Introduction
When it comes to the PC Cooling solutions, ID-COOLING is relatively a new name but they for sure are making their way up with some good design and powerful cooling. The world first came to know about ID-COOLING during Computex 2013. The mother company of ID-COOLING is the cooling solution provider for many motherboard and VGA card brands for over 10 years. ID-COOLING is specialized in CPU air cooler, CPU water cooler, VGA cooler, built-in cooling case, computer case fans, server cooler and etc.
We recently did a round-up content on the high-end air coolers. It was quite a success and based on the community’s feedback we are planning another round-up content. This time the round-up content is on the best 240mm AIO coolers. We have chosen this size of the liquid cooler as it is still the most commonly used size in the liquid cooler category out of other available sizes which are 120mm, 280mm, and 360mm. We have reached out the over 30 brands and set ourselves a minimum of 15 coolers for the test. We are nearing our mark as the deliveries have started.
ID-COOLING has joined this content with their AURAFLOW X 240 CPU Cooler. This is a 240mm size AIO cooler with two 240mm RGB fans. The cooler features a sublime RGB lighting effect on the block and the fans though it is not digital lighting. The cooler is compatible with Intel LGA1366/115x/1200/20zz sockets and AMD TR4/AM4/FM2+/FM2/FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2 sockets. ID-COOLING has provided a basic controller which is SATA powered to control the lighting effect. This will come in handy if your motherboard does not have a 12V lighting header.
Item: AURAFLOW X 240
Manufacturer: ID-COOLING
Price: USD 72.99 AMAZON [At the time of the review]
Specifications
Packaging and Unboxing
The cooler is shipped inside a cardboard box.
There is a picture of the unit. The lighting on the block and fans is compatible with:
- ASUS AURA SYNC
- GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2
- MSI MYSTIC LIGHT SYNC
- ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
Summarized and tabulated information is shown including the specification of the pump and fans and measurements.
Unmatchable cooling performance and RGB lighting.
The opening cover of the packing box has the same layout as is on the other side.
Opening the box will show a white color Styrofoam placed over the contents. The contents are tucked inside an egged carton for maximum safety during traveling.
Accessories
There are two white color accessory boxes provided in the packing box. One has the mounting hardware and the other has RGB cables and the controller.
We have an Intel/AMD backplate. The circular black color ring is Intel mounting bracket and the other one is the AMD mounting bracket which also supports the TR4 socket.
We have:
- 4x thumb nuts
- 5x metallic covers
- 4x Intel LGA20xx standoffs
- 4x Intel other sockets standoffs
- 5x Long Screws
- 4x Rubber Washers
ID-COOLING has provided 8x long screws and 8x short screws for fans and the radiator installation.
ID-COOLING has provided their thermal paste as well as a PWM Y-splitter cable which allows both fans to be connected and controlled using a single fan header.
ID-COOLING has provided a SATA powered controller and RGB 1-4 splitter cable.
The RGB splitter cable has 4x 4-pin connectors using 12V.
This is a basic RGB lighting controller. On top, we have 12V.G.R.B pinned layout. Make sure to match the 12V marking to the 12V marking on the header. We have three buttons on the controller.
- Mode button switches between the pre-defined lighting modes.
- Speed/Bright button controls the speed of the dynamic modes and brightness of the RGB lighting.
- Color button cycles through the static colors.
The RGB controller is SATA powered. Connect this cable to the PSU.
Closer Look
Let’s take a closer look at the ID-COOLING AURAFLOW X 240 radiator and the fans.
Radiator
The ID-COOLING AURAFLOW X 240 is a 240mm CLC cooling solution. It has a 240mm radiator with two RGB 120mm fans. The cooler is rated for 250W TDP.
The dimension of the radiator is 276 x 120 x 27mm. The thickness of the radiator is 27mm. With 25mm fans the overall thickness would be 53mm. The radiator has a total of 42mm of thickness with the barbs which is still less than 52mm of overall thickness with the installed fans. The radiator has a 20 fins per inch one (FPI).
The radiator is made of aluminum hence it is lightweight. This is ID-COOLING own design. Fin stack is dense and taking into account the left and right side channels, it has a total of 12 channels for coolant flow. It has a standard inlet and outlet blocks for the water flow.
There are no protective sheets over the fins under the fan mounts. So, take care while mounting the fans as longer screws could damage the fins which would hamper the performance of the cooler. It is recommended to use the supplied long screws to mount the fans on to the radiators. There is a gap of 105mm between any two fan mounting holes on the radiator.
There is a grayish shade matte finish inlet on the sides of the radiator housing with ID-COOLING branding in the white color. The fishing is quite good and looks better in person.
The blocks on both ends of the radiator are rectangular and have sharp edges.
