Review and testing of processor SVO EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB – For the first time in its twenty-year history, the Slovenian company EK Water Blocks enters the market of ready-made maintenance-free liquid cooling systems with the EK-AIO D-RGB line, using radiators of 120, 240 and 360 mm sizes. The manufacturer has a wealth of experience in this area and there is no reason to doubt their professionalism, so many enthusiasts were eagerly awaiting the appearance of a new product.
EKWB provided us with a top-end version of the EK-AIO 360 D-RGB for review so that we could study its capabilities, cooling efficiency and performance. Despite the stereotype that has developed around the “3-in-1” LSS, the developers always provide for the variability of changing, if not the design itself, then its individual elements, which makes it possible to achieve better work in specific nodes and change the appearance so that it can be determined by the design style brand.
In any case, the Slovenian team did a great job, but despite their experience, did they manage to make their first product in this class perfect and flawless? Let’s try to find out.
SVO EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB – Packaging and equipment
On the front of the box, we are greeted by an image of LSS, so that all the highlights of the appearance have already been revealed. There is a list of current platforms, which include both AMD AM4 and Intel LGA1200. The new series is ready with all weapons.
We turn over the packaging and note the main advantages of the product: we will talk about them further, and you can slowly consider them. The manufacturer gives the technical dimensions of the elements.
Inside we are greeted by a thick user manual and a set of basic mounting frames for modern sockets.
A separate package contains a Y-splitter for three fans, mounting screws and a tube of thermal paste for two applications.
Appearance and design features
And we begin our review with the notorious phrase “before us is a classic maintenance-free cooling system.” There is no escape from the truth, and the Slovenian team understands the seriousness of these words as well as possible. The developers did not reinvent the wheel, but they brought zest to their LSS. First of all, the corporate design style of the EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB waterblock pump is striking, which is characterized by minimalism and simplicity, hiding the original rotor and backlight.
A 395x120x27 mm radiator was used as a heat sink. Note that one of the ends is enlarged, allowing the circuit to accommodate a larger volume of refrigerant and, as a consequence, increase the cooling efficiency. Also, the manufacturer has expanded the thickness of the working fluid from 17 mm to 20 mm, which will also affect productivity.
The working fluid is based on 14 flat channels, between them a corrugated tape is soldered. Compared to conventional radiators, the EK-AIO D-RGB series is characterized by a more rarefied fins density equal to 17-18 FPI, making it easier to pump air through the fins at lower fan speeds, which also has a positive effect on efficiency and noise level.
At the front there are two non-removable fittings and one factory filling hole, sealed with a warranty seal.
Decorative plastic caps hide the tree fittings and allow you to see the insulation level.
The water block and the main radiator are connected by a pair of 345 mm long hoses in high-quality nylon braid. The manufacturer does not give the diameter of the hoses, but measurements in the laboratory show 10 mm.
The line of the EKWB EK-AIO D-RGB liquid cooling system received an original waterblock pump in a characteristic semi-cube in white and black. The manufacturer’s logo, as always, adorns the product, and a distinctive stripe on the upper edge allows you to give the appearance a special touch. In any case, connoisseurs of minimalism will be delighted.
On the side there is a pair of swivel mechanisms with the familiar fitting and protective cap. The pump has a two-chamber design, allowing, as in full-fledged circuits, the incoming flow to enter the central chamber and liquid is discharged sideways along the interchannel grid.
Two wires come out of the case – a standard 4-Pin with PWM control and A-RGB 5V backlighting.
The base of the copper water block is protected by a plastic cap.
Despite the use of a tube of thermal paste, for the first installation, a layer of gray thermal paste is already applied to the sole.
The base of the water block itself is polished at a good level, tactile traces of the cutter are not felt, a mirror image is observed.
The processing is well done, but not perfect: there is a small hump in the center of the water block. Considering my opportunity to get acquainted with several instances of the EKWB EK-AIO D-RGB series LSS, only some of them were noted for this unevenness. The second half was better done.
