Fractal Design Kelvin S24 CPU Cooler
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Fractal Design Kelvin S24 CPU Cooler

May 27th, 2015 Mike Leave a comment Go to comments

 

Not so long back pcG took a look at a new AIO (All-In-One) liquid cooler from Fractal Design in the form of the Kelvin T12. A first generation CPU Cooler for the company, that despite a lack of LED illumination and a mounting system that could be a little better, was surprisingly quiet and performed incredibly well for an AIO sporting a 120mm radiator. What we have here today is its bigger brother, the Fractal Design Kelvin S24. So we have the same identical DC-LT based pump, same two Fractal Design Silent Series HP 120mm PWM fans, same G1/4″ fittings and same potential for expandability to allow for additional radiators and/or GPU waterblocks. The only significant difference being the bigger 240mm radiator, but bigger is better right?!

Let’s take a closer look!

 

Fractal Design Logo Large ‘Simple to install, silent operation, powerful performance and easy expandability define the Kelvin Series. The silent high-performance ceramic pump is strong enough to support considerable expansion, should you decide to include GPU blocks and/or additional radiators in the same loop. The Kelvin Series water cooling systems are constructed from enthusiast class components. Both the CPU block and the radiator are made from pure copper, for maximum performance and an increased product life span with zero maintenance required.’

 

Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - box front Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - box back

 

The Fractal Design Kelvin S24 arrived at pcG within a box with an identical style and design to that of its smaller sibling (the T12). The box itself is predominately satin black with a neon blue band at the foot highlighting the Fractal Design logo and web address, with another at the top with the model name and a brief description. Towards the top left and in bright white we have the Fractal Design name, whilst dead in the centre we have a large image of the Kelvin S24 itself, with the words ‘Powerful. Quiet. Expandable’ beneath it.

Flipping over the box and following the same styling, gives us two further images; one of the Kelvin pump and one of the 240mm radiator. Above which we are given a generic description of the DC-LT based Kelvin series AIO Coolers.

 

Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - box left Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - box right

 

Looking at the left side of the box gives us a detailed list of the Kelvin S24 box contents, above which we are shown a technical diagram of the 240mm radiator, giving us full details of its dimensions and measurements.

While over on the right we have an exploded diagram of the DC-LT based water pump, giving us a brief description of each of its layers as follows:

  • Piano black top cover – Metal sheet providing a stylish, mirror-like surface finish.
  • Alphacool DC-LT ceramic bearing pump – A powerful, time-proven and highly reliable pump, which supports considerable expansion.
  • Vibration and noise insulation – For reduced noise, the pump is both covered by a dense insulation sheet and surrounded by custom-molded silicone.
  • Standard G1/4″ fittings – Built largely with traditional stand-alone water cooling components, this system is the perfect base for a more extensive water cooling setup.
  • Custom jetplate – Specifically developed for optimizing the performance together with the integrated pump.
  • Solid copper baseplate – Pure copper base with CNC-milled micropins for optimal heat conduction

 

Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - unboxing Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - unpacked

 

Opening up the box reveals the Kelvin S24 to be very well protected within a familiar egg-box styled cardboard tray. Each of the components are separately bagged to further ensure their protection and all of the fittings are grouped and bagged individually in resealable plastic bags.

 

  • Box Contents
  •  

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - contents
    • Fractal Design Kelvin S24 pre-assembled Water Cooling Unit
    • 2x Fractal Design Silent Series HP PWM Controlled Fans
    • Intel and AMD Fittings
    • PWM Splitter Cable
    • Fractal Design Zero™ Thermal Paste, 1g Syringe
    • Long and Short Radiator Mounting Screws
    • User Manual

     

    At the time of review the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 is available from Amazon for £108.43 or from eBuyer for £89.99 and offers a 2 year warranty.

     

    Specifications/Features

    courtesy of Fractal Design

     

    KEY FEATURES:

    Fantastic cooling performance.

