INTRODUCTION

   2017 is finally here and with it so is the new CES (consumer electronics show) in which pretty much all manufacturers from around the world are either introducing new and innovative products ment to empty our pockets (some of which will probably not be available for many months to come) or promoting the ones already released in mid/late 2016. As expected we will of course take a look at several of those products as they get released in 2017 but until these start rolling in our lab we'll be testing some of the last and most interesting products of 2016. One such product is no other than the brand new EK-XLC Predator 280 Pre-Filled CPU Xpandable and Liquid Cooling by our friends over at EK Water Blocks.

   EK Water Blocks is a premium computer liquid cooling gear manufacturer from Slovenia established in 1999. Our goal is to excel in a niche market of performance upgrades for computers. With continuous research and development, we have established a portfolio of products for water cooling. Quality and breathtaking design on the technological edge is our philosophy.

   Slightly over a year ago EK Water Blocks released the EK-XLC Predator 240 a AIO model which consisted by a dual 120mm coolstream PE copper/aluminum radiator with two 120mm Vardar fans and a 6W laing DDC 3.1 pump attached to it which in turn was connected to a supremacy mx water block (only Intel compatible right of the box) via two long EK-ZMT tubes. The EK-XLC Predator 240 was and still is one of the best AIO models around but larger is always better so soon afterwards EK Water Blocks released the tri-fan 360 model and not too long after that they released the 280 model which we have here today. The EK-XLC Predator 280 is also a dual-fan model just like the 240 but instead of two 120mm high-static pressure Vardar F4-120ER PWM fans (2200RPM/77CFM/31Pa/33.5dBA) it comes bundled with two 140mm high-static pressure Vardar F2-140 PWM fans (1600RPM/84CFM/18.6Pa/31.6dBA) and so the coolstream CE copper/aluminum radiator used is quite longer and wider as well (295x133mm/335x142mm). EK Water Blocks also used a different pump with the 280 model so instead of the 6W laing DDC 3.1 pump (180 l/h flow) this time over we see the 6W EK-SPC 60A pump (flow rate of 450 L/h). EK Water Blocks has also used a quick disconnect coupling (or QDC) with the Predator 280 which can be used to expand the system without having to drain the unit (this coupling is only compatible with QDC modules by EKWB).