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Tech4Gamers has developed into a formidable team of professionals with over a decade of expertise in the tech field, providing the best to its readers through their research, reviewing, and writing abilities. MSI, Deepcool, Asus, Gigabyte, Intel, AMD, and a number of other firms have recognized us as a Reliable Hardware and Technology Source. If you are unaware, we reviewed EK’sÂNucleus CR360 Lux AIO CPU liquid cooler earlier this year, and we loved it. EK’s 360mm Nucleus Lux series cooler is the best performing CPU cooler that we have ever tested, and following the review we asked EK two things. 1, How good is the 240mm model, and 2, Will these AIOs become available in white? At the time of writing, the EK AIO 240 D-RGB was available for 120 dollars. This makes it a not so pricey cooler compared to other 240mm AIOs in the same size range, especially with ARGB capabilities. Compared to earlier market giants like Corsair, NZXT, and ARCTIC, EK has been very generous with the EK AIO 240 D-RGB features. To answer these two questions, EK sent us an early Nucleus CR240 Lux RGB White CPU cooler. This AIO is due to become available to consumers soon, and it is clear that EK has spent a lot of time to ensure that all of their white components match, a trait that is often challenging for producers of white components. If you have an eye for colour, you will know that there are a lot of shades of white, and this can make the production of all white products a challenge. The only place EK deviates from the objective is to talk about its RGB lighting on the acrylic cover, claiming that it’s a “light diffuser with a frosted finish for a dynamic lighting display with smooth color transitions.” We think, frankly, it looks like it was made in someone’s shed on their 3D printer, but that’s not particularly relevant to its performance. We’ll let you judge the looks yourself.
DeepCool’s proprietary Anti-leak Technology is built into the Castle 240EX. This technique assists the system in achieving automatic pressure balancing, which considerably improves the operational safety of AIO liquid cooling systems. DeepCool is creating a new benchmark for liquid cooling systems with this technology.Choosing among various AIOs can be a challenge; each comes with different sizing and pricing. When speaking of dual-fan AIO radiators, you can choose between 240mm and 280mm AIOs. The 240mm radiator can house two 120mm fans, while the 280mm can house up to two 140mm fans. Make sure to also read our article on the Best 280mm AIO for suitable information on a different dimension. The build quality of the item is very good. It feels more substantial and of better material than my NZXT X73. It has no RGB lighting or guff like this but what you do get is just a really solid product. Finally, we put the CPU and cooler through their paces. We revved up our Intel Core i7 10700K to 5.0GHz and tested it at full load. The cooler did create some noise as the temperature rose, but that was to be anticipated. The EK AIO 240 D-RGB outperformed the Noctua NH-D15/S while remaining competitive with the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer 240. On load, the thermals stayed at 54 degrees, which was quite outstanding. Thermal Performance @ OC 5.0GHz EK AIO 240 D-RGB The NZXT Kraken Z53 is for individuals who wish to invest in a snow-themed system, and the matte-white Kraken fits the bill beautifully. It’s not easy to obtain the perfect shade of white, but NZXT has done it; the entire product seems pristine, with minor discrepancies between the tubing and the radiator itself.
A special tool is included that allows users to screw down and tighten the stand-offs easily without hurting their fingers. This is another benefit to the user experience while mounting this AIO.
To briefly mention internals, we have a separate tear-down video coming up that’ll talk about how the EK AIO series works and how it’s assembled. The biggest item of note is that it’s running a larger diameter plastic impeller, as compared to the smaller Asetek CLC impellers or the medium-sized Arctic metal impeller. The EK AIO also uses a massive electromagnet for the pump, something we’ll look at in the tear-down. Installation Procedure Our next thermal data considers the VRM temperature. This is most relevant for air coolers or for coolers like the Arctic unit, which has a VRM fan, but it’s still interesting for standard liquid coolers. Liquid coolers are mounted in an equivalent position to the top of a case, so this gives you a look at expected performance in an equivalent top-mount.
Likely unsurprisingly, the Liquid Freezer II remains the leader in VRM thermals at 35dBA. The NH-D15 is next, with the Liquid Freezer following that up with its VRM fan disabled -- the wider spread of the 140mm fans help get even spread across the VRM heatsinks. The EK AIO series follows that. The EK AIO 240 and 360 are within error and test variance of each other in all three MOSFET thermal measurements. Ultimately, this number doesn’t matter too much -- it’s a technical tally favoring large air coolers that cast air toward the VRM heatsinks, like the NH-D15, or toward the Arctic Liquid Freezer with a VRM fan; that said, considering we’re talking about parts that can run at 100C and technically still be fine, it’s something of a hollow victory under these testing conditions. Note that this chart becomes irrelevant if you mount your EK AIO in the front, as you’d be relying on case fans, at that point. Coldplate Levelness You prioritize quiet operation: While the cooler offers excellent performance, the fans at full power can be rather loud, so it may not be ideal if you’re looking for a silent solution. The radiator assembly has a nice clean finish all around. There is no EKWB branding on the side of the assembly. The name suggests that the 120mm radiator can only house a 120mm fan, while the 240mm radiator can house two 120mm fans. The 240mm radiator, with almost double the surface area of the 120mm radiator, can provide superior cooling, and that too with little noise. We often talk about product marketing to set the tone for our review. EK’s marketing, overall, is rather technical and bland -- which is what we like. That means it’s probably more accurate, or at least less likely to talk about how it uses biomimetics and the silhouette of a spider to improve performance, or something.
Customer reviews
I bought one of these to replace a low-profile Noctua NH-L9x65 cooling a Ryzen 3600G in an Alta G1M. After relocating to this new case I had space for a radiator. It reduced load temperatures of almost 85C to 60C (~25C improvement) and idle was 15C lower at 35C. I was so impressed I bought another one and actually replaced my NZXT X73 which was in another rig cooling a 5900x. With my radiator and fans in the same position/orientation it shaved off almost 20C under load when playing long games of PUBG (62C vs 80C), whilst maintaining a very similar idle temperature of around 42C. Noise levels are also very similar. Before you begin, ensure sure your Processor is free of any prior thermal paste residue; you may wipe the top with rubbing alcohol. EK-Loop Fan FPT 120D-RGB is a 120mm high-static pressure computer cooling fan designed and built primarily for the highest-performance computer liquid cooling systems.FPT fans feature a full-frame design that prevents air from escaping outside the frame, thus achieving better static pressure. Diamond-cut Brushed Aluminum Side Panels
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