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EK-MLC Phoenix 360

crazyeyesreaper

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The MLC Phoenix from EKWB offers custom liquid-cooling performance with the plug-and-play functionality of a closed-loop cooler. Utilizing their QDC fitting, this modular unit overcomes one of the biggest hurdles for proper liquid cooling, which is building it all yourself. It's so easy even a noob can do it. Well, if they can afford it, that is.

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Space Lynx

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Oh sweet mama I want this, with an increase fan profile curve... little pricey... you can buy their Fluid series which includes GPU block for cheaper than this. eeek
 

crazyeyesreaper

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Oh sweet mama I want this, with an increase fan profile curve... little pricey... you can buy their Fluid series which includes GPU block for cheaper than this. eeek
THis is basically custom water for the lazy. Its a decent kit all in all but yeah other cheaper options exist. Keep in mind tho the Fluid series only comes in 240 mm options and does perform worse than copper which the Phoenix is using. There is also one other problem. EK Fluid accessories are as costly or in some cases more expensive than regular water cooling parts. If you wanted to build an aluminum 360 mm Fluid loop it would cost more than going all copper. So something to keep in mind since I priced that out for a personal project awhile back.
 
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Why in this new test system the relative performance between CPU coolers are different that the old test system?, is now the Fractal Design Celsius S24 more efficient than Corsair H150i Pro?.

Is there any logical explanation?.



 

crazyeyesreaper

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Why in this new test system the relative performance between CPU coolers are different that the old test system?, is now the Fractal Design Celsius S24 more efficient than Corsair H150i Pro?.

Is there any logical explanation?.


I retested coolers on a new CPU 8700k vs 6700k. As such all coolers shown were retested.

New CPU new heat issues different results. Cache / voltages etc all change heat characteristics.

All you need to know is the Corsair unit performed better on a 6700k than it did an 8700k. The reason for this is the Intel TIM under the IHS paired with 50% more CPU cores and higher cache amounts all which generate more heat with subpar thermal transfer by design.

I do not delid CPUs 99% of consumers buying these products will not delid. As such you eventually hit a thermal wall at some point. These AIOs are all capable of easily dissipating 250+ watts an 8700k Overclocked will hit around 150w. As such while the CPUs get hot heat transfer is not all that great. This means on mainstream platforms you eventually hit a wall of diminishing returns.

Most Closed loop coolers have pumps that move around 50-70 Liters per hour. Something like the EK kit is capable of moving multiple hundreds of liters per hour even so its a diminishing return. That said the EK can move more fluid more effectively through the block and radiator absorbing a bit more heat and better dissipating it.

Thus the Fractal Design Celsius S24 with fans that spin at 1900-2000 vs Corsair unit fans spinning at 1500-1600 RPM. Higher RPM better cooling this is because the radiator of the 240 mm cooler is not thermally saturated nor is the 360 mm as such the difference in cooling comes down to effective airflow and coolant flow. Larger radiator = harder to push coolant through said radiator. Higher speed fan more airflow better performance. As for the relative performance charts it includes the data from stock and overclocked results. Thus stock performance can influence performance overall. In which case the performance averages out in favor of the Fractal design. Then again too many people on these forums assume bigger is always better. That is not always the case.

The fact you somehow think relative performance would remain the same when changing platforms is a bit baffling to me. Different platforms different results. I simply use the most widely adopted modern platform.
 
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Performance is awesome as expected. Price wise not so much.

Question for @crazyeyesreaper

I am probably gonna be staying on my X99 and 6950X for a long time. I do worry about temperature as my D15 is barely able to keep my CPU below 80 during Summer. Would you say the EK MLC is a worthy upgrade for a longevity oriented HEDT platform over D15? Or something like a regular Corsair H150I / NZXT X62 would do better?

Thanks!
 

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What I am wondering is its performance with a gpu block. Would the radiator and the pump suffice for the whole loop? Can't find a review for both blocks though.
 

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Performance is awesome as expected. Price wise not so much.

Question for @crazyeyesreaper

I am probably gonna be staying on my X99 and 6950X for a long time. I do worry about temperature as my D15 is barely able to keep my CPU below 80 during Summer. Would you say the EK MLC is a worthy upgrade for a longevity oriented HEDT platform over D15? Or something like a regular Corsair H150I / NZXT X62 would do better?

Thanks!

I have owned the D14 for several years now. I have 3x 140mm fans attached to it in push/pull, with a higher/aggressive fan curve. I suggest you do that with your D15, and optimize airflow more in your case with better fans or a new layout. A D15 with 3x 140mm attached directly and very aggressive fan curve probably even beats this AIO water cooler honestly. Have to deal with a little extra fan noise when gaming or such, but honestly my high end Noctua fans are not that bad on sound and I usually wear headphones anyway.

Most testing for D15 and D14 was done with stock 2 fans and stock fan curve. The adjustments change the game.
 

crazyeyesreaper

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Performance is awesome as expected. Price wise not so much.

Question for @crazyeyesreaper

I am probably gonna be staying on my X99 and 6950X for a long time. I do worry about temperature as my D15 is barely able to keep my CPU below 80 during Summer. Would you say the EK MLC is a worthy upgrade for a longevity oriented HEDT platform over D15? Or something like a regular Corsair H150I / NZXT X62 would do better?

Thanks!

Will an EK MLC Phoenix 360 offer better cooling? Yes
Will it cost a massive premium? yes.
Is the cost for the performance gained worthwhile? No

A D15 gains 1-2% more performance with two fans over the D15S a third fan as a poster above mentions will not improve performance by anything more than 1%. As such Phoenix still wins. However your trading near silent cooler for a much louder one. A 6950x with a soldered IHS however should end up much cooler on s Phoenix 360 as can handle around 500+ Watts with ease. Its a good cooler but a bad value. A case of diminishing returns.

