Triple radiators roundup

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03-10-2009, 07:25 AM
HESmelaugh

Triple radiators roundup

Triple-Radiator roundup

Aquatuning Germany, the sponsor for this review, graced me with quite a selection of triple-radiators that I got to test.

First, here's an overview of all the radiators I tested:

- Black Ice GT Stealth
- Black Ice GTX
- Magicool Slim Triple
- Magicool Slim Elegant
- Magicool Xtreme Triple
- Swiftech MCR320
- Thermochill PA120.3
- Watercool HTSF 360
- XSPC RX360

And here's a small gallery of all of these rads:

http://www.abload.de/thumb/031bisuphk.jpg http://www.abload.de/thumb/040bixqyuy.jpg http://www.abload.de/thumb/04nexxxos4xxds.jpg
http://www.abload.de/thumb/002ty12.jpg http://www.abload.de/thumb/020xtreme3sx1.jpg http://www.abload.de/thumb/010mcrwupy.jpg
http://www.abload.de/thumb/36kzrt.jpg http://www.abload.de/thumb/02dxm4.jpg http://www.abload.de/thumb/03vz05.jpg[/url]

Testing method

There are two main components to how I tested these radiators:

1. Heaters

http://www.abload.de/img/400k18x.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/401k0wm.jpg

The images above show the heart of my test loop. It consists of a MCP355 with an EK X-Res top, two 300W heaters and four thermal probes in the water. There are also three thermal probes measuring ambient temperature.

2. Fans
I tested several fan speeds ranging from 400rpm to 2000rpm. I used Scythe Slip Stream 500s for the low fan speeds, Nanoxias for medium fan speeds and Yate Loons for high fan speeds.

EDIT: More specifically:
Scythe Slip Stream 500 for 400rpm
Nanoxia FX-1250 for 800 and 1200rpm
Yate Loon D12SL-12H for 1600 and 2000rpm

Each test run lasts for 35 minutes and all of the temps from the last ten minutes of a run are averaged out to recieve the relevant data. A test run means the time from activating one or both of the heaters till I switch them off again. Here are the measured wattages of my heaters:
Heater #1: 289.9W
Heater #2: 283.2W

The loads seem to be very consistent.
This means that the actual heatload for my "300W" load was 289.9W and the actual load for my "600W" load was 573.1W.

Results

All the results are shown as the measured temperature difference between water- and ambient temperatures. The lower this difference, the more heat the radiator is dissipating.

289.9W:
http://www.abload.de/thumb/300wso8i.jpg

573.1W:
http://www.abload.de/thumb/600wpreviewbuqqw.jpg

As you can see, this type of graph is too chaotic with so many rads, so here is the same data in the form of bar-graphs:

289.9W:
http://www.abload.de/img/bars300wen2ctli.jpg

The 400rpm runs couldn't be completed with either one of the Black Ice radiators since I had to shut the heaters off when the water temps went above 52° C. The tubes seem close to melting-point at this temperature and the pump isn't happy either.

573.1W:
http://www.abload.de/img/bars600wen23wkj.jpg

With this heat load, none of the runs could be done at 400rpm so I completely omitted those. Again, the Black Ice Radiators simply can't handle this heat load with slow fans, in this case at 800rpm.

Flowrates:

http://www.abload.de/img/flowucsf.jpg

Note: I've been told that the HTSF shouldn't be this restrictive so it will be cleaned and retested later on.

Quick conclusion

I really want to encourage everyone to have a close look at the data and make their own conclusions. Here are some of my thoughts:
The biggest surprise for me was the stellar performance of the Magicool Elegant radiator at low fan speeds. The radiator is half as thick as a Thermochill, RX or GTX but beats these rads hands down at 400rpm. For silent computing, this is one hell of a radiator!

To me, the XSPC RX is the best thick, highend radiator for low to medium fan speeds or any fan speeds for that matter. For more detail on this, see my separate review of the RX.