    • The strong pump and the full-copper construction places the Kelvin Series water cooling system ahead of the pack in cooling performance.

    Expandable system. Just open it up to get the full benefits of custom water cooling, with the ability to add any components you want to the loop, such as a graphics card cooler.

    • High pressure pump allows strong water flow rates even when an additional CPU or GPU water block or an additional radiator has been added to the loop.
    • All parts have fully standard G 1/4″ thread fittings for compatibility with the vast majority of enthusiast water cooling products.
    • The tubes are fastened with two-part brass fittings, providing a secure seal while being easy to open and re-seal with a standard wrench.
    • Easy refilling with dedicated fill port

    Made with enthusiast-grade components developed in cooperation with Alphacool.

    • Highly reliable ceramic bearing pump, with custom tuned maximum RPM for the optimal balance between performance and noise level
    • made with a revolutionary copper/nylon radiators
    • Full copper CPU Water block design featuring strategic jet plate improvements

    Long lifetime. The performance of most pre-filled water cooling systems degrade quite significantly over time, because of galvanic corrosion and water loss.

    • Galvanic corrosion occurs over time when two metals with different galvanic potential (such as aluminium and copper) are in contact. It can be slowed with anti-corrosion additives in the water, but the best way to maintain performance over time is to use metals with similar galvanic potential. The Kelvin Series water cooling system is constructed with pure copper in both the radiator and the water block, along with brass fittings.
    • To avoid the common issue of most pre-filled water cooling units (that tend to lose performance over time due to water loss in the tubes), Fractal Design equipped the Kelvin series with a fill dedicated port.

    General Specifications:

    • Block/pump assembly measurements: 69*69*40 mm
    • Tubing Measurements: 320mm long, 11mm outer and 8mm inner diameter
    • Fitted with anti-kink coils for worry-free installation
    • Kelvin S24 Radiator Measurements: 30*124*275 mm
    • Thread class for fill port and all tube fittings: G 1/4″
    • Supported sockets: Intel: 775,1150,1155,1156,1366,2011; AMD: AM2,AM2+,AM3,AM3+,FM1,FM2,FM2+
    • Fans included: 2 pcs
    • Fractal Design Zero™ Thermal Paste ; 1 g syringe, sufficient for multiple mountings
    • Colours Available: Black
    • Net weight – Base unit only, not including mounting or fans: 1.2 kg
    • Net weight – SS-HP fan, per fan: 165 g
    • Net weight – Total excluding packaging and manual. Includes fans, mounting kit for all platforms, cooling paste (including packaging for the cooling paste) and adapter cable: 1.8 kg
    • Package dimensions – W x H x D: 350*250*151 mm
    • Package weight: 2.5 kg

    Fan Specification:

    • Fractal Design Silent Series HP 120 mm
    • 800 – 1700 RPM
    • PWM control
    • Max air flow: 62.4 CFM
    • Max pressure: 2.33 mm H2O
    • Acoustical noise: 26.9 dB(A)
    • DC 12V, 0.18A

    Pump Specification:

    • Ceramic bearing
    • 2400 RPM
    • Voltage control
    • Maximum water flow: 72 l/h
    • Maximum pressure: 1.0 m H2O
    • Acoustical noise: 25.0 dB(A)
    • DC 12V, 0.27A

    Package contents

    • Fractal Design Kelvin S24 pre-assembled Water Cooling Unit
    • 2 Fractal Design Silent Series HP PWM controlled fans
    • Intel 775,1150,1155,1156,1366 mounting hardware (including back plate)
    • Intel 2011 mounting hardware
    • AMD AM2,AM2+,AM3,AM3+,FM1,FM2,FM2+ mounting hardware
    • PWM splitter cable
    • Fractal Design Zero™ Thermal Paste, 1g Syringe
    • Long and short radiator mounting screws
    • User manual

    Additional Information:

