INTRODUCTION

   Regardless of whether or not you believe that AIO liquid CPU cooling solutions are clearly superior to regular CPU air coolers there's one thing pretty much noone denies, they look a lot better. This has always been the case really, from early models with water flow indicators to models with clear acrylic pumps and reservoirs and now models with RGB/ARGB lighting and even temperature feedback/indicators AIO solutions have always led the market in that regard. Personally, i strongly believe that if you own a tower capable of holding an 360mm tri-fan AIO then you should go for it but since most such models cost quite a bit i decided to test one which combines looks, performance and a rather affordable price tag. That AIO is no other than the Navis EVO ARGB 360 V2 by SilentiumPC which I’ve been using for just over 2 weeks now.

   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.

   Just like with every single AIO in the market today the Navis EVO ARGB 360 V2 (120/240/280mm models are also available in this product line) consists by 4 parts, an 395mm long, 120mm wide and 28mm thick aluminum radiator, two 460mm 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) and three Stella HP ARGB PWM hydraulic-bearing 120mm fans (1600RPM/9 addressable ARGB LEDs each). Thanks to this combination the Navis EVO ARGB 360 V2 AIO achieves a very high TDP (thermal design power) of 350W and as expected both the three bundled fans and the top of the pump are fully compatible with motherboard that feature 3-pin addressable RGB connectors (ASUS Aura Sync, ASRock Polychrome Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light). For people who don't happen to own one such compatible motherboard SilentiumPC bundles their nano-reset ARGB controller which supports up to 50 different illumination modes. As with previous lines SilentiumPC covers the entire Navis EVO ARGB V2 line of AIO liquid CPU coolers with a 3-year limited warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Once again at the front of the large box we find a product picture 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.

Moving at the rear we find the product specifications printed in two languages (Polish/English), two product pictures and the socket and motherboard compatibility lists.

Typically, the first thing you will see once you open the box is a funny paragraph by SilentiumPC.

As expected from such a product the entire bundle is placed in several plastic bags and inside a formed piece of cardboard.

Aside the main body of the Navis EVO ARGB 360 V2 (radiator/tubes/pump/waterblock) inside the box you will also find the three Stella HP ARGB PWM 120mm fans, mini thermal paste tube, nano-reset ARGB controller, ARGB adapter cable, backplates (TR4 backplate included), installation instructions in multiple languages and all the necessary screws and mounts for installation on Intel LGA 775/1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2/FM2+/TR4 compatible motherboards.

THE NAVIS EVO ARGB 360 V2

This is the 2nd Navis EVO ARGB model I’ve had the chance to test by SilentiumPC so nothing new in terms of look (aside the larger radiator and longer tubes).

At 27.15mm thickness the radiator is almost exactly what SilentiumPC states (the 0.85mm difference could be due to a calibration issue with the measuring tool).

The radiator used in the Navis EVO ARGB 360 V2 has an FPI (fins per inch) count of 20.

Once again at the end of the radiator we find a fill/empty port which however is not to be used.

The 460mm long sleeved rubber tubes should be enough for even the largest PC towers out there (these also feature anti-kink coils on both ends).

On top of the pump SilentiumPC has placed their logo along with several clear lines all of which become different colors once the AIO is in operation (just like the sides).

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

This time over the all-copper cold plate had no machine marks on it.

All three Stella HP ARGB PWM 120mm fans have 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 EVO ARGB 360 V2 measures just over 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

   Two things i need to point out before i continue, 1st that the nano-reset ARGB controller fell and broke (stepped on is more accurate) while i was mounting the AIO onto my system (and thus i wasn’t able to get any pictures with its LEDs on) and 2nd that by the time this review was ready SilentiumPC had already released V2.1 of their Navis EVO ARGB line (tiny differences however primarily with the bundled fans). With these out of the way the cooling efficiency of the Navis EVO ARGB 360 V2 is clearly very good, especially if we also take into account the low noise its fans produce at maximum speed. Of course, the charts clearly show that this is not the best 360 AIO out in the market currently but SilentiumPC has always been about price and performance and that’s exactly what you’re getting with the Navis EVO ARGB 360 V2 AIO.

   You can currently get your hands on the Navis EVO ARGB 360 V2 by SilentiumPC for just 104.90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which should be very appealing to most consumers out there. Unfortunately, SilentiumPC products are not available (not widely anyways) outside the EU but that’s just about the sole drawback of the Navis EVO ARGB 360 V2 which is also why it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Good Cooling Efficiency
- 460mm Long Sleeved Rubber Tubes with Anti Kink Coils
- ARGB Pump / Fan Illumination
- Easy Installation
- Bundled Nano Reset ARGB Controller (50 Effects / Modes)
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Current Availability (Outside The EU)
- Compatibility (360mm AIO)