[Bundymania User Review] Triple Radiator (360) Roundup with 22 Rads !

[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 @4Ghz
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:


03.03.14 Update: 4 more radiators inserted -> Bitspower Triple Radiator, Phobya G-Changer 360 V2 Full Copper Watercool HTSF2LT, XSPC RX360 V3







Bitspower Triple Radiator






Now also Bitspower with there first radiator series are into this test. The triple radiator is delivered in bubble wrap in a neutral toned cardboard . In addition to the radiator , the usual fan screws and plugs for the G 1 /4" thread are included . These are plastic and transparent so something unusual. At first glance, the strong similarity coincides with the previously tested by me XSPC RX V2 radiator on and so it is not surprising that can convince these Bitspower radiator with the same very good values ​​!
In addition, the Bitspower heat exchanger several more G were 1/4 " threaded openings donated , so that this model offers more possibilities compared to the earlier time tested RX V2 XSPC. I can make only an approximate statement about the price: it lies about 120 EUR.
The processing of the radiator is good and due to the identical top performance, this model has also earned a Gold Award .










XSPC RX360 V3 Triple Radiator






Now we come to the brand new high-end radiator from XSPC which could really surprise me! When you first look at the RX V3, one could suspect namely, that this model was designed more for higher fan speeds, but this is by no means so !
Even and especially with little air flow shows this "cold monster" what is in it !
With low fan speeds, the XSPC RX could put V3 radiator to the top of the test field and win the performance crown for themselves! Respect, I can only say, as the radiators from the AX and EX series, which were last published by this company are, indeed designed much more for higher air flow. Also the previous model, the RX V2 could be overtaken in the power again. The RX V3 radiator is delivered in a white cardboard box with XSPC logo and is also packaged in bubble wrap for protection.
The fan screws are supplied fortunately in black. Plugs are of course also included. G 1 /4" connection threads are 4 pieces available.
However, top performance here has a pretty steep price, so this radiator will cost around 105 euros currently in a German shop. The painting of the heat exchanger is very good, it was nowhere paint noses to see. Given the excellent performance of the new XSPC RX was able to secure V3 Triple Radiator a Gold Award and the first place.



Technical details:

Dimensions: 130 x 56 x 398.5 mm (W x H x D)
Material: copper, brass
Color: Matte Black
Connection: 2 x G 1/4 inch
Fan mounting with UNC 6-32 thread (on both sides) for three 120 mm fans
Weight (empty / fittings): about 1,630 g
Price: about 105 EUR











Phobya G-Changer V2 360 Full Copper Triple Radiator





With the Phobya G-Changer sends the revised and improved version for several years successful triple radiator in the race! This second Version now has copper fins and also machined from copper antechamber. The G-Changer as usual delivered in a cardboard held in Phobya Design. The radiator itself is packed again well protected in bubble wrap. Fan screws are supplied in 2 lengths, for assembly on the case and with or without a fan grill.
Plugs in sufficient number are of course also included. Conveniently located under the fan holes each narrow strips of metal which effectively protect the radiator from damage if the user has accidentally mistaken for the helical length! The painting of the Phobya G -Changer is very good, nowhere paint noses can be seen. Fortunately, there are 6 1/4" threads in the antechamber available, so there are many possibilities of piping and installation.
Now we come to power: The performance could be increased compared to its predecessor, the radiator so still offers a very good performance and the price is also in good.




Technical details:

Material: copper fins, copper channels, copper prechamber, brass thread
Color: Completely black
Dimensions: (L x W x H): 416x125x60mm
Connectors: G1 / 4 "
Weight: about 1736g
Mounting threads: On both sides for fans or mounting
Thread size: M3
Fan Size: 3x 120mm
Pressure tested: 2 Bar
Other features: Bleeding screw

Scope of delivery:

