RADIATORS COMPARED: Pa120.3 Vs Hwlabs Black Ice Gt, Cooltek, Alphacool And More..., Published HardwareLuxx Magazine, 05/2006 Options

[Marci]

Well, with the new PA Series rads finally getting sorted, figured may as well do a comparison of HE120.3 vs PA120.3 with the same fans... to do so required some monitoring tools in the form of the mCubed T-Balancer and some handiwork with silicon... thus giving me liquid in and out temps... and air in and out temps. Unit under full load with as much heat as possible, whilst keeping speeds at stock, CPU set to 1.75v. AGP VDDQ to 1.6v. 100% load inflicted.

Temps were meaured every 20mins. Surveying them, they levelled out rapidly, within an hour, and hovered around the same points for the rest of testing (controlled ambient as best possible).

Max variance in ambient temp was 1.5 deg C. This was reflected across the board.

Note, temps shown are just a quick cross-section of readings recorded, not complete end-to-end results...

HE120.3 with 3x Panaflo M1A@7v

Air<: 23.0 | 24.0 | 23.5 | 23.0 | 23.5 | 24.5 | 24.0
Air>: 26.0 | 27.0 | 26.5 | 26.0 | 26.5 | 27.5 | 27.0
Liq<: 33.5 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 34.5 | 34.5
Liq>: 33.0 | 33.5 | 33.5 | 33.5 | 33.5 | 34.0 | 33.5

CPU: 17.0 | 17.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 19.0 | 18.0
GPU: 19.0 | 19.0 | 20.0 | 19.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 20.0

< = In
> = Out

So, averages are being used.

I'll summise testing of the HE120.3 with Panaflo M1A (fans at 7.04v by multimeter) as follows:

Avg Air <: 23.6
Avg Air >: 26.6
Avg Air Dt: 03.0
Avg Liq <: 33.9
Avg Liq >: 33.5
Avg Liq Dt: 0.40

Next step - remove HE120.3, install PA120.3 with same fans set to same voltage by Rheostat (measured with multimeter). This gave me the following recordset...

PA120.3 with 3x Panaflo M1A@7v

Air<: 22.5 | 24.0 | 22.5 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 23.5 | 22.5 | 23.0 | 22.5 | 22.5
Air>: 27.5 | 28.0 | 27.5 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.5 | 28.0 | 28.5 | 28.0 | 28.0
Liq<: 30.5 | 30.5 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 30.5 | 31.0 | 30.5 | 31.0
Liq>: 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0
CPU: 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0
GPU: 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0

Avg Air <: 22.9
Avg Air >: 28.0
Avg Air Dt: 05.1
Avg Liq <: 30.8
Avg Liq >: 30.1
Avg Liq Dt: 00.7

Already, we see a substantial drop in CPU and GPU temps between the two rads, with the PA120.3 shaving 4 or 5 degrees off each over the old HE series.

Figured I'd go for some self-amusement next...

PA160 with 1x Panaflo M1A@7v
Well... I'm impressed...

Air<: 24.0 | 23.5 | 23.0 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 23.0 | 24.0 | 23.5
Air>: 31.5 | 31.5 | 31.5 | 31.5 | 31.5 | 31.5 | 32.0 | 31.5
Liq<: 37.0 | 37.5 | 37.5 | 37.0 | 37.0 | 37.5 | 38.0 | 38.0
Liq>: 35.5 | 36.5 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 35.5 | 36.0 | 36.5 | 36.5
CPU: 21.0 | 22.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0
GPU: 21.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0

Avg Air <: 23.5
Avg Air >: 31.5
Avg Air Dt: 08.0
Avg Liq <: 37.4
Avg Liq >: 36.0
Avg Liq Dt: 01.4

Only 1 or 2 degrees hotter than the HE120.3 manages on CPU & GPU temps, with 2 less fans = less noise. Always a bonus!


