[Bundymania User Review] Triple Radiator (360) Roundup ! - 16 Rads tested

[bundymania]

Hello Guys,

If you take a look back on the Watercooling-Solutions-Market, you might have noticed that many new products, especially new types of Radiators were launched. Therefore i would like to give a short overview of the new candidates in my new Triple-Radiator-Comparison.

It looks like that the trend goes to Big-Size-Radiators, if you take a look into the popular Watercooling-Shops, but the Radiators in the size 360 (3x120mm Fans are mountable) are as well very popular. This size provides enough cooling capacity for the most PCs and shows up with the advantage, that it could be integrated in most PC-Cases without any modifications. For further Information check the Sticky @ forumdeluxx.de and aquatuning.de www.Aquatuning.de

In this Roundup, I would like to present you a short overview concerning the current Triple-Radiators from low to high price ranges.

I wish you as always much fun reading my test and i hope that the Results may help you finding the adequate Radiator.

Test System:

Banchetto 101 Bench Station from Fa. Microcool

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 Mainboard

i7 920 @4.2Ghz @1.42V (Bios-Settings)

CPU Cooler: Watercool Heatkiller 3.0

Cougar GX 1050 Power-Supply

Kingston HyperX DIMM Kit 6GB

Noiseblocker Black Silent PL2 & Phobya Nano-G 12 Silent Waterproof 1500rpm Fan

Aquaero 4 VFD Control Unit

Laing DDC+ Pump with Alphacool Acetal Top

Alphacool Cyclone Reservoir

Aquacomputer Flow Sensor High Flow

Koolance VL3N Quick-Connectors & CPC Metall Quick-Connectors

Masterkleer 16/10mm Tube + 13mm Fittings

3x Sensors for Water temperature (2x T-Line, 1x in Reservoir)

Water filter from Aquacomputer

Thermal grease: Phobya HeGrease Extreme

Water additive: Innovatek Protect Mix

Testing procedure:

I used Prime95 in the latest version for stress-testing the CPU (Small FFTs). All temperatures were logged with the „Aquasuite“ from the „Aquaero 4 Control-Unit“. All measured values were taken after 60 minutes of stress-testing.

The most interesting value in my comparison is the difference (Delta T) of the room temperature according to the water temperature of the Radiator. The Delta T shows the cooling capacity of the Radiator according to the difference of the room and water temperature. Therefore the conclusion is very easy: If the difference between the two temperatures is very small, it shows the good cooling performance of the Radiator. I think the Delta-T, the flow-rate and the different fan speeds are the most interesting values, so I would like to focus this values in my scales for an easy understanding of them.

Short Overview of the testing candiates:

Update 10.11.11 - 2 new Radiators from EK and XSPC added

- 16 Raditors in Testing!

EK Water Blocks Coolstream XTX 360

Technical Details:

Material: Copper fins,Copper tubes, brass prechambers, steel frame

Colour: black

Size ( L x B x H): 400 x 130 x 64mm

FPI: 11

Fitting: G 1/4"

Fan Screw Threats: M3

Pressure tested: 1 bar

Weight: 1496g

Scope of supply:

1x EK Water Blocks EK-CoolStream RAD XTX 360

12x M3 x 30mm Screws

12x M3 x 5mm Screws

3x 1/4Zoll Screw plugs

Price: ca. 94 EUR

I would like to show you the current top model of triple Radiators from EK Waterblocks.

The EK Coolstream XTX 360 comes in a well-protected retail package (color: black/green).

In the inside you will find the common screws, screw plugs and a notice, which reminds you to use the screws with the correct length. The new EK is a very impressive radiator: It has a nice outward appearance and has as well many different connection options (five G ¼” Options).The outward appearance of the Radiator is as good as its cooling performance at any fan speeds. The paintwork and the processing quality are as well on a high level. The EK XTX is significant more expensive than the model, which I have tested before, but you get a much better cooling performance.

XSPC EX 360

Technical Details:

Material: Copper and Brass

Colour: matt black paintwork

Size (BxHxL): 121x35,5x395mm (BxHxL)

Fittings: 2x G1/4"

Fan threats: UNC 6-32 Threats

Scope of supply:

Radiator

12x 6mm Screws

12x 30mm Fan Screws

Price: ca. 58 EUR

With the top model RX360 the company XSPC won the performance crown, but today I would like to test the cheaper EX360, which is thinner than the RX360. The EX360 performs very good with high fan-speeds. The Radiator-fins are much closer together in comparison to the “big brother”. The XSPC EX360 comes in a simple and elegant package with blue letterings. The scope of supply contains black colored fan-screws (UNC 6-32) and mounting screws for the installation on your Case. Therefore the processing quality is on a good level.

