Hardware Labs Black Ice SR2 420 MP Radiator Review

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

Introduction

Hardware Labs Black Ice SR2 420 MP Radiator Review

Welcome to another Extreme Rigs radiator review. This time we’ll be taking a close look at the SR2 420 MP from Hardware Labs which became available for retail purchase last week.

Since we published the most recent of the 360mm radiators for inclusion in the Extreme Rigs Rad Round Up 2015, we had completed thermal testing on 8 various sized 140.x radiators before our chosen 140mm fans starting failing. This meant we had to find a reliable model 140mm fan for use in the thermal chamber. With assistance from a new ER sponsor we believe we have just the fan, Noctua’s NF-A14 IndustrialPPC-2000 IP67 PWM.

We’d like to say a public Thank You to the Noctua Team for their understanding of the situation, their generous support and for arranging lightning fast delivery half way around the world. Without Noctua’s support this review may still be in the planning stages.

Of course we’ll be doing a full review on these Noctua Industrials once we have completed some more tests and compiled the data from it and some other 140mm fans for comparisons.

With new fans in hand, we restarted our 140.x radiator thermal testing from scratch, and after crunching the data we are now able to publish the first of our 140.x radiator reviews.

First up is the SR2 420 MP from Hardware Labs. We’ve already reviewed the 240 mm and 360mm versions of the SR2 MultiPort so be sure to check them out after you’ve finished reading this one. We’ll do some comparisons to those 240 & 360 results, but for the most part the SR2 420 MP will be compared against the other 420 radiator which we have finished re-testing – EK’s CE 420.

Firstly a big thanks to Hardware Labs for providing the review sample of the SR2 420 MP!

What’s in the Box?

The SR2 420 MP sample arrived in full retail packaging. Existing packaging from the SR2 420 has been used, as the “MP MuiltiPort” labelling is a sticker which has been strategically placed on the front of the retail sleeve.

The front of the retail sleeve leaves us in no doubt as to what to expect, while on the back we find some technical drawings and list of features.

Note in the last sentence I said simply the SR2 420, and together with the sticker placement on the front, we conclude that the SR2 420 MP has exactly the same cooling package (core) as the single port version. HWLabs has confirmed this is correct, and the extra ports are the only changes in the MP version.

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

Our feelings about this chart are well known to regular readers by now.  Suffice it to say that the test conditions are a standard that we don’t think applies well to most end users.

Removing the outer sleeve we find a sturdy shipping box with a factory seal sticker that gives us a warning about using correct length screws.

Just to clarify: when using the supplied mounting hardware there is no risk of causing damage to the radiator.

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 420 MP has great packaging that should ensure safe arrival to the end user.

Under the flap on the right hand side, we found 3 bags with the supplied accessories.

Extent of delivery:

Included in the SR2 420 MP package is the following:

1 x SR2 Multi-Port Radiator
12 x M4 x 28mm screw s 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. In most instances M4 x 30 screws will be suitable.

HWLabs also provides some spare port plugs, aka stop fittings. 4 x extra port plugs come with the Multi-Port version of the SR2 420. These are in addition to 6 that are pre-installed into 6 of the 8 the ports of the radiator. This is fantastic because the radiator is ready for flushing straight from the box. This means it comes with a total of 10 stop fittings, which is great, but somewhat overkill. Because of this HWLabs had to keep the cost down and so these are not made of brass but instead of POM, aka Delrin. In other words they are plastic and if you note there is an allen key socket in the head for tightening it.

HWLabs recommends only using fingers to tighten down the port plugs. However given that using an allen key is an optional method of tightening/loosening these plugs, the recessed key hole will (and does) round off after a couple of uses. Ultimately end users will decide whether or not they choose to replace these factory fitted plugs with plated/painted brass ones. I suspect that most will be happy to keep the stock plugs in place as they certainly are convincing and do look good. I think HWLabs made a good decision to include all the port plugs (inc. the 4 extra) and so the cost saving benefit of using the plastic material is justified.

Onwards to technical specifications!

