Hardware Labs Black Ice® SR2™ 360mm Multi-Port Radiator Review

1. Introduction2. Technical Specifications3. Flow Rate Testing4. Thermal Testing5. Data Analysis6. Summary7. View All

Introduction

Hardware Labs Black Ice® SR2™ 360mm Multi-Port Radiator Review

The intention of this write-up is to provide information and performance data about the HWLabs SR2 360mm Radiator for inclusion in the Extreme Rigs Rad Round Up 2015. I’ll be keeping the review section short and factual, focusing on presenting the performance data compiled through the numerous tests carried out. Firstly a big thanks to Hardware Labs for providing the review sample of the SR2 360mm!

I was lucky enough to receive a pre-release Multi-Port sample of the SR2 from HWL, but we are told it has the same core as the currently available single port model.

Note: You may notice changes in the data presentation in this rad review as I’m now also including even more thermal testing data for both Push/Pull and Push Only fan installations.

What’s in the Box?

The Multi-Port SR2 sample arrived in full retail packaging – for the SR2 single port which is currently available.

The front of the retail sleeve leaves us in no doubt as to what to expect, while on the back we find a tech drawing and some details on the SR2 radiator.

On one side we find some performance ratings on the various SR2 models.

Don’t be fooled by the heat capacity numbers – HWLabs provide this heat capacity information which is based on certain industry standards. If you read the test conditions you’ll see that the temperature delta is 25°C.  However most end users don’t think that 25°C delta temps are at all reasonable.  While some water cooler users only care about lowering noise, plenty also want better cooling, and by hitting such high temperatures your components may end up running hotter than some air coolers.  In addition higher coolant temperatures can even have other side effects like stretching out tube – this can cause leaks when a previously piece of tube can no slip out of a lock ring after a few weeks of heat cycling.  As always, I’ll be providing the data in the W/10ΔT format which should give a much better impression of what this radiator can really be expected to cool.  So while these specs might be accurate for the test conditions, they are not typical.  Moving on…

Inside the outer retail sleeve is a protective cardboard box. While removing the review sample the warning sticker about screw length caught on the inside and tore.

I really like the HWLabs style of boxing as the compartment at one end keeps the provided accessories away from the core. It would be nice to see a bubble wrap sleeve over the rad, but otherwise the SR2 has great packaging that should ensure safe arrival to the end-user.

Extent of delivery:

Included in the SR2 Multi-Port package is the following

• 1 x SR2 Multi-Port Radiator
• 12 x M4 x 28mm screws for mounting fans.
• 12 x M4 x 5mm screws for attaching to chassis
• 4 x G 1/4 port plugs.

Note that the 28mm screws are only just long enough to mount fans to the radiator. If using a mounting bracket, or placing fans between the chassis and rad, you will need to provide your own M4 screws of suitable length.  30mm screws usually provide a bit more margin for mounting, and even those are borderline with some of the thicker CaseLabs panels.

HWLabs provided 4 x port plugs with the Multi-Port SR2. The hexagon shape makes them appear larger than the round plugs which we are used to seeing.  These look very similar to Swiftech’s stop fittings.  The option to use an allen key is nice, and a wrench can be used if preferred to tighten them down.

When fitted the plugs seem to have an aggressive meaner look, which I think I like.

Onwards to technical specifications!

Technical Specifications

Technical Specifications as listed by Hardware Labs

“• 120 mm x 3 fan Xtreme+ form factor 3-row radiator
• 398mm x 133mm x 60mm (L x W x H)
• 9 FPI 45 Micron Copper Fins
• Optimized for sub-800 rpm ultra-stealth fans
• Supercruise™ optimizations for scalable performance with higher speed fans
• 50% more tubing area than the Black Ice® SR1-360
• Increased internal coolant flow rates optimized for multi-stage cooling configurations
• Standard G 1/4″ inlet/outlet fittings
• Standard M4 mounting threads
• Compatible with Black Ice® Xtreme 3, Black Ice® GTX™ 360 and Black Ice® SR1® 360 radiators
• Custom Black Carbon™ high quality finish
• Fully ROHS Compliant
• 100% Made from conflict-free materials
• Industry standard Black Ice® quality
• Lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects”

The following technical drawings are of the Single-Port SR2, but the number of ports is the only difference in the 2 models. The Multi-Port overall length is a bit longer due to the ports fitted on the bottom of the port tanks.

