the VertiCool II.

The VertiCool II doesn't seem on paper like much of a champion. Sporting a measly 25.88 CFM at 2300 rpms and running out only 19 dBA this thing is quiet and doesn't appear to be much of a contender. This unit measures 95mm long, 65mm wide and 100mm tall. That makes it nearly the size of the AC Freezer 64 Pro.

I have been seeing more and more of the tower heat pipe coolers hitting the market, and for good reason. These sinks seem to be doing a good job of cooling our processors quietly. I remember the hoopla about heat pipes and I also remember thinking that it would be just a fad. It's here to stay, and this unit sports two of them.

This unit comes to you much packaged much like its siblings; Spire gives you some thermal compound, the goofy mounting plate you have to remove your motherboard to install, and the instructions. What separates this VertiCool solution from the others is that it comes with hardware for Intel processors as well.

I must say, the VertiCool II is one sexy heatsink. This unit comes with their UV reactive spider fan. A tall frame wrapped in 45 stamped aluminum microfins, and this all sits on its polished all copper milkshake. The stamped fins are spaced far enough apart to allow airflow through, something the DiamondCool was unable to provide, and the polished milkshake (base) just has adds a seductive element to the unit.