1x Radiator
12x M3x30mm Screws
12x M3x35mm screws
3x Black screw

Price: ca. 80 EUR










Watercool HTSF2LT 360 Triple Radiator









Now we come to an exotic in the test field. Firstly, because it is the HTSF2 LT is a so-called pipe radiator, partly because of this heat exchanger is made largely in Germany. A piupe radiator has the advantage that it can drain away in an instant, as opposed to a network radiator (type of ~ 90 % of the radiators of this test ) where the ventilation process can sometimes take several hours. The Heat Transformer 2 Light is 45mm thick and is designed primarily for slow-spinning fans. In this discipline the Watercool Radiator actually makes a very good character and able to survive in the top ranks of the extensive field test! The radiator will be packed in bubble wrap shipped together with fan screws and an instruction manual. A shipping carton one looks in vain, unfortunately, a little sad, I think.
For the i had the LT version of the radiator which present has at the end faces polished stainless steel elements, a visual highlight! The side panels are powder coated black.
The LTX variant also offers stainless steel side elements and is about 10 EUR more expensive.
Connection thread can be found at this radiator model only 2 pieces, which are located on the side. In summary, it is at the Watercool HTSF2LT a very well-made radiator with peak power in the upper price segment!




Technical details:

Material: copper tubes, aluminum fins
Material housing: powder coated sheet steel, polished stainless steel
External dimensions (L x W x H): 410x130x50 mm
Weight: about 1550g
Pressure tested: 5 bar
Surface: Black coated
Connection: 2x thread G 1/4 inch

Scope of delivery:
1x HTSF2 3x120 LT
1x Mounting material / instructions

Price: 100 EUR








Update 14.09.12: Added two radiators -> Aquacomputer AMS 360 and XSPC AX 360 silver !






Aquacomputer Airplex Modularity System - AMS 360









The Airplex Modularity System Radiator series (abbreviation: AMS) shows up with a lot of different features like no other producer on the watercooling-market.
So let us start at the beginning: I tested in this review the AMS 360 with aluminum fins and stainless-steel sidebars. The radiator is well packed and comes to you in a neutral brown box without any flashy designed signs and logos. Unfortunately the radiator comes without any scope of supply.
After the unboxing procedure you will recognize a „WOW-Effect“. The radiator looks very noble and the processing quality is on the highest level.
The connection terminal is made of black delrin and offers six connection ports with common G ¼ threats.
The high amount of six connection ports allows an individual assembly of the water-cooling-circuit. The connection terminal has some IN and Out Markings. The AMS is a typical tube-radiator in contrast to the widely-used mesh-radiators. The tube-radiator has the advantage that it can be easier exhausted from the air. On the other side it performs slightly not well as the mesh-radiators (I will focus this aspect later).
Let us take a closer look at the special features of this radiator, which is produced in Germany: You can purchase this radiator with aluminum and copper fins. The copper fins look very noble and should optimize the cooling performance as well.
Furthermore the AMS radiators can be used for more than one water-cooling-circuit and the stainless-steel sidebards can be changed to anodized ones in different colors (red, black, and blue). The delrin connection terminal can be changed to a special “coupling-part”, which allows to extend the AMS radiator with other AMS radiators. Furthermore you can buy assembly brackets for a better installation of the radiator.
Another positive aspect is that you will not have to clean the radiator by flushing with water and Cilit Bang. The AMS Radiator has no production rests inside, because it has no solder connections.
If you want to clean the radiator, i can tell you, that it is very easy to disassemble.
You can use Fittings up to a size of 13/10mm on the G ¼ connection threats of the AMS radiator. If you like to use bigger fittings you will need to use G ¼ extensions.
Only copper and stainless-steel will have contact to the water. So there will not be any problems at operation.
The AMS radiators are quite compact in comparison to other radiators. Another highlight of this radiator series are the additional pump-modules, which can be directly connected to the radiator. Other additional features are sensors, filters or reservoirs. You might have noticed that there are many different assembly possibilities.
So let us focus the important details: Performance! The AMS Radiators are optimized for slower fan speeds and they convinced at this topic all the way. The radiator achieves a Gold Award because of its great assembly varieties. The Gold Award shines very bright, but remember, that great light causes as well small shadows ;-).

