INTRODUCTION

   Although the design of All in one (AIO) liquid CPU coolers hasn't changed much over the years (if at all in most cases) for the most part interior components have and so cooling efficiency roughly ever stays the same in this market. Granted the majority of AIO models offers similar performance but there are always those that stand out like for example the recently reviewed Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition by Alphacool largely thanks to their ultra-high-performance pumps and waterblocks. Performance however is not the only thing consumers care for, looks also play a huge role and with the somewhat recent introduction of RGB lighting in this segment of the market more such models get released every day. Last year we had the chance to test the AuraFlow 240 AIO by ID-COOLING and although we weren't impressed by its cooling efficiency it somewhat made up for that with its very affordable price tag. Today with us we have the next generation AuraFlow X 240 model which according to ID-COOLING performs a lot better compared to its predecessor.

   Teamed up by a few veterans from PC industry, ID-COOLING was officially announced to the world during Computex 2013. The mother company of ID-COOLING is the cooling solution provider for many motherboard and VGA card brands for over 10 years. ID-COOLING is specialized in CPU air cooler, CPU water cooler, VGA cooler, built-in cooling case, computer case fans, server cooler and etc. Having been a certified supplier for world's top information companies such as Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, Lenovo, etc. ID-COOLING accumulated a good reputation for strict quality control, fast service and innovative solutions.

   Just like its predecessor the brand new AuraFlow X 240 AIO by ID-COOLING consists of an 27mm thick aluminum radiator (however this time over the radiator is 276mm long instead of 274mm), two 400mm long flexible sleeved tubings, high-performance ceramic-bearing pump/ microfin copper waterblock combo (features a maximum rotational speed of 2100RPM which can output up to 106 litres per hour at a height of 1.3 meters with just 25dBA of noise) and two XF-12025-RGB 120mm PWM dual ball-bearing fans (although specs are the same as the ones used in the AuraFlow - 1800RPM/ 74.5CFM/ 2.15mmH2O/ 35.2dBA - these don't feature clear plastic blades). Again, we also see RGB illumination with 7 different modes (Static/ Breathing/ Color Circle/ Rainbow/ Comet/ Flash & Dash/ Strobing) both on its ceramic-bearing pump and its two 120mm fans and as expected they are all compatible with all the leading RGB sync technologies out there including Asus AURA Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light (consumers without RGB compatible mainboards are also covered via a bundled RGB controller).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The AuraFlow X 240 arrived inside a box with a glossy cover that has a large and complete product picture at the front right over its main features and name.

Both the specifications and socket compatibility tables are printed at the rear of the box.

Nothing new in terms of packaging so once again the cooler is placed inside a formed piece of thick cardboard.

Along with the main body of the AuraFlow X 240 inside the box you will also find two XF-12025-RGB fans, Molex to RGB controller, 4-way RGB splitter cable, fan y-splitter cable, small thermal paste tube, user guide and all the hardware to mount the cooler onto Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2/FM2+/TR4 compatible mainboards.

THE AURAFLOW X 240

The sole thing that stands out compared to most AIO models is the thick pump/waterblock combo.

Again ID-COOLING decided to use the standard 27mm thick radiator for the AuraFlow X 240 (just like with the first AuraFlow).

This time over the radiator has a FPI (fins per inch) count of 17.

The AuraFlow X 240 comes ready with two 400mm long sleeved tubes.

The top of the round pump enclosure features the ID-COOLING logo (which once again is RGB illuminated).

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

The pump is powered by a 3pin connector (ID-COOLING packs a 3pin to Molex power adapter) and also features a 4-pin RGB connector for compatible mainboards.

The large copper waterblock is a lot better compared to that of the first AuraFlow (also it has no visible machine marks).

The XF-12025-RGB 120mm PWM dual ball-bearing fans can reach speeds of up to 1800RPM to produce 74.5CFM of airflow with 2.15mmH2O of air pressure and 35.2dBA of noise.

Both fans also feature anti-vibration rubber pads on all four corners, 4-pin mainboard connectors and 4-pin RGB mainboard connectors.

With both fans mounted the AuraFlow X 240 is now roughly 55mm thick and ready for our tests.

By plugging the RGB connectors of both fans and the pump to the 4-way RGB splitter cable and then connecting it to the RGB controller you can manually control the mode and color of the AuraFlow X 240.

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 original AuraFlow 240 didn’t manage to impress us with its cooling efficiency so when the AuraFlow X 240 arrived and we compared their specifications sheets we were actually worried that it would perform in the same manner. Now we can’t really tell what ID-COOLING did differently but if we had to guess then the pump/waterblock combo is at the top of our list of things that could actually improve its cooling efficiency by almost 7 full degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, although the fans used in the AuraFlow X 240 are not the exact same as the ones used in the AuraFlow 240 they are also quite loud and that is pretty much the sole drawback of this AIO. Looks are quite good although their upcoming AIO models with their DF-12025-ARGB fans will be clearly in the lead in that regard (review soon).

   ID-COOLING are known for their aggressive pricing policy and so just like the AuraFlow 240 the brand new AuraFlow X 240 with its recommended price of USD $79.99 / 79.99€ falls in the very budget-friendly category. Unfortunately, at the time of this review it was out of stock on most stores so availability is probably even more of a concern than noise levels. With that also out of the way the AuraFlow X 240 may not be the best looking or the highest performance AIO currently in the market but it does offer a very tempting package for people on a tight budget and since we were quite impressed by it, we’re happy to give it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Build Quality
- Very Good Cooling Efficiency
- Sleeved 400mm Long Tubings
- RGB Pump/Fan Illumination
- Easy Installation
- Bundled RGB Controller
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Noise Levels
- Current Availability