Cooler Master Seidon 120M Liquid Cooler (inc. Dual Fan Performance 2x Noctua NF-F12)

1. Introduction2. Packaging & Bundle3. The Cooler Master Seidon 120M Liquid CPU Cooler4. Installation5. Testing Methodology6. Thermal Performance7. Acoustic Performance 8. Dual Fan Performance (2x Noctua NF-F12)9. Closing Thoughts10. View All Pages

The Cooler Master Seidon 120M is a well-designed All-in-One liquid CPU cooler that offers excellent thermal performance in a mid-range package.

Offering the best thermal performance of the five coolers that we compared, including Corsair's competing H60 2013 edition, the Cooler Master Seidon 120M is a mid-range cooler with the ability to tame enthusiast-level overclocks.

Keeping our 4.6GHz, 1.300V i5 3570K CPU below 80°C means that we could push for larger overclocks, thanks to Seidon 120M's excellent cooling performance.

With a noise output which is around 15% greater than that of Corsair's H60 2013 edition, the Seidon 120M's 2400 RPM fan sacrifices quiet operation for enhanced cooling performance. We wouldn't want to have to put up with the 51.1 dbA noise output on a 24/7 basis. Thankfully, the 120mm Blade Master fan utilises a 4-pin PWM connector to operate between speeds of 600 and 2400 RPM, hence lowering noise output where possible.

Installing the Seidon 120M liquid cooler was an easy task, thanks in large to Cooler Master's updated backplate design. With the fan mounted behind the radiator, tightening the two together required a small amount of additional patience. Installing a pair of fans for a push/pull configuration was also very straightforward. Once mounted, the radiator and the pump unit were both held securely in their locations, so much so that we would actually call this configuration shipping-proof.

For enthusiasts that want to squeeze additional all-round performance from the Seidon 120M, using a dual fan configuration is an effective way of manipulating thermal and acoustic results. Our pair of 1500 RPM Noctua NF-F12 fans was able to match Cooler Master's high-pressure Blade Master fan with a greatly reduced noise output. This proves that the Seidon 120M is versatile enough to provide the foundation for a dual fan CPU cooling platform.

Cooler Master has employed its usual high level of build quality in the Seidon 120M's design and manufacture process. The low-evaporation plastic tubing and copper waterblock machined from a single piece of metal show that giving the Seidon 120M a long lifespan was an important goal for the Cooler Master engineers and designers.

Our biggest complaint relating to the Seidon 120M comes in the form of unnecessary eyesores – the power cable stickers. Bright yellow ‘do not bin' and white ‘warranty void if removed' stickers are completely unnecessary and have the potential to ruin a system's internal appearance. Cooler Master, just get rid of them in future designs.

Priced at £47.98 from Aria, the Cooler Master Seidon 120M is one of the cheapest All-in-One liquid CPU cooling units on the market. At this price, the Cooler Master Seidon 120M is a very competitive option to mid-range air coolers, three of which it managed to outperform in our testing.

Cooler Master has done an excellent job in designing a high-quality All-in-One liquid CPU cooler that can outperform Corsair's competing model and will happily contest with many similarly priced options.

Pros:

• Excellent cooling performance for a mid-range CPU cooler.
• Priced very competitively.
• Simple installation.
• Compatible with dual fan configurations.
• 4-pin PWM fan.
• Quiet pump unit.

Cons:

• Loud at 100% fan speed.
• Ugly stickers on fan and pump unit power cables.

KitGuru says: Excellent cooling performance, adjustable noise levels via a PWM fan, easy installation and dual fan compatibility, the Seidon 120M is a superb choice for anybody wanting a mid-range, or even high-end, CPU cooler.

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