Introduction

I would like to thank EKWB for supplying the review sample.

From the EKWB website:

EK Water Blocks bears the name of its founder Edvard König, who started experimenting with liquid cooling in 1999. From humble beginnings in the early years of the previous decade, the company grew steadily to become a global premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer.

Today, EKWB offers a complete range of products for liquid cooling, from the renowned Supremacy line of CPU water blocks to a wide range of CoolStream radiators; from in-house developed Vardar high pressure fans to the market-proven DDC series of liquid cooling pumps, and thus provides overclocking enthusiasts and dedicated gamers with the best of what the market can offer. With continuous research and design, we'll always strive to bring extreme liquid cooling performance to our customers all around the world.

EKWB is a watercooling juggernaut that started as just a man's simple idea. Cut to the present and, well, you could say they are one of the top manufacturers of liquid-cooling PC components. They have earned numerous awards and gained an exceptionally large following thanks in part due to exceptional quality and attention to detail. Other than a few hiccups along the way, EKWB has been wildly successful and now looks to bring custom watercooling to even the most hesitant users with the EK-MLC Phoenix, which replaces the now EOL Predator series.

In today's review, we will be utilizing a completely new test bench. Packing an Intel i7 8700K that has not been delidded, we will be comparing coolers as most consumers will use them, which in some situations means that the only reason a cooler fails is due to the TIM Intel utilizes under the IHS. However, that does not change the fact for many users that the temperatures seen here are what they can expect in the worst-possible situation on Intel's mainstream platform.

So, to start things off today, we will take a look at the new EK-MLC Phoenix kit based on the Intel/AM4 block and 360 mm radiator module. Very similar to the Predator series that came before it, this new offering is more streamlined for ease of use by budding enthusiasts wanting to dip their toes into the possibilities of proper watercooling. The question is whether it proves to be a worthy successor or falls flat. Let's take a closer look!