EKWB EK-XLC Predator 240 Review

Performance Analysis

We haven't hooked up a powerful set of custom water cooling components to our new test rigs, nor have we tested any of the larger 280mm radiator-equipped AIO liquid coolers out there yet, so we expected some fairly potent results from the Predator. We certainly weren't disappointed - chart-topping results in both of our test systems and only Corsair's H80i GT and H100i GTX came close to matching it. We saw a number of coolers out-do the rest of the field by nearly the same amounts with our previous test systems - namely the 140mm fan-based NZXT Kraken X60 and Corsair Hydro H110, but for the time being, the Predator looks set to dominate our graphs until something bigger comes along.


This was with the fans at their maximum speed and while they're certainly quieter than Corsair's H80i GT and H100i GTX coolers on their top speed settings, it's still pretty loud once the fans ramp up. However, it's fairly simple to limit the fan speeds in most motherboard EFIs these days and dropping them to the minimum levels resulted in a practically silent cooler. The LGA1150 result rose by 6°C - still a top-table result, but the LGA2011 delta T rose by a more significant 13°C. This was still enough to match any AIO cooler on its minimum fan speed and not only were the fans quieter than the likes of the Corsair's H80i GT and H100i GTX, but the pump was less noisy too.

On a side note, we have since played around the Predator and drained the loop and one issue we did find was that the reservoir wasn't particularly good at bleeding the system of air. It required constant attention and topping up, so be wary of draining it if you don't intend to add a separate reservoir.

Conclusion

The results speak for themselves - the Predator 240 is awesomely good at cooling Intel CPUs and can be fine-tuned to offer fantastic cooling at whisper-quiet noise levels too. Many new AIO liquid coolers have the ability to reduce pump noise, such as Corsair's H80i GT, but still end up being noisier overall while attempting to offer anything like the cooling the Predator provides.

You'll need to make very sure your case can house it, though, as it's much larger than your average 240mm radiator due to the fact the pump and reservoir are bolted on the end. Other than that, it's relatively easy to install and is compatible with most other water-cooling hardware too - something many AIO liquid coolers aren't.

While we're clearly pointing out its potentially low noise levels and excellent cooling, there is one small issue - price. Even Corsair's monstrous H100i GTX costs a massive £70 less and the H80i GT less than half the price with a saving of over £80. You don't get the same performance or noise levels, but the cooling is still pretty good for a lot less cash. However, it's the expandability and compactness of the Predator that's really exciting though. It's a pretty unique product that's an excellent introduction to the world of watercooling, although if you're serious about it, there are plenty of good DIY kits out there that are more hands-on and maybe more rewarding too.

We should make any potential customers aware that you should make sure you're buying a revision 1.1 unit - as you can read here, EKWB discovered issues with the original model that could lead to leaks, although we're happy to report not a drop was spilled while we tested it.