Technical Specifications

Technical specifications: as listed by HWLabs.

 

• Built-in 8-PORT Inlet/Outlet manifold system
• 140 mm x 3 fan Xtreme+ form factor 3-row radiator
• 452mm x 153mm 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® SR1-420
• 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® GTX® 420 and Black Ice® SR1® 420 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 SR2 420 MP, but note that none of the dimensions take consideration for the extra 4mm that each port plug requires:

I made mention above of the extra 4mm on each port adding to the dimensions. The following photo shows that each port face is flush with the casing, a ruler is placed over one of the side ports. So whatever plugs you use, their thickness should be added for a final dimension size.

Dimensions Measured on the Radiator Tested:

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

Radiator Core Dimensions:

The core is made up of 3 rows of 14 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.

The following 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 420 MP has.

The single louvered fins are spaced extremely evenly between the tubes and while the specs list 9FPI, our sample measured slightly higher with 9.5 being measured at most places.

Finish and Features

The SR2 420 MP has a true Matte Black finish and is my preferred finish for a radiator in most builds. It has a subtle yet stylish finish which would look great in most installations. HWLabs are renowned for the build quality and finish of their radiators and while the SR2 420 MP sample was put together very well with all visible joints looking fine, the finish was a little below the standard we have come to expect. The finish has small grains under the paint in places which is well camouflaged by the paint, but can be felt when running your hand along the edges.

In addition to those very minor imperfections there was a section of paint which just peeled away when I was handling the rad. It just flaked off, like it had never properly adhered to the copper surface.

The SR2 MP range has also been released with every size available in a satin white finish.
Picture courtesy of PPCs

The fan mount spacing is the standard 15mm.

The fan mounting holes are not 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 8 ports in total, 4 each inlet and outlet to choose from and HWLabs describe the port tanks as a manifold system.

The additional ports are the key feature which makes the SR2 MP stand out from the competition. 6 of the 8 ports are pre-fitted with Delrin stop plugs.

The extra ports give us options for dedicated fill ports or drain lines/taps and fitting of temp sensors depending on the installation orientation. In addition the extra ports could allow for better tubing runs or even hidden tubing without the need for angled fittings. We love multi-port rads!

The SR2 240 MP is looking great and ready for business.

Care has been taken during painting to ensure paint does not get into any of the G ¼ ports.

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 future revisions will have this port added to complete the port set and add flexibility for vertical installations. 8 ports are great – but 8 + 1 would be better still!

So here we have a 60mm thick radiator with a low FPI count that is sporting a massive total of 8 port options. The build quality is excellent, but the finish on the sample was not as good as we have come to expect from HWLabs and we hope this is an isolated example.

 

Let’s see how it performs…

Flow Rate Testing

The Data

As all the testing was performed with the exact same equipment (except the 140mm Noctua Industrial fans replace the 120mm GT fans), using the exact same methods as was used in the 360mm round-up so I have decided to keep this review uncluttered by keeping 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 over 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 420 MP 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 this SR2 is a very 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.

We have decided to use a HeatKiller 3.0 CPU block as the reference in this next plot 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 previous 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 indicates the SR2-MP as a very low restriction loop component when compared to a CPU block of average restriction, but what about other radiators?

The next three plots show the restriction level at three different flow rates compared to the other 420mm radiator that has been tested so far. We consider the chosen GPM rates to represent systems which have low, medium and high flow rates.

Clearly the SR2 MP has the lower restriction level of the 2 rads and is due to its larger tube size and it has an extra layer of tubes.. This is not to say the EK CE is overly restrictive, just that the SR2 is much less so.

This next plot shows both 420 radiators results for the full range of the flow meter we use for testing the restriction level.

To give a bit more perspective, lets now take a look at where the SR2 420 MP fits in relation to all the radiators we have tested. For this plot only results for 1.0 GPM have been used for the comparison.

When put into context with all the radiators, the SR2 420 rates as a low restriction radiator.

 

Onwards to Thermal Performance!

