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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
Really interested to hear how you guys find the EK AIO 240 D-RGB. I have one in my Ncase v6.1 now, cooling a 5900X on the Asus Crosshair VIII Impact, with two Noctua NF-F12 Chromax as intake (so pulling in cold air from outside, through the rad) and a Noctua NF-A9x14 Chromax on the rear as exhaust, using thermal grizzly kryonaut, and I'm getting some crazy high temps. This is using Asus FanXpert4 for fan tuning, on the standard profile with the pump set to 100% all the time. Not every run of the stress test may yield the same result. This could well be due to many factors like mounting pressure, thermal paste application, varying ambient temperature. Not to mention the silicon differences even among the same category of the chips. Hence, it is pertinent to mention the testing methodology along with the specifics.
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You have a tight budget: The EK AIO 240 D-RGB, while offering premium features, comes at a slightly higher price point compared to some competitors, so it may not be the best choice if you’re on a strict budget. Wrapping Up 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. The installation procedure is trivial with EK’s AIO series, as we’ve come to expect from most liquid coolers. It tends to be the air coolers, like Zalman’s CNPS20X and its abominable 26 screws to mount, where we see challenges in mounting hardware. Even Arctic’s was inconvenient and something the company is improving upon.
It all comes down to personal preference and usage, as users may be able to determine their needs in the end, since all of these coolers provide almost equal cooling but differ in terms of looks and noise levels. Should You Buy It? Both AIO Basic and Elite Aurum made their video debuts at the EK EXPO Media Day, and you can see them in the immersive 360 Showroom. Availability and Pricing The radiator assembly has a nice clean finish all around. There is no EKWB branding on the side of the assembly. Idle is on average 60 degrees, spiking to 80 on light loads (4 edge tabs, onenote, discord). e.g. see attached: This next test is noise-normalized at 40dBA on an Intel HEDT CPU, our 3-year-old test bench, and is compared against more coolers. Note also that the fact that this is a monolothic, HEDT, large-area IHS has the potential to significantly shuffle some results. Testing at 40dBA also changes things, as now we’ve shifted in a way that the fans with worse static pressure performance may be able to achieve the minimum pressure required to cool efficiently, whereas 35dBA can fall below that threshold for inefficient fans.
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.
There is what seems to be a refill port on the radiator. It is reserved only the factory use. Don’t attempt to open the port as you may lose the atmospheric pressure of the loop. We are using Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste for coolers testing. Using a same thermal paste for all coolers would ensure the standardization. Delta temperatures are reported on the graphs. The testing is done on an open air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.
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We can’t judge endurance from a review period, so we’ll have to keep an eye on how these coolers develop over years of use to see how EK’s and Arctic’s designs really aged. Our first chart looks at the more intensive 200W heat load, as produced by the 3 dies on the AMD 3950X. We’ve normalized the noise levels to 35dBA at 20” distance, creating an equal playing field to test the efficiency of the pumps, fans, and radiators without permitting the fans to just brute force performance at the expense of noise. Again, remember that we keep the included fans for this test. EK-AIO Basic 240 is again on top with a difference of 1.9°C over the Antec Neptune 240. 4.7GHz All Cores [Auto PWM]
We employed AIDA64 Extreme for rigorous stress testing. To ensure real-world conditions, we used the Thermaltake View 71t case, equipped with five front and bottom intake fans and three exhaust fans (including the Vardar S) at the top and bottom.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. The EK-AIO Basic 240 comes with the two EK-Vardar S 120 Dark Edition fans. These are high-performance fans designed for liquid cooling solutions. These fans are rated for up to 2200 RPM ±10 We have upgraded our Intel test bed recently. A few coolers have been tested on this setup. More will be added after the testing in coming time.
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