At the end of last year, a company well known to our regular readers for tests of liquid and air cooling systems announced a new CPU cooler . It belongs to the mid-budget price segment, since the recommended cost of the cooling system is declared at around $30. This is a very competitive price range, because it is in the middle segment that there are dozens of very strong models of processor coolers with an interesting combination of price and efficiency. How successfully the SE-224-XT Basic will enter this turbulent river, we will tell you in today's article.
Specifications and recommended cost
| Name of technical characteristics | |
| Cooler dimensions (H Γ W Γ D), fan, mm |
155 Γ Γ 125 75 |
| (120Γ120Γ25) | |
| Gross weight, g | 636 (493 - radiator) |
| Radiator material and design | Tower structure made of aluminum plates on 4 copper heat pipes with a diameter of 6 mm, which are part of the base (Direct Touch 3.0 technology) |
| Number of radiator plates, pcs. | 46 |
| Radiator plate thickness, mm | 0,45 |
| Intercostal distance, mm | 2,0 |
| Estimated radiator area, cm2 | 5 112 |
| Thermal resistance, Β°Π‘/W | n / a |
| Fan type and model | ID-Cooling ID-12025M12S |
| Fan impeller/stator diameter, mm | 113 / 40 |
| Weight of one fan, g | 139 |
| Fan rotation speed, rpm | 700β1800 (Β±10%) |
| Airflow CFM | 76,16 (max) |
| Noise level, dBA | 15,2 β 32,5 Feet |
| Static pressure, mm H2O | 2,16 (max) |
| Number and type of fan bearings | 1, hydrodynamic |
| Fan MTBF, hours/years | n / a |
| Rated/starting voltage of the fan, V | 12 / 4,3 |
| Fan current, A | 0,2 |
| Declared/measured fan power consumption, W | 2,40 / 2,86 |
| Fan cable length, mm | 430 |
| The ability to install a cooler on processors with connectors | Intel LGA115x/2011(v3)/2066 AMD socket AM4 |
| Maximum processor TDP level, W | 180 |
| Extras (features) | Second fan option, ID-TG15 thermal grease (8,5 W/(m K), 1,5 g) |
| Warranty period, years | 2 |
| Recommended cost, $ | 30 |
Packaging equipment
The ID-Cooling SE-224-XT Basic cooler is sealed in a compact cardboard box painted in black and orange. The front side of the package contains a photo of the cooler and the model name.
The side and back sides will tell the potential buyer about the TDP limit and supported platforms, technical specifications and key features of the novelty.
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In addition to a heatsink with a fan lined with polyethylene foam inserts, the cooler's package includes instructions and a flat box with accessories.
The latter contains a reinforcing plate for motherboards for Intel processors, two pairs of steel rails, a set of screws, bushings and washers, as well as four wire brackets for attaching two fans to the radiator.
In addition, the SE-224-XT Basic comes with a syringe of new thermal paste. weighing 1,5 grams. Its declared thermal conductivity should be at least 8,5 W / (m K), that is, it is at the level of the best thermal interfaces of today.
The China-made cooler comes with a two-year warranty. As we mentioned above, its cost should be $30. In Russia, the cooler has not yet been seen for sale, but, as a rule, the cost of ID-Cooling products in retail chains is very close to the recommended prices, and often even lower.
Design features
ID-Cooling SE-224-XT Basic is an extremely simple tower-type cooling system for a central processor, but this does not make it look boring and banal. A bristling aluminum heatsink, nickel-plated heatpipes, a black top plate with the company logo, and a fan with aggressive blades make the SE-224-XT Basic expressive and attractive in appearance.
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At the same time, neither the cooler itself nor its fan even have traces of backlighting, that is, this is a basic and maximally simple model. And if someone needs a backlit version, then in the assortment of the company you can choose at least from , equipped with certain LEDs.
The cooler is relatively compact and light. Its dimensions are 155 Γ 125 Γ 75 mm, and the weight is 636 grams, of which 493 grams fall on the radiator.