    • Product number: Kelvin S24 FD-WCU-KELVIN-S24-BK
    • EAN Code: 7350041082569
    • UPC code: 817301012560

     

    * Additional details available here

     

    First Impressions

     

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 240mm radiator side Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 240mm radiator end Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 240mm radiator top

     

    From the side the Kelvin S24 240mm radiator initially looks to have very little in the way of distinguishing itself from that of any other 240mm radiator. Except that if you compare the side shrouds to that of the Raijintek Triton, Corsair H105 or Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 for instance, you’ll notice no screw or rivet heads, which helps to give the radiator a very clean look indeed. The only detailing here to break this up is the Fractal Design name in white at one end. It looks good and would certainly work within almost any Gaming Rig, but personally I’d have preferred if the brand name had been on a sticker in a similar way to the Kelvin T12, just to allow for a slightly easier level of customisation.

    At the tubing end we find two G1/4″ compression fittings with mounts measuring 25mm in depth, whilst the 240mm radiator itself is 30mm thick. The fittings themselves follow the most popular thread size currently available when it comes to custom water cooling, which also means if you should choose to customise the Kelvin S24, fittings and tubing will be readily available. If you look closely at them, you’ll also notice the fittings seem to be made from brass, which you can see where the black paint appears a little worn.

    Looking from above shows the 240mm radiator has a total length of 275mm and measures 124mm across its width. Unlike the SilverStone Tundra series which feature fins soldered to the radiator water pipes, the Kelvin series follows the more traditional aluminium ribbon configuration. Looking at the fan mounts we also find plenty of space between the actual mounts and the radiator fins with small protection plates beneath the mounts, which will help prevent damage during installation.

     

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - pump top Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - pump side Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - pump coldplate

     

    The little Alphacool DC-LT based pump is very solidly built and surprisingly small measuring just 69mm(L) x 69mm(W) x 40mm(D). The outer body of the pump assembly is made from a textured black plastic which seems very tough and difficult to mark, whilst the very top features a glossy piano black metallic sticker with the Fractal Design name in a rather nice contrasting white in the corner. It’s simple and stylish with an almost elegant look, but for those like me who like a little bling, the lack of LED illumination is certainly missed.

    Along right side of the pump is where the inlet and outlet are situated. Unlike the fixed G1/4″ compression fittings we’ve seen on the 240mm radiator, the two pre-connected to the pump assembly are both right angled rotary fittings. This is not only to ensure a higher degree of case compatibility, but should make it easier to keep the tubing looking good when the AIO is installed. The tubing itself is 320mm in length with an 11mm outer diameter and 8mm inner. The tubing is very flexible and easy to position, which would normally mean it would also be very easy to kink and impair the water flow in the loop. But Fractal have helped to prevent this problem by including pre-fitted anti-kink coils.

    Beneath the sleek looking black pump assembly, we find the CPU cooler’s coldplate. As we can clearly see, both the plate and the four retaining screws are made from copper, which should help ensure optimal heat conduction.

     

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - assembled

     

    Fractal Design have chosen to include the same two Silent Series HP 120mm PWM fans as used on the smaller Kelvin T12, which is certainly no bad thing. They may not look as exciting as some of the fans included with that of the competition, but these 800-1700RPM fans proved more than capable in our previous review and just as importantly they did so very quietly.

    Previously the Fractal Design Kelvin T12 AIO liquid CPU Cooler with its 120mm radiator stunned and impressed us with its cooling and acoustic performance, let’s find out how its bigger brother the Kelvin S24 and its bigger 240mm get on in the Test Rig!