I was very disappointed with the HWLabs radiators. I really like the Black Ice style and finish, the radiators are gorgeous and solidly manufactured. So I wanted these rads to do well, but they simply didn't. It's clear that they are geared towards high-rpm-fans but even with those, they don't perform especially well. Even at 2000rpm, the Thermochill delivers equal temperatures as the GTX. And at every other fan speed, the Thermochill and other radiators clearly perform better than the Black Ice rads. More importantly, even at the high heat load and 2000rpm, the GTX beats the much cheaper MCR320 by only 1°.
So, while it's possible that the HWLabs radiators start outperforming the competition at even higher rpms than I tested, I don't see the point in them. Even if you aren't into silent computing, you shouldn't risk your hearing to get optimal temps.

Hope you enjoyed this review. :)

Cheers,
Shane
03-10-2009, 07:53 AM
faster3200

Great review! What are those heaters? That is a pretty cool idea.

I bet if you used some 3000rpm Ultra Kaze or Deltas you would begin to see the GTX really shine, but no one runs that 24/7 so...
The Magicool Elegant results are pretty shocking. I really didn't expect that. How much do they cost?
Your results seem to confirm others but with some other rads we haven't seen before. Good job!
03-10-2009, 08:01 AM
Hondacity

yeah what are those heaters?

i have more than 6 sets of fans to use on my 3 different rads :D
03-10-2009, 08:07 AM
HESmelaugh

The heaters are "JEBO Model HT-600" designed for aquarium heating. They are meant to automatically keep the water at a target temperature but I just had to disconnect the thermal probe inside the heater to make em run full load non-stop. :D

I got them from eBay.
03-10-2009, 08:19 AM
dreamaxx

Damn, I wish you had included the Feser 360.
03-10-2009, 08:27 AM
halo112358

That magicool radiator is certainly interesting. I'd easily buy two of them and make a sandwich if they only had designed them like fullcover vga blocks with ports on both sides of the reservoir.
03-10-2009, 08:29 AM
HESmelaugh

Can't get a Feser, unfortunately. Although it's certainly very close to the performance of the RX and the Thermochill.

Anyway, someone asked for the prices. All I can give you is this price comparison in Euros, as listed on Aquatuning:

http://www.abload.de/img/pricetfww.jpg

I really have no clue what the prices are like in the states. As you can see, though, the Magicool Elegant rad isn't terribly expensive compared to the others.
03-10-2009, 08:31 AM
sgayol

Great review, thanks! A couple of nit-picky things :)

Labeling the pics would be nice. I've never seen a magicool rad, so I'm not sure which one is which.
Which fans were used at which speed? You detailed low, medium and high, but you did tests at 5 fan speeds so I'm not sure which fan did which speed...

That's all. Again, great job! This is great info... Makes me all the more happy I was able to pick up an RX360 for cheap!
03-10-2009, 08:35 AM
HESmelaugh

Yeah, I was too lazy to lable the pics, I have to admit. Though if you know the Black Ice Rads you could have deduced that the order the pics are in is the same as the order the radiators are listed in. ;)

Fan speeds:
Scythe Slip Stream 500 for 400rpm
Nanoxia FX-1250 for 800 and 1200rpm
Yate Loon D12SL-12H for 1600 and 2000rpm

I'll edit this info in to the original post, since I really should have specified this to begin with. Thanks for your input.
03-10-2009, 08:46 AM
sgayol

Quote:

Originally Posted by HESmelaugh

Yeah, I was too lazy to lable the pics, I have to admit. Though if you know the Black Ice Rads you could have deduced that the order the pics are in is the same as the order the radiators are listed in. ;)

I thought that was the case, but then the last two are switched ;)

Thanks for the info
03-10-2009, 08:52 AM
Mech0z

Nice review, but I would really like to see some flow measureing, not sure if you have the gear for it. But if the magicool is much more restrictive, then that kinda takes some of the cake topping of these results :)
03-10-2009, 08:55 AM
sgayol

Does anyone have info about the end tanks on the magicool elegant? Plastic, acrylic, polycarb?
03-10-2009, 08:57 AM
Hondacity

thanks for the heater information...i wonder now how my panaflos work on my

gtx360
gtx480
mcr320

i just hope those heaters are available...anyways much appreciation for the testing
03-10-2009, 09:16 AM
HESmelaugh

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgayol

I thought that was the case, but then the last two are switched ;)

Thanks for the info

Damn! *Facepalm*
Corrected it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mech0z

Nice review, but I would really like to see some flow measureing, not sure if you have the gear for it. But if the magicool is much more restrictive, then that kinda takes some of the cake topping of these results :)

Oh yes, forgot about the flow results. Though I thought you guys weren't so keen on those anyway. I only have flowrates no pressure-drop.

