The EKWB EK-XLC Predator 240 Liquid Cooler Review
by E. Fylladitakis on December 15, 2015 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- AIO
- Water Cooling
- Liquid Cooling
- EKWB
Testing results, maximum fan speed (12 Volts)
| Core Temperature, Constant Thermal Load (Low Fan Speed) |
The EKWB EK-XLC Predator 240 is displaying excellent thermal performance in relation to its noise level output, especially under heavy loads. Its average thermal resistance of 0.0752 °C/W matches the performance of the Cooler Master Nepton 280L, a larger and much louder AIO cooler. From all of the AIO coolers that we have ever tested, only Corsair's H100i GTX manages to outperform the EK-XLC Predator 240, by just 0.002 °C/W at the expense of 5.5 dB(A).
As it can be seen from the above charts, the EK-XLC Predator 240 is one of the quietest dual fan AIO liquid coolers that we have tested to this date. At 43.2dB(A), the fans are clearly audible, but they are not overly loud and should not distract the user from gaming or similar tasks. Considering that the Vardar fans are using dual ball bearings, these can be very reliable but it is also a relatively noisy type of bearing - it is interesting that the noise figures are this low.
Furthermore, what the charts fail to communicate is the pump's high pitch whining noise, which adds little to the dB(A) but is uncomfortable. The high pitch noise coming from liquid pumps is a very common problem for AIO coolers. But actually this may be the greatest advantage of the EK-XLC Predator 240, as the pump is imperceptible with the noise of the fans overshadowing it entirely.
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Titillating - Thursday, December 17, 2015 - link
We gave out a bunch of those AT-branded screwdrivers a while ago! They conveniently feature a reversible Phillips/flathead tip. We don't have a full set of branded tools, but if there is sufficient interest, we're happy to find a way to give away some more screwdrivers!pliablemoosethebanned - Thursday, December 17, 2015 - link
Put me on the list, I want one :)wolf762 - Sunday, December 20, 2015 - link
My first though was, cool where can I get one. If they were for sale I'd have bought a few to give as gifts this holiday season, depending on price of course =)Allan_Hundeboll - Monday, December 28, 2015 - link
I would love an AT branded screwdriver!Dr_Orgo - Tuesday, December 15, 2015 - link
Does H110 in the figures mean H110, H110i GT, or H110i GTX? If it is just the original H110 AIO cooler, that's a bit disappointing since the H110i GT is a direct upgrade over the original and is the most likely AIO alternative to the reviewed product.satai - Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - link
Comparison with some high-end air cooler (Noctua NH-D15 comes in mind) would be helpfull.Ninhalem - Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - link
The EK Vardar fans are comparable to the venerable Gentle Typhoon series as being the best radiator fans on the market. The Vardar fans are extremely quiet even when at high speeds (3000 rpm). I picked up one of the FF5 120 mm PWM fans when they first came out for some viability testing and couldn't believe how quiet they were at full speed. It's no surprise to me that they have excellent cooling ability with low fan noise.eckre - Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - link
(Facepalm) Why don't you compare this to AIR? Noctua 14/15 blows away almost all of these coolers in performance AND sound.Ninhalem - Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - link
And why would I want something clunky like the Noctua 14 hanging off my motherboard when I have space restrictions that a water cooling system like this product could solve handily?satai - Sunday, December 20, 2015 - link
It would be useful to get the comparison. Air can be better for your setup, Water can be better for your setup - details matter. But it doesn't make the performance and noise comparison useless.