The matt black paintwork is similar to the bigger RX360 Radiator. The EX360 can be described as “slim-type” Radiator, which refers to an easy installation in your PC-Case. In comparison to his rival from Koolance, the XSPC E360 is the better option. The Magiccool Slim Radiator performs much better with lower fan speeds, but the EX360 performs much better with high fan speeds, so it shows a better performance than the expensive RX360.

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Phobya G-Changer 360 Ver. 1.2 Black

Technical Details:

Material: Copper fins, brass prechambers

Colour: matt black

Size: (L x B x H): 416x125x60mm

Fittings: G1/4"

Weight: ca. 1736g

Mounting options: both sides for Fans

Thread Size: M3

Fan Size: 3x 120mm

Pressure tested: 2 Bar

Other accessories: Bleed screw

Scope of supply:

1x Radiator

12x M3x30mm Screws

3x Anti-Vibration-Bolts

2x black bleed screws

Price: ca. 70 EUR

The G-Changer 360 V1.2 is a 60mm thick Radiator from the producer named „Phobya“. The Radiator comes in a colourful package with fan-screws in different lengths (30mm and 35mm – depends from the assembly option you would choose). The 10mm screws should be used for the assembly on your pc-case. The scope of supply also contains 3 Anti-Vibration-Bolts and a second bleeding screw (if you might loose one of them). The processing quality is definitely on high level. All mounting threads for the fan-assembly were in good quality (as the paintwork and the Radiator-fins). A typical feature of the G-Changer 360 V1.2 are the four G1/4” connection threads, which offer a great variety of assembly-options (including the option of a two-circulation-system). The Radiator is a typical Mesh-Radiator (as almost every candidate in this test) and comes with brass pre-chambers and copper fins. The Phoyba G-Changer 360 V1.2 is a Radiator, which performs very good with any fan-speeds, and could be purchased for a fair price.

MagiCool SLIM TRIPLE 360 Elegant Plexi Series Radiator Rev. 2

Technical Details:

Size (LxBxH) :424 x 120 x 34 mm

Fitting: G1/4"

Weight: 1016g

Material: Copper, acrylic glass, Aluminium

Fan thread size: M3

Scope of supply:

1x MagiCool SLIM TRIPLE 360 Elegant Plexi Serie Radiator Rev. 2

12x 30mm M3 Screws

Price: ca. 77 EUR

The MagiCool Slim Triple 360 Elegant Radiator is the most exotic candidate in this test.

Most standard Radiators consist of black pre-chambers and black fins, but MagiCool chose a different style for this radiator. The pre-chambers are made of a yellow colored acrylic-glas and the fins are not painted. The side panels consist of Aluminium, which contribute to the noble appearance of this Radiator. The Radiator is quite thin, but has as well a good cooling performance in comparison to other models. It comes in a simple package, wrapped in bubble-wrap and with the obligatory fan-screws. On the backside of the Radiator you will find the bleeding screw, which helps you to get the air out of your water-circuit. In the first revision the quality of the acrylic-glass was not very good. Therefore MagiCool released the second Revision of this Radiator, which shows no problems in operation. Because of the transparent pre-chambers you can watch the Radiator working.

Especially after bringing the Radiator into service, you can watch how the air leaves into the tubes (for a better understanding take a look in the following video)

(Model in the video shows a Single-Radiator)

The MagiCool Slim Triple 360 Radiator shows in my test a good cooling performance and a very exotic visual appearance.

Hardware Labs Black Ice SR1 360

Technical Details:

* Seize: 397 x 54 x 133 mm (BxHxT)

* Material: Coppers, Brass

* Colour: Black

* Weight: 1,18 kg

* Fittings: 2x G1/4

* Fan-Size: 3x 120 mm

* Fan-Thread-Size: M4 (both sides)

Price: ca. 80 Euro

The company Hardware Labs is a well known candidate on the Watercooling-Market und offers a great variety of high-end Radiators in different sizes. All Radiators from Hardware Labs are processed on the highest level. The older Black Ice Radiators with their close-meshed fins were designed for fast fan-speeds up to 800 rpm. Therefore the Radiator performs not very good at low fan-speeds. Hardware Labs developed with the SR1-Series a new series which should perform much better with lower fan-speeds and therefore with lower air flow.

A special feature of this Radiator is the different distance from the fins to the fans, which functions on one side as a shroud (because of the greater distance to the fins, the dead point under the fans is reduced, which brings a better performance). Because of the different assembly options, I have tested both options in order to detect differences regarding to the performance.

