Cooler Master Seidon 120 XL Watercooler Review

There are several things to consider when looking at a self contained watercooling system.   Performance and price are always seem like the most important factors but when you consider that most watercooling units like the Seidon 120 XL support more than one fan so the price and performance relationship will move in a predictable pattern.  Watercooling reliability has always been brought into question and unlike your standard tower cooler a self contained watercooling until does contain more moving parts.  To help mitigate risk due to user error you will find a blue LED light on the Seidon pump assembly indicating that the pump is active and has power.  You can also monitor pump RPMs using any fan monitoring software giving you two ways to ensure your system is working properly.

We actually really liked using the Cooler Master Seidon 120 XL, the system installed extremely well and didn't require 10 steps to assemble the mounting hardware.  In fact, the hardware is so easy to use you can reconfigure the cooler from Intel to AMD in a matter of minutes which cannot be said for many of the competing products.

In our overclocking tests the Core i7 3960X was cranked up to 4.6Ghz which put out around 240w of heat.  The Seidon 120 XL handled this load with ease and assuming you can handle some fan noise.  These performance gains are due to the powerful cooling fans and larger radiator.  While fans can be replaced it is important to find a high capacity radiator if you are planning mild system overclocks.

The one thing we didn't like is their choice in hoses.  We would have much preferred the thicker rubber style hoses over the ribbed design if, for anything, looks alone.  Of course, there is very little to support that one hose flows better of another considering they both have the same interior diameter and "anti kink" is easier to market.  I guess in the end we are still a little gun shy after the cracked hose fiasco common to the Domino systems of old.

Thicker Radiator
Powerful Dual Fans Included
Activity LED Light
Excellent Mounting Hardware
Very Stylish Pump Design

Don't like the ribbed hoses
Mounting the radiator in a chassis can try the nerves