Closer Examination

There is not much to visually distinguish the Bykski RC TK60 V2 radiator, and you will notice I am still struggling to call it that consistently. As with the 30 mm version, the entire technical designation is printed on either side of the frame, and I once again urge Bykski to reconsider this. The radiator speaks for itself, being a 60-mm-thick triple 120 mm unit. The Bykski logo in the off-gold lettering on the side is plenty enough; remove the rest underneath or maybe just work with "RC TK60" if you absolutely must have something. There is only one color option here, and we get a black radiator that has a smooth matte finish applied to the "iron" frame that is likely just stainless steel. Overall dimensions are on par with other 60-mm-thick radiators of this class, with the two end tanks adopting a rectangular cuboid shape. Build quality is excellent, with no paint issues to be seen, no scuffs on the end tank threads, and no bent fins out of the box.


The fan holes are the standard 15 mm apart, which works with just about any case today. There are no screw shields underneath, but the fan holes are slightly offset from the coolant tubes to where the M3 screws should not hit them. There might be a slight overlap, however, so this is where the threads on the provided screws not going all the way proves useful, as they will hit the fins before the thread runs out and the tubes remain intact. This does mean that only using the provided Bykski screws is highly recommended. I would have liked to see Bykski either implement screw shields for the sake of the customers or offset the coolant tubes further slightly, which is easier said than done. I would also love M4 threading instead, which is more relevant on this thick radiator that will weigh a significant amount filled up.


This is what I mean about the radiator getting heavy quickly since, unlike most 60-mm radiators, the Bykski RC TK60 actually is a triple-row radiator! In fact, the TK (40 mm thick) is a double-row radiator, making the new Bykski RC series analogous to the Alphacool true copper NexXxos lineup with the ST30, XT45, and UT60 using the same 1/2/3 row concept. Each row has associated fins with 14 tubes that are ~1.5 mm thick. This makes for a total of 42 coolant tubes that are also relatively thick to begin with, meaning coolant flow restriction should be among the least of any radiator currently made. The entire core is based on red copper, which itself is just a marketing term to signify the absence of an alloy in favor of a higher-purity copper core. The radiator also weighs more than average even empty as a result, which is one of the quickest ways to determine that this is indeed not brass.

Bykski makes a big deal of the one-piece welding technology employed in their marketing, which helps with the all-copper core compared to typical brass radiators. High-temperature rated soldering tin is employed for the connection of the fins to the coolant tubes, with a reflow solder process that helps collect impurities prior to a rapid adhering of the components at 250 °C to produce the core itself. The end tanks are also made out of copper, but have alloyed inserts for stronger threads than copper by itself. There are two BSP G1/4" ports on the end tanks, which are threaded perfectly and come with plastic inserts that are really only meant to keep dust out during transit. You would replace these with standard BSP G1/4" threaded fittings when using the radiator as part of your loop regardless. I wish there were more ports here, especially on the other side, to be used as a fill, drain, or accessory port for other things, such as temperature, pressure, or flow-rate measurement since Bykski itself sells a lot of such add-ons. The core adopts the more typical U-flow design for the coolant, with either port being used as the inlet and the other as the outlet, which depends on your plumbing layout for the custom loop.


We get the usual serpentine fins that are ~6.5 mm high and louvered lightly, which may increase the contact surface area for air flowing through the core, though it could adversely affect lower RPM/laminar flow regimes. The fins are rated to be 10 FPI in density and measured in at 10–11 FPI on my sample. The lower fin density helps counter the triple-row and associated thickness, which all contributes to airflow restriction. Without exactly knowing how thick the fins are, this combination leads me to believe that this radiator will be a medium-to-high airflow-optimized cooling solution. That said, we will see how the radiator fares in our testing over the next couple of pages.