The “Shroud” assembly-option offers a better Delta T of max. 0,7! Therefore I used this assembly-option in my charts. The SR1 360 is as well processed as his big brother the SR1 480. The processing quality of Hardware Labs is still the best I know. The paintwork is free from defects and all threads are processed very well.

Thermochill TA 120.3

Technical Details:

Colour: matt black

Material: Tank: Brass; Fins: Copper

Fittings: G 1/4"

Weight: ca. 2 kg

Seize (LxBxH): 405 x 129 x 60mm

Scope of supply:

1x Thermochill TA120.3 Triple Radiator - 360 Radiator

12x 13mm self-cutting Screws

Price: ca. 110 Euro

The Radidators from Thermochill could be called as a legend on the Watercooling-Market.

The Radiators from Thermochill won many Awards in different reviews in the last years, but they had as well some details which should have been improved in further future (paintwork, assembly leftovers in the Radiator). A second typical attribute of the Thermochill Radiators were the exotic Fitting-Size G 3/8”. A third typical attribute was the usage of an uncommon hole size for the fans, so you had to buy a special cover plate, if you wanted to mount fans on your Radiator, which results in additional costs. With the new TA-Series all these “mistakes“ are eliminated. Therefore the Radiator has standardized G ¼” Fitting-Size and hole sizes (15mm), which allows you to choose between a great variety of Fittings and cover plates. The only point which is similar to the old models is the usage of self-cutting fan-screws. The Radiator comes in simple white package and a short instruction manual for the assembly of the optional shrouds. In contrast to the older models the paintwork is on a higher level and shows no defects. The TA 120.3 performs very well at low fan-speeds, but performs as well with high fan-speeds. A last major point of critic might be the high price of the Radiator, but this could be explained by the production in UK (which is not as quite cheap as in China).

Magicool Slim Triple 360

Technical Details:

Material: Copper fins, brass pre-chambers

Seize: (L x B x H): 398x121x30mm

Fittings: G 1/4"

Weight: ca. 840g

Assembly options: 12x M3-top (for 3x 120mm-Fans),12x M3 threads at the bottom (for 3x120mm-Fans)

Pressure tested: 2,5 Bar

Price: ca. 40 Euro

The MagiCool Slim Radiator is a very popular Radiator, which has a good cooling performance in relation to its price. It comes in the current revision with two different size of fan-screws and the Anti-Vibrations-frames. The MagiCool Radiator is 30mm thick and can be therefore used for PC-Cases with low space for a radiator- assembly. Altogether the processing quality is on an adequate level. Sometimes the fan-threads are not processed correctly, but that should not be negative criteria in relation to the price and cooling-performance. The Radiator performs well with low airflow according to its price (other Radiators perform better, but you have to pay a much higher price).The Radiator is wrapped in Bubble-warp and has an aluminium frame.

XSPC RX 360

Technical Details:

Color: matt black

Seize: 125x58.5x410mm (BxHxT)

Fins: Copper

Fittings: 2x G1/4"

Specials: UNC 6-32 Fan-threads, 3x water channels in height

Price: ca. 100 Euro

The model RX 360 from the company XSPC was sent in the latest version to me. In comparison to the older version (with a black glossy finish and M4-threads) the current version has a matt black paintwork and UNC 6-32 fan-threads. Because of the broad fin spacing the Radiator performs very well with lowest fan-speeds (which you will notice in my charts). The RX 360 comes in a simple package. Special features of the Radiator are the three water channels in the height. The Scope of supply contains fan-screws and the obligatory closing plugs. The processing quality is on a good level. The paintwork of my sample did not have any defects and all fan-threads were well processed.

Swiftech MCR320-QPK

Technical Details:

Fittings: G1/4"

Seize: 410 x 128 x 34mm

Weight: 1063g

Fan-threads: UNC 6-32

Price: ca. 57 Euro

The company Swiftech from California / USA exists for many years and achieved in the past many awards for their Watercooling-Products like the excellent Apogee XT CPU-Cooler. As a matter of cause the current Triple-Radiator is one of the candidates in this comparison. A typical feature of this series is the uncommon building of the pre-chambers and the broad construction of the Radiator. The scope of supply contains the obligatory fan-screws in UNC 6-32 and a notification which reminds you not to use long screws for the fan-assembly. The Radiator is higher-than-average processed and performs very well for a moderate price.