Dimensions Measured on the Radiator Tested:

The (+4) and (+3) are the addition measurements if port plugs are fitted.

Note that +3mm on the thickness could be very important to some users depending on their fan assembly and installation orientation. With port plugs fitted and no fans attached to that side the rad could no longer mount flush against the case panel without the use of some type of shroud. It will not effect Push/Pull fan assemblies at all, but will affect some Push Only installations, so have a think about your intended use before committing to the multi-port version of the SR2.

HWLabs can eliminate this issue by recessing the ports on one side of the rad and hopefully the design change will be made before going into production.

Radiator Core Dimensions:

The core is made up of 3 rows of 12 tubes arranged in the standard U-Flow configuration. The fin arrangement is made of single louvered fins with a 9 FPI count. The low fin count should equate to some decent Push Only results, but might not be so competitive in the Push/Pull comparisons.

This picture is a reference which shows a typical U-Flow coolant flow path, where the coolant travels up all the tubes on one side (left in pic) of the rad and then returns down the other side. U-Flow is most easily recognized when the port end has 2 separate tanks such as the SR2 has.

The single louvered fins are spaced very evenly between the tubes and here we see our 9 FPI count.

Finish and Features

The SR2 has a true Matte Black finish or Carbon Black as described by HWLabs and is my preferred finish for a radiator. It gives a subtle yet stylish finish which would look great in most builds. HWLabs are renowned for build quality and finish of their radiators and the SR2 keeps up the tradition with all visible joints appearing to be perfect.
The Multi-Port pre-release sample I received does not have the logo down the side on the casing as the current retail single port version does, but it won’t surprise me if the retail Multi-Port receives the same branding treatment.

The fan mount spacing is the standard 15mm.

None of these mounting holes are located directly above tubes; however they are very, very close so it is great that HWLabs chose to incorporate protection plates.

Still, care must be taken if you need to use custom length screws due to your mounting needs.

The SR2 Multi-Port come equipped with 6 ports in total, 3 each inlet and outlet to choose from. This heralds the start of HWLabs multi-port radiators and I hope they will be updating other models which are suitable for the multi-port option.  “Opti Flow” Radiators like the Nemesis GTX would be unlikely to get this update due to its internal flow path configuration.

The extra ports give us options for dedicated fill or drain ports depending on the installation orientation. In addition the additional ports can allow for better tubing runs without the need for angled fittings. We love multi-port rads!

The SR2 looking great and ready for business.

Unfortunately there is no dedicated fill/bleeder port on the return end tank. We hope that HWLabs takes on the feedback from its customers and that we see this port inclusion in future releases.

So here we have a thick rad with a low FPI count that is sporting additional ports. The matte black finish is excellent as is the overall build quality. So far so good.

Let’s see how it performs…

Flow Rate Testing

The Data

As all the testing in this round-up was performed with the exact same equipment, using the exact same methods I have decided to keep each radiators page uncluttered by posting our testing methodology, test set-ups and equipment used in a single location. To see exactly how the tests were carried out, details of the test set ups and equipment used, please head back to the RRU Test Setup page.

Restriction Test

It’s generally agreed that radiators are one of, if not the least restrictive components in the water cooling loop. There are some exceptions however, so this must still be verified through testing:

The above photo is for referencing the restriction test bench The SR2 is not loaded so please disregard the data in the picture as it does not relate to the its test results.