Can someone tell me the proper conversion from l/h (litres per hour) to GPM? I'll add a new diagram then.
03-10-2009, 09:25 AM
rocket733

From Google:
1 (liter / hour) = 0.00440286754 US gallons per minute

Thanks for the review, plenty of interesting data.
03-10-2009, 09:29 AM
Devil_Dog

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgayol

Does anyone have info about the end tanks on the magicool elegant? Plastic, acrylic, polycarb?

Product Details:
This is a new generation of radiators with built in reservoir! Upper and bottom chamber comprise of fine processed poly carbonate, which guaranteed a incredible good look in the inside of the radiator.

Additional, for a better cooling performance, the radiator will be electroplated complete.

Specifications:

Dimension (LxWxH): 181x 130x 35mm
Hose Connector: G1/4", (optional G3/8"and G1/2)
Weight: 420g
Material: Copper fins, complete electroplated ,
water-chamber of poly carbonate

Mounting: M3 thread
03-10-2009, 09:49 AM
sirheck

Nice review.
I switched out my higher rpm fans (3 for my pa120.3) for 3 scythe fans all
800rpm for silence. My avg idle temps went from 30c to around 40c
a good 10c difference.
But i like the silence better:D

I will probably switch them for some higher rpm ones (maybe 1000 or 1200)
rpm fans later.
03-10-2009, 10:13 AM
Scubar

Great results. Glad i will be going with the XSPC RX360, should really get rid of the unused PA120.2 i have sitting around.
03-10-2009, 10:36 AM
Mech0z

Btw these magicool do they come pre cleaned? Because thats a real turnoff for me when considering PA120.3
03-10-2009, 10:54 AM
halo112358

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mech0z

Btw these magicool do they come pre cleaned? Because thats a real turnoff for me when considering PA120.3

Is such a big issue any more? When I bought my PA120.3 a couple of years ago it was nasty inside (brand new) but the PA120.2 I bought a couple of weeks ago was pretty clean, a quick 2/3rds fill & shake with boiling water cleaned it up perfectly - no need to screw around with vinegar or other crap.
03-10-2009, 10:58 AM
Eddie3dfx

Love this test. Black Ice GT is one of the thinnest radiators and look, at 2000rpm, a typical fan, you get better performance than the radiators 3x as expensive.
03-10-2009, 11:00 AM
NysoO

Very nice review, interesting that you can see different numbers from review to review. Gives you a bit of perspective. Though I think the performance of the rads can vary quite a lot, depending of which types of fans that you use. The perfect review would of course include seperate tests for a lot of individual fans. I know, in the real world this would be a pain in the ass to carry out. But it sure would make it easier to choose rads according and depending on what you're looking for.
03-10-2009, 11:51 AM
Sadasius

God I would never use Yates on a GTX. San Aces in push/pull or Delta's in push/pull. Thanks for the testing but I feel this was really for low end. Good rad's but cheap fans. Fans make up half the equation on heat dissipation. San Ace's have really good pressure and if you run them at 2000 rpm they are tolerable and in a push/pull configuration will put the boots to a Thermochill with the same fans. Was surprised on the low scale with Magicool however. Good rad for those here that have the hearing of dogs and can pick up a pin dropping half a block away.
03-10-2009, 11:56 AM
HESmelaugh

Okay, here are the flowrates:

http://www.abload.de/img/flowucsf.jpg

Note: I've been told that the HTSF shouldn't be this restrictive so I will retest it later on.

I'll add the above graph to the first post.
03-10-2009, 12:08 PM
theseeker

Very interesting and thanks for the review!
03-10-2009, 12:10 PM
faster3200

Quote:

Originally Posted by HESmelaugh

Okay, here are the flowrates:

Ok, so the Elegant is about 4% more restrictive than the Swiftech but is about 8% better at cooling on low rpm fans...