Fans EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB
The EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB model with a 360 mm radiator is equipped with three branded EK-Vardar S 120ER D-RGB fans.
The fans differ in rotation speed of 550 – 2200 rpm and PWM control. This is a special model belonging to the EK-AIO series. The fans are built on a double rolling ball bearing with an operating time of up to 50 thousand hours and have a maximum air capacity of up to 112 m3 / h.
On the tested sample of fans the rotation speed was 430 – 2170 rpm.
From the fan leave two wires for connecting to the motherboard 4-Pin and a paired 5V-RGB (ARGB) connector for controlling the backlight, allowing you to connect them in series and control the backlight synchronously.
EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB liquid cooling system assembled.
RGB backlight
EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB is equipped with addressable illumination of the water block case and three fans, control can be organized synchronously with a serial connection or parallel – with an independent one. On the example of the younger model, you can evaluate ARGB-backlighting.
Installation on Intel LGA 1200 platform
The installation process for the EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB cooling system is very simple and does not differ from other solutions of this class. The final result is demonstrated on the example of the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Formula motherboard.
Due to the small curvature of the base of the waterblock, a poor print of thermal paste with the processor cover is noticeable.
And here the only drawback of the EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB is also manifested: the developers did not calculate the dimensions of the pump case on the new model, and the swivel mechanism overlaps the adjacent RAM slot, so it will not be possible to use the full amount of RAM.
On a mini-ITX motherboard, the situation is even more catastrophic.
Brief technical characteristics
| Name | EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB |
| Radiator type | Three-section |
| Radiator diffuser material | Aluminum |
| External dimensions of the radiator, mm | 395 x 120 x 27 |
| Dissipation area, mm 2 (rough estimate) | ~12 000 |
| Maximum number / size of fans | 6 x 120 |
| Fans included, pcs. | 3 |
| Fan marking | EK-Vardar S 120ER D-RGB |
| Rotational speed range, rpm | ~550-2200 ±200 RPM |
| System weight with fans, g | ~2400 |
| Waterblock base material | Copper |
| Water block type | Microchannel |
| Pump rotor speed, rpm | ~450-2600 ±200 RPM |
| Liquid rise height, mm H 2 O | n / a |
| Maximum productivity, l / h | n / a |
| Maximum power consumption of the pump, W | n / a |
| Socket compatibility | Intel LGA 20XX, LGA 115X, LGA 1200; Amd socket am4 |
Test stand
Once again, the test system was rebuilt due to the constant updating of the model range and the availability of the necessary equipment.
The EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB liquid cooling system was tested with the following configurations:
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG Z490 Maximus XII Formula;
- Processor: Intel Core i5-10600K;
- CPU cooling systems:
- EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB;
- EKWB EK-AIO 240 D-RGB;
- Deepcool Castle 240 RGB V2;
- EKWB EK-KIT Classic RGB P240;
- Noctua NH-U12A;
- Thermointerface: Noctua NH-H1 paste;
- RAM: Team Xtreem 8Pack 4500 MHz 16 GB (2 x 8 GB);
- Video card: GeForce GTX 1650;
- Solid State Drive: Western Digital Black SN750 NVMe, 500GB;
- Power supply: Corsair HX1200;
- Case: open stand.
Software
- Operating system: Windows 10 x64.
Testing tools and methodology
The noise level was measured using a TM-102 digital sound level meter with a measurement error of no more than 0.5 dBA. The measurements were taken from a distance of 0.3 m. The background noise level in the room was no more than 28 dBA. All system fans, including the one installed in the power supply, were turned off. Additionally, readings of power consumption were taken using a Robiton PM-2 wattmeter and temperature with a Fluke 59 Max IR thermometer.
In all cases, the graphs indicate the temperature of the hottest core. The fan speed and processor temperature were monitored using the latest version of the HWiNFO utility. The air temperature during the measurements was 25 degrees Celsius.