PA160 with 2x Panaflo M1A@7v (PushPull with dual shrouds)

Air<: 23.0 | 23.0 | 24.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 23.5 | 24.0 | 23.5 | 24.0 | 23.5
Air>: 27.0 | 28.0 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 28.5 | 28.0 | 29.5
Liq<: 34.5 | 35.5 | 36.5 | 36.5 | 36.5 | 36.5 | 37.0 | 37.5 | 37.5 | 38.0
Liq>: 34.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 35.5 | 36.0 | 36.5 | 36.5
CPU: 19.0 | 20.0 | 21.0 | 20.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.5 | 21.5 | 21.5
GPU: 19.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0

Compare these figures to figures above - result? 2x fans in Push-Pull is of no major benefit over 1x fan in push.

PA120.2 with 2x Panaflo M1A@7v

Air<: 22.5 | 22.0 | 22.5 | 22.0 | 22.5 | 22.5 | 22.0
Air>: 32.0 | 31.5 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 32.0
Liq<: 33.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 | 33.5 | 33.5 | 33.0
Liq>: 32.5 | 32.0 | 32.5 | 32.5 | 32.5 | 32.5 | 32.5
CPU: 18.0 | 17.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 17.0
GPU: 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0

Avg Air <: 22.3
Avg Air >: 31.9
Avg Air Dt: 09.6
Avg Liq <: 33.1
Avg Liq >: 32.4
Avg Liq Dt: 00.7

2x PA160 with 1x Panaflo M1A@7v on each

AirIn <: 23.5 | 24.0 | 23.5 | 24.0 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 23.5
AirRad1>: 29.0 | 28.5 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0
AirRad2>: 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0
Liq <: 31.0 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 31.0
LiqMid : 30.5 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.5 | 30.0 | 30.0
Liq >: 30.5 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 30.0
CPU : 16.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.0
GPU : 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 | 15.0

Avg Air Into Rads <: 23.6
Avg Air Out of Rads>: 29.0
Avg Air Dt : 05.4
Avg Liq Into Rads <: 30.8
Avg Liq Out of Rads : 30.0
Avg Liq Dt : 00.8

Break it down...

• PA160 with 1x Panaflo M1A @ 7v: CPU - 21 GPU - 22
• HE120.3 with 3x ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ : CPU - 18 GPU - 19
• PA120.2 with 2x ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ : CPU - 17.7 GPU - 18
• 2x PA160 with 1x ^^ on each ^ : CPU - 15.8 GPU - 15.1
• PA120.3 with 3x ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ : CPU - 15 GPU - 15

Further independant comparative results vs other rads - Testing Performed by Radiical53 on behalf of HardwareLuxx Magazine - Germany

120.3 radiator formats tested. Results scale down perfectly for all other formats (120.2, 120.1) from same radiator family (as originally proven in BillA's testing of the HE Series MANY years ago)

1 - Pressure Drop - flow set at 4lpm at pump, pressure drop measured after radiator. % loss shown - smaller the loss, better the pressure.. listed best to worst.

• ThermoChill PA120.3 - 6%
• Watercool HTFX3-x - 14%
• HWLabs BlackIce GT360 - 17%
• HWLabs BlackIce GT360 XFlow - 17%
• HWLabs BlackIce Xtreme - 17%
• HWLabs BlackIce Xtreme XFlow - 17%
• Watercool HTSF - 17%
• Cooltek MCR320 - 18%
• NexXxos Xtreme - 23%
• NexXxos Pro - 27%

As you can see, you could theoretically run TWO Thermochill rads, and still have better headpressure than if you were using a SINGLE rad of any other brand.

2 - Performance order (best to worst) based on final coolant temp, cooled with YateLoon 120mm fan - lower the "k" figure (difference between coolant temp and air temp), cooler the coolant, therefore better the performance...

