EK AIO Basic 240mm All-in-One Liquid CPU Cooler with EK-Vardar High-Performance PMW Fans, Water Cooling Computer Parts, 120mm Fan, Intel 115X/1200/2066, AMD AM4

So I bought this cooler to replace my aging Cooler Master Masterliquid AIO after seeing a few reviews, including the Gamers Nexus tear down of the 360mm version. I don't generally like the look of air coolers or how they're a massive amount of weight hanging of your CPU. I also don't like how they can cause blockages and pockets for your airflow in the right circumstances. So my choice of using liquid cooling is more to do with visuals than actual performance. This AIO also has an easily accessible fill port, which extends your ability to keep the AIO in service, even though it voids the warranty. I still see that as an overall plus though. With that said.... the cooler itself is great in regards to it's performance. For an older Ryzen 2700 it keeps the system below 50°C even after 4-6 hours of max settings Total War Warhammer 3, Tomb Raider, and A Plagues Tale: Innocence.(Results may vary for you) My rig is also laid out for lots of airflow, which is way more important than many people realize. My only to criticisms are the stock fans, in general, and the pump noise at full speed. The fans are rather loud and feel a bit cheap, especially when compared to the Noctua fans I have been using. The pump can be a bit loud and may be heard over your fans in the case.(Granted I have really quiets fans) I turned mine down to 90% speed though and noticed a decent noise reduction for a negligible difference in performance. This really is a good first introduction overall for EK in the AIO market. I really hope they keep this up with later models.

Installed the 240 non-RGB in the Meshlicious ITX case for a Ryzen 5900X on an Asrock B550 Phantom Gaming ITX/ax. I replaced the fans with Noctua ones only because they had better static pressure. I also oriented the AIO as exhaust, so temperature performance is mostly based from the GPU output (RX 6700xt Red Devil). The temperatures noted should not be taken seriously due to that as well as undervolted CPU. For installation, the parts were organized and labeled for both Intel and AMD cpus. Mounting the pump to the motherboard was very easy with effective instructions. The heat paste was also pre applied evenly with no defects. The tubing is protected by braiding and is flexible enough to route and secure. For performance, I undervolted the 5900X to 1.1v and 4.0ghz. The AIO was very effective at cooling the CPU and exhausting the GPU heat keeping the CPU around 50c during gaming loads and almost 60c during 3Dmark (Time Spy). Overall, the hardware, instructions, and the low area clearance on the motherboard itself made installation very easy.

The only thing wrong I had with mine is that one hole on the AM4 mounting bracket was too large for my screw. The rest fit like a glove after I affixed the bracket to the pump block with some heat resistant tape. Still worked awesome, between this and using Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut I shaved 10°C off my Ryzen 5 5600X temps vs. the stock cooler using Corsair TM-30... UPDATE: Edited review slightly after the AIO failed after 10 months due to a failed pump additionally 3 of the four screws refused to remain in. Tape fix began to fail as well. Since it's now past Amazon's deadline for support, going to see if EK will cooperate. UPDATE 2: EK warranty process was a breeze. The hardest part was reading the silver label on my original box because Amazon, but the instructions provided were easy, and within 72h I had a replacement unit sent out to me.

Overall this cooler worked great for me. I say "worked" because I ultimately went with the ID-Cooling 240X cooler, which you can get on amazon now for around $55, and it is FANTASTIC. The EK Basic Cooler was super easy to install, much easier than the ID-Cooling cooler, as the back plate is first mounted to the motherboard, then the cooler is mounted onto that. It's easy to do with 2 hands, as opposed to the ID-Cooling cooler that requires someone to annoyingly push the back plate against the motherboard as another person tries to push the pump block onto the socket AND screw it in at the same time. This cooler also looks great. The biggest downsides would have to be the noise and overall performance. I'd regularly see temps in the 70c-80c range. Now, it should be noted that this was stuffed into a small ITX case (HYTE Revolt 3), however the cooler was positioned against a side panel with plenty of available airflow. I found the fans got pretty loud when under load, perhaps a bit more than I was expecting. If that isn't a huge deal, I do think this is a great deal for a 240mm AIO, however it may not be a bad idea to see what else is out there, especially if you are looking for more features.

When I first saw this cooler for $90, I was honestly shocked. Now that I have it installed in my system, I can safely say that EK now has the trophy for best value AIO cooler on the market. The performance is just incredible! My only complaint would be that the tubes on the block are a bit tricky to work with if you need a weird block orientation, because they rotate but only to a certain point. Otherwise, it's all sunshine and roses. Good materials, good packaging, the manual is actually helpful and has some good details, and the pump is basically silent. If you hear some bubbles or gurgling for the first few minutes of operation, or on the first boot after installing - that is 100% normal and will (should) go away after a little bit. Only a single 4-pin PWM cable coming off the block for pump speed, and obviously two 4-pin PWM fan cables, but that's it. Simple, and easy to install (unless your case is tiny like mine, then it can get... interesting.

I decided to get this one because I have an NCASE M1 and my old AIO is designed in a way that the hoses coming out of the pump have to make a tight bend, which has always made me a little nervous. (old one was a Fractal Design Celcius S24) With this new one in place, that issue at the pump is gone and the inside of my case appears less cluttered because of it. I am also now able to control the pump RPM via the BIOS or Argus Monitor, which my old AIO did not allow, and the pump seems slightly quieter at the same speed. All in all, I didn't NEED this, but it works better in my SFF case and makes me feel better about my PC. (note, I did replace the Vardar fans with my Noctua fans, I just assume the Vardar fans aren't as good)

This is my first EK product and despite a few bad reviews I decided to take a chance anyways...Well I wish I had stayed clear. After I spent the time to pull my mainboard out of the case and removed my air cooler, I then realized the included hardware (the double sided thumb screws) which first connect the support bracket to the back of the main board and the AIO mounts to were the wrong size. Not only were the holes in the bracket far too small for the screws to thread into but the screws themselves were not long enough to pass through the main board, the plastic isolator and into the threads. So before you waste your time, check the hardware first. I am getting a replacement unit so I will update this review if they have the hardware straightened out.

So this is for the new 240mm basic edition and right off the bat I noticed the incredible quality straight out of the box. I have a Meshify 2 Compact and sadly it only fits a 240 in the top, so of course I tried the Arctic Liquid Freezer II first. That was a mistake, that thing was louder, uglier and just overall worse build quality wise than this it’s not even an option. The best part is that it’s very efficient compared to the Arctic, the radiator is much shallower and this beats it by 2-3c in my system at the same DB reading. If you’re looking for a 240, this is it. The 280 from Arctic probably is incredible, but if you can’t fit a 280 then there is no contest and this is by far the winner in my eyes.