The power of water: TOP 5 low-cost water cooling systems with a 240 mm radiator

The kit includes everything you need to install it under any motherboard platform, as well as mounting bolts for installing the radiator on the housing and RGB tape. If there is no connector for connecting RGB tapes on the motherboard, there is an RGB controller included. There is also a splitter for four fans, which allows you to connect them to one 4-pin port on the motherboard to control the rotation speed.

The aluminium two-section radiator is based on 14 flat channels between which 13 rows of corrugated tape are soldered. This is a typical heat spreader for maintenance-free SVOS. There are four seats for fans on the radiator, but only two 120-mm fans are included, if desired, and there is enough space in the case, you can also add two 120-mm fans. Fan model {!!! block='price' idgood='613279' !!! It consists of nine blades with slots and an unusual aerodynamic shape. Apparently, such a solution should reduce turbulence and consequently the noise level.

The copper base on the pump, the so-called contact pad, is well polished and has already applied a layer of thermal paste. The inner side of the copper base is a microchannel structure. The pump and radiator are connected by rubber hoses in a fabric (nylon) braid for aesthetic appearance and less wear.

The pump is made in a form somewhat resembling a reactor, with an L-shaped glass tube through which you can observe the flow of liquid. Inside there is a ceramic bearing. The base is completely copper. A microchannel structure is used, which has become the standard for its, providing maximum contact with water for rapid heat dissipation.

A six-core processor with twelve threads Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge-E i7-4960X BOX the clock frequency of which is 3.4 GHz, and in a 3.9 GHz turbobust with a heat output of 130 watts in normal mode. It was overclocked to 4.5 GHz with a voltage of 1.36 V at maximum rpm — the processor temperature was 80 °C under load, in idle 32 °C..

Conclusions. Its Deepcool CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB is designed to work with processors whose heat output does not exceed 150 watts. This water cooling system is quite easy to install and effectively handles with hot processors in overclocking, as well as compatible with all current processor slots. The manufacturing quality is good, and the refrigerant can be replaced in the future if necessary. It is worth noting that the fittings on the pump will not allow you to turn it over and may conflict with the overall memory modules.

Like all factory water cooling systems, Cooler Master MasterLiquid 240 consists of a pump and a radiator with fans connected by hoses. The system is refueled and ready for use, which is why it is often called maintenance-free. The package includes all the necessary mounting bolts and is compatible with all Intel and AMD platforms, except AMD Threadripper (TR4).

The pump is made in a spherical shape made of plastic, at the top of which is the company logo with a white backlight. The service life of the pump is stated at 23K hours or two and a half years of continuous operation. The fittings at the entrance to the pump rotate and allow you to direct the hoses. The hose is made of PVC and covered with a fabric braid, and its length is 330 mm, which should ensure convenient installation in the housing, on the upper part.. The copper base is without thermal paste, but it comes complete in a tube.

An aluminium radiator with a size of 277x120x27 is used as a heat exchanger. These parameters must be taken into account in order to avoid installation problems in the housing, but thanks to the thin heat exchanger, compatibility is improved. Included are two Cooler Master MasterFan 120 AB fans with nine blades and a smooth inner surface, which has a good effect on increasing airflow and reducing drag. At the same time, the fans have a service life of 18 years of continuous operation or 160K hours, which is really impressive.

While testing a quad-core processor with eight threads Intel Core i7 Devils Canyon i7-4790K Price from 2 990 up to 6 000 ₴ at the maximum speed of the cooling system, the temperature was 48 °C without acceleration under load. This processor operates at a clock frequency of 4 GHz and with a turbo boost up to 4.4 GHz. Heat dissipation is 88 watts.

Conclusions. The MasterLiquid 240 is a low-cost alternative compared to the MasterLiquid Pro 240 model from the top segment. Good cooling at high fan speeds, but there is noise at maximum RPM, but considering the price and the fact that at maximum rpm you are unlikely to use it all the time, this model is very attractive. The warranty has decreased from 5 to 2 years compared to the Pro 240 model.

The Maelstrom 240T radiator allows you to install 4 fans at once, but only two are included. To do this, the system was equipped with a Deepcool Fan Hub controller to connect them and automatically adjust the rotation speed. Mounting kits for different Intel and AMD platforms are packed in separate bags with stickers, which simplifies the first acquaintance and installation of ITS.

