A Closer Look

The radiator on the EK-AIO 360 D-RGB feels a bit heavier than most I have tested, which is a bit of a surprise considering this aluminium radiator has a fins-per-inch (FPI) of 18 compared to the more typical 21 of most closed-loop coolers. Typically, more fins mean more surface area for cooling, but as the density goes up, so does noise because higher static pressure and fan RPM is needed to force air through the radiator. Since the EK radiator is not quite as dense, overall airflow should be improved, which likely balances things out in regards to performance. It also means that while the fans may ramp up to 2200 RPM, it is likely not necessary to achieve the sweet spot in terms of cooling efficiency. Other than that, the radiator sticks to a boxy design I find appealing, and the fittings, while not swappable, are at least an upgrade over the typical fittings seen on other AIOs. It also doesn't hurt that their fit and finish is quite nice too. As for the tubing, it is 400 mm long and sleeved, both of which is fairly standard on most AIOs now.



At first glance, the pump will feel familiar in that its small size, swivel fittings, etc., look on par with Asetek and Coolit designs, but it is not. EK chose to utilize their SPC series of pumps with this pump/block. With the semi-transparent white body to diffuse the light from the LEDs hidden under the black aluminium bracket in the center, it looks nice. Not only does this hide the LEDs themselves, but it should make for a nicely centralized glow effect. The brushed aluminium EK logo in the corner is a nice touch, but sadly can't be rotated, which is a shame but not unexpected. As for the copper cold plate, it has a smooth finish with only the faintest of visible machining marks, and has been sanded and polished enough to where it is semi-mirror-like when viewed up close. While not likely to impact performance much, it's still nice to see this level of polish on the base as those tiny imperfections you can't feel still require the paste as filler so there are no air gaps. Therefore, a smoother, flatter, cleaner cold plate is without doubt better. That said, EK did point out that the unit is more optimized for the IHS on AMD processors, so it will be interesting to see how it does on our Intel test bench.


The fans used in this kit are the EK-Vardar S 120ER D-RGB variants, which have an RPM range of 550–2200 and a maximum airflow of 66.04. The big difference I see with these fans is the frames. While not as visually pleasing, the frames are square and sealed at the back, meaning airflow of the fan will more predominately go through the radiator rather than escaping through gaps between fans that have a more open frame design.