I wonder how restrictiveness scales... Wouldn't a more restrictive rad cause the results to be skewed in favor of it, I thought I remembered reading that.
03-10-2009, 12:11 PM
Sadasius

Wow never thought I would see a rad more restrictive then the Black Ice GT.
03-10-2009, 12:12 PM
Vapor

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sadasius

God I would never use Yates on a GTX. San Aces in push/pull or Delta's in push/pull. Thanks for the testing but I feel this was really for low end. Good rad's but cheap fans. Fans make up half the equation on heat dissipation. San Ace's have really good pressure and if you run them at 2000 rpm they are tolerable and in a push/pull configuration will put the boots to a Thermochill with the same fans. Was surprised on the low scale with Magicool however. Good rad for those here that have the hearing of dogs and can pick up a pin dropping half a block away.

RPM for RPM, I'd probably use a Yate over an 109R1212H1011 ;)

The PQ curve of a 109R1212H1011 is pretty unimpressive.
03-10-2009, 12:16 PM
Sadasius

Maybe in open air but not on a rad.

***EDIT*** Actually they are better all around in open air and on the rad. Here is a quote from your own testing...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vapor

All-purpose awesome fans:
San Ace 1011 - This fan really is in a league of it's own....yeah, the Zalman may 'catch up' on the radiator...but the San Ace isn't a sleeve bearing and is overall better construction. It is the real deal and somehow better than every other fan...ESPECIALLY in open air.
03-10-2009, 12:20 PM
SAE

Aaaahhh, that's what the heaters were for. (Liquidluxx ;) )
Great review. If I ever need a new rad (you'll never know) I am gonna go for the xspc or a feser. :up:
03-10-2009, 12:20 PM
Vapor

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sadasius

Maybe in open air but not on a rad.

In open air, a good San Ace is basically untouchable.

109R1212H1011s do not have good PQ curves though--their weakness is being on a radiator, especially a restrictive one.
03-10-2009, 12:22 PM
HESmelaugh

I realize that I can't cover all the bases when it comes to fan preferences. You see, for me personally, a 1000rpm fan is already more noise than I want to put up with. When I build a system, it's usually the quiet kind and I select fans for silence mainly. I like to run them at around 600rpm.

So to me, 2000rpm fans are already the crazyness. You can see in Skinnee's tests that the Ultra Kaze he uses do better at the same rpm than the yates. Ultimately, what's important for a test like this is that the fans are the same for every radiator.
03-10-2009, 12:54 PM
hotdun

Very good review and comparison. Thanks for all the hard work! :up:
03-10-2009, 01:00 PM
Hondacity

another hooora for the thermochill pa120.3

thermochill is still king
03-10-2009, 01:24 PM
Mech0z

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hondacity

another hooora for the thermochill pa120.3

thermochill is still king

Loosing with 2c on low lvl fans is still something and flow is not that bad tbh.
03-10-2009, 01:54 PM
Hondacity

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mech0z

Loosing with 2c on low lvl fans is still something and flow is not that bad tbh.

i use 38mm high speed fans...before and after:up:
:D
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c5...ity25/radd.gif
03-10-2009, 02:03 PM
iandh

Wow, this test really opened my eyes, I'm sure it did the same for a lot of other folks as well.
03-10-2009, 03:00 PM
Mech0z

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hondacity

i use 38mm high speed fans...before and after:up:
:D
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c5...ity25/radd.gif

Lol, well I would die from the noise that monster makes :up:
03-10-2009, 03:15 PM
Hondacity

that why i got fan controllers
03-10-2009, 05:23 PM
Chruschef

noise doesn't bug me at all for the most part.

i'm astonished how poorly the GTX pulled through at 2000RPM. :/ seems slightly inconsistent w/ martin's testing, then again his comparison was a PA120.3 & GTX480.
i'm also astonished by the magicool radiator.
03-10-2009, 05:30 PM
Vapor

Martin estimated the GTX480 matched the Feser Quad at ~1880RPM....and then the GTX just pulls away really hard. So a small lead at 2000RPM seems pretty much in line :)
03-10-2009, 06:40 PM
oRIDDLERo

AS above poster stated i would have loved to see a Feser 120.3 in here!

Other thoughts... I am kind of angry to se that the HW Labs GTX does so well at only 1600RPMs. All the ranting in here about GTX's needing uber high pressure fans to function properly was Apparently BS.