A slight negative aspect is the scope of supply. I would have been happy about fan-screws, an installation manual or an advertising folder about the additional accessories. The radiator performs very well, but the cooling-performance could have been optimized, if the case fits perfect to the installed fans. If you want to eliminate the small space between case and fans, you should use foam decouplers for the fans (I have tested the radiator WITHOUT this modification). This modification results in better temperatures around 0.2 -0.5k, which means that the radiators reaches higher positions in the charts.
The price for the tested model is with 130€ quite high, but the whole package (additional accessories) and the excellent processing quality legitimate the high price.

Technical Details:

Sizes: (L x B x H): 404 x 147 x 64mm
Material: brass stainless-steel, copper, aluminum, delrin
Threat Size: 6x G 1/4"
Fan Threat M3


Price: ca. 129 €







XSPC AX360 - silver -






The AX360 is another radiator from the well-known producer XSPC (three models in this review). Each radiator is designed for a specific type of customer.
The AX360 is optimized for higher fan speeds and performs very well. The Radiator is well packed in bubble-foil and comes in a black box with blue letterings.
The scope of supply contains black fan screws (i think XSPC follows the latest desgin trend).
The Radiators of the AX-series can be bought as single, dual, triple or quad-radiators for 120mm fans in two different colors (black painted, or silver aluminum sidebars with copper fins). The last one looks very noble.
Another comfortable feature is that you can disassemble the end caps, if you want to clean the inner parts of the radiator. Some of you might find here a place for some cool modifications I think.
The processing quality of the test sample is good and the cooling-performance is as well good, if you use higher fan speeds.

Technical Details:

Sizes (L x B x H): 400x127x40mm
Material intern: Copper
Material Case: Inner threads brass, chambers copper
Color: silver or black
Threat Size: 2x G 1/4"
Fan Threats: M3
Weight: ca. 950g
Price: ca. 100 - 110 EUR

Update 20.08.12: Added 4 more radiators !




Coolgate 360 Full Copper Radiator





After all the standard version convinced me with its well cooling-performance and processing quality, but the full copper can be described of the top model of the Coolgate radiator family.
The scope of supply is similar to the standard version, except the difference that you will find some additional gloves to prevent the copper from finger prints during the installation. The processing quality is on a very high level.
The high quality results in a higher price for the customer, which means, that you will have to pay around 115€ for the radiator.
Here are some excerpts from the press announcement:
The surface-processing of Computer-Radiators is always a great challenge for the producers. On one side the customer wishes to buy a product with the highest cooling-performance. On the other side the customer likes to buy a product with a nice outward appearance.


The disadvantge of a lacquered surface results in the reduction of the heat emission. An alternative solution might have been the copper or nickle-plate the surfaces, which is quite a difficult procedure, because of the different small fins and parts.
Until now, only radiators with a maximum thickness of 35mm can be made of copper. This radiators have the advantage of a better heat emission and cooling performance in contrast to the lacquered models
After long years of development and the implementation of new techniques the company COOLGATE has reached the goal to produce Radiators totally made of copper up to a thickness of 60mm. The shiny and glossy outward appearance is a great contribution to a high-end-configured computer system.
This is an important message to the water-cooling-community. Therefore you will reach a plus of performance, which means as well, that you can easier reach the limits of your hardware.

Technical Details:

Material: Copper fins, Brass pre-chambers, tubes made of copper
3 water chambers 13 x 2mm
Color: copper
Size (L xB x H): 413,6 x 124 x 60mm
Fittings: G1/4"
Thread-Size of the screws: 6-32 UNC
Weight: 1350g
Volume: 400ml
Pressure tested: 1.5bar
Fan size: 120mm
Other specials: additonal thread for easier filling

Price: ca. 115 Euro




Alphacool NexXxoS Monsta 360





Let us take a closer look at the Alphacool NexXxos Monsta 360. This radiator has its name for real! It is truly 8cm high! The scope of supply is similar to the other models from Alphacool. Therefore the radiator has many different connection ports. The processing quality is very good and the radiator performs very well with higher fan speeds. The radiator reaches in some points the top of the charts. Great performance for a small price below 100€.
Some of you might remember the TFC Monsta, which had a price around 200€. Therefore the price of the Alphacool Monsta is in contrast to the TFC Monsta a very good deal 