     

    Hardware Installation

     

  • Test Rig Setup

  • Case Cooler Master HAF XB Power Supply Corsair Professional Series AX 760i
    Motherboard ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer CPU Intel Core i5-4690K
    CPU Cooler Fractal Design Kelvin S24 RAM HyperX Savage 2400MHz 8GB Kit
    Graphics Card XFX AMD Radeon R9 290X DD Black Edition SSD HyperX FURY 120GB

     

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 115X fittings Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 115X fittings assembled

     

    Installing the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 into the pcG Test Rig proved to be a far easier task than when installing the Kelvin T12. Why? Have they changed the mounting assembly? Sadly not… Previous experiences have instead served me well and a little practice makes perfect (or at least the job in hand easier…). As before, we pick out the fittings bag marked with the ‘Intel’ sticker and remove the LGA 2011/3 upright bolts, leaving us everything we need to install our LGA 1150 based Intel Core i5-4690K, ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X Killer and Kelvin S24 together. We then use the adhesive tape on the backplate to affix the backplate onto the motherboard whilst lining up the sliding mounts with the motherboard LGA 1150 socket mounts. The two mounting plates are then slotted around the pump assembly. Each of the upright bolts then needs piecing together, an easy job that requires you to pop a spring over each upright, then a washer, each upright is then slotted through the mounting plate mount and held in place via a small nut.

     

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - pump installed top Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - pump installed angled Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - pump installed front

     

    We then remove the clear plastic covering from the pump assembly coldplate (pretty important this bit 😉 ), a small amount of Arctic Cooling MX-4 is then added to the centre of the CPU, we line up the pump with the mount, then whilst firmly pressing down on the pump we slowly tighten each of the upright bolts starting from one corner at a time. Once the bolts have bitten enough to keep the pump assembly in place, I found it fairly easy to finger tighten them a little further by hand, but whilst doing so you’ll want to hold a finger against the back of each of the backplate sliding mounts as they have a tendency to pop out!

     

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - fans installed front NZXT Kraken X61 - 140mm fans installed angled Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - fans installed side

     

    As with many other 240mm radiator based AIO CPU coolers, with the Kelvin S24 Fractal Design have included enough screws for your choice of fan configuration (push, pull, or even both if you have another couple of fans handy). As you can see from the images above I chose to use a push configuration by mounting the fans on the outside of the Cooler Master HAF XB with the 240mm radiator on the inside. This is simply to allow plenty of cool air from the outside of the case to be fed through the radiator in order to gain maximum cooling potential. Each of the fans is fixed to the 240mm radiator directly through the HAF XB fan mounts creating a sandwich effect and holding both the radiator and fans firmly in place. Anyone who has custom water cooled their Gaming Rig before, but many AIO users may not be too familiar with, is the use of hex bolts for the fixing of these. Which may seem a little irritating at first considering you’ll need an extra tool (handily included within the box), but there is method in the madness. Hex bolts heads don’t tend to strip like that of a standard Phillips screw and it is actually very difficult to over-tighten one of them, therefore it helps prevent you from damaging the radiator fins during installation.

     

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 240mm radiator installed side Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 240mm radiator installed angled Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 240mm radiator installed top

     

    Leaving us with just the Kelvin S24 to plug into the motherboard and the two Fractal Design Silent Series HP 120mm PWM fans into the included PWM fan splitter and then into an available motherboard fan header as well.

    I’ll admit installing the second Fractal Design Kelvin AIO CPU Cooler seemed a lot easier than the first, but again I’d put this down to experience more than anything. I still stand by my initial impressions of the Kelvin T12 installation and think Fractal Design need to rethink the pump mounting assembly to make it more practical and easier for the end user.

    What we are left with though once fully assembled, is one stylish, almost elegant looking AIO CPU Cooler and certainly something I would happy to see within my own Gaming Rig.

    Now it’s time for some thermal benchmarks!

