Push Performance – 2.5/5
Push/Pull Performance – 2/5
Overall Thermal Performance – 2/5
At first glance the SR-1 appears to be one of the worst performers of the group particularly when you ignore some of the slimmer radiators.
It’s not surprising really though as this is a radiator designed for very low airflows. 750RPM using high static pressure fans like the Gentle Typhoon is simply not what this radiator is optimized for. Of the medium and thick rads it has the equal 2nd thinnest core and the equal lowest fin count of all the radiators in the test group. The potential cooling power just isn’t there when airflow increases.
On a positive note, the restriction level was very low, so installing multiple SR-1 radiators in a loop will not have a major impact on flow rates.
It was not in the scope of this round of testing, and therefore not in the results, but the SR-1 was marketed as being “Optimized for sub-800 rpm ultra-stealth fans”, so given it’s comparative results were best at low fan speed in push, I believe that the SR-1’s results relative to competition would improve at even low fan speeds still.
Features & Quality – 3.5/5
Build quality on the SR-1 was among the best of the test group (along with the other HardwareLabs offerings). The matte black paint finish is silky smooth and without flaws, even after having been used previously. Thick gauge side panels are used making the SR-1 solid with no flex at all. Fin spacing was uniform up and down the tubes and all the joints look great. The very low 9 FPI count means less maintenance and down time having to remove dust build up less often.
The SR-1 is a basic design with just single inlet/outlet port option and no fill/bleeder port. M4 threads are used for installation and fan attachment; however there are no protector plates.
The deep internal shrouds assist in optimizing fan efficiency and therefore radiator efficiency. The especially deep shroud on the non-port side (13mm) could give the SR-1 the edge in push only fan set-ups.
Summary
Long praised as the king of slow speed fans the results in my push/pull testing proved otherwise. Against the competition it wasn’t able to keep up and with a relative performance factor score of just 87 it could only achieve a performance rating of 2.5/5 in the push/pull configuration of the test set-up. The build quality and finish was among the best of the group.
The SR-1 is EOL having been superseded by the newly released SR2, so some bargains can be found online at the time of publishing.
Where to buy: $79 – PPCS
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