The Predator 280 comes pre-filled and ready to go with its fans pre-mounted. Remove the fans and the CoolStream radiator that makes use of copper tubes and brass chambers will be revealed. It has a fins per inch (FPI) count of 16. The pump's power plug and fan power are handled by a small circuit board EKWB mounted to the radiator. The wires are run along the insides of the radiator's housing, which makes for a nice and clean look.
The pump is attached to the back of the radiator, which allows users to utilize a push/pull fan setup for extra performance. This is something that cannot be done on Swiftech's current lineup of AIOs. The pump itself is a 6W DDC pump that is powerful enough to push a full loop. The EK Supremecy MX CPU block used by this kit has a black top plate and near mirror-finished copper base. The tubing is 400 mm / 15.75 inches in length. The fittings are nickel EK-ACF compression fittings. Unlike the Predator 240 I reviewed earlier, this unit has the quick disconnect fittings to make expansion easy. Granted, QDC fittings do tend to restrict flow a bit, but I doubt that will impact performance in a meaningful way. Overall, everything about this kit has thus far been of top quality.
The CPU block looks sharp with its black and nickel top and smooth, almost perfect mirror-finished copper base. Fittings used are of course G 1/4", which makes expanding the loop or switching out fittings or tubing relatively easy.
EK provides two Vardar series F2-140 1600RPM fans with the kit, and they have a maximum CFM of 84 and a static pressure of 1.92mm H2O. This model feels solid and suffers from no flex in its frame or issues with wiring. Top quality fans for a high-end kit seem reasonable when you think about it.