Thermal Testing

The Thermal Data

In a change from the 360mm thermal testing, all other radiator sizes are only going to be tested at 1.0 GPM. We proved that for 95% of the rads tested, flow rates over 1.0 GPM did not make any significant impact on the radiator performance. The decision to only test at 1.0 GPM is also because of the time required to complete this testing, and running the additional flow rates effectively doubled the required test time.

A total of 6 tests were conducted at 1.0 GPM with fan speeds of 750 rpm, 1300 rpm and 1850 rpm being run in Push Only and Push/Pull. All inclusive this testing still takes between 40 – 50 hours of logging time to get the results that are presented.

Below is the final data results gathered from at least 5 data logging runs at the 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 a more useful reference point).

Let’s take a look at the Delta T results from the tests. Note that the extrapolation of the curve is much more sensitive to error than in between the tested range.

I was not too concerned about the actual delta numbers, more so the trend pattern, and as we should expect, the deltas come down significantly as the fan speed is increased.

Delta T results (as above) is 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):

 

This same data can now be plotted on a chart 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.

With the SR2’s low fin count of 9 FPI, the results show that a Push Only fan assembly is very efficient on this radiator at all rpms, and that adding a second set of fans (Push/Pull) only yields an average performance increase of ~13%.

 

Now let’s analyze that data some more…

Data Analysis

This first table shows the SR2 420 MP’s Watts/10 Delta Temp numbers in a quick glance chart format.

Using this data we can effectively show percentage gains/losses relative to a reference point. It’s an interesting way to show gains/losses while changing a variable.

So, let’s focus on 1300 RPM as our reference and see how much gain or loss in performance we get by changing fan speed.

Very even results either side of 1300 rpm indicate that the core is tuned well for low speed fans as we don’t see any major boost in performance as fans speeds are increased.

So from the data above we have a good idea of how the SR2 420 MP radiator performs relative to itself in Push Only and Push/Pull at various fan speed, but there is a large selection of 420mm radiator models to choose from, released from numerous manufacturers.

As we have another 420mm rad with thermal testing complete, let’s do just that by putting the SR2 420 MP head to head with EK’s CE 420. It may not be the fairest comparison ever done because while they are both 420mm radiators, that is about the only thing they have in common, The EK CE 420 is thinner and has a much denser core structure. The comparisons should prove interesting.

Push Only Data vs Competition

Let’s focus on the Push Only results for now and come back to the Push/Pull data later.
Let’s start with 750 RPM and see how the two compare.

While we hesitate to make predictions this is the data point where we expected the SR2 to have a clear advantage over the EK CE. The result here is effectively a tie as both results are within the test error margins.

Now let’s look at 1300 rpm:

At 1300 RPM the CE takes the lead by ~2.5%, just enough to call a winner.

At 1850 rpm the SR2 takes the lead again by ~2%. Its thicker core is presumably what is making the difference and why it didn’t fall further behind from the 1300 results.

So it appears (as expected given the low PFI count) that the SR2 is well tuned for low fan speeds but then also takes first place at the high speed fan data point.  There is no clear winner of the Push Only thermal tests, perhaps the Push/Pull will see some separation between the two.

Let’s find out.

Push/Pull Data vs. Competition

Let’s now look at the Push/Pull results and see how the SR2 compares:

The SR2 takes second place ~2.5% behind the winning rad, and the very close results continue.

Let’s move to 1300 rpm:

In the 1300 rpm Push/Pull category the SR2 420 MP closes the gap slightly, now just ~2% behind the CE.

Now 1850RPM:

As with the Push Only result the SR2 again takes first place after trailing at 1300 rpm.

Let’s also combine the Push Only and Push/Pull results at our 1.0 GPM flow rate into one plot for each fan speed tested. Sometimes these combined plots show up some points of interest, but with the results being so close for both fan assemblies, I don’t expect to find much of interest this time.

Again the 750 rpm first:

Nothing looks out of place here..

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

It was exactly the same with the 1850 combined.

 

Another way of looking at the results above might be to combine the results and plot them on a vertical bar chart.