At 600rpm:

• Thermochill PA120.3 - 7k
• Watercool HTSF - 8k
• Watercool HTSF3-x - 8.4k
• Cooltek Maxistream / Swiftech MCR - 8.4k
• Black Ice GT - 9.2k
• Black Ice Extreme - 11k
• Alphacool NexXxos Pro - 11.2k
• Black Ice GT X-Flow - 12.1k
• Black Ice Extreme X-Flow - 12.3k
• Alphacool NexXxos Extreme - 14k

At 900rpm:

• ThermoChill - 6.2k
• Cooltek - 6.9k
• BIGT - 7.2k
• WC HTSF - 7.3k
• BIGT-XFlow - 7.3k
• WC HTSF3-x - 7.4k
• NexXxos Pro - 7.5k
• BIX - 8.5k
• NexXxos Extreme - 8.5k
• BIX-XFlow - 9.5k

At 1200rpm:

• ThermoChill - 4.2k
• Cooltek - 5.6k
• BIGT - 5.7k
• BIGT-XFlow - 5.9k
• BIX - 5.9k
• NexXxos Pro - 6.1k
• NexXxos Extreme - 6.1k
• HTF3-x - 6.3k
• HTSF - 6.3k
• BIX-XFlow - 6.6k

The rad with the lowest delta (k) can also (because it is returning the coolant to a lower temperature) handle more heat at the same temp as another brand rad... eg: You could shift 500w with Brand X at 1200rpm. With ThermoChill at 1200rpm you could shift MORE than 500w - more cooling power for the same noise level... or you could shift 500w on it's own at LOWER than 1200rpm, therefore same cooling power, but less noise.

Couple the fact that ThermoChill PA Series is FAR less restrictive to pressure than any other rad, AS WELL as the fact that it outperforms all the rest at every fan speed tested, with it's lead increasing the quieter the fan... and the results are obvious. One family of radiators out there will always beat all the rest (and I'm glad someone finally tested all those out there to allow me to actually say this with some proof to back it up!) - the lower pressure restriction alone will mean better performance out of EVERY block in your system, as you'll have better pressure rates thru-out the entire setup (crucial for impingement blocks etc)

Note, these results are from independant testing by HardwareLuxx Magazine in Germany, and were published in May 2006 in their magazine in a head to head shootout of the top 10 Triple-120mm radiators available today. The original article in German is available to download from http://www.thermochill.com/pa1203.php, and since it's publication, we've seen ThermoChill sales to the German market soar, to the point that big name companies over there who currently rely on the chinese-clone rads as their main rad (ie: The XSPC rad) are beginning to switch over to using ThermoChill products instead...

These results also highlight the fact that singlepass rads on the market currently, which are all a dualpass with tanks knocked off and singlepass tanks slapped on, perform worse than their dualpass counterparts, and offer no benefits when it comes to flow restriction (the entire black ice range, whether dualpass or singlepass, still poses a 17% restriction). Other than the ThermoChill PA160 which was designed from the ground up as Singlepass...

So, if you're using silent low airflow fans, depending on your current rad, you could be seeing coolant temps upto 7 degrees cooler from a ThermoChill rad over another brand. The higher the airflow, the smaller the difference (eg: 2.4 degrees at 1200rpm rather than 7 degrees at 600rpm)... but in this day and age where everyone wants as quiet as possible... the PA series is the best choice.

ADDENDUM - OCTOBER 2006 - Further independant comparative results vs other rads - Testing Performed by Radical_53 - Germany

ThermoChill PA120.2 vs Swiftech MCR320
PA120.2 fitted with shroud and 2x YateLoon D12-SL fans, Swiftech MCR320 fitted with 3x of the same...



As you can see from the above figures, the PA120.2 with shroud manages to effectively match the Swiftech MCR320, with less noise due to fewer fans in play...


ADDENDUM - JANUARY 2007 - Bill Adam's Results from Testing of the PA Series
See http://www.thermochill.com/PATesting/

[Rockin]

And the competition not even coming anywhere near close either

Good work

[VeeHexx]

another feather in thermochill PA rads' cap

best get that added to rad's spec marci - independant tests prove PA120.3 (/PA-series?) rad are the least flow restrictive.

any idea what the PA's compare to vs HE rads, outta curiousity - for flow restrictiveness?

[creidiki]

You know whats really funny? That those X-Flow conversion pieces of toss dont have any flow advantage what-so-ever over good ole dual-passes.

[Marci]

More or less identical... HE series a few percent behind, but still ahead of most. See the updated page at http://www.thermochill.com/pa1203.php which shows our recently-received award, review, and links to the complete radiator comparison (allbeit in german!)