That said I did use it to test a 5930k that could run 5.0 Ghz at 1.4 volts and it handled it just fine. Its your money so do what you want with it. Personally I do not feel the gain is justifiable for most. However if you want the best performance you can get without doing a custom loop yourself then yes a Phoenix MLC will get the job done.
 
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What I am wondering is its performance with a gpu block. Would the radiator and the pump suffice for the whole loop? Can't find a review for both blocks though.

Yes, Guru3D has benches with an i7 and Vega 56 in the same loop, and temp increases are actually pretty minimal. And that is where I see the value in this kit. For just CPU cooling, it looks very expensive for the few degrees you gain over something like the R1 air cooler. But with a GPU added and minimal temp/noise increase for everyday gaming/workloads, (not necessarily under max load benchmark conditions) ) it starts to use it's potential cooling much more. Also I do believe the truly plug and play nature of adding/removing components with no leaking is a fairly big value add for those who are not experienced with building custom loops, and could potentially encourage that group of people to someday try their hand at their own build.
 

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Yes, Guru3D has benches with an i7 and Vega 56 in the same loop, and temp increases are actually pretty minimal. And that is where I see the value in this kit. For just CPU cooling, it looks very expensive for the few degrees you gain over something like the R1 air cooler. But with a GPU added and minimal temp/noise increase for everyday gaming/workloads, (not necessarily under max load benchmark conditions) ) it starts to use it's potential cooling much more. Also I do believe the truly plug and play nature of adding/removing components with no leaking is a fairly big value add for those who are not experienced with building custom loops, and could potentially encourage that group of people to someday try their hand at their own build.

Pretty much this which is why even with a lower score I gave it a Recommended Award. It serves a niche in the market and it does it extremely well. Its only other competitor is the Eisbaer series from Alphacool which uses 70 L/h pump with lower pressure and utilizes GPU blocks that feature a secondary pump to keep coolant flowing. Thus the EK kit would likely result in lower noise overall as well in such a situation. As such for a quick built / quick expand system its basically the only one of its kind on the market.
 

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Pretty much this which is why even with a lower score I gave it a Recommended Award. It serves a niche in the market and it does it extremely well. Its only other competitor is the Eisbaer series from Alphacool which uses 70 L/h pump with lower pressure and utilizes GPU blocks that feature a secondary pump to keep coolant flowing. Thus the EK kit would likely result in lower noise overall as well in such a situation. As such for a quick built / quick expand system its basically the only one of its kind on the market.

Do you think it would be possible to upgrade the pump or the radiator later? Switch the pump with a ddc model, for instance, or the radiator with a 4x120mm one? I'm asking because I understand you could replace the pump with the Predator series.
 

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Do you think it would be possible to upgrade the pump or the radiator later? Switch the pump with a ddc model, for instance, or the radiator with a 4x120mm one? I'm asking because I understand you could replace the pump with the Predator series.

The Phoenix kit uses a DDC pump its limited to 6w that said the pump is the same as EKs SPC-60 used in their various custom kits that are available it has a 450 L/H rating. That said I do not think the Pheonix kit is as modular. The pump uses a barb fitting with clamps thats from the looks is built in as such not replaceable at least on that side. It could be replaceable however during the review it appears to be solid and built in which in theory would eliminate the possible leaking issues that were common on the Predator series. You could likely disassemble it and use the pump stand alone but that said no you can't really change the radiator or the pump on these kits. If that is your goal buy a kit and built it yourself and just add some QDC fittings during the build. https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-spc-60-pwm-acetal-incl-pump
 
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I purchased the Phoenix for my 1080 TI GPU and I think it was bad bad decision given the price of this thing. The radiator of my unit was very dirty, greenish particles were stuck in the micro channels of the GPU block. Just really bad and very bad quality control imo. When you look at things really close you can see the average quality, those 3D illustrations of their products give you a very wrong impression. I would give this 6/10.
 

crazyeyesreaper

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Compare it to other 360 would not it have been wise? Genre Eisbaer LT 360

H150i Pro = 360 AIO, Eisbaer LT was not available on the market when the EK Phoenix was received for review. I attempted to acquire an Eisbaer LT 360. However I only received a 240. Which is in the process of being reviewed.
 
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With those ugly hose fittings and clamps, it should be around a hundred dollars less than it is.
They look like they were bought in a garden sprinkler section of a hardware store.
 
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I understand.
but; H150i Pro = 360 AIO, Eisbaer LT is no.
The price is not the same, twice as expensive.
From what I have seen, he is one of the best, in short; depends on the config ....
Corsair is a good product, but inssuffisant.Faite a comparison between Esbaer lt and the H150i Pro.
cordially
With those ugly hose fittings and clamps, it should be around a hundred dollars less than it is.
They look like they were bought in a garden sprinkler section of a hardware store.

Maybe, but it's just good, see very good.And for the price of a full copper at 100 € wholesale 123 dollars, well, I did not hesitate

It's curious is kind of thinking, it's not made to look pretty, but powerful.
 
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The equivalent all copper / brass unit from Swiftech is half the price but w/o the quick disconnects $139.95 For those who want custom loop all copper components / expandability and a cost less than must aluminum rad AIOS, it's very attractive,.. We will do a build for someone with

https://www.swiftech.com/drivex3aio.aspx

Custom loop w/ flex tubing
Custom loop w/ rigid acrylic tubing and fittings
Custom loop w/ rigid bent acrylic tubing
All copper AIO from Swiftech or EK
Air Cooling

Will not do AIOs w/ weak pumps and mixed metals (aluminum rads)
 
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