And one last view, plotted as curves and adding some extrapolation.

This perhaps best shows just how close the results are!

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 rpm 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.

Here is the SR2’s percentage scores at each data point that thermal tests were conducted at with the addition of the SR2’s Push Only results relative to the Best performing Push/Pull results

The percentage numbers in the table offer another way of looking at the SR2’s results comparatively and how it performed, but for our scoring system we need a way to reduce the categories while retaining the data. To do this we average the results for each fan assembly type giving us Averaged Performance Factors for Push Only, Push/Pull and finally an average of everything in the Master Averaged Performance Factor.

Firstly – the Push Only APF:

Incredibly close, almost unbelievably so!
Now the Push/Pull APF:

Again – 0.1% is all that separates the two radiators’ averaged results – well within the margin of error.

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

After over 100 hours of logging time and another 10 hours or so of data processing, the result is too close to declare a decisive a winner. The The EK CE’s winning margin of just 0.1% is not conclusive enough and we therefore declare the 2 radiators have equal thermal performance after averaging out across the tested fan speeds.

Quite incredible considering the differences in size and core dimensions!

Before we move onto the summary let’s take a look at some comparisons between a couple of different sized SR2 radiators thermal performance. We did test the 360mm version at 3 flow rates, but only the 1.0 GPM data has been used in the charts below.

The most noteworthy point of interest is how close the Push/Pull 360 is to the Push Only 420 results at medium and high speeds. Of course they have different fans putting out different CFM, but both fan types we consider “best in class” and so could be considered a “somewhat fair” comparison of heat dissipation. A much better comparison would be Thermal Performance Vs. Noise instead of the Vs. RPM as above, but at this time we still have more fan testing to complete before we can use our fan data.

We can also plot the same data and extrapolate.

A note copied from our SR2 240 MP review on the heat load applied for rads other than 360mm.

“Having done then 360mm testing previously we had to decide how we were going to set up for testing other sizes. There were two practical options, both of which had advantages and disadvantages and none of the ER staff could ever really agree on which was the better option.

The first option was to run a power load proportional to that which was run for the 360mm rads, which was 300 Watts. For 240mm rads that would be 200 watts, being 66% of the surface area of a 360mm rad. This would show us the scalability of the different size of each model rad quite well, but the comparison results would be likely to end up in the exact same order as the 360mm Round Up and therefore maybe not the best comparison for readers who may be looking to purchase one or the other size of a particular radiator.

Another problem with this option is that the heater used for testing is 300 Watt, so for larger rads such as 420mm, 480mm and 560mm another heater would need to be incorporated in the test chamber loop, which would be a big change to they system in itself that would likely then render the test system useless for comparisons to older test data (any system change makes things no longer apples to apples – and yes the system is that sensitive).

The second option, which is what we have decided to use, was to run with 300 Watts on the 240 radiators. This mirrors the fact that we keep the heatload constant even when changing fan RPM. This gives a good comparison between different sizes of the same rad, as we are simulating a set load in a similar way to which a running system might. The downside to this test method is that we may run into temperature issues. On the smaller 120mm and 140mm rads 300 Watts is just going to be too much for them to dissipate with safe and acceptable coolant temps, so we may end up not getting full sets of data, in particular the Push Only 750 RPM data point would be almost certain to have coolant temps which are too high to test at. On the other end of the scale for any 480mm or 560mm rads, the cooling potential is likely to be very high resulting in very lower Delta Temps which could lead to data having to be discarded, particularly for the Push/Pull 1850 RPM data point.

There is no right or wrong choice, the results would just be slightly different due to Delta Temps being different between the two test options. In the end we are happy with the option which we chose as we believe is offers the reader a better comparison between different size radiators as they have all been tested under the same conditions. However as a reader you should be aware that W/10DT numbers are not calculated here with a delta of 10C so radiators with higher temperature deltas are operating more efficiently and will score higher than perhaps they should for a true scientific accurate test of heat dissipation for a 10C delta.”

Next up – Summary!

