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. 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.

Before you begin, ensure sure your Processor is free of any prior thermal paste residue; you may wipe the top with rubbing alcohol. 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 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. Install the fans on the radiator. You can do this step after installing the radiator in the chassis as well.Each fan has a 4-pin PWM fan connector having an approximate length of 485mm. The cable is flat in design. 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.

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. 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 You appreciate ease of installation: The EK AIO 240 D-RGB comes with pre-applied thermal paste and an extra tube, making installation straightforward.

Details

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.

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 Coolers 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 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. 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 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

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

Users will get confused when choosing the EK AIO 240 D-RGB against some mighty competitors in the market like the: 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: