INTRODUCTION

   Regardless of the why one may choose AIO (all-in-one) liquid CPU coolers over "regular" CPU air coolers (looks, performance, installation ease, zero clearance issues) the end goal should be the same for everyone and that's none other than getting the best possible cooling efficiency for your money. Of course, if you can have both optimal cooling efficiency and looks all the better and this also happens to be the trend nowadays, especially with AIO liquid CPU coolers. Countless models by a very large number of manufacturers combining ARGB/RGB lighting with very high cooling efficiency levels making them ideal for all segments of the market from casual users to even overclockers. One such model is the PF240 Premium AIO ARGB Liquid Cooler by SilverStone which i have here with me today.

   Founded in 2003, SilverStone is an established leader in its field, with an elite team of engineers; we started our quest of providing products that create inspirations. We have since expanded the lines of products as well as types of products we produce, giving our customers a wide selection of choices. With distribution centers in different areas of the globe, SilverStone products can be seen all over the world, not just for computer users but also for home entertainment use. Providing leisure with integration of advanced technologies that is functional and making them enjoyable to use.

     The PF240 AIO by SilverStone features a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 240W and consists of an 28mm thick and 272mm long automotive grade aluminum radiator, two Air Blazer 120R 120mm PWM hydraulic-bearing fans (2200RPM/ 94CFM/ 3.53mmH2O/ 35.6dBA), two 400mm long flexible composite rubber tubings, high-performance pump (3400RPM - three phase, sex pole design) and a pure copper waterblock. The SilverStone PF240 also features ARGB illumination for both its pump and its two 120mm fans all of which as expected are fully compatible with Asus AURA Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light, ASRock Polychrome and Biostar Racing sync-enabled motherboards (consumers without ARGB compatible motherboards are also covered via a bundled ARGB controller - 10 available ARGB effects). So, let's see what this dual 120mm fan AIO by SilverStone is capable of.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The PF240 arrived inside a white box which typically has a product picture at the front along with the company logo and supported RGB motherboard technologies.

Several stickers with barcodes and serial numbers are located on the left side.

Three product drawings showcasing the size/measurements of the PF240 AIO are placed on the right side.

At the top SilverStone has placed the three main product features in 11 languages.

The product specifications and mainboard socket compatibility are placed at the rear of the box.

Just like with most AIO the PF240 is safely wrapped inside two plastic bags and placed inside a formed thick piece of cardboard.

Aside the PF240 and its three Air Blazer 120R fans also contained inside the box are an ARGB controller, ARGB y-splitter, Molex to 3pin power cable, fan y-splitter, warranty information paper, user manuals and all the required bits and pieces to mount the cooler onto Intel LGA 775/1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2/FM2+ compatible motherboards.

THE PF240

There's nothing really new in terms of design compared to other AIO models, minus perhaps the top of the pump.

Even though SilverStone claims they've used an 28mm thick radiator it's more like 27mm thick (not that 1mm would make a difference).

An empty/fill port is located right next to the base of the tubings.

With a fin count (FPI) of 20 this radiator should perform quite well.

I was surprised somewhat to see that SilverStone has used two 400mm long sleeved tubes (most still use up to 350mm ones).

The top of the pump features a glass-like surface which has several ARGB LEDs underneath.

Both tubes can rotate at the base of the waterblock/pump combo to simplify installation.

The copper base was without machine marks and larger than what we see with most AIO models.

The Air Blazer 120R 120mm PWM fans can reach speeds of up to 2200RPM to produce 94CFM of airflow with 3.53mmH2O of air pressure and just 35.6dBA of noise.

Both fans also feature anti-vibration rubber pads on all four corners.

With the fans mounted the PF240 is now roughly 53mm thick and ready for testing.

My system may not be ARGB compatible but thanks to the bundled controller i wanted to showcase both its fans and pump.

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

   The PF240 AIO liquid CPU cooler by SilverStone may not be the latest model to hit the market (been around for over a year if I recall correctly?) but it performs very well for a dual-fan (240mm) model. Needless to say, its Air Blazer 120R fans are also responsible for this but even though they look nice they are also somewhat audible at load. Yes, the PF240 is far from the loudest AIO in the charts but at full speed its fans are audible so do take that into account in case you’re after a near-silent model. Being available in both black and white is not something we see a lot in the industry and it’s certainly also a plus if you happen to be building a white system. The same goes for motherboard compatibility especially since lately more and more AIO’s seem to only support the latest sockets.

   Retailing for 104.69Euros inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 92.96Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the PF240 ARGB AIO liquid cooler by Silverstone lands just right in the middle of similar models. At the end of the day there’s not much i can tell you that’s not already available in this review about the SilverStone PF240. It performs very well, looks even better and is compatible with all of the motherboard sync technologies and pretty much every available CPU socket out there which is why it deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Very Good Cooling Efficiency
- ARGB Lighting
- 400mm Long EPDM Braided Tubes
- Large Copper Coldplate
- Available In Black & White
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Increased Noise Levels