Thermal Performance

Everything needed—monitor, peripherals, motherboard w/CPU and GPU, radiator, PSU, and so forth—is placed in a sealed, climate-controlled box at 25°C +/- 0.05 °C. Each radiator is connected by Koolance QD3 quick disconnects for easily changing the fans and radiator. The flow rate is held at 1 GPM constant flow rate. The CPU, an Intel Core i7-4770K at 4.6 GHz and 1.3 V, is held at a constant load using a custom Intel XTU profile, and the GPU, an EVGA GTX 780 Ti Classified under load from Unigine Heaven 4.0 at 1080p with extreme HD settings, is overclocked and overvolted in such a way that the total system power draw is 550 W as measured by an external power meter. It's older hardware now used simply for a consistent source of heat into the loop rather than getting discarded as e-waste!

A near-constant heat load into the liquid loop by the addition of the CPU and GPU helps quickly achieve stable liquid-loop temperatures as measured by three separate in-line temperature sensors hooked up to an Aquacomputer Aquaero 6 XT. The tubing and fittings are insulated by a sleeve heater, but its heat function is not utilized. Every single measurement is done twice as a means of verification. Any possibility of running a fan outside of its static maximum RPM is minimized as much as possible by using a comprehensive series of separate fans (Noiseblocker eLoop, B12-1 through B12-4) to cover a broad RPM range while minimizing fan speed variance and, thus, airflow. The results below are the ∆T (coolant temperature - ambient temperature) in degrees Celsius.


I do wish I had the EK-Coolstream XE 360 radiator too since I suspect this newer EK-Quantum Surface X360M might not be as much of a high airflow cooling monster as the predecessor owing to the non-louvered fins, based on the relative performance deficit to the Black Ice Nemesis GTR at higher fan speeds. In that regard, you might lose the top spot for that niche application, which is quickly becoming less relevant for PC DIY cooling. Instead, what we have is an excellent jack of most airflow trades, with good scaling once past the initial bottleneck of airflow restriction courtesy the thicker and denser core relative to the other low airflow-optimized cooling solutions.