Here is the raw data at the tested flow rates, displaying the measured Differential Pressure across the radiator as flow rate was increased.
The table numbers indicate that the SR2 is a low restriction radiator. However numbers in isolation can only tell half the story.  By plotting against other components it more easily shows the whole story. I have decided to use a HeatKiller 3.0 CPU block as the reference in these plots for two reasons. Firstly there is no chance of the plot being cluttered by curves overlapping and secondly it gives a reference point against a fairly common loop component of average restriction. As with all the radiator restriction plots I have limited the maximum flow rate displayed to 2.0 GPM as I suspect there are very few systems that operate above 2.0 GPM. For more information on how to read a restriction plot check out our guide.

This plot confirms the SR2 as a low restriction radiator, very low I would venture to say.

The next three plots show the SR2’s restriction level relative to other radiators in the test group. Previously I have only shown just the 1.0 gpm plot, but I have now decided to show 3 different flow rates for you to see how the rad’s restriction levels compare against each other at different flow rates.

Onwards to Thermal Performance!

Thermal Testing

The Thermal Data

Moving on from the restriction test bench the HWLabs SR2 Multi-Port was loaded into the thermal test chamber for a series of tests – consisting of 3 flow rates, each having 3 different fan rpm rates tested. I felt the thermal test data was most important and which you as the reader would be most interested in.

Below is the final data results gathered from at least 2 data logging runs at each flow rate and fan rpm combination. The most stable 15 minute period from each logging run was used and then averaged with the other runs to obtain the data for the table below. A total of 16 temperature sensors were used in the thermal test chamber (8 air in, 2 air out, 3 water in, 3 water out) each take a reading every second and logged via a CrystalFontz unit. The data in the table below is the averaged results of the logging runs which has then been used to create all the plots and tables there-after.

The performance metric of critical importance is the delta between the warm coolant temperature in and the cold ambient air temperature in to the radiator. Given that the system is well insulated and in equilibrium and we know the heat input to the system then we can also calculate a very important number – that is the amount of power required to raise the coolant temperature 1C (or 10C which is more useful reference point).

Let’s take a look at the Delta T results from the tests, in bar chart form first:

I was not too concerned about the actual delta numbers, more so the trend pattern. Most noticeable here is the lack of variation between the 1.0 and 1.5 gpm test results. Is this a clue to the SR2’s sweet spot for performance in relation to flow rate? This results seems unusual – but we have to remember the total system power varies with flow as the pump dumps heat to the loop so let’s not read too much into this just yet.

Delta T results (as above) are not always helpful when thinking about how many radiators you would need to cool your system. Instead it’s more useful to know the delta/W, or more usefully, the inverse metric of W/delta C. The metric plotted below tells us how many watts are dissipated by the radiator when the coolant rises 10C above ambient temperatures (W/10 Delta T):

As expected increasing airflow through the radiator is the primary determinant in changing the radiators performance.

Notice that we are not seeing much performance gain as the flow rate is increased. This could prove interesting in the comparisons later on. Are the SR2’s low flow results very good, or are the high flow gains lower than we would normally see?

This data can now be plotted as a pretty curve so that an end-user can interpolate their own fan speed. Note again that the extrapolation of the curve is much more sensitive to error than in between the tested range. Let’s exclude the push data for now and come back to it:

Evidence again that increasing flow rate is yielding very little benefit in performance as the fan speed is increased.  Note also the trajectory of the curve – this is a radiator that has “room to grow” with higher fan speeds and hasn’t ran out of breath.

If we now come back to the push data it’s good to compare only the push to push/pull data in an “apples to apples” fashion by only looking at the 1GPM data:

Push Only gives around 90% (averaged) of the performance of the Push/Pull 1.0 gpm test results on this radiator.

In this next plot all three Push/Pull results at each flow rate were averaged to produce one curve and we compared the results against one of the best and worst performers from the first test group. Averaging reduces test error of course so this helps further to be sure of our data and is more useful therefore for comparing to other radiators.

As you can see the SR2 clearly is beating both at low fan speeds and only begins to taper off from the Koolance once medium fan speeds are reached.

Now let’s analyze that data some more…

Data Analysis

This first table shows the SR2’s Watts/10 Delta Temp numbers in a quick glance chart format.

