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Test Results & Conclusion
Comparison CPU Coolers
We use the hardware configuration from previous reviews to make all of our results comparable. Here's how the Frostflow 240L's specifications compare to other 2x 120mm closed-loop coolers:
Test Results
The Frostflow 240L keeps our overclocked Core i7-5930K supremely cool inside Corsair's Graphite 760T, even after an extended warm up at full load. The voltage regulator (PWM) of MSI's X99S XPower-AC also reaps some of the benefit of the nearby high-flow fans.
High airflow doesn't always require high RPM, as the Frostflow 240L's eleven blades are highly curved to produce more pressure. There's usually a trade-off in noise, so let's check that out!
The Frostflow 240L is noisier than Swiftech's H220-X, but far quieter than the Gamer Storm Captain 240. When I looked back at some Big Air numbers, it's still noisier than any of those coolers. Then again, it's cool enough to run this system fully-loaded at minimum (50 percent) fan settings, and 27 decibels in open air becomes whisper-quiet when the case is closed.
The Frostflow 240L's best possible temperatures, combined with better-than-average noise levels, produce a 3 percent above-average acoustic efficiency at full fan speed. Highly-curved fans tend to operate more efficiently at lower RPMs though, and that's where we find the Frostflow 240L leading all competitors by a huge margin.
The only other "acoustically efficient" cooler in this comparison is Swiftech's H220-X, which comes at a far higher price than ID-Cooling's Frostflow 240L. That allows the Frostflow 240L a large margin in value, beating the average of all liquid coolers by 32 percent (price-to-performance) at full speed and 98 percent at low speed.
Our test results speak for themselves. ID-Cooling's Frostflow 240L offers the best full-speed temperature ever achieved on this test system, the best low-speed acoustic efficiency of any closed-loop cooler tested on this system, and the lowest price of any 2x 120mm cooler ever tested on our system. However, while some users prefer integrated fan and pump control, the Frostflow 240L uses motherboard-based controls.
ID-Cooling pushes the value envelope by selling its product directly to customers at the lowest-possible price, undercutting competitors by an average of 22 percent. Fan blades designed to operate efficiently at a fairly low RPM are paired with a medium RPM fan motor, so users are best to leave fan control up to their motherboard. Better performance at a better price make the Frostflow 240L this editor's choice among 2x 120mm closed-loop CPU coolers.
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Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware, covering Cases, Cooling, Memory and Motherboards. Follow him onTwitter.
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