Antec Cooling Gets Big, Small, And Fluid For Computex 2016

By Thomas Soderstrom
published

Antec announced four new CPU cooling lines at Computex, including a new open-loop cooler.

Let's start with the economy series, which ranges from the A30 (116 x 80.6 x 122.5mm, with a 92mm fan and weighing 300g) to its C400 (155 x 155 x 76mm, at 830g, with a 120mm-fan). The 136mm and 136.5mm-tall A40 and C40 fill the middle, both using 92mm fans.

Buyers who want a little more may be interested in the company’s triple-tower Elegant Elite, which was shown with a variety of top styles in different colors. Key stats include its 165 x 142 x 159mm bulk, 1356g mass, and trio of 1800 RPM fans rated at 65.23CFM max flow.

If even that’s not big enough to suit your cooling needs, Antec’s Mercury series closed-loop coolers scale up to the 360 model, with three 1800 RPM 120mm fans rated at up to 73 CFM at 30db. We’ll need to confirm those numbers in future reviews.

The biggest news is probably that Antec is entering the open-loop component race with RCT120, RCT240, and RCT360 copper radiators, plus P450-130 and P450-180 pumps. Both pumps are rated at 450 liters/hour but differ in their 198ml and 338ml integrated reservoir capacities.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Component TypeNameDimensions
RadiatorRCT120150 x 120 x 27mm
RadiatorRCT240275 x 120 x 27mm
RadiatorRCT360395 x 120 x 27mm
PumpP450-13070mm OD x 136mm
PumpP450-18070mm OD x 136mm

Antec reported that all of these coolers will reach stores in Q4 2016.

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Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • clonazepam
    A high performance CPU cooler that completely covers the RAM?

    I doubt DDR4 requires the larger heatsinks, but they clearly need them to differentiate themselves in the performance market and for the branding.

    This cooler likely performs on par or worse than what's already available and forces a consumer into rather specific RAM choices? Looks like a terrible decision but we'll have to see those numbers. Antec wants to stand out in a market but asks too much imho.

    It doesn't seem like the heaviest of options, but its up there. I wonder what method they're using to attach to the motherboard. Sadly, that's not on display.
    Reply
  • giantbucket
    or do what a redneck would do - aim a garden hose at the CPU and keep the water runnin'!
    Reply
  • f-14
    these air coolers are getting so huge they need their own support retention brackets to attach them to the case so they don't ripe the cpu socket out of the pcb when the system gets pushed hard.
    Reply
  • thundervore
    I use to be an Antec fan but they are stuck in their ways. Every year it the same crap at a high price where their competition offers more flexibility and features for less than the Antec alternative. After they rode the Nine Hundred cases until the wheels fell off, now they are playing catch up with these massive heatsinks that look like Phanteks clones.
    Reply
  • JackNaylorPE
    Those stacks are not very thick compared to existing units ... would not be surprised at all if the total mass is the same as existing coolers, and dimensions not that much different either. Design seems to be all about getting an extra fan in there but yet most and 2 fan cooler can mount a 3rd fan. This could have a fourth.

    The weight of these coolers is a non-issue except during shipping if not properly supported. The 60 - 70 pounds of clamping force applied to get optimal TIM heat transfer dwarfs any impact of the weight on the MoBo.

    Retention brackets have been apart of 3rd party cooling since the getgo and, again, it has as more to do with "clamping force" which is 30 times the unit weight. Pushing a CPU "hard" does not increase the weight or forces on the board.

    The comment an RAM selection took me by surprise. The need for tall heat sinks disappeared with DDR2, and now the only function of these tall toothy designs is to "look cool" in the package. You cant see the profile or the fancy graphics once installed.

    And yes, it does look like a Phanteks clone, even adopting Phanteks color choices.
    Reply