Using the data compiled from the SR2 thermal testing I have compiled the following tables in an attempt to show other ways of how its performance varies against itself at the flow rates and fan speeds tested. Effectively these show percentage gains relative to a reference point. It’s an interesting way to show gains/losses while changing a variable. First let’s focus on 1300 RPM as our reference and see how much gain or loss in performance we get by changing fan speed.

The high percentage changes from 1300 rpm to 750 rpm appear to indicate the SR2 is tuned for best performance somewhere in this fan speed range. In the next plot we focus on changing the flow rate with 1.0 GPM as the base line.

With only slight percentage changes with varying the flow rate could mean a couple of things. The flow rate is not a determining factor for performance on the SR2 or that the core is extremely well tuned for a low flow rate and little performance gains are made with increasing flow rates. I tend to favor the later as the most likely scenario.

How about we combine both flow rate and fan speed as reference points and have a look at 0.5 GPM & 750 RPM as the reference point.

This unintentionally shows us quite nicely that not much performance is gained with flow rate increases.

Lastly, we change the reference and choose our center 1300 RPM and 1.0 GPM as our reference point to show both effects concurrently:

It’s an interesting plot that ties in the theories that were being made as the previous plots were analysed.

So from the data above we can get a very good idea of how the SR2 radiator performs relative to itself. But there is a large selection of 360mm radiator models to choose from, released from numerous manufacturers. So, we need to start comparing performance between them. To see how the SR2 performed against the other radiators tested, I have included the averaged flow rate comparison charts from the Round Up. We know that the flow rate has little impact on thermal performance so averaging of the 3 flow rate results gives us a good look at head to head performance at the rpm speeds tested at with even less error.

Push Only Data vs Competition

Let’s focus on the Push Only results for now and come back to the Push/Pull data later. While for Push/Pull we tested three flow rates, the Push Only testing was conducted only at 1GPM in order to save time.

Let’s start with 750 RPM and see how it compares to the competition:

What a way to start! At low fan speeds the SR2 is straight to the top of the Push Only comparison charts!

How does the SR2 do at 1300 rpm?

Placing third it is close behind the winner.

At 1850 Push Only the SR2 drops a few spots and placed 7th, just 1.5% behind the second place radiator. Hardware Labs really dominates this testing point with 5 of the top 8 performers in the high-speed fan Push Only category.

So it appears (as expected given the low FPI count) that the SR2 is well tuned for low fan speeds. Will the SR2 perform similar to other low FPI rads where they perform best in Push Only applications, or can the SR2 hold its own in Push/Pull also?

Let’s find out….

Push/Pull Data vs. Competition

Let’s now look at the Push/Pull results and see how the SR2 compares. For Push/Pull we have averaged the results from the 3 flow rates at which we tested.

The SR2 finished in 4th position in the Push/Pull low fan speed category. This is an excellent result when averaged over the 3 flow rates.

Let’s move to the 1300 rpm then…..

In the 1300 rpm category the SR2 has dropped down the leader table to finish in 8th.  A relatively poor 1.5 gpm rpm result held it back in the averaged results, as in the lower flow rates it placed 5th in both.

The averaged 1850 rpm results…

At 1850 Push/Pull the SR2 holds its ground in the rankings but falls a bit further behind the leaders, now around 10% behind the winner.

Let’s now also combine the Push and Push/Pull results at the 1.0 GPM flow rate into one plot for each fan speed tested.

Again the 750 rpm first…

Nothing looks out of place here given the data we have reviewed already. Interestingly the Push Only result beats out nearly half of the other radiator’s Push/Pull results!

At 1300 rpm:
At 1300 rpm everything looks in order given the data we’ve already reviewed.

Same with the 1850 RPM combined plot:

From all of test results we created “Average Performance Factor” charts for both Push and Push/Pull and then a combined plot called the “Master Performance Factor”. The radiator with the best cooling ability (W/10ΔT) at each gpm/rpm combo was awarded a score of 100, and each other radiators W/10ΔT result was scored as percentage of the top performer.