Swiftech MCR320-XP

Technical Details:

Fittings: G1/4"

Seize: 410 x 128 x 34mm

Weight: ca. 1048g

Fan-threads: UNC 6-32

Price: ca. 58 Euro

The MCR320-XP, is the latest Radiator from Swiftech (XP stands for “extreme Performance”). This model performs in comparison to the Swiftech MCR320-QP slightly better with middle and high fan-speeds. Another difference to the QP is the paintwork, which is here finished in matt instead of a glossy style. The Radiator has a good cooling-performance and is processed without any defects (regarding to fins and paintwork). The XP has 20 fins per inch. The QP has 12 fins per inch, which means that the QP has on lower fan-speeds a slightly better cooling-performance.

Koolance 20-FPI Copper

Technical Details:

Material: Copper fins & brass pipes

Fittings: G 1/4"

Seize: (B x L x H): 12,7cm x 41,2cm x 3,8cm

Fan-thread-size: M4

Weight: 1100g

Price: ca. 56 Euro

Koolance 30-FPI Copper Vertikal

Technical Details:

Material: Copper fins & brass pipes

Fittings: G 1/4"

Seize: (B x H x L): 12,6cm x 3cm x 39,5cm

Fan-threat-size: M4

Weight: 794g

Price: ca. 60 Euro

Koolance is an US-american producer with over 10 years’ experience in PC-Watercooling-parts. In this time Koolance developed many high quality products including Radiators in different sizes. Therefore let us take a closer look to the two current triple-Radiators of them. The thinner model has similarities according the seize of the MagiCool Slim 360 and differences according to the fin spacing, which means that the Radiator from Koolance is designed for higher fan-speeds (it performs well with high fan-speeds).

The second model in our test is optimized for lower fan-speeds and performs as well very well. Both models are processed very well. They are shipped in a simple box and the scope of supply consists of the obligatory fan-screws. The thinner Radiator comes with two connection extension, so you could use Fittings with longer threads (Fan-thread-Size = M4). Special features of those Radiators are two small metal plates, which protect the Radiator from damage, if you use screws, which are too long.

Coolgate Triple Radiator

Technical Details:

Material: Copper fins, brass pre-chambers

Pipes with high amount of copper

3 water chambers13 x 2mm

Colour: black

Seize (L xB x H): 413,6 x 124 x 60mm

Fittings: G1/4"

Fan-thread-size: 6-32 UNC

Weight: 1350g

Water volume: 400ml

Pressure tested: 1.5bar

Fan-Size: 120mm

Special features: Bleeding-thread at the bottom

Price: ca. 95 Euro

So let us find out if Coolgate could be a new star on the Radiator-firmament. The current Triple-Radiator convinced us with high performance and is well processed. A special feature of this Radiator is the high allotment of copper (90%), which is used for the water channels. The high allotment of copper and the handmade fins are useful for an efficient process of heat exchange. The coarse meshed structure of the Coolgate Radiator is optimized for lower fan-speeds. The Radiator is shipped in an elegant black package and the scope of supply includes the obligatory fan-screws (UNC 6-32), three anti-vibrations-frames and four screws for the assembly on your pc-case. The pre-chamber has four threats plus one G ¼ thread on the backside (that offers many assembly solutions for your water circuit). The bleeding-process can be speeded up by using the plug-screw. The Coolgate Radiator has three parallel water-chambers, which reduce the flow resistance and ensure an optimal cooling-performance.

EK Water Blocks Coolstream XT 360

Technical Details:

Material: Copper, Brass

Colour: black

Seize: 398 x 123 x 47mm

Fittings: G 1/4"

Fan-thread-size: M3

Weight: 1.350g

Price: ca. 59 Euro

EK from Slowenia is a well known company in the watercooling-sector . Until a few months EK was known for their CPU / GPU-Coolers, Rerservoirs, Pumps and further equipments. Therefore the current and newest Radiator from EK is candidate in our tests. The EK Coolstream XT 360 comes in a nice black-green coloured package and is wrapped in bubble-warp. The scope of supply includes the obligatory fan-screws. The processing quality is on a high level as well as the cooling-performance of the Radiator. With a thickness of 50mm the Radiator can be positioned in the centre of the test-candidates. My review sample had some little defects according the paintwork and some fan-threads were lopsided.

