Install the fans on the radiator. You can do this step after installing the radiator in the chassis as well. The above graph shows the maximum speed attained by the fans on the Auto PWM. For comparison, we have included the rated speed of the fans to have reference in determining the Auto PWM range. 5.1GHz All Cores You seek efficient cooling: The industrial-quality Vardar S fans with higher RPMs enhance the cooler’s thermal performance, making it a great investment. You Shouldn’t Buy It If 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.

The EK AIO 240 D-RGB proved the ideal 240mm AIO as the thermal performance was more than acceptable in all scenarios. We also noticed the EK AIO 240 D-RGB running quiet; the Vardar S fans were promising but a little too loud at full speeds. Comparison With Other Premium CoolersThis chart removes the frequency control and makes it the variable instead, while still maintaining voltage controls and fan noise-level controls. That means we’re now looking at the maximum average all-core frequency permitted by the cooler, because Precision Boost 2 is variable contingent upon temperature. The EK AIO 360 leads the chart with a 5MHz boost over the Liquid Freezer II at the same noise level, or about 147MHz over what’s enabled by the big Deepcool cooler. Conclusion Ultra-durable design with diamond-cut rotary fittings - The EK AIO comes pre-installed with reinforced and sleeved rubber tubing, each fitted with an aluminum cover to ensure they’re ultra-durable. Its diamond-cut rotary fittings allow for easy installation and adjustment of the rubber tubing, featuring a full range of movement to make the EK AIO suitable for installation in even the tightest spaces. To top everything off, EK is also introducing the unapologetic, attention-seeking EK-AIO Elite Aurum 360 D-RGB. The colossal six-fan setup is not only chunky in size and consequently in performance but also stands out with the limited edition, glossy, golden pump cover with a D-RGB lit EK badge and diamond-cut rotary fittings. NOTE: This is a transcript of our video, for the most part, although the video has some more discussion in the intro and conclusion than found here. We publish these articles to be helpful, but make most our money to sustain this expensive operation via videos. If sharing the content, please consider sharing the video instead.

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 LevelnessUsers will get confused when choosing the EK AIO 240 D-RGB against some mighty competitors in the market like the: Idle is on average 60 degrees, spiking to 80 on light loads (4 edge tabs, onenote, discord). e.g. see attached:

Maybe there's something I need to monkey with in the BIOS to rein in the CPU a bit? And maybe I should be using Argus Monitor for fan control instead? Each fan has a 4-pin PWM fan connector having an approximate length of 485mm. The cable is flat in design. The coolers are also tested using Auto PWM function. MSI is using Smart Fan mode in the UEFI/BIOS which is not pure Auto PWM but it is what is available to us. The above picture shows the MSI default fan curve for the Smart Fan mode. Since all the coolers will be tested using the same configuration and settings, same margin of error applies to all. Before you begin, ensure sure your Processor is free of any prior thermal paste residue; you may wipe the top with rubbing alcohol. In all of these tests, the EK AIO 240 D-RGB outperformed its well-known competition, the Noctua NH-D15/S, although it fell short of defeating the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240.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 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. 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. The far head has a rectangular design and a neat finishing. You can also take a close up look on the fins. We have a few bend fins but the overall finishing is good enough. The length of the far head is 20.70mm.

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.

EKWB’s 240D-RGB splashes into the AIO cooling market with good looks and potent cooling potential.

As for the air coolers, they’re within a few degrees and mostly doing fine while comprising the bottom half of the chart. Time-to-Max If you’re looking for a mid-range cooler, such as a 240mm AIO on the market, we’re delighted to report that the EK AIO 240 D-RGB provides high-end cooling at a reduced cost. As previously said, the testing was not carried out on an open bench. Therefore, the findings shown below will apply to any user; however, bear in mind that we did have a more significant number of fans for intake and drawing air out. Test System This product is compatible with popular RGB sync technologies from all major motherboard manufacturers.The arrow marking on the 3-pin LED connector is to be aligned with the +5V marking on the A-RGB (D_RGB) header. EK-Vardar High-Performance Fans - The EK-Vardar S included with the EK AIO are industrial grade high-static PWM fans, designed and built primarily for high-performance liquid cooling systems. Controlled by either your motherboard or standalone fan controller, the EK Vardar can be adjusted to run at speeds between 550 - 2200RPM for either high airflow or silent running. EK-Vardar S is our first choice for radiator cooling, providing unmatched cooling performance, with fully integrated and customizable D-RGB lighting.