Enermax Liqtech 120X AiO Liquid CPU Cooler Review

Overview
Taking each component from its place in the box and you start to find that any resemblance to other AIOs starts to fade. Each part seems to be built with both precision and quality in mind. After seeing so many offerings from different companies you start to see the places where they’ve cut costs. With the 120X I find none of these cost saving techniques being employed. What I do find is solid pieces of aluminum, quality plastics, and intelligent finishes.

Enermax Liqtech 120X

Looking closely at the cooler itself we find a 43mm thick radiator paired to decent sized pump via thick rubber tubing. The radiator itself has a thick set of fins accompanied by machined aluminum plates on the sides. These thick fins should be great for heat transfer so long as the fans have enough static pressure to force air through. Finally the radiator is finished off with two red rubber strips per side for sound dampening.

Enermax Liqtech 120X Enermax Liqtech 120X Enermax Liqtech 120X Enermax Liqtech 120X

Back to the pump we find more machined aluminum. In addition to being built with quality and precision we also find that the top of the unit has cooling fins built in and should serve as a heat sink for the pump motor. The results should be cooler operating temperatures and a longer pump lifespan.

Enermax Liqtech 120X

When viewed from the side the pump is 37.5mm tall. While this is slightly taller than some current AIO pumps on the market we don’t find it to be excessive, certainly not as large as some early models. You will also find the mounting arms attached to the sides by two phillips screws. These can be easily removed to change them out for the AMD or Intel arms. There is only one set of wires exiting the pump from the opposite side of the water inlet/exit and it ends in a 3 pin connector. No PWM control on this pump.

Enermax Liqtech 120X Enermax Liqtech 120X Enermax Liqtech 120X

The base of the pump is finished with an all copper Cold Plate. The plate is protected by a clear plastic sticker. Looking closely at the base, we find the finish to be “B” grade at best. It should still function properly but does not match finishes we’ve seen on other units. If we were to remove the hex screws attaching the plate to the pump we would find what Enermax calls “Shunt-Channel-Technology”. This is basically the groove pattern cut into the interior side of the plate and is designed to better transfer heat from the plate into the circulating water.

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Moving to the fans you will find more quality parts from Enermax. Fans are an area of expertise for this Taoyuan, Taiwan based company so we expect something good here. And not to disappoint, the pair of fans included have all the bells and whistles. First you will notice that there is a speed setting dial located on the hub of each fan. This APS control will allow you to set the rpm range for each fan. The ranges are as follows: 600-1300rpm, 600-2000rpm, and 600-2500rpm. Additionally the fans have four pin PWM connectors and can be controller through the mother board. Aside from speed control these beauties boast removable blades, and Twister bearing technology for silence and longevity.

Enermax Liqtech 120X Enermax Liqtech 120X

Finally you have fairly standard set of accessories. Mounting parts for all supported sockets, backplate, a splitter for the fans, and a molex connector to directly power the fans.

Enermax Liqtech 120X