The EKWB EK-XLC Predator 240 Liquid Cooler Review

Conclusion

According to EKWB, they wanted the EK-XLC Predator 240 to be a design focused on the "enthusiast level AIO cooler" segment, made of high performance components that would mimic the performance of a custom liquid cooling system. While we cannot claim that it could really rival a custom liquid cooling system carefully designed for maximum performance, the EK-XLC Predator 240 does perform very well in comparison to other AIO coolers. Its thermal performance does not look stellar at first, but the superiority of the EK-XLC Predator 240 becomes apparent when the noise figures are compared. The noiseless pump is, in our opinion, the greatest performance advantage of the EK-XLC Predator 240, as whiny pumps are a common and large issue for the majority of AIO coolers. We feel that the EK-XLC Predator 240 will be loved by those who want the best possible thermal performance at low/inaudible noise levels.

EKWB is particularly proud about the quality and the expandability of the EK-XLC Predator 240. Our examination revealed that it is a high quality product, well designed and assembled, made of good parts and a particularly good high performance pump. However, it is not impeccable. There are quality flaws, such as the draining port next to the pump - the threads of this are on the plastic frame and can be destroyed very easily by the high torque of the tool. The company needs to clearly inform the user that this port is very sensitive and it should be tightened very gently. Also, if the water block is disassembled, as the company suggests it should for cleaning, it is not easy to reseal it without proper tools and equipment. If it is just put together again, without treating the flange and tightening the screws with a specific torque and in rotation, it is very likely that it will start leaking.

Regarding the expandability of the system, that is a rather grey area. It is always good to have an upgradable setup but, the truth is, there is no reason for someone who considers future upgrades not to go for a custom liquid cooling setup to begin with. A custom cooling setup would perform just as well, if not better, and provide maximum versatility for about the same cost. If the EK-XLC Predator 240 is to be drained and disassembled, the lack of a proper reservoir makes it even more difficult to work with. It appears more sensible to deal with the added complexity of designing and building a custom liquid cooling system now than having to deal with disassembling and putting back together the EK-XLC Predator 240 in the future.

It appears that EKWB is trying to fit too many eggs into one basket with the EK-XLC Predator 240. They want it to be appealing to the amateur who wants a simple but high performance cooling solution, to the enthusiast who wants top grade hardware and to the expert that wants to tweak and upgrade it. In our opinion, EKWB is failing to satisfy the bulk of the AIO cooler market, which consists of casual users who want something better than air cooling but simple enough to install and maintain, all without breaking the bank. The EK-XLC Predator 240 is clearly aimed towards a portion of enthusiasts only: those who are not going to back down once they gaze on the price tag. This is also ascertained by the instructions and suggestions found in the manual, which are definitely not for amateurs. The only problem is that such advanced users would have no problem buying individual parts and designing their own liquid cooling system.

In summary, EKWB effectively designed a high quality AIO liquid cooler that can offer relatively good thermal performance at very low noise levels. It also is expandable, if the user ever decides to divulge deeper in the world of advanced cooling. The primary issue here is, and the company is not hiding it at all, that the EK-XLC Predator 240 is considerably more expensive than most other AIO liquid coolers. The current retail price of the EK-XLC Predator 240 matches its MSRP as well, selling for $199 including shipping. This is nearly twice as expensive as its main competitors, such as the Corsair H100i GTX ($110) and the SilverStone Tundra TD02 ($100). It is up to each individual user to decide whether the slightly better overall performance and promise of expandability is worth such a price.