Test results
Let’s start testing with an Intel Core i5-10600K processor. At first, the results were taken from the processor in a stock state with a consumption level of ~ 118 W, which demonstrates a stable frequency across all 4500 MHz cores at a voltage of 1.15 V in the LinX stress test 0.9.5.
For the competition were added: one of the top-end air coolers Noctua NH-U12A, part of the budget maintenance-free LSS protects Deepcool Castle 240 RGB V2, the younger model EK-AIO 240 D-RGB and, of course, a custom circuit from the EKWB company model EK-KIT Classic RGB P240.
When using the processor in stock, the novelty demonstrates good efficiency among competitors, yielding only to the full-format EKWB EK-KIT Classic RGB P240 circuit with a more powerful pump and a thick radiator. The parity between the EK-AIO D-RGB models lies in the unevenness of the base of the older solution: in the 240 mm version, this problem is not observed.Test with complete fans
Temperature Intel Core i5-10600K, ° C
Less is better
Linx 0.9.5
Turn on JavaScript to see graphs
We will overclock the Intel Core i5-10600K processor to 5000 MHz at 1.35 V, which will raise the consumption level to 190 W.
The new product demonstrates excellent efficiency of the cooling system, acting on par with the MSI model, where the merit is not the last, but the results are at the level of error, depending on many factors.Overclocked processor
Temperature Intel Core i5-10600K, ° C
Less is better
Linx 0.9.5
Turn on JavaScript to see graphs
EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB uses EK-Vardar S 120ER D-RGB double rolling bearing fans. They can be called conditionally silent up to 1000 rpm, quiet – up to 1400 rpm and comfortable – up to 1600 rpm.Test with complete fans
Sound pressure, dBA
Less is better
From a distance of 0.3 m
Turn on JavaScript to see graphs
The pump used in the EK-AIO D-RGB series has a low noise level and the ability to change the rotation speed, but due to optimal performance and acoustic comfort, manual adjustment is not required.Pump testing
Temperature Intel Core i5-10600K, ° C
Less is better
Linx 0.9.5
Turn on JavaScript to see graphs
The pump is built into the radiator and works quietly, an electric hum is noticeable, which is lost during the operation of the fans even at low power, so its operation does not bother.Pump testing
Sound pressure, dBA
Less is better
From a distance of 0.1 m
Turn on JavaScript to see graphs
Conclusion
For its debut in the segment of maintenance-free liquid cooling systems, the Slovenian company EK Water Blocks managed to release an interesting line of LSS. It features excellent performance and a memorable look that will appeal to both enthusiasts and users looking for simplicity and efficiency.
The manufacturer went for some “tricks” that actually look like a logical improvement of the contour: the thickness of the working fluid and one of the ends are increased, which allows you to hold more refrigerant and increase efficiency. The density of the plates has been reduced to compensate for the air flow pressure and to reduce the final noise level. The specific pump model is not specified, but the videos presented on YouTube indicate its larger diameter, and this leads to power and noise reduction. And only for the sake of cost, I had to resort to an aluminum radiator.
However, the EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB was not the ideal solution. Unfortunately, the main miscalculation of the series lies in the overlap of the adjacent DIMM DDR4 slot and the impossibility of using all memory modules. As a lyrical digression, I would like to note that I managed to test several instances of the EK-AIO line of LSS, and only on our sample a small hump was revealed at the base of the water block.
In any case, the EKWB EK-AIO D-RGB series has shown itself in all its glory and set an excellent bar for performance and implementation. Note, the corporate identity and good workmanship, allowing us to confidently declare that the Slovenian team has managed to implement the ideas and release an excellent maintenance-free LSS.
We express our gratitude:
- EKWB for the EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB liquid cooling system provided for the test.
- And also donnerjack personally for help in preparing the material.
Review and testing of processor SVO EKWB EK-AIO 360 D-RGB
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