This way of looking at the comparison takes away any advantages that a radiator may have at higher or lower fan speeds and looks at an overall average. While this appears fair it does tend to favor those radiators that are all-rounders and those radiators which do very well at high RPM. Most users should be more focused on their specific use case. Check in the Round Up for performance comparisons at every gpm/rpm combo for even more details and cross comparison results.

Here is the SR2’s performance scores at each data point that thermal tests were conducted at. Additionally we can see how the Push Only result compared against the winners at both Push/Pull and Push Only.

The Push Only and low fan speed Push/Pull are impressive to say the least, while the others are very very respectable showing the SR2 to be an excellent all-rounder which favours the lower fan speeds a bit more.

Then we started averaging the percentage scores at each flow rate giving us the Averaged Performance Factors of each radiator.

First – the Push Only APF:

The SR2 achieved consistently high results across all fan speeds while not taking out any actual data point wins.

Now the Push/Pull APF…

The SR2’s Push/Pull APF of 93.5 places it in 6th position and I will admit higher than I had anticipated that it would prior to analyzing the data – this is presumably due to the low FPI. A pleasant surprise!

Finally we created the Master Performance Factor which is calculated from the averaged results of all the thermal tests, Push and Push/Pull at all flow rates and all fan speeds.

In the Master Performance Factor comparisons the SR2 finishes in second place! Consistent good results across all the test data points will surely earn the SR2 a “Gold” award.

I really didn’t expect the SR2 to perform so well across the board, so hats off to HWLabs for the core design they have come up with on this radiator. While optimized for low fan speeds it does an excellent job at heat dissipation no matter the flow rate or fan speed – amazing!

Next up – Summary!

Summary

Thermal Performance

Thermal Performance scores are derived from the relevant Performance Factor scores. We set this scale with 75% and below as the 0 mark, with each 2.5% increase from 75% in relative performance adding 0.5 to the awarded performance score.

Push Only Thermal Performance – 4.5/5

The SR2’s performed awesomely, and if it wasn’t for the XE’s superlative performance it would have had a clean sweep here.

Push/Pull Thermal Performance – 4/5

As we have seen in the data the SR2 also (somewhat surprisingly) performed very well in Push/Pull. Its Push/Pull APF result of 93.5 gave a thermal performance score of 4. This is an excellent result for a low FPI radiator.

Overall Thermal Performance – 4/5

The Master Performance score of 94.7 gives a score of 4/5. This is a great score that would have won if the XE hadn’t launched immediately afterwards.

Features & Quality – 4.5/5

The SR2 Multi-Port 360mm has HWLabs renowned build quality built into its DNA. It feels solid and weighty, is well constructed and the carbon black finish is excellent.

The extra ports introduced on this new model are welcome, and will surely be an irresistible lure to many rig builders. These extra ports are what HWLabs radiators have been missing for years. With a slight tweak to recess the plugs for a flush fit then the design this will be perfect.  If a dedicated fill/drain port was included on the return tank end the SR2 might have scored a 5/5 for features and quality.

The inclusion of tube protection plates is a welcome feature.

The core of the SR2 is slightly biased towards low to medium speed fans, but still performs extremely well with higher fan speeds.  This makes it a versatile performer

With a low FPI count the SR2 will need cleaning less often than most of the radiators in the test group.
The SR2’s low restriction level mean could mean less pump power is required when planning out your loop.

Summary – 4.5/5

The Hardware Labs SR2 Multi-Port is an excellent thermal performer when set up in Push Only configuration. Its Push/Pull performance is also outstanding making the SR2 an excellent all-rounder.

The design, build quality and finish are excellent. The review sample was perfect and there is nothing to fault.

The SR2 Multi-Port really has no drawbacks, and should be at the top of your list of rads to consider if you’re in the market to purchase.

Only the single port model is available at the time of writing, but HWLabs have confirmed the SR2 will be released, so as soon as we know a release date and pricing (which is expected to be similar or less) we’ll update with a Press Release.

If the single port version suits your build, it has the same great performance and is currently available.

Where to buy: Single Port Version – Performance PCs – $123, Multi-Port version is not yet released.