Kryotech Cool K6-2 500

Replacing a processor in the Kryotech system was quite a bit of an ordeal as it required removing the ATX power supply, a bracket holding the CPU cavity in place, then unscrewing the CPU cavity from the heat jacket and pulling the chip out of its socket. The procedure is quite delicate, and the possibility of bending one or more of the elongated pins on the part of the jacket that plugs into the motherboard is extremely high as it happened quite a few times during AnandTech's tests.   Straightening out a bent pin on the jacket isn't too difficult, however if you don't feel comfortable doing so Kryotech will be offering an upgrade plan which will allow users to ship their systems back to have the CPU's upgraded for them.  Otherwise, replacing the CPU on your own voids the warranty, in spite of this, Kryotech will publish proper instructions on how to do so on their web site in the future.  Replacing the motherboard in the system is much more difficult, the positioning of the CPU socket must be virtually identical to that of the layout of the FIC PA-2013 the design was built around.  If you happen to have a motherboard that is identical to the PA-2013, then the procedure isn't a pain at all, AnandTech successfully removed the 1MB PA-2013 installed in the system with a newer 2MB version without any problems at all, unfortunately the same can't be said about all motherboards.

With the technology behind the Cool K6-2 evolving so rapidly, a Cool K6-2 purchase now probably wouldn't be the best investment unless you have $1700 to kill on something cool, however next year should be quite promising for Kryotech.   Kryotech's already close relationship with AMD should allow the public to see a Cool K6-3 product release in the very near future, and if Kryotech can fix the problems currently associated with the Cool K6-2 system by then, a K6-3 running at 550MHz may be on the horizon...an easy competitor to Intel's upcoming Katmai.  For now, unfortunately, AnandTech can't flat-out recommend the Cool K6-2, but keep your eyes on Kryotech, they've got the potential to make something spectacular, and as next year will most likely show us all, with the life of the K6-2 slowly coming to a close, that potential walks hand in hand with the release of AMD's K6-3.