I just bought a feser 120.3 for my new rig and i was going to go with a GTZ 4x 140mm but got tuned off by all of the "Need a high pressure... high rpm fan... push pull necessary" rants Looking at the above data i would bet the 140.4 gtx with some decent pressure 140mm fans would have been great.

Sigh, someone make me feel better! The 140.4 rad would have fit my build perfect!
03-10-2009, 07:08 PM
shazza

Thank you, sir. Very nice review. Just ordered the XSPC RX240 to give it a go.
03-10-2009, 07:20 PM
Jhors2

I just hooked up my HWL Gtx 480 with 8 Ultra-Kaze 3000RPM fans and wow is it loud, but it works really really well :)
03-10-2009, 10:51 PM
HESmelaugh

Thanks for the comments everyone! It's very encouraging to read your feedbacks and I can always learn something new or see my results from a different angle when I get feedback on my testing. :)

Here's another little update:

Here is a comparison of fin density that I did by just counting the total amount of fins found in an area of one squared centimeter:
http://www.abload.de/img/findensitywswx.jpg
03-10-2009, 11:01 PM
Jhors2

Huh, thanks for the results, I thought for awhile the GTX had the highest count, thats interesting
03-10-2009, 11:17 PM
Waterlogged

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jhors2

Huh, thanks for the results, I thought for awhile the GTX had the highest count, thats interesting

Nope, if it had the same density as the GTS, it wouldn't perform anywhere near as well as it does as no air would get through it then. Just remember kids, 30 FPI=GTS :down:, 20 FPI=GTX:stick:
03-21-2009, 01:41 PM
HESmelaugh

So, I did a short test to see how the Black Ice GTX does with more fan-pressure.

Setup: Black Ice GTX 360 vs. XSPC RX360 (the RX is the polar opposite to the GTX when it comes to fin spacing).
Both rads tested with 3x Scythe Ultra Kaze @ 2500rpm. Testing method as with all the other rad tests by me, heat load @ 290W.

Temperature-difference water-ambient:

Black Ice GTX: 5.4 K
XSPC RX: 5.4 K

In my prior testing it was evident that the temperatures achieved approached very similar levels with increased fan speeds, but I didn't expect this. I still kinda hoped the Black Ice would get ahead at some point... What do you make of this?
03-21-2009, 01:49 PM
Vapor

Quote:

Originally Posted by HESmelaugh

So, I did a short test to see how the Black Ice GTX does with more fan-pressure.

Setup: Black Ice GTX 360 vs. XSPC RX360 (the RX is the polar opposite to the GTX when it comes to fin spacing).
Both rads tested with 3x Scythe Ultra Kaze @ 2500rpm. Testing method as with all the other rad tests by me, heat load @ 290W.

Temperature-difference water-ambient:

Black Ice GTX: 5.4 K
XSPC RX: 5.4 K

In my prior testing it was evident that the temperatures achieved approached very similar levels with increased fan speeds, but I didn't expect this. I still kinda hoped the Black Ice would get ahead at some point... What do you make of this?

Mario: "Erica, you know I love you, but I gotta come clean. I'm...I'm not really a man. I'm a woman!
Erica: "Oh my god, you're a woman?!"
Mario: "Well actually, I'm not really a woman, I'm a horse!"
Erica: "Oh my god, you're a horse?!"
Mario: "Actually, I'm not really a horse, I'm a broom!"
....
Erica: "To be honest Diane, I'm surprised."

Especially considering:
http://www.skinneelabs.com/Radiators..._10C-Delta.jpg
and
http://martin.skinneelabs.com/img/HW...rmalGraph2.png
(44% improvement in temps vs. PA120.3 with only a 33% increase in airflow....and the PA120.3 beats the RX noticeably at higher RPM too)
03-21-2009, 01:50 PM
Waterlogged

I'm think not enough heat. Remember, these rads can take upwards of 600W and maintain a 10ºC water/ambient delta with the right fans and flow rates.
03-21-2009, 01:51 PM
skinnee

:confused:

Your testing resulted in the exact same Delta T (Water Out-Air In) for a BIX360 and an RX360 @ 2500RPM? :shrug:

I'm not ready to release numbers yet for my Radiator Rd2 tests, but that is not quite what my results show.
03-21-2009, 01:54 PM
HESmelaugh

Yes, exactly the same temps. I expected something else, but that's what I got.

