Geekvape Nova Review | Test Results Are In

Geekvape Nova Review

The Geekvape Nova is the latest mod from long-time popular manufacturer Geekvape. Mostly known for their atomizers like the Ammit, Griffin and Zeus series, Geekvape has produced a few mods too. Their Aegis and Aegis Legend mods and GBOX squonker were all solid devices.

The Geekvape Nova is a dual-18650 mod rated at 200 watts with a large color screen and colorful resin panels. Can it live up to their previous offerings? I hope so. Keep reading to find out how the Nova stacks up to them.

Colors: Black and resin, silver and resin (4 combinations), gunmetal and resin (4 combinations)

Price: ~$60

Geekvape Nova Gallery

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Geekvape Nova Specs and Features

Kit Content

• NOVA 200W box mod
• Micro-USB cable
• Instructional manual

Specifications

• Dimensions – 88 x 52 x 25 mm
• Powered by dual high-amp 18650 batteries (not included)
• Advanced AS chip
• Maximum wattage output: 200 watts
• Resin and aluminium zinc alloy chassis construction
• TCR mode
• Intuitive firing button
• Large OLED screen
• Ergonomic design
• Micro-USB connection
• 510 connection

First impressions

When I first got this mod, I was very impressed with the overall design. It features a nice color screen and is an average size for a dual-battery mod – maybe even a bit smaller than average. I got the silver and flare resin one, which comes with an impressive paint job.

The menu system is the same as all of Geekvape’s other mods, very simple to use and with plenty of features. Individual battery monitor on the color screen is nice, and all the info you need to know is laid out cleanly. They use the magnetic side-plate style battery door, and it works great. To sum it up, the Geekvape Nova left me with a very good impression out of the box.

Build quality and design

The Geekvape Nova is very well built and designed. It looks like a fusion between the old school mods of previous years and the newer style of flashy mods. It has an excellent balance between the two, that most vapers would love. Its design is simple and reminiscent of the classic Sigelei 150, but smaller and more comfortable to hold.

The Nova features a high-quality bright color screen on the front, and resin panels on the side for a little bit of flair and style. The battery door is easy to get on and off thanks to a small notch on the top back side and is held in place by some strong magnets. Batteries are also easy to get in and out.

Weighing at 120 grams, the Nova is not a heavy mod when compared to come of the heftier dual-18650 mods out there, but it has enough weight to make it feel sturdy. It’s not going to take a beating like the Aegis Legend, but it seems durable enough for everyday use. There is no button rattle at all on this mod, and the 510 pin is great with no issues. Overall, a very nice-looking simple mod that’s built well.

Features and functions

The Nova comes with power mode, TC modes for Ni200, Ti, and SS and TCR mode, as well as a bypass mode and a VPC (watt curve mode.) Pretty much everything you would need in a mod, so no complaints there. Some pre-heat options would have been nice, but since it has watt curve mode, not a big deal.

Using the Geekvape Nova

Navigating the menus of the Geekvape Nova is a pretty straightforward process. If you’ve used a Geekvape mod recently you will know what to expect. Here’s a rundown:

• Five clicks of the fire button to turn it on and off
• Three clicks to enter the menu mode
• Up and down to cycle the modes
• Fire to accept the mode
• Up and down to adjust the other settings in each mode
• Hold fire to accept the settings
• Fire + up/down adjusts the screen brightness
• Up + down to lock adjustment buttons (will still fire)

Overall, a very familiar navigation system which is simple and easy to use.

Power mode performance

Testing on this mod was done with Sony VTC5A Batteries. The list the specs at 200 watts, but no volt or amp spec listed sadly. I wish all companies would list all three personally. During my testing, the max achieved wattage was 232 watts, so it is accurately rated and capable of doing a bit more than the 200 watts listed. The amp limit I got was 41 amps, which is average for dual 18650 mods these days. However, that was with a 0.12 ohm build and 204 watts, so it’s possible the amp limit is even a little higher than that, as I was capped off by the watt limit.

The volt limit I got with a 0.63-ohm coil was 12.097 which is crazy high for a dual-battery mod thanks to the boost circuit. This mod is a powerhouse, and I was impressed with its output.

The most interesting thing is that I was never capped off by the volt or amp limit. Many dual battery mods only reach their max watts in a small resistance window — usually in the 0.14-0.17 ohm range. The rest of the resistances are capped off to lower watts due to the volt and amp limits. The Nova, however, is a whole different beast. I was able to get the full 200 watts with all my tests, using coil resistances from 0.12 to 0.63 ohms. No other mod I’ve tested has done that before, and I’ve tested probably around a hundred or so at this point, so I’m very impressed with it. The amp and volt limits may be higher than I was able to test, but they are already above average as it stands.

The VPC (watt curve mode) also works really well. The mod scrolls in 1-watt increments at 100 or more, which makes adjusting the power faster. I wish all mods did that. Under 100, it does it by 0.1 increments, but if you hold the button down it’ll go by a full watt until you release it. Not a bad system at all and it adjusts quickly.

During my testing, the mod managed to stay at low temperatures. Even when pushed to its limits it never got hot, which is very impressive. It also proved to be a pretty accurate mod — it does however hit a little on the high side so I’d suggest starting about 10 watts lower than you normally would to compensate for that. It didn’t struggle at all with the 0.12-ohm load, unlike most dual-battery mods, which is impressive. All in all, a great performer in power mode. You can see the full test results in the chart above.

Temperature control mode performance

Using SS316L Wire in TCR Mode with a TCR of 92 and in SS mode, I tested six builds:

• One simple round spaced single coil
• One simple round spaced dual coil
• Two fancy single-coil builds
• Two fancy dual-coil builds

I also locked my coil resistance. The default TCR for SS mode is 105, which isn’t for SS316 but for SS304 instead. I wish companies wouldn’t use that value since most people using SS wire for temp control, use SS316 wire. They should either program the default mode in the 88-92 range, or at least label it as SS304 mode — there are 4 common grades of SS wire used (316,317,304, and 430) all with different TCR values. Using a TCR of 92 on the Nova produces way too hot of a vape at the set temp. I switched to SS mode to try out TCR 105 and the mod performed surprisingly well.

I haven’t been a fan of Geekvape’s previous offerings for temp control, like the Blade and Aegis Legend, but the Nova performs much better in TC. It’s not going to give you a “DNA” experience but it’s just as good as the better TC mods in this price range. It feels pretty accurate – maybe a little on the weak side, but anything in the 450-500F range will give a warm enough vape. The throttle is smooth and the dry hit protection is really good. Changing the power allows you to adjust ramp up and you have full power up to 200 watts in TC. Overall, a solid performer.

Likes

• Very good build quality
• Many color options
• Unique design
• Nice resin panels
• Simple box style design
• No button rattle
• Impressive power mode performance
• Good temp control performance
• High amp limit
• Really high volt limit (uses boost circuit)
• Sturdy 510 pin
• Large color screen
• Handles 25 mm without overhang
• Simple and easy to use menu system

Dislikes

• No preheat options for power mode

Verdict

Geekvape stepped their game up with the Nova. Don’t get me wrong, the Blade and Aegis Legend are great mods too. But the Nova is a big improvement over those, with a new chip that does better temp control. While their previous mods did not do temp control well, the Nova does, and still maintains the excellent power mode performance of their last two.

The Geekvape Nova is easily one of the best mods to come out so far in 2018. If you’re in the market for a new mod, you should give this one a hard look. What do you think of this mod? Let me know in the comment section.

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