[section_title title=”Closer Look”]
Closer Look
Now we get to the good stuff, what you’ve all been waiting for, a family photo of Daddy cooler, Mummy Cooler and Rebellious Teenager Cooler, here shown without the fans for a look at the radiators in all their naked glory.
As you can see, the main difference between the group is the radiator size: The Kelvin S36 is a massive 360mm x 120mm, the smaller Kelvin S24 is a 240mm x 120mm, and the rebel of the group is not only smaller at 120mm x 120mm but is also thicker and comes shipped with two fans for push/pull configuration out of the box.
Everything else is the same so I’ve used the Kelvin series interchangeably in the rest of the shots. Starting with the pump which is a powerful affair that can effectively be used for up to 4 components including the CPU plate. Here you can just about see the braided cable that goes to a 3-pin fan header to power the pump.
Why use such a powerful pump for an AIO? Looking at the fittings will answer that question. The Kelvin range come with industry standard G 1/4″ thread sized brass fittings, the same size as is featured on a range of products across many manufacturers, allowing you to chop and change almost any component and expand your loop to your ideal configuration. The hoses are fitted with a metal coil which allows you to make tighter turns in your loop without the threat of kinking.
The radiator is referred to as a ‘unique copper-nylon mix’ and has a fill port to top up the loop if necessary or fully replace the liquid if you want something a little jazzy to go with clear piping, a relatively easy mod even for a first time loop builder.
The fans across the Fractal Design Kelvin range are the Silent Series HP 120mm and you get three with the S36, and two with the S24 and T12.
The accessories are again almost identical across the Kelvin series. Along with the back plate and pump collar, you have a selection of screws to fit almost any Intel or AMD series processor. There is also a power splitter lead sufficient for the two or three fans, a cable to reduce the speed of the fans and a 1g tube of Fractal Design Zero thermal paste.
Starting next year. I will no longer use air cooling for CPU or GPU. This looks like a great buy.