Features and Cooler Design
Features
Courtesy of Cooler Master
- High performance expandable system can be upgraded to cool other components.
- Tuned for top performance with a 3500 rpm pump system.
- Performance 240mm radiator is designed for handling high wattage overclocked CPUs.
- Copper waterblock with copper/brass radiator for excellent heat dissipation.
- Factory filled with coolant, then sealed and pressure tested – requires zero maintenance for years.
The Cooler Master Glacer 240L all-in-one liquid cooler is a factory-sealed system consisting of a copper 240mm radiator and copper block encased in an acrylic shell. Cooler Master used 3/8" inner diameter / 5/8" outer diameter soft PVC tubing for connecting the radiator and water block. Using thick-walled tubing allows for the tubing to maintain a tight bend radius without kinking, when compared with thin-walled tubing. Also included are two 120mm 2400RPM fans for cooling the liquid as it flows through the radiator.
The unit's 240mm radiator is a copper-finned unit with brass liquid channels. Cooler Master coated the outer surface of the radiator with a black powder coating, giving it a slick appearance as well as a modicum of scratch resistance. The inlet and outlet barbs are integrated into the upper side panel of the radiator. The barbs used are 90 degree rotational barbs, ensuring the maximum amount of compatibility when trying to mount the radiator in your case. Additionally, the barbs have a full 360 degree range of motion. The radiator fill-port is located at the bottom of the unit, integrated into the front side of the bottom liquid collection chamber. Surprisingly enough, the radiator has a fin density of only 11 FPI (fins per inch). This allows for use of lower RPM fans with the unit, but could hurt its cooling efficiency with higher pressure or higher RPM fans.
The side view of the radiator assembly gives a nice perception of the radiator's depth. Cooler Master designed the unit with a 25mm thick radiator, equaling the thickness of a standard 120mm case fan.
The Glacer 240L's CPU block is a multi-piece assembly consisting of a metal top plate, acrylic body, and copper block. The top plate appears to fit onto the body of the block, protecting the pump and unit's electronics. The pump is powered through a SATA power connector with a 4-pin fan connector provided for pump RPM measurement through a board fan header. The 90 degree barbs are integrated into opposite sides of the block with full 360 degree range of motion, similar to those on the radiator. The barbs do stick out past the plane of the block's mounting cage, so the mounting orientation of the block becomes critical for proper mating with the CPU surface. On the two boards used for testing, the block had to be oriented differently in order to sit flat on the CPU. The Intel mount arms come factory installed on the block, sitting in between the block body and copper base plate.
The block's copper base plate consist of a raised center portion with the eight mounting screws fixing the plate to the block's body along the outside portion of the plate. The raised center portion alleviates any concern with the mounting screws interfering with CPU surface mating. The plate's surface is machined flat and polished to a mirror finish for an optimal seating surface with the CPU.
As shown mounted to a Z87-style motherboard, the Glacer 240L may have mounting issues when mounted in specific orientations. With the MSI Z87 MPOWER board used, the block's barbs rest directly on top of the board's VRM heat sinks to the right and left of the socket. However, the block mounts without issue with the block oriented in a vertical fashion. On the MSI Z77 MPOWER board, the block fit properly when mounted in a horizontal orientation. This occurs because the block's barbs stick out slightly further than the mounting arms of the block. The block should fit on any board, but you will have to play with the mount orientation to optimal interfacing between the block and CPU surfaces.
Will you be testing this unit
Will you be testing this unit with an expanded loop say a gpu block? It seems to be the main selling point of the unit and any word on the 360l?
We are planning on testing
We are planning on testing this unit in the near future in conjunction with gpu block…
Awesome!
Awesome!
Isn’t this a rebranded
Isn’t this a rebranded swiftech h220 with a more powerful pump
I thought the same thing…
I thought the same thing… :/
You both might very well be
You both might very well be correct in that. Thanks for pointing that out…
It’s just the plastic cover
It’s just the plastic cover on top of the pump that’s different, otherwise it is the same. The pump in the CM version is allowed a little higher RPM, as it has a separate power connector. The original version had only a 4-pin fan connector. People connected this to voltage-controlled fan-ports, dealing damage the pump electronics. It was stated very clearly in the instructions not to do this, but people being people…
My Swiftech H220 also came with a 8-way PWM splitter/adapter, also stated quite clearly in the instructions that always using the adapter was the preferred method. I have had my H220 in a 2011-system now for almost a year, running very close to 24/7.
The Swiftech Helix fans are quite nice, I think they are quieter at the same airflow compared to the CM ones, but I have yet to see real tests comparing them. Martin’s Liquid Lab has tested the Helix fans, they were not as good as the all time high Gentle Typhoon AP-15 though.
Still sticking with the
Still sticking with the Corsair H100i CLC, nevertheless great Review.
How powerful is the pump, for
How powerful is the pump, for example, can it handle an additional 120mm radiator and a GPU block, so that the fluid leaving the CPU block can be cooled by the 120mm radiator before going to the GPU?
As this is a rebranded
As this is a rebranded Swiftech H220, it can handle additional radiators with no problem. Another 240mm radiator is no problem.
Edit: Martin measure a 0.6 GPM flow rate in his H220 review. He comments on this as a problem when bleeding the loop, the CM version should have a little higher flow rate (~500 more rpm on the pump) making it a bit easier to bleed when expanding the loop.
Martin’s review: http://martinsliquidlab.org/2013/01/27/swiftech-h220-prefilled-2x120mm-water-cooling-kit/
Very impressive “living” review that starts in jan 2013 and the last updates are in may 2013. He also follows a couple of forum threads and talks about the problems of batch 1 (mine is one of those). You can’t compete with this guy 😀
Can you address the issues
Can you address the issues regarding the slew of users reporting fires caused by their Cooler Master 240L? These typically occur withing a few weeks of installation. I just bought one recently and I am seriously concerned about possibly burning my house down. I have seen many, many reports of these fires.
Great review! Any news on the
Great review! Any news on the expanded (CPU+GPU) review?
I’m also interested in the pump failure / catching fire problem that many people seem to be having with this cooler, several can be read on Newegg and watercooling forums… Any insight on this?
Thanks!