     

    Testing Methodology/Setup

     

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - Thermostat For CPU Cooler testing, we here at pcGameware run Prime95 for a 15 minute period. During this period the temperature is monitored with CoreTemp and the cooling performance recorded (the max recorded is the average for all cores). Between each stress test we allow a 15 minute cool-down to allow for more accurate results. To adjust the fan speed we simply use the UEFI. A close eye is also kept on the ambient temperature, with the maximum being recorded for each run, this allows us to calculate the Delta temperature (Core – Ambient = Delta). Each run was performed with the Intel Core i5-4690K CPU at the following frequencies: 3.5GHz (Stock) and 4.0GHz (using the ASROCK OC Tweaker, shown in the picture below), all results have been recorded with CPU-Z.

    * Please note: To ascertain the maximum and minimum noise levels produced by our CPU test coolers. The dBA is recorded at a distance of 1 metre from the cooler, with all case fans unplugged to isolate the sound in question.

     

    UEFI OC Disabled (3.5GHz) UEFI Overclock (4.0GHz)

     

    Processor speed is set using the OC Tweaker tab of the UEFI, “Disabled” for stock speeds (3.5GHz) and “Turbo 4.0GHz” for the minor overclock tests. It should be noted that changing the OC settings resets the Fan Speeds, so these are checked on the next reboot and reset to “Full Speed” (see below).

     

    UEFI Fan Options UEFI Fan Settings UEFI Fan Speeds

     

    All the fans installed in the system are set to 100% speed using the displayed settings, this is simple with the ASROCK UEFI with the option of “Full Speed” being available for all system fans (bar the Power Fan header).

     

    CPU-Z - Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 3.5GHz

    CPU-Z – Fractal Design Kelvin S24 – 3.5GHz (fans @ 100%)

    CPU-Z - Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 4.0GHz

    CPU-Z – Fractal Design Kelvin S24 – 4.0GHz (fans @ 100%)

     

    Hardware Performance

     

    As stated above, to make our performance tests easier to follow and to get the most accurate recordings, all of the following tests have been carried out with case fan set at 100% via the UEFI, then both of the Fractal Design Silent Series HP 120mm PWM Fans and the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 pump were also set at 100%.

     

    • Intel Core i5-4690K – 3.5GHz (stock)

     

    Prime95 - NZXT Kraken X61 - 3.5GHz

    NZXT Kraken X61 – Prime95 – 3.5GHz (fans @ 100%)

    Prime95 - Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 3.5GHz

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 – 3.5GHz – Prime95 – 3.5GHz (fans @ 100%)

    Prime95 - Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 - 3.5GHz

    Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 – Prime95 – 3.5GHz (fans @ 100%)

     

    CPU Cooler Air/Liquid Fan Speed Ambient Temperature Max CPU Temperature (core average) Delta Temperature Noise Level
    NZXT Kraken X61 Liquid 100% 24.50 40.75 16.25 51dB
    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 Liquid 100% 22.50 41.50 19.25 41dB
    Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 Liquid 100% 24.00 43.50 19.50 50dB
    Noctua NH-D15 Air 100% 25.00 44.75 19.75 44dB
    Raijintek Triton Liquid 100% 24.00 44.25 20.25 46dB
    Fractal Design Kelvin T12 Liquid 100% 25.00 46.00 21.00 40dB
    Reeven Okeanos Air 100% 22.00 43.75 21.75 45dB
    SilverStone Tundra TD02-E Liquid 100% 21.00 43.50 22.50 48dB
    SilverStone Tundra TD03-E Liquid 100% 25.50 49.25 23.75 51dB
    Corsair H105 Liquid 100% 23.00 46.75 23.75 60dB
    Reeven Justice Air 100% 21.50 46.50 25.00 39dB
    Reeven Hans Air 100% 26.00 51.50 25.50 34dB
    Raijintek Themis Evo Air 100% 21.50 47.50 26.00 37dB
    Noctua NH-U9S Air 100% 24.00 50.00 26.00 38dB
    Scythe Mugen Max Air 100% 22.00 48.50 26.50 36dB
    Reeven Ouranos Air 100% 22.00 48.50 26.50 43dB
    Prolimatech Basic 81 Air 100% 22.00 50.75 28.75 43dB
    Raijintek Themis Air 100% 21.50 52.25 30.75 47dB
    Cryorig C1 Air 100% 23.00 56.25 33.25 42dB
    Noctua NH-D9L Air 100% 25.00 55.75 30.75 33dB
    SilverStone Argon AR06 Air 100% 23.50 79.50 56.00 28dB