Technical Details:

Material intern: Mainly copper
Material Case: Side panel: steel, Thread-inlet: Brass, Chambers: copper
Color: black
Size (L x B x H): 400 x 124 x 86 mm
Threat Size: 6x G 1/4"
Ventilation Threat: 1x G 1/4"
Fan-threat-size: M3
Pressure tested: 1,5 Bar




Scope of supply:

1x Radiator
5x copper-colored lock screws
12x copper-colored M3x30mm allen screws
12x copper-colored M3x35mm allen scres

Price: ca. 93 EUR





Thermochill TR 120.3




This radiator is a further development of the well-known TA 120.3 from England. You will notice the the robust and comparatively heavy construction of the radiator. The outward appearance is mainly similar to the predecessor model. The pre-chambers are very similar to the XSPC RX360 Radiator.
The TR 120.3 has like the older model no fan threads, which means you will have to use self-cutting screws, which are NOT part of the scope of supply! You will find the right screws for example at Aquatuning.
The radiator performs slightly better than the TA 120, but performs not very well with lower fan speeds. The radiator can be purchased for a price around 110€ - a high price in comparison to other radiators, but the production in England is quite expensive.
The Thermochill is a something lika legend and the right product for friends of a robust processing-quality in combination with a good cooling performance.


Technical Details:

Color: dead black
Material: Tank: Brass; Fins: Copper
Threat Size: G 1/4"
Weight: ca. 2 kg
Size (LxBxH): 405 x 129 x 60mm

Scope of supply:

1x Thermochill TA120.3 Triple Radiator - 360 Radiator


Price: ca. 110 Euro


Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper 360mm




Yeeeha! Here we go! Another triple-radiator from Alphacool: The NexXxos ST30 Full Copper.
Take a closer look at the type designation and you will notice that this model is part of the slim variants with a height of 30mm. The scope of supply is similar to the bigger models from Alphcaool in this review. Because of the low height, you will not find six connection ports, but the radiator performs very well with lower fan speeds. The very good performance is a great advantage of this radiator and it performs much better than higher-priced candidates.
Some of you might think, that radiators perfom better the thicker they are, but this is a huge misbelief. Take a look at the charts. The processing quality is good and the cooling-performs is so good for a price below 50€, that the radiator deserves a Gold-Award!







Technical Details:

Material intern: mainly copper
Material Case: Side panel: steel, Thread-inlet: Brass, Chambers: copper
Color: black
Size (L x B x H): 400x124x30mm
Threat Size: 2x G 1/4"
Fan Threat-Size: M3
Pressure tested: 1,5 Bar
Weight: 0,970kg

Scope of supply:

1x Radiator
12x copper-colored M3x30mm allen screws
12x copper-colored M3x35mm allen screws

Price: ca. 48 EUR



Update 10.11.11 - 2 new Radiators from EK and XSPC added
- 16 Radiators 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.




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------




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)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKuZO4SfIdo

(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.

Update: The Gold Award goes to the new Alphacool NexXxos ST30 Full Copper Radiator, which captures the top position at lower fan speeds and as well to the NexXxos Monsta 360, which performs much better than thicker radiators. Another Gold Award goes to the Coolgate Full Copper Radiator for the great outward appearance and the good cooling-performance.

Update 2: The GOLD AWARD goes as well to the Aquacomputer AMS 360 Radiator for the best total package in cooling-performance, processing-quality and features!


Update 3: GOLD for the new XSPC RX V3, the Bitspower Triple Radiator and the Watercool HTSF2LT. SILVER Award for the Phobya G-Changer V2






The Silver Award goes to the Magicool Slim Elegant 360, Phobya G-Changer 360 V1.2 and the newer V2, 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 [I]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: Bitspower, 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

[bundymania]

Update: 4 more radiators inserted -> Bitspower Triple Radiator, Phobya G-Changer 360 V2 Full Copper , Watercool HTSF2LT and the brandnew XSPC RX360 V3 !