Maybe retest tomorrow?

EDIT: The RX was tested later than the GTX, so if anything, the loop was more warmed up when I tested the RX...
03-21-2009, 01:55 PM
Hondacity

skinnee

bring out your gtx360 results already :D

edit: damn you guys type XS fast
03-21-2009, 01:56 PM
skinnee

see, why do I peek my head out of the hole I go into when testing. Just gets me into trouble. :D

I have pressure drop and the write-up to complete tonight, then I will.
03-21-2009, 02:00 PM
HESmelaugh

Looking forward, to seeing your results, skinnee. I'll retest tomorrow and post my results of the second run.
03-21-2009, 02:04 PM
Hondacity

Quote:

Originally Posted by HESmelaugh

Looking forward, to seeing your results, skinnee. I'll retest tomorrow and post my results of the second run.

i love the spirit of testing

good job:up:
03-21-2009, 04:59 PM
gillbot

Quote:

Originally Posted by skinnee

see, why do I peek my head out of the hole I go into when testing. Just gets me into trouble. :D

I have pressure drop and the write-up to complete tonight, then I will.

Go eat pie, get your energy and get back to work! ::cracks whip:: :rofl:
03-21-2009, 05:35 PM
CyberDruid

Thanks for this review. I would have eschewed the Magicool Elegant as pure bling but now I think I will have to build a quiet system with one. From my own perspective looking at the graphs the PA120.3 would still be my top choice. But for the dollar/watt-dissipated wouldn't the MCR320 be top dog?
03-21-2009, 05:47 PM
Martinm210

Thanks for testing, it was great to see the magicool rads in there too. I always was curious about that elegant version.

400RPM is really slow, I'm not surprised you couldn't carry out the test. I tried to test a TFC480 passively with only 150 watts. It was litterally still raising in temperature over 3 hours later when I finally gave up and shut it down.
03-22-2009, 04:59 AM
HESmelaugh

Ok, just finished the rerun of XSPC RX360 vs. Black Ice GTX 360 @ 2500rpm Ultra Kaze.

This time, I used both heater for a heat load of 575W, so that there would be a greater spread in the results.

Again, delta water-ambient:

RX: 8.4 K
GTX: 7.9 K

So the GTX is giving me .5 K better temps at almost 600W load? That is not a huge advantage. IMO, HWLabs should rethink their fin-spacing.
03-22-2009, 07:08 AM
Sadasius

Are your heaters somehow trying to keep a constant temp setting on the water? Something is not right here. I have tried a few rads and none could keep up to a GTX of the same size using fans at 2000 RPM especially in a push/pull config (never tried shrouds though). The margin was very noticable. I am thinking your heaters are skewing the results somehow. If not that then something else.
03-22-2009, 07:21 AM
HESmelaugh

Nope, my heaters are modified to keep heating at full power. I'm also monitoring the heat-load via Watt-meter and it's pretty constant. Ambient temps were also very similar.
03-22-2009, 08:33 AM
Gurkis

Would it be possible to do a performance per dollar chart of this? :)

Great work btw!
03-22-2009, 08:43 AM
HESmelaugh

Since I don't live in the US, I don't know what prices you guys get. From what I understand, for you the MCR320 is one of the cheapest radiators. This isn't so over here. Here, the Magicool rads are far lower priced. Feel free to use my date to do a performance per dollar comparison, though. :)
03-22-2009, 08:47 AM
Gurkis

I live in Sweden :D
(thats in Europe for ya;) haha)
I'm actually planning on ordering a watercooling system from aquatuning, so if you could do a chart of that in euros, I think those who live in the US could convert it bu themselves.

Cheers!
03-22-2009, 08:55 AM
HESmelaugh

Link
The graph at the bottom of the page shows the prices in Euros.
03-22-2009, 08:57 AM
Gurkis

:O. Wow, do I feel silly for not finding that when you've actually done it, haha.

