Cooler Master Seidon 120 XL Watercooler Review
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Thursday, April 04, 2013
Introduction
One of the most difficult questions to answer about any heatsink is, "what is the most important feature?" The answers often vary based on what the user is looking for but often come down to two things, cooling performance and price. The truth of the matter is, reliability should be at the top of your list and while most people take this for granted you cannot always assume that when dealing with a watercooler.
In this review we'll be looking at the new Cooler Master Seidon 120 XL performance watercooler. The Seidon 120 XL is part of a new line of self contained watercoolers designed to be a high-performance alternative to your typical air cooled heatsink. Unlike other self contained units the Seidon was designed in house at Cooler Master and comes with some great features.
In this review we'll be looking at the new Cooler Master Seidon 120 XL performance watercooler. The Seidon 120 XL is part of a new line of self contained watercoolers designed to be a high-performance alternative to your typical air cooled heatsink. Unlike other self contained units the Seidon was designed in house at Cooler Master and comes with some great features.
The radiator is a standard 120mm unit with mounting points for dual fans and no serviceable connections. There is a fill port but, tampering with this will void your warranty and is generally discouraged. Radiator thickness often determines overall heat capacity and while the typical self contained unit comes with a 1 inch thick radiator the Seidon 120 XL is slightly thicker at 1.5 inches.
Hose diameter is approximately .25 inch and features a flexible ribbing design to prevent the hose from kinking and still remain flexible. Connections at the CPU are stiff but can twist to match where you happen to install the radiator without any tools.
Hose diameter is approximately .25 inch and features a flexible ribbing design to prevent the hose from kinking and still remain flexible. Connections at the CPU are stiff but can twist to match where you happen to install the radiator without any tools.
The heatsink base is flat and comes with a micro brushed texture to promote good thermal paste adhesion. While the waterblock is hidden away in the pump assembly the documentation claims there is a microfin structure for good heat transfer.
Cooler Master has included two 120mm cooling fans that will move 85CFM @ 40db and spin between 600 and 2400RPM. Each fan comes with a rubber isolator cushion to prevent vibrations and is secured in place with special screws. The fans aren't quietest at full speed but do a great job as we have seen with the TPC 812.
Cooler Master has included two 120mm cooling fans that will move 85CFM @ 40db and spin between 600 and 2400RPM. Each fan comes with a rubber isolator cushion to prevent vibrations and is secured in place with special screws. The fans aren't quietest at full speed but do a great job as we have seen with the TPC 812.
Mounting hardware is universal and will fit all modern CPUs. The included rails mount directly to the waterblock and sit on a threaded riser system. Fans are mounted using one of two different length screws so that you can install the Seidon 120 XL with the included fans or custom fans of your choosing.