    * Thermals Explained

     

    After some pretty good results with the Kelvin T12, I was expecting even better results from the bigger Fractal Design Kelvin S24. Did it disappoint? Hell no! With a maximum average CPU core temperature of 41.50C, Delta of 19.25C and a paltry 41dBA of noise produced, the Kelvin S24 sits very nearly at the top of the thermal benchmark table, with only the current king of the hill the NZXT Kraken X61. Of course the Kraken X61 is 10dBA louder and also features a 280mm radiator where as the Kelvin S24 has a 240mm radiator.

    Let’s see how it handles an overclock.

     

    • Intel Core i5-4690K – 4.0GHz (OC Tweaker)

     

    Prime95 - NZXT Kraken X61 - 4.0GHz

    NZXT Kraken X61 – Prime95 – 4.0GHz (fans @ 100%)

    Prime95 - Fractal Design Kelvin S24 - 4.0GHz

    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 – Prime95 – 4.0GHz (fans @ 100%)

    Prime94  - Fractal Design Kelvin T12 - 4.0GHz

    Fractal Design Kelvin T12 – Prime95 – 4.0GHz (fans @ 100%)

     

    CPU Cooler Air/Liquid Fan Speed Ambient Temperature Max CPU Temperature (core average) Delta Temperature Noise Level
    NZXT Kraken X61 Liquid 100% 24.00 48.00 24.00 51dB
    Fractal Design Kelvin S24 Liquid 100% 23.00 47.75 24.75 41dB
    Fractal Design Kelvin T12 Liquid 100% 26.50 53.75 27.25 40dB
    Raijintek Triton Liquid 100% 24.00 51.25 27.25 46dB
    Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 Liquid 100% 24.50 52.25 28.00 50dB
    Reeven Okeanos Air 100% 23.50 51.75 28.25 45dB
    SilverStone Tundra TD02-E Liquid 100% 22.00 50.50 28.50 48dB
    Noctua NH-D15 Air 100% 24.00 52.50 28.50 44dB
    Corsair H105 Liquid 100% 23.00 53.50 30.50 60dB
    Scythe Mugen Max Air 100% 22.00 54.75 32.75 36dB
    SilverStone Tundra TD03-E Liquid 100% 26.00 58.75 32.75 51dB
    Reeven Justice Air 100% 22.00 55.25 33.25 39dB
    Reeven Hans Air 100% 25.00 59.25 34.25 34dB
    Reeven Ouranos Air 100% 24.00 58.25 34.25 43dB
    Raijintek Themis Evo Air 100% 21.50 58.00 36.50 37dB
    Noctua NH-U9S Air 100% 23.50 60.25 36.75 38dB
    Prolimatech Basic 81 Air 100% 22.00 59.50 37.50 43dB
    Raijintek Themis Air 100% 21.00 59.50 38.50 47dB
    Noctua NH-D9L Air 100% 24.50 67.00 42.50 33dB
    Cryorig C1 Air 100% 23.00 65.75 42.75 42dB
    SilverStone Argon AR06 Air 100% 23.50 92.50 69.00 28dB

    * Thermals Explained

     

    Fractal Design are certainly on to a winner with the Kelvin series as far I’m concerned. With the i5-4690K voltage ramped up from 1.052V to 1.157V and pushing the clock speed up from 3.5GHz to 4.0GHz, we gain the undesirable by product of additional heat. Not that you could tell with a maximum average core temperature of 47.75C (24.75C Delta). Making the Kelvin S24 6.00C (2.50C Delta) cooler than its little brother the T12. The Kelvin S24 very nearly knocks the NZXT Kraken X61 from the top, but despite the maximum average core temperature being 0.25C cooler, the Delta works out to be marginally warmer by 0.75C.