Thanks alot!
Cheers!
03-22-2009, 08:57 AM
Nickel020

If you order from Aquatuning then I would go for the Magicool Elegant or a Magicool Slim if you're on a tight budget. This is assuming that you prefer slow fans, as most people do. Ordering Thermochills fromt he UK is also quite lucrative at the current € to GBP exchange rate, if you don't order from Sweden anyways then this might be a good choice as well, GBP or € doesn't matter for you then.
It's out of stock in many places though, but over-clock.co.uk has them:
http://www.over-clock.co.uk/acatalog..._radiator.html
Shipping form the UK is relatively cheap as well usually, at least shipping to Germany is.
03-22-2009, 09:05 AM
LogAn'sRun

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nickel020

If you order from Aquatuning then I would go for the Magicool Elegant or a Magicool Slim if you're on a tight budget. This is assuming that you prefer slow fans, as most people do. Ordering Thermochills fromt he UK is also quite lucrative at the current € to GBP exchange rate, if you don't order from Sweden anyways then this might be a good choice as well, GBP or € doesn't matter for you then.
It's out of stock in many places though, but over-clock.co.uk has them:
http://www.over-clock.co.uk/acatalog..._radiator.html
Shipping form the UK is relatively cheap as well usually, at least shipping to Germany is.

Man, you must live in germany because we get r@ped on all shipping/exchange rates right now:

1 EUR = 11,08 SEK
1 USD = 8,16SEk
1 GBP = 11,82
shipping from the UK tends to be around 12pounds for triple rads (if you get lucky).

So no, I don't feel we're saving money at this time.

OT= Thx for the review!!!
03-23-2009, 10:43 AM
Jah

Quote:

Originally Posted by LogAn'sRun

Man, you must live in germany because we get r@ped on all shipping/exchange rates right now:

1 EUR = 11,08 SEK
1 USD = 8,16SEk
1 GBP = 11,82
shipping from the UK tends to be around 12pounds for triple rads (if you get lucky).

So no, I don't feel we're saving money at this time.

OT= Thx for the review!!!

Regarding exchange rates,
The GBP exchange rate is actual better then pre economic crisis, 1 £ used to be like 14 SEK, UK seems to getting screwed over even more then we are, as in swedes. So TC rads have actually gotten cheaper as far as I know. Shopping in € hurts bad though :slapass:
03-24-2009, 06:00 AM
4Qman

This is a great read and i thank you for your time and effort in testing. Well explained with great data to back your findings.

I think i will go for a Magicool for a uber silent rig :D
03-24-2009, 07:11 AM
LogAn'sRun

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jah

Regarding exchange rates,
The GBP exchange rate is actual better then pre economic crisis, 1 £ used to be like 14 SEK, UK seems to getting screwed over even more then we are, as in swedes. So TC rads have actually gotten cheaper as far as I know. Shopping in € hurts bad though :slapass:

I disagree:

Average Rates
January
12.6134 SEK (23 days average)
February
12.4622 SEK (21 days average)
March
12.1314 SEK (21 days average)
April
11.7843 SEK (22 days average)
May
11.7634 SEK (22 days average)
June
11.8474 SEK (21 days average)
July
11.9328 SEK (23 days average)
August
11.8512 SEK (21 days average)
September
11.9936 SEK (22 days average)
October
12.5184 SEK (23 days average)
November
12.2013 SEK (20 days average)
December
11.8961 SEK (23 days average)

that's your monthly in 2008. 14sek to the GPB I would have remembered, since I work with rates daily. Judging by the avg of 2008, what they currently have is not historically different than before. So no, economic crisis does not seem to have effected their rates at least. . . not against the SEK.

Edit: 2005 it avg 14sek for 1 month (Nov) as the only time to hit that height in the last 3,5 yrs
04-28-2009, 03:53 AM
MomijiTMO

Bumping. Why? Well I needed to reread this stuff and noticed a few 'What rad' questions.

Thanks again Shane :D
04-28-2009, 08:14 AM
LOUISSSSS

Quote:

Originally Posted by MomijiTMO

Bumping. Why? Well I needed to reread this stuff and noticed a few 'What rad' questions.

