Asetek 550lc 120mm liquid cooling cpu cooler arc silent

The M22 is made by Apaltek, not Asetek, and NZXT didnвЂ™t have much of an alternative to circumvent their partnerвЂ™s (Asetek) patents with pump-on-block design. Flow is inefficiently routed and impeller design on the radiator eats critical cooling area. The microfins are still on the opposite side of the coldplate,ДЄ lot of block space is wasted in this design. ItвЂ™s just an impeller and a small electromagnet (motor), and thatвЂ™s it. ThereвЂ™s a small, shallow 5-blade impeller inside of the pump housing and no fins in the central pump area. No air will get through that block, obviously, and itвЂ™s taking the place of heat-spreading fins. Placing the pump centrally in the radiator does minimize the negative impact to airflow, as thatвЂ™s (mostly) a dead-zone for the fanвЂ™s hub, but still has some bleed-over into critical areas of the fan blade. Our NZXT Kraken M22 tear-down revealed the design as unique in its ability to bypass AsetekвЂ™s patent, but flawed in its execution. ItвЂ™s also expensive, so that makes for an odd combination of size and price. To NZXTвЂ™s credit, the LED integration is the best-in-class for a 120mm liquid cooler.

If youвЂ™re not that, itвЂ™s really not worth the time or money to grab the M22. TheyвЂ™re going for one demographic, and one only: Has RGB LEDs and is exactly 120mm. Even air coolers would reach equivalence or superior performance than NZXTвЂ™s M22. ItвЂ™s not cheap garbage вЂ“ itвЂ™s not something we recommend, either, but itвЂ™s not going to fall apart. Despite its low price, thatвЂ™s still a modern Asetek unit it uses the same pump as any higher-end cooler, just has fewer fans. If we look strictly at size class, the EVGA CLC 120 competes most directly at $70. NZXTвЂ™s M22 ships for $100 MSRP, and at that price, itвЂ™s competing (strictly in price) with the likes of the EVGA CLC 240, the Corsair H100i V2, and NZXTвЂ™s units. Primary competition in this price class includes NZXTвЂ™s own Kraken X42, a 140mm Asetek-made design, and 240mm units from the same price class. ThatвЂ™s a bit high for a 120mm liquid cooler, particularly considering that competition from EVGAвЂ™s CLC 120 comes in at $70 and is made by the familiar Asetek, but its performance may make up for the price differential. The M22 is a complement to NZXTвЂ™s Asetek products at the high-end, but comes in at $100 and 120mm.

NZXT dumped Asetek for this 120mm closed-loop cooler, instead opting for a pump-in-radiator design that circumvents Asetek patents and permits sale in the US. The NZXT M22 is one of the stranger liquid coolers made by a relatively large liquid cooling manufacturer.

Asetek 550lc 120mm liquid cooling cpu cooler arc silent