     

  • Acoustics
  •  

    With all that thermal performance and the fans set at 100%, you’d expect to gain a little noise with two Fractal Design Silent Series HP 120mm PWM fans installed. Yet this little bundle of joy from Fractal produces a maximum noise of just 41dBA! Making the Kelvin S24 one of the quietest AIO coolers we’ve tested here at pcG! Of course if a paltry 41dBA is still too loud for you, by reducing the fans to their minimum speed we suddenly lose 16dB, dropping the noise level to just 25dBA!

     

    Final Thoughts

     

    I recently took a look at the 120mm featured Fractal Design Kelvin T12 CPU Cooler and walked away impressed enough to give it a Silver award, but can the Scandinavian company impress us again with the bigger Fractal Design Kelvin S24?

    Just like its smaller sibling, the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 arrived at pcG sealed within a simple but stylish looking box, which was predominately satin black on the outside with neon blue bands highlighting the model name and type. Once inside and beneath a protective layer of foam, we found a familiar egg-box styled cardboard tray with all of the box contents safely wedged within. The contents also gained additional protection from clear re-sealable plastic bags, which were also handily used to group and organise the fittings themselves.

    Once out of its confines, the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 was revealed to be one very solid and well made AIO CPU Cooler. The satin black 240mm radiator looked very clean without any signs of screw or rivet heads on the outer shroud. Whilst the Alphacool DC-LT based pump assembly would surely fit in with any Gaming rig, with its demure stature and piano black cap offering an almost elegant and rather likeable appearance. Although admittedly a little bling in the form of some LED illumination would’ve really put the icing on the cake! 😉

    The installation of the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 is really its biggest downfall… Fitting the 240mm radiator and the two Fractal Design Silent Series HP 120mm PWM fans was an easy enough task, made all the easier by the 320mm (L) tubing being very flexible. The pump mounting assembly is fairly straightforward (with experience), but just like on the Kelvin T12, the mounting backplate and its sliding mounts tend to pop out a little too easily even with just a small amount of pressure applied. The obvious remedy being to apply pressure to the mount while fixing the pump assembly, but does this really need to be so awkward when the likes of the NZXT and Corsair have such ridiculously easy mounting systems?

    Where the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 really shines is in the area of thermal performance. With the i5-4690K set at its stock speed of 3.5GHz, we gained a maximum average CPU core temperature of 41.50C (19.25C Delta), then with a minor overclock and the CPU set at 4.0GHz a maximum average core temperature of 47.75C (24.75C Delta). Which left it very narrowly missing the giddy heights of top of the thermal benchmark charts and in second place. It does, however do so with a rather impressive noise production of just 41dBA and that’s with the fans set at 100%!.

    Overall the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 is undeniably amongst the best AIO liquid CPU coolers on the market today. It has the build quality, elegant aesthetics, whilst offering great thermal performance with a very small amount of noise produced. It pretty much offers you everything you would want in an AIO CPU cooler, then throws in the potential to expand the loop with additional radiators and GPU waterblocks! The only real niggles are the fiddly pump assembly mounting system and the lack of LED illumination, neither of which are deal breakers. The price might be the only real issue. With an average price of approximately £105.00 the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 is pretty expensive which means the cooler will ultimately gain a pcG Gold award, if the price dropped to £89.99 just like eBuyer are offering it at, then I would wholeheartedly award the Kelvin S24 a pcG Platinum award.

     

    Verdict

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    Fractal Design Kelvin S24



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    Design/Quality pcGameware awards the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 a Gold
    Performance
    Value
    Overall

     

    Many thanks to Fractal Design for providing this sample for review

     

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