Summary

Thermal Performance

Thermal Performance scores are derived from the relevant Performance Factor scores. We set this scale with 72.5% and below as the 0 mark, with each 2.5% increase from 75% in relative performance adding 0.5 to the awarded performance score.

Note: In such a small test group of just two radiators the performance scores do not have a lot of other data to be compared against. Depending on the amount of variance in the results, this could end up with misleading scores based on the comparative performance.

As it turned out that was not the case with the two radiators that we tested because of the surprisingly close results.

We must mention that there are likely to be better performing 420mm radiators available which if tested and the results added to our group data would lower the scores that the HWL SR2 MP and EK CE would have generated. Worse performing radiators added to the test group would not affect the scores.

Push Only Thermal Performance

• 5/5
  

The SR2 420 MP’s Push Only APF result of 99.2% translated into a perfect thermal performance score of 5/5. It’s thicker core with a low 9 FPI fin count was virtually equal to that of the EK CE which is thinner but has a higher fin count and narrower tubes.

It scaled well as the fans speeds were increased and so achieved great results at all three of our fan speed tests despite being targeted towards the low fan speed market.

Push/Pull Thermal Performance

• 5/5
  

The Push/Pull Performance result is pretty much a carbon copy of the Push Only with a score of 5/5 being generated.
Again the results showed excellent scaling, so it performed extremely well at all fan speeds.

Overall Thermal Performance

• 5/5
  

The Master Performance score of 98.9 gives a perfect overall performance score of 5/5.
Without more radiators in the test group, it really is difficult to add more perspective, however what is very clear is that there is no performance advantage between these two greatly differing models.

Features & Quality – 4.0/5

The SR2 420 MP has HWLabs renowned build quality built into its DNA. It feels solid and weighty and is well constructed. The paint finish was not without some imperfections which is unusual for HWLabs. In addition to matte black a satin white finish is also available.

The amount of extra ports introduced on this revised SR2 MP model is certainly welcomed. These ports will surely be a major attraction to many rig builders and it could be argued that the extra ports are the SR2 420 MP’s main feature. These extra ports are what HWLabs radiators have been missing for years, so we are very pleased they have caught up with the competition with the inclusion of additional ports.  BUT, the SR2 420 MP is still missing a dedicated fill/drain port on the return end tank.

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.

With a very low FPI count the SR2 will need cleaning less often and it’s very low restriction level mean could mean less pump power is required when planning out your loop.

Summary – Silver Award 4.5/5

The SR2 420 MP proved to be an excellent all round thermal performer against the one other 420mm radiator that we compared against. It has a low restriction level and a low FPI count
The design and build quality are excellent. However the finish on the test sample was not perfect.
Be sure to take some measurements of the intended installation location prior to purchase, keeping in mind that unused ports will add an additional 4mm to the size to account for a port plug. So if both side ports are unused, the rad is effectively ~8-10mm wider, which could be a deal breaker for some chassis, particular if front mounted.

While thermal performance is an important factor in deciding which rad to purchase, with the SR2 MP the design may be the difference between choosing it or another model. The extra ports are a major feature of this radiator and the port choices could mean cleaner tubing runs or even hidden tubing plus the option to install other accessories like temp sensors or drain taps. Users with pedestals, basements or lofts are going to rejoice with the new found freedom the side ports will bring to loop assembly.

If you have the available space to accommodate the 60mm thickness (plus fans) it really doesn’t get any better than this!

Having made that statement the design and build quality of the SR2 MP does come at a cost, literally. The SR2 420 MP is currently retailing at $156 while the EK CE is $56 cheaper at just $100. That is a huge price difference and can somewhat be attributed to the differing sizes and the amount of materials required for manufacture, plus extra time required for the SR2’s port installation.

In the end only you the end user can know which is best suited for you build, which style you prefer and which features are most important to you. The SR2 while matching performance can not match the CE in it’s “bang for the buck”, but the SR2 offers superior flexibility for loop design. Your choice!

Where to buy: Performance PCs:

• Matte Black SR2 420 MP
• Satin White SR2 420 MP