The total depth of the radiator including the barb fittings is 42mm. There is a sticker pasted between the barbs probably showing the serial no of the unit. There is no sticker on this end block. The tubes are firmly fitted to the radiator using straight barbs with a stylish cover.
The soft tubing is flexible and doesn’t produce kinking which is always a plus. ID-COOLING is using mesh sleeve on the hoses to give them clean look. The sleeve seems to be in a grayish tone with a bit of shine on it. The length of the tube is approximately 400mm.
Pump/Block
Let’s take a look at the main element of this cooler. It is the water block with the pump housing. We have a circular shaped plastic made housing in the black color. The top section has ID-COOLING branding which is backlit. There is a ring on the border of the housing which is also backlit. There is a white color diffuser under the top cover. This ring and branding lights up when powered on using the RGB cables and look pleasant in person.
The block has a size of 72x72x47.3mm. The tubes are installed at 90° mount on the base of the block making them protrude by approximately 18mm. Tubes can be rotated to the left or right side position.
The side of the housing is solid and there is no branding here. It is a fingerprint magnet so handle with care.
The front side of the housing is also solid.
The left side of the housing has two cables coming out from the lower chamber. There is a ring of catchers on the lower chamber right above the copper baseplate. This is where the provided mounting brackets are secured.
One is a 3-pin flat cable with an approximate length of 320+568mm. ID-COOLING has provided a SATA extension cable so that the user can directly connect the pump to the PSU. The user can also disconnect the SATA cable and connect the pump to the fan header if so required. The second cable is a 4-pin flat power cable. The LED connector is using the format +12.G.R.B.
The above picture shows the SATA cable connected to the 3-pin connector.
The base has a size of 59x54mm which is quite large given the size of CPU IHS that we will be using for the testing. I7 6850k has a surface area of approximately 37x37mm. The base is implemented in a polished finish cooper. Please, note that it is not a mirror effect. It is rounded on 4 corners It seems to be a plain surface. The surface is flat.
| Speed | 2100±10% RPM |
| Rated Voltage | 12VDC |
| Rated Current | 0.36A |
| Rated Power | 4.32W |
| Pump Lift Range | 1.3m H₂O |
| Waterflow | 106 L/H |
| Noise | 25 dBA |
| Connector | 3-pin |
Fan
ID-COOLING has bundled 2x RGB fans with the cooler. Each fan has 11 translucent blades. Each blade has an etched lining which I presume is for enhancement of focused airflow. The center has a black color sticker with ID-COOLING branding on it. Each mounting corner has an anti-vibration rubber pad on it.
Each fan has two cables on it. Both are flat cables. One is the 4-pin PWM connector cable to power the fan. It has an approximate length of 435mm. the second one is 4-pin RGB cable with an approximate length of 445mm.
There are no directional arrow symbols on the fan’s frame. These symbols help the users knowing the direction of airflow and blades spin direction.
Looking at the backside of the fan, we can see a 4-arms assembly holding the blades and the center. One of the arms is widened to carry the cables. There is a sticker in the center with the power rating of the fan. The fan is made in China.
The specifications of the fans are:
| Dimension | 120x120x25mm |
| Speed | 700~1800RPM ±10% |
| Static Pressure | 2.15mmH₂O |
| Noise | 18~35.2 dBA |
| Air Flow | 74.5CFM |
| Bearing | Hydraulic |
| Connector | 4-pin PWM |
| Operating Voltage | 10.8~13.2VDC |
| Starting Voltage | 7V |
| Current | 0.2A |
| Power Input | 2.4W |
RGB Lighting
The 12V RGB lighting looks pleasant in person and is not overly done, to my liking. Here are some pictures for your eye pleasure.
Installation
We have tested the cooler on the X99 platform using the 2011-3 socket. The installation mechanism is straight forward. Here are the steps:
Install the Intel LGA-20xx standoffs on the socket area.
Install the Intel bracket on the pump housing. Place the ring and rotate it till it locks on the latches.
Install the fans on the radiator.
Apply the thermal paste and place the block on the CPU by aligning the holes on the bracket with the tips of the standoffs. Use thumb nuts to secure the installation.
Connect the 3-pin power cable of the pump to the fan header or SATA connector to the PSU. Connect the fans’ 4-pin connectors to the fan header(s). Setup the RGB lighting cables and you are good to go.
There is no clearance issue with respect to the DIMM slots and the first PCIe slot. Make sure your chassis has clearance for a 240mm radiator.
