SilverStone Permafrost PF240-ARGB AIO Liquid Cooler Review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing and First Look3. Installation Process4. Testing Methodology5. Performance and Comparisons6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

SilverStone are well known for their range of PC cases and accessories. However, they also offer a plethora of other PC components including power supplies, storage devices and cooling solutions with the latter being what we are looking at today with one of SilverStone’s latest all-in-one, closed-loop CPU coolers on our test bench.

Their latest all-in-one cooler offerings, called Permafrost, are available in a range of sizes including 120mm, 240mm and 360mm variants, with the PF240-ARGB 240mm version being the one we will be putting through its paces.

SilverStone are keen to make it clear that their Permafrost range, which uses a brand-new water block, includes a pump featuring a dual-chamber design that isolates hot and cold liquid channels to prevent heat bleeding. This should ensure more efficient removal of heat away from the CPU water block.

The new pump utilises a three-phase motor and six pole design for smoother, quieter operation compared with other single-phase designs, which in turn should improve efficiency too. At the base of the pump, there is a large copper thermal transfer plate, with 0.2mm micro-channels to evenly distribute liquid flow for improved heat dissipation.

SilverStone has sourced several automotive-grade components to ensure the Permafrost coolers include high quality and durable parts. An automotive-grade sine wave generator is used to drive the pump, which ensures electrical noise and vibrations are kept to a minimum. The 240mm radiator is also said to be manufactured from automotive-grade materials too.

Two 120mm SilverStone fans are included in the PF240-ARGB cooler. These fans are PWM controlled and feature addressable RGB lighting. SilverStone states the fans are optimised for both air-flow and pressure, therefore providing maximum performance with minimal noise.

The PF240-ARGB cooler has an included ARGB controller for users to connect with the ARGB fans and pump. However, since all the cables use standard ARGB 5V 3-pin motherboard type connections, this provides the option to connect directly to the motherboard and sync the RGB lighting with other components in the system. SilverStone’s RGB solution is compatible with Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, MSI Mystic Light Sync, Asus Aura Sync and Razer Chroma.

Key features

• Full copper thermal transfer plate
• Aluminium radiator
• 120mm ARGB fans
• ARGB pump top design
• ARGB lighting controller

Specification

Water Block

• Application: Intel Socket LGA775/115X/1366/2011/2066 AMD Socket AM2/AM3/AM4/FM1/FM2
• Dimensions (L x W x H): 61mm x 61mm x 50mm
• Material: Copper base with plastic body

Pump

• Motor Speed: 3400±10% RPM
• Rated Voltage: 12V
• Rated Current: 0.39A

Fan

• Dimensions (L x W x H): 120mm x 120mm x 25mm
• Speed: 600~2200RPM
• Noise Level: 7.4~35.6 dBA
• Rated Voltage: 12V
• Rated Current: 0.32A
• Max Airflow: 94CFM
• Pressure: 3.53mm/H2O
• Connector: 4 Pin PWM

Radiator

• Dimensions (L x W x H): 272mm x 120mm x 28mm
• Material: Aluminium
• Tube Length: 400mm
• Tube Material: Rubber
• Application: Intel Socket LGA775/115X/1366/2011/2066 AMD Socket AM2/AM3/AM4/FM1/FM2

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