EKWB's AIO Basic Brings Slovenian Watercooling To Smaller Budgets
Lookin' good too!
EKWB might be known for its high-end custom watercooling loop parts, but not long ago, the company figured that the AIO market might be suited to them too. It started with the EK-AIO D-RGB, then followed the EK-AIO Elite. Now, the company is following suit with the EK-AIO Basic, bringing Slovenian watercooling to systems designed on smaller budgets.
At launch, these AIOs are only coming in 240mm and 360mm variants, either with two or three all-black 120mm fans. These fans spin at speeds between 550 and 2200 RPM, which is a decent range with a lavish top end you'll likely rarely need to address. Noise per fan is rated at 33.5 dBA at full speed when they'll produce 2.89mm of static pressure and 77CFM of flow if unimpeded.
Being budget-oriented AIOs, the radiators are made of aluminum and only the cold plate is made of copper for better thermal performance. This is mixed metal, but it's a recipe used in almost all other AIOs on the market, and with the right corrosion inhibitor in the fluid, proven not to be an issue in closed loops.
The pump, meanwhile, is rated to spin at 850 to 2600 RPM, so you can lower its speed when the CPU isn't under load.
No RGB is present on this unit, but despite being the most budget-oriented option with pricing to match, the pump cover looks as classy as the more premium units and will look good in many systems. At least to me, this looks like a clean, minimalist AIO that doesn't shout 'budget' with its looks, and that's a good thing!
Pricing is set at $90 for the EK-AIO Basic 240 and $120 for the 360mm variant, and both are available for order directly from EKWB immediately.
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Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.