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The cooler's heatsink has 46 non-nickel-plated aluminum plates measuring 120 Γ 48 mm and 0,45 mm thick. The plates are pressed onto four heat pipes with an interfin spacing of 2,0 mm. The calculated area of ββthe radiator is 5112 cm2.
Approximately half of the sides of the radiator are closed by the ends of the ribs bent down.
Triangular cutouts are provided on both wide sides of the plates to minimize fan airflow resistance and increase the cooler's efficiency at low speeds.
The top plate of the radiator is painted black, and the ID-Cooling logo flaunts in its very center. A paper sticker is glued to the base, protecting it from accidental scratches, and copper tubes from oxidation.
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In total, the cooler has four nickel-plated copper heat pipes with a diameter of 6 mm. They are arranged in plates in a checkerboard pattern to distribute the heat flow over the fins as evenly as possible.
Crimping of plates on tubes is implemented along their entire diameter, without gaps for "locks". Pike is not here.
The base of the ID-Cooling SE-224-XT Basic radiator is made using third-generation Direct Touch 3.0 direct contact technology. The manufacturer claims a 30% increase in the intensity of heat transfer compared to the previous version of the direct contact bases. Visually, there are no technological breakthroughs in the base of the cooler, and the distance between the tubes filled with aluminum is 1,5 mm.
The quality of the base processing and its evenness are at the usual level for Direct Touch coolers: there is no βmirror-likeβ polishing here (and never happens), but there are no complaints about evenness.
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The cooler is equipped with one 120 mm ID-Cooling ID-12025M12S fan with a black frame and a dark gray nine-bladed impeller with a diameter of 113 mm.
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This model is characterized by increased static pressure, which at a maximum of 1800 rpm can reach 2,16 mm H2O. The maximum airflow is claimed at around 76,16 CFM, and the noise level ranges from 15,2 to 32,5 dBA. Fan support for PWM control will help reduce its speed to 700 rpm.
The stator with a diameter of 40 mm, fixed on three round and one rectangular (cable) racks, is covered with a foil sticker with information about individual electrical characteristics.
At 12 V at maximum speed, the fan consumed 2,86 W, which is slightly higher than the 2,4 W indicated in the specifications. The starting voltage is 4,3 V, the cable length is 430 mm. The service life of the hydrodynamic bearing is not specified in the fan specifications.
There are soft silicone inserts in the corners of the plastic frame of the fan, through which the fan contacts the heatsink.
The fan is fixed with wire brackets, which are inserted into the holes of the frame and hooked into the slots in the side ends of the radiator fins.
Since the heatsink is symmetrical and the cooler comes with additional brackets, the ID-Cooling SE-224-XT Basic can be upgraded with a second 120mm fan by installing it on the exhaust from the heatsink. True, the radiator is narrow (only 48 mm), so the second fan will not be of much use.
Compatibility and installation
For some reason, ID-Cooling does not publish an electronic version of the installation instructions on its website, but even without it, the SE-224-XT Basic can be installed on any supported processor socket without any problems. By the way, it supports all modern platforms, except for AMD Socket TR4. We installed the novelty on a board with an LGA2066 connector, for which you first need to screw double-threaded bushings into its support posts.
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Then steel rails with studs in the center are attached to these racks.
Once the thermal paste has been applied to the CPU heat spreader, the heatsink without a fan is installed on it and evenly attracted by two spring-loaded screws.
The radiator is not high - only 43 mm from the board to the bottom plate and even less to the fan, but since it is narrow, it will not interfere with RAM modules with large radiators. Even on a board as cramped as the ASRock X299 OC Formula, we had no problem placing the ID-Cooling SE-224-XT Basic.
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The cooler installed on the processor fits in a height of 160 mm, which means it will be compatible with the vast majority of system blocks of the classic vertical orientation.
Inside the case, the cooler looks ordinary and unassuming. A kind of "workhorse" without fashionable highlights and bright inserts.
Source: 3dnews.ru