INTRODUCTION

   Even though there's no denying really that the introduction of RGB lighting a few years back brought forth numerous aesthetical changes/improvements in the electronics industry it didn't take long for manufacturers to tweak it even further. The very first ARGB (Addressable RGB - this technology allows a different color to be assigned on each individual LED) devices made their debut last year and although to date not all implementations have managed to surpass what we've seen from their RGB counterparts this technology does offer significantly higher customization levels. Earlier this year SilentiumPC released their very first RGB illuminated AIO liquid CPU cooler line under the name Navis RGB (review here) which was updated back in July to include ARGB components. The name of this brand new line of AIO liquid CPU coolers is the Navis EVO RGB and today we'll be testing the 240mm dual-fan variant.

   Since 2007 SilentiumPC brings well-made CPU coolers, cases and power supplies with main focus on exceptional value for money achieved through effective design and smart cost-cutting. No fancy trademark names, just well-thought-out products designed to work, chosen and praised by value-minded enthusiasts and system integrators.

   The parts of the Navis EVO RGB 240 AIO liquid CPU cooler by SilentiumPC (120/280/360mm models also available) include a 275mm long, 120mm wide and 28mm thick aluminum radiator, two 380mm long sleeved rubber tubes, high-performance ceramic-bearing pump (9 pole motor with a speed of up to 2500RPM -+10%) complete with top and side ARGB LEDs and an flow-optimised all-copper base (cold-plate). Two Stella HP ARGB hydraulic-bearing 120mm fans (2300RPM/66.3CFM/2.20mmH2O/9 addressable ARGB LEDs) complete the bundle and also help the Navis ARGB 240 AIO achieve a very high TDP (thermal design power) of 350W (same as the Navis RGB 280). Both the two Stella HP ARGB fans and the pump are fully compatible with mainboards that feature 3-pin addressable RGB connectors (ASUS Aura Sync, ASRock Polychrome Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light) but if you happen to not own one such model you can still use the bundled nano RGB controller instead which supports up to three different modes (fixed, rainbow wave and breathing - also compatible with the latest towers by SilentiumPC which feature their Aurora Sync RGB controller). Also, worth pointing out is that SilentiumPC covers the entire Navis EVO ARGB line of AIO liquid CPU coolers with a 3-year limited warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A large product picture is printed at the front of the box right beneath the company logo and next to the product name.

The size of the radiator is showcased on the left side with the help of two drawings.

Three product pictures located on the right side of the box are used to showcase the size of the pump/waterblock combo.

Turning the box around we find the product specifications printed in two languages (Polish/English) and two product pictures.

Once again SilentiumPC has placed the product features at the base of the box.

Remember the funny line/intro by SilentiumPC in our Navis RGB 280 review? Well the Navis EVO ARGB line comes with an even funnier line.

Typically, the entire bundle is placed in several plastic bags and inside a formed piece of cardboard.

Contained inside the box are the main body of the Navis EVO ARGB 240 (radiator/tubes/pump/waterblock), two Stella HP ARGB 120mm fans, mini thermal paste tube, nano ARGB controller, ARGB adapter cable, backplates (TR4 backplate included) and all the necessary screws and mounts for installation on Intel LGA 775/1150/1151/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2/FM2+/TR4 compatible mainboards.

THE NAVIS EVO ARGB 240

In terms of looks (without the fans that is) the brand new Navis EVO ARGB is nearly identical to the Navis RGB so nothing really new here.

Strangely enough the radiator of our sample is not exactly 28mm thick (more like 27mm thick).

The radiator used in the Navis EVO ARGB 240 has an FPI (fins per inch) count of 19.

An empty/fill port is located at the end of the radiator but it's not to be used.

This time over SilentiumPC has used 380mm sleeved rubber tubes which also come with anti-kink coils on both ends.

On top of the pump SilentiumPC has placed their logo along with several clear lines all of which illuminate once the AIO is in operation.

Both tubes can rotate at the base of the waterblock/pump combo to simplify installation (the anti-kink coils can also be seen here).

The copper cold-plate of our sample only had a couple of machine marks on it.

Both Stella HP ARGB 120mm fans feature anti-vibration pads on all 4 corners, two 3-pin RGB mainboard connectors and a 4-pin PWM connector.

With the fans mounted the Navis RGB 280 now measures roughly 52mm in thickness.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since we want all of you to be able to compare similar products, we created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. Finally, much like when testing CPU Coolers it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with our test rig (when we test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures, we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded, we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here, we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   Just like with the Navis RGB 280 the performance of the brand new Navis EVO ARGB 240 may not be something to make it stand out from the sea of AIO models out there but thanks to its new ARGB lighting system it does a very good job in the looks department (even more so if you have a 3-pin RGB compatible mainboard). That being said cooling efficiency although certainly nothing we haven’t seen in the past is certainly not bad either especially if you take into account noise levels which are clearly not as high as some other 240mm AIO models. Of course, it goes without saying that if your PC case can accommodate a 280mm AIO we’d recommend going with the Navis EVO ARGB 280 instead since it should perform roughly the same as the Navis RGB 280 (if not even better).

   The Navis EVO ARGB 240 AIO liquid CPU cooler by SilentiumPC currently retails for 84.95Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which puts it right at the center of numerous other 240mm AIO models with similar performance levels (unfortunately SilentiumPC products don’t seem to be available on the other side of the Atlantic, at least not currently). Since ARGB however is still not something many manufacturers have followed through with the Navis EVO ARGB 240 actually offers more in terms of looks and for that it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Good Cooling Efficiency
- 380mm Long Sleeved Rubber Tubes with Anti-Kink Coils
- ARGB Pump / Fan Illumination
- Easy Installation
- Compatibility (240mm AIO)
- Bundled Nano ARGB Controller
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Current Availability