Thanks again Shane :D

well from the graphs, the XSPC RX360 does very well @ 1200rpm. I think 1200rpm is what most people here think is a good balance of cfm/dB.

the magicool may excel @ 400rpm, but doesn't have the capabilities of the RX and other fat rads above 1200rpm. + i think its very very ugly.

in the end, i purchased the RX360 because it performs just as well as the PA120.3 for much less money ($95)
04-28-2009, 11:39 AM
defect9

I wish we could see a sale like Jab-Tech had for a bit again, only without the paint defects. that $75 RX360 rad was a freaking steal
04-28-2009, 02:38 PM
MomijiTMO

Yeah, you could easily sand and paint it back to perfection but I wouldn't care. I'd take a HOT PINK rad if it was free/cheap.
05-13-2009, 06:11 PM
shazza

I'm looking at the Magicool radiators, and have a question. This excellent review shows that the Magicool Extreme performance is comparable to the Swiftech MCR ... but, all I can find is this "Magicool Extreme Slim" version of the Magicool Extreme radiator. Is this the same as the Magicool Extreme in this review? (I linked to the 240 version, as that's what I'm looking at ... the 360 version looks like the pic in the first post).

Would appreciate some help here, as I've been searching and googling all afternoon trying to figure this out. I'm looking for a radiator that will work reasonably well with low speed fans, but that has the barb placement similar to the Black Ice series (which rules out the Swiftech). I'd rather not go to the Feser rad due to the much higher cost and overkill for what I need.
05-13-2009, 06:26 PM
Waterlogged

That looks like the one shazza. It's actually 45mm thick which is the thickest they make. Just got labeled wrong on P-Pc's I guess.
05-13-2009, 06:28 PM
Salsoolo

i thought i saw that review? http://www.dexgo.com/index.php?site=...ardware&id=355
05-13-2009, 08:33 PM
shazza

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waterlogged

That looks like the one shazza. It's actually 45mm thick which is the thickest they make. Just got labeled wrong on P-Pc's I guess.

Thanks ... it's a bit confusing, but I'm going to give it a go, since I can't find any other US source for the Magicool Rads. Just a little concerned that this is an older model, and not the one referenced in the review - but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salsoolo

i thought i saw that review? http://www.dexgo.com/index.php?site=...ardware&id=355

Yep - looks like the full version of the one posted here. Thanks.
05-13-2009, 10:34 PM
Mr. K6

Excellent review and presentation, it was a great read. Still very happy with my RX 360 purchase :D.
08-21-2009, 09:19 AM
Arthur

What a fantastic thread as usual. :up: Looks like Thermochill has got some good results out there LOL. :) Thanks for the triple rad roundup mate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HESmelaugh

The heaters are "JEBO Model HT-600" designed for aquarium heating. They are meant to automatically keep the water at a target temperature but I just had to disconnect the thermal probe inside the heater to make em run full load non-stop. :D

I got them from eBay.

I already using the JEBO heaters with my saltwater aquarium at winter since 2 years. They are rocks well. Thats pretty nice idea what using them for heaters on your test. However, they may not give the same results for momentary heat results well. Because we heating our water instantly with our whole system components. By the way, please you do not get me wrong on this, I appreciate your effort here.
08-21-2009, 09:25 AM
rambler358

Quote:

Originally Posted by shazza

Would appreciate some help here, as I've been searching and googling all afternoon trying to figure this out. I'm looking for a radiator that will work reasonably well with low speed fans, but that has the barb placement similar to the Black Ice series (which rules out the Swiftech). I'd rather not go to the Feser rad due to the much higher cost and overkill for what I need.

XSPC RX series? :shrug:
09-19-2009, 07:57 AM
assisterah

Great review.
Helps a lot!
12-07-2011, 07:03 AM
Annoyingmouse

Thanks for your review, it's been very helpful, and your graphs are very well done. Crazy how close they all bundle together at 2000RPM. I've seen some test that show the GTX pulling away from competition above 2000, but since 1400 is the upper limit of what I'm willing to listen to in my computer, that isn't much of a victory from my perspective. At my ideal fan speed of 1200RPM, it looks like thin and fairly sparse fins is the way to go. Between your roundup, and this: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1476023 it seems we can tentatively hypothesize that frontal/fan area may be the most important metric for predicting performance, at least with low to medium speed fans.

I was really surprised how little the rads thickness affected performance. I had long figured that the surface area of the tubes would be far more important than it seems to be. You smashed a few preconceptions for me, thanks.