Alphacool NexXxos XT45 Full Copper 360

Technical Details:

Material intern: Main part Copper

Material Case: Side: Steel, Threads: Brass, Chambers: Copper

Colour: black

Seize (L x B x H):

Fittings: 6x G 1/4"

Fan-threat-size: M3

Pressure tested: 1,5 Bar

Scope of supply:

1x Radiator

5x coppery screw plugs

12x coppery M3x30mm screws

12x coppery M3x35mm screws

Price: ca. 62 Euro

Alphacool NexXxos UT60 Full Copper 360

Technical Details:

Material intern: Main part Copper

Material Case: Side: Steel, Threads: Brass, Chambers: Copper

Colour: black

Seize (L x B x H):

Fittings: 6x G 1/4"

Fan-threat-size: M3

Pressure tested: 1,5 Bar

Scope of supply:

1x Radiator

5x coppery screw plugs

12x coppery M3x30mm screws

12x coppery M3x35mm screws

Price: ca. 78 Euro

Alphacool is a well known producer – maybe a pioneer – on the watercooling-market. In this review the new high performance Radiators NexXxos XT 45 and NexXxos UT 60 will be tested (which means that one Radiator is 45mm and the other 60mm thick). In comparison to the top-model the cheaper version has an additional G1/4” threat at the end of the Radiator.

The pre-chambers offer a great variety of assembly options with six(!) connecting threats. This is an absolute new feature on the Radiator-Market. The pre-chambers are another highlight because they are totally made of copper. The scope of supply contains fan-screws in 30mm and 35mm length and enough screw plugs in copper-optics. The Radiators are brought to you in a nice colourful package and they are wrapped in bubble-warp. In order to prevent the Radiator from dirt you will find rubber plugs in the threats in delivery status. Both radiators perform very well, but the bigger model performs slightly better. The additional bleeding screw from the NexXxis UT60 can be used (at vertical assembly) as a fill-port or for de-airing. Another Highlight of this Radiator-series is the internal protection under the fan-threats to avoid defects by using wrong screw lengths. Both Radiators have a broad fin-spacing, which results in an optimization for lower and middle fan-speeds. Both NexXxos Radiators have a good value for money. The perform very well for an attractive price.

Test-Results:

Delta-T – Difference between air and water temperature. Lower = better

Fan speed: 600 rpm.

Fan speed: 800 rpm.

Fan speed: 1200 rpm.

Fan speed: 1500 rpm. – i used fans from Phobya

Flow rates:

Liter per hour – Higher = better

Scope of Supply:

Awards:

The XSPC RX 360 gets the Bundymania Gold Award for its top performance on low speeds and its first place in my tests. The other new Radiators Alphacool NexXxos UT60 Full Copper and the Coolgate Triple Radiator achieve the Gold Award for the excellent performance.

The Silver Award goes to the Magicool Slim Elegant 360, Phobya G-Changer 360 V1.2, EK Coolstream XTX 360 , Thermochill TA120.3 and the HWLabs Black Ice SR1 360 for their well performance on low fan-speeds and their excellent processing quality. The HWLabs Black Ice SR1 360 performs as well very good with higher fan-speeds.

The Bronze Award goes to the Swiftech MCR320-QP , Swiftech MCR320-XP, and the Alphacool NexXxos XT45 Full Copper. The Koolance 30-FPI Copper Vertikal achieved as well a Bronze Award for the good performance on high fan-speeds and the well done processing quality.

The Magicool Slim 360 got the Bundymania Price-Perfomance Award for the low price.

Conclusion:

All in all the producers followed the motto A rolling stone gathers no moss[/] and improved their Radiators with some good features in detail, which cases a better performance or an easier installation. It is a commendable way of the producers, that they improve their articles although they are for many years on the market. The new label Coolgate could convince us with its good performance, features and processing quality. The watercooling-pioneer Alphacool offers with his Radiators a good package of efficiency, good features and an attractive price. Because of the great variety of Radiators everyone might find the right model for his individual needs and budget. The test field shows price-performance-winners, a good middle field and High-End-Radiators. So there are many ways to get your current PC-System cool and quiet. But if the Radiator-Size might be too small you should take a look at my further Quad-Radiator-Review

Thanks:

I would like to thank the following companies and producers for supporting my tests:: Aquatuning , Phobya , Magicool , www.caseking.de , Koolance , EK Waterblocks , Coolgate , ThermoChill , Swiftech , XSPC , www.noiseblocker.de , www.gigabyte.de , www.alphacool.de , www.Aquacomputer.de , www.cougar-world.de , www.watercool.de , www.evga.com , www.hwlabs.com , www.microcoolusa.com , www.kingston.com

[GeorgeVasil]

Good Job mate!

Its seems that the XSPC RX 360 does the job

[sakis_the_fraud]

great review!

I think that the EK Water Blocks Coolstream XT 360 has the best value/money ratio.

My swiftech 320-QP can still compete with the new rads. That's great!