Pump with swivel fittings to facilitate their orientation inside the housing and installation on the processor. A logo is placed at the top of the pump, which is highlighted in white colours with the "breath" effect during operation. The pump rotation speed is 2400 rpm, which is a compromise between quiet operation and performance. Thermal paste has already been applied to the contact pad with the processor, so you won't need anything extra.

The thickness of the radiator is minimal and is 27 mm, but this will potentially be enough to cool a modern processor, for example Ryzen 2000 Pinnacle Ridge or Intel Coffee Lake. The length of the radiator is 274 mm and is compatible with most types of housings. The connecting hoses bend well, but there is no protection for them. Their length is 300 mm — in deep cases there may be problems with installation on the front panel.

Intel Core i7 Broadwell-E i7-6800K BOX is a six—core processor with twelve threads on a 2011 v3 socket. Clock speed 3.4 GHz. Turbobust 3.8 GHz. In normal mode, it emits 140 watts of heat. Testing was carried out under overclocking to 4 GHz with a voltage of 1.25 V under load and maximum system speed, this processor demonstrated a temperature of 80 °C. In idle time, the temperature was 26 °C.

Conclusions. Low-cost ITS able to compete with more expensive models. Clearly able to attract the attention of buyers. Efficient and compatible with any sockets. But as in any low-cost SVO — noisy fans, but not all picky about noise.

This system is very similar to Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 240 Price from 2 793 up to 2 942 ₴. The same two-section radiator connected to the pump by PVC hoses 330 mm long in a fabric braid with medium stiffness. The same cylindrical water block with compact dimensions of 80x76x42 mm — which allows you to install with massive RAM modules. According to official data, the speed of the pump rotor is 2200 rpm, and the noise level is within 15 dBA, which is quiet enough. Angular fittings on the pump side with a swivel design for easy installation of hoses inside the housing.

A complete Y-shaped splitter cable helps connect the fans to a single slot on the motherboard. If the "motherboard" is able to control the RGB backlight, you can configure everything through proprietary software and even synchronize with other components and peripherals (MSI Mystic Light Sync, ASUS Aura Sync, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion and ASRock RGB LED Utility are supported). In another outcome of events, the manufacturer provided an RGB LED controller in the form of a small remote control with three buttons that are responsible for colour, brightness and effect.

Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L RGB is compatible with absolutely any platforms and sockets, except for the AMD Threadripper (TR4) processor platform. Two fans Cooler Master MasterFan Pro 120 Air Balance RGB 1pcs. with backlight, but they are unlikely to be enough to illuminate the entire case, but to highlight the system, to focus on water cooling will definitely work.

The first test subject was a six-core with twelve threads Intel Core i7 Coffee Lake i7-8700K BOX with a clock speed of 3.7 GHz, turbobust 4.7 GHz. When overclocked to 5 GHz in the load, the temperature was 82 °C. In conjunction with an eight-core and hexadecimal processor AMD Ryzen 7 Pinnacle Ridge 2700X BOX when overclocking to 4.3 GHz, a temperature of 66 °C was recorded. With a 10-minute test on the processor Intel Core i7 Skylake i7-6700K BOX Price from 3 120 up to 4 490 ₴ when overclocked to 4.7 GHz, the average temperature was 70 degrees.

Conclusions. An efficient SVO with a fairly low price and high build quality. Fully customizable RGB backlight. Easy to install. The disadvantages include a plastic backplate that comes with the kit, as well as noisy fans.

A full-fledged water cooling system consisting of a two-section radiator and a pump. Ready to install and work from the box and does not need any special skills for assembly. Unlike the MasterLiquid 240 model, the connecting hoses are in a wire braid, which eliminates bending inside the housing.

The pump is made of plastic, with swivel fittings for the convenience of installing a water block on the processor and laying hoses. The operating time for failure of the pump rotor is a solid 70,000 hours of continuous operation or 8 years. Like all water cooling systems, an aluminium radiator consisting of 14 flat channels and corrugated tapes between them for cooling the liquid is used as a heat exchanger.

MasterLiquid Lite 240 can be installed on any modern Intel or AMD socket. The mounting frame on the radiator has space for installing four 120 mm fans, two in front and two in the rear. Two complete fans with anti-vibration pads and the noise level should not exceed 30 dBA, as stated by the manufacturer.

Conclusions. This SVO has a presentable appearance. It is worth noting the braiding of cables and hoses, which preserves a uniform design style. Easy to install and compatible with any sockets. Quiet and performant fans with PWM control.