[Marci]

All ThermoChill preformance related info blended in to OP.

[Marci]

Added PA120.2 vs MCR320 data to OP... note, MCR320 is the 2nd best of the triple radiators out there, and the PA120.2 manages to effectively match it.

[Brewster]

And the competition not even coming anywhere near close either

Good work

What I find interesting is how things like this get posted but there isn't a price to performance ratio. If you throw any amount of money at something you can achieve the best, but where do you draw the line on value? Pa120.3 a = £60 approx black ice GTS360 = £40 and XSPC RS360 = £30

What is best value for money????

[Marci]

Generally you'll find the two don't go hand in hand. Those that care to that extent about price will buy based on price and disregard performance. Those that build solely for rankable performance tend to ignore all costs and pay whatever price necessary. Best value for money therefore becomes subjective. The best value for you is whatever you can afford that achieves whatever you want to achieve. As it goes, the majority of our customer base in the past has always fallen into the performance bracket, where people want performance that is guaranteed, and generally accompany it with "price is no issue".

For some, most heat dissipation at the lowest possible noise is worth the cost of the necessary radiators and fans... for others, they're happy with lower heat dissipation for the same noise... Some like the fact that our radiators are made by hand entirely in the UK rather than mass-manufactured overseas, and are happy to pay a premium to own such a product (as has always been the way)...

Anyone can work out which is the best value for money - that which costs nearest to the budget you have to spend...

[Bob Wya]

• ThermoChill PA120.3 - 6%
• Watercool HTFX3-x - 14%
• HWLabs BlackIce GT360 - 17%
• HWLabs BlackIce GT360 XFlow - 17%
• HWLabs BlackIce Xtreme - 17%
• HWLabs BlackIce Xtreme XFlow - 17%
• Watercool HTSF - 17%
• Cooltek MCR320 - 18%
• NexXxos Xtreme - 23%
• NexXxos Pro - 27%

Hi Marci,

I wonder how the Koolance rads. stack up against the PA120.x series?

On their website they claim (independant) tests showed that their aluminum radiators out-performed brass/copper rads.:

Koolance independant radiator tests

I see they normalise the flowrate which would perhaps hinder the performance of the (low) resistance PA120.2 radiator??

Are their claims or what?? OK alu is evil but is it higher performing owing to it being single metal radiator unit without a TIM between copper/brass?

Thanks

Bob

[Marci]

Look at the airflow figures used in their testing. Now tell me if you can reproduce that airflow in your PC. Have a read of this (extensive) thread on the matter - http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showth...koolance+hwlabs

I took the time to calculate the actual air-flows:

PA120.2 => 324CFM
HWLabs GT240 => 318CFM
Koolance => 330CFM

So, these are all 2x120mm fan radiators. That means to achieve that sort of air-flow, we'd need to be pushing ~160CFM actual, through the radiator, with each fan.

What sort of fan could do that you ask? 160cfm @ ~110Pa (~0.45in H2O).

Found one!

The Delta TFB1212GHE. This lovely little number is a 220CFM fan, running at a delightfully pleasant 65.0dBA. I have one of these fans at home. They are freaking insanely loud. Think of your typical hairdryer, on the highest speed setting, and then turn on 9 more of them, and you're still probably not quite there with understanding just how loud and annoying these fans are.

Make absolutely no mistake. This is marketing/advertising crap at its total sleaziest worst.

It is of absolutely zero secret that the design for the PA120 series has its efficiency falling away rapidly with the use of fans of >100cfm rating. Above 130cfm fans the PA120 radiators really don't benefit from any extra airflow at all.

This is Koolance purposely choosing the "weak-points" in competing designs, and constructing an artificial test that obfuscates the full disclosure of the fan power and noise required to attain the air-flow levels demonstrated in their tests, and then has the audacity to claim technical superiority.

Once again we see sleazy marketing practices at their worst brought to play against competitors, and targetting the uninformed consumer who will blindly swallow complete tripe all because it "looks official".

It's nothing more than tarted up pig swill with a pretty ribbon on top.

Source: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpo...mp;postcount=19