Introduction

EK Water Blocks, or EKWB, or even simply EK, finally updated its radiator lineup after years of people looking for something new, and both the 30-mm thick EK-Quantum Surface S360 and the 58-mm thick EK-Quantum Surface X360M were impressive. Given the company's new Matrix7 initiative whereby all new EK products will differ in the relevant dimensions in multiples of 7 mm for easier loop plumbing, having a 44 mm thick radiator was no doubt planned alongside the other two.


Indeed, the equally new EK-Quantum Surface P360M is a direct replacement for the older EK-Coolstream PE360. The older radiator never really did much to attract attention from viewers and reviewers alike, owing to mediocre performance compared to the 60-mm thick radiators and only just besting the 30-mm thickness class radiators too. There was an intermediate radiator core being tested which was promising, and perhaps that was the start of the new core/fin geometry that eventually led to the new radiator lineup. Today we are testing the third of these new radiators to see how it slots between the S360 and X360M, and thanks to EK for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp!

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

As expected, the packaging design for the EK-Quantum Surface P360M is near identical to that used for the EK-Quantum Surface S360 and X360M we saw before. The sleeve that has gone from a green and white color scheme in the previous generation to this black with orange accents befitting the EK brand more in 2022. Note also the vertical orientation of the product box, which makes it stand out more from the crowd when taking photos. On the front is the company logo and product name, with "EK-Quantum Surface" larger than the actual product to make sure product branding is first and foremost. A large render of the radiator helps visualize the product inside, and a feature list, tech details, and company contact information are on the back in a few different languages. Side flaps keep the inner box concealed during transit, which is bereft of anything noteworthy aside from the second set of side flaps keeping it closed.


Opening the box, we see the radiator safely packed inside bubble wrap, and the various accessories are placed inside a separate cardboard box on the side to prevent any damage to the radiator from the mounting hardware accidentally hitting it during transit. I also appreciate the box being labeled as much, and it's shaped to leave no free space for the accessory box and radiator to move around inside. In the smaller box, a plastic zip lock bag contains a set of twelve 5 mm and 30 mm long screws for fans to be installed in either push or pull, and in either intake or exhaust in conjunction with the case or radiator mount. These come with Phillips screw heads as opposed to the button head screws which came with the EK-Quantum Surface S360, and we thus don't get the smaller Allen key since EK assumes everyone has a Phillips head screwdriver. The screws are also M4-threaded, which is a good thing with thicker radiators as it is more durable than M3 or UNC 6-32 and readily available if replacements or longer screws are needed for thicker fans, such as the excellent Phanteks T30-120. Instead, 6 mm and 9 mm L-shaped Allen keys are included, and we will see on the next page where these fit in—literally.