....The X Series is built from top quality components found in custom loops with the performance and expandability to match, yet their pre-assembly offers the convenience typically associated with CLCs. In short, Swiftech is delivering the best of both worlds at an incredibly reasonable price with the X Series, and the H240-X is the biggest and most powerful unit in the line.
One of the things one may wonder is why the H240-X exists at all, given that the H220-X was already performance leaps and bounds ahead of any other cooler that isn’t a custom loop. There is the hard core OC segment that can definitely benefit from the ability to squeeze a little more from their CPUs, but the more mainstream reason here would look to be expandability. With 36% more surface area than the 240mm H220-X, the H240-X has dissipation characteristics closer to a 360mm than a 240mm. This will make for a far more comfortable proposition of adding a GPU to the loop without adding an additional radiator. Whether you are looking for the lowest possible CPU temps or greater expandability, the H240-X has you covered.
The individual components of the H240-X look far more like a shopping list for a high quality small~mid-size loop than something one would pull already assembled out of a box. It begins with Swiftech’s flagship Apogee XL CPU block, which is among the finest available on the market, and took top performance honors in our mainstream block comparisons. The radiator is built from Swiftech’s tried and true 240QP, featuring copper/brass construction and low restriction 12 fpi optimized for low noise cooling. The MCP-30 pump is capable of more than 1 gpm flow rates with enough head pressure to easily accommodate additional radiators and blocks. A small reservoir with bleed port is permanently mounted to the radiator and all is tied together with black 3/8” x 5/8” tubing. All fittings are G1/4” excepting the pump outlet (a G1/4” adapter is available from Swiftech for $4.95) to allow for changes to the fittings of your choice. Unlike a CLC, the H240-X is nothing short of a pre-assembled collection of top quality discrete liquid cooling components, and it shows in the build quality and performance.
And the performance….I expected the comparison graphs to look a bit absurd in this review, but even I was a bit surprised at just how far in front of the comparison units the H240-X stood. This wasn’t a collection of “also-rans” we compared the H240-X to, these are top performing CLC and air coolers available on the market today and the H240-X flat out embarrassed them in every aspect. The overall max performance was a full five degrees cooler than the nearest comparison unit not manufactured by Swiftech, and that unit used a 360mm radiator and came in nearly 10 dB louder. When we ran our low noise tests the increased passive capabilities of the larger copper/brass radiator really took hold, and the H240-X put up noise/performance levels unlike anything we have ever tested out of a box. As I said earlier, the H240-X is a top quality small loop that happens to be pre-assembled, and that is exactly what it performs and sounds like.
I had stated in my review that the H220-X makes CLCs a non-factor, and the H240-X follows that pattern, but putting even more possibilities on the table. For the novice or CPU only user, the H240-X is simply the best performing cooler you can buy that is ready for install out of the box, and it accomplishes this with incredible quiet. For those looking to expand, the 240mm radiator will handle most GPU additions, while the pump is ready to take on more additions as you see fit. For years, consumers have been excited about the possibility of jumping into liquid cooling. Many held off for fear of complicated setups or expenses, or found themselves with loud CLCs offering mediocre performance. With the X Series, Swiftech has gift wrapped a custom loop, assembled it and delivered it at an astonishingly low price point. In other words, with the H220-X and H240-X, Swiftech is delivering the real liquid cooling performance that those making the jump have craved but haven't gotten, while giving you all of the convenience of a CLC. Whether you are making your initial foray into liquid cooling, are looking for an upgrade from CLC or are an experienced user doing a small loop, the Swiftech X Series should be planted firmly at the top of your “must have” list, and the H240-X is the biggest, baddest member of the series. The H220-X and H240-X are game changers, plain and simple, and are the biggest advance in cooling that we have seen in years.
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