Testing Methodology
Following test benches have been used: –
- Asus Rampage V Edition 10
- Intel i7 6850k
- CORSAIR Vengeance RED LED 16GB @ 2666MHz
- Colorful GeForce GTX 1050Ti Vulkan
- Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
- Cooler Master MWE 650W Gold
- Custom Open Air Testbench
The software used for testing and monitoring include:
- Asus Real Bench v 2.56 (Intel)
- Real Temp GT v 3.70 (Intel)
Here is the settings table for testing:
| OC Clock (MHz) | 4000 |
| OC Voltage (V) | 1.21 |
| Turbo Boost | Disabled |
| C-States | Disabled |
| Speed Step | Disabled |
| Thermal Paste | Noctua NT-H1/Stock Paste |
| Test Run Time | 60 minutes |
| Idling Time | 15 minutes |
| Fan Speed | Manually set to run at 100% speed.
Auto PWM using CPU Fan Header |
| Pump Speed | Connected to the AIO Pump header to run at 100% speed |
We are using Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste for coolers testing. Using the same thermal paste for all coolers would ensure standardization. Delta temperatures are reported on the graphs. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.
Not every run of the stress test may yield the same result. This could well be due to many factors like mounting pressure, thermal paste application, varying ambient temperature. Not to mention the silicon differences even among the same category of the chips. Hence, it is pertinent to mention the testing methodology along with the specifics.
Let’s take a look at the results.
Results
100% PWM Cycle
Auto PWM
The ID-COOLING AURAFLOW X 240 has performed quite well despite carrying a budget cooler tag.
Acoustic
The noise level at 100% PWM duty cycle was measured at 52 dB(A) with an ambient sound level of 34 dB(A).
Conclusion
The ID-COOLING AURAFLOW X 240 is a 240mm CLC cooling solution. It has a 240mm radiator with two high-performance RGB fans. The dimension of the radiator is 276 x 120 x 27mm. The thickness of the radiator is 27mm. With 25mm fans the overall thickness would be 53mm. The radiator is made of aluminum hence it is lightweight. This is ID-COOLING’s own design. The radiator has 20 FPI. The soft tubing is made from a rubber material and has a gray sleeve on it. The soft material tubing is a bit flexible and doesn’t produce kinking which is always a plus. The cooler is compatible with Intel LGA1366/115x/1200/20zz sockets and AMD TR4/AM4/FM2+/FM2/FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2 sockets.
The block of the cooler is in circular shape with black color housing which is a fingerprint magnet. The top of the block has a backlit ring and a backlit ID-COOLING brand logo using a 12V lighting solution. The dimension of if the block is 72x72x47.3mm. The base of the block is quite large measuring 59x54mm. We have a flat surface on the copper base. The pump is using ceramic bearings with a life span of 50,000 hours and is rated for 4.32W power. The maximum coolant flow is 106 L/H and the pressure head is 1.3m. The pump was doing the 2017 RPM as checked during the testing.
The bundled RGB fans are using Hydraulic bearings. The frame of the fans is in black color and is sturdy. These fans pack 74.5 CFM airflow which is quite good and have a 2.15mmH₂O pressure rating. The maximum sound level is rated at 35.2 dBA. These fans at full speed are noisy. One can easily fix that using a custom fan curve. The PWM regulation is not tight as, during our testing on the Auto PWM setting, the fans were in the 900 RPM range which is almost half of the rated speed. Resultantly, the temperatures were high on Auto PWM setting though the cooler was silent under this mode. At 100% PWM cycle, one fan reaches 1773 RPM whereas the other reached 1810 RPM validating the rated maximum speed.
ID-COOLING has provided an RGB controller for the RGB lighting on the block and the fans. The user can sync all three RGB devices to the bundled RPG splitter cable and connect that cable either to the 12V lighting header on the motherboard or to the dedicated controller. The bundled controller is SATA powered and has simple operations of loading lighting modes and controlling the speed of the dynamic lighting modes. The buttons have a low profile on the controller and are not easily pressed.
The ID-COOLING AURAFLOW X 240 is listed at $72.99 at the time of the review and comes with 3 years limited warranty. The cooler packs a good performance with subtle RGB lighting at this wallet-friendly price range. This is too good a value proposition from the ID-COOLING to ignore and comes recommended by us as your daily driver.
Many thanks to ID-COOLING for sending in their AURAFLOW X 240 cooler for our 2021 AIO cooler roundup comparison. We’ve reached out to most major brands in an effort to compare the best AIO coolers of 2020 against each other and let you know which ones come out on top. Please make sure to check out our 2021 AIO COOLER ROUNDUP and again, thanks to all the companies taking part.
| Brand Website | Cooler Review |
| AZZA | Blizzard 240 |
| SilverStone | IceGem 240 |
| Fractal Design | Celcius+ S24 PRISMA |
| CORSAIR | H100i RGB Platinum |
| Antec | Neptune 240 |
| XPG | Levante 240 |
| ARTIC | Liquid Freezer-II |
| EK Water Blocks | EK-AIO 240 |
| ID-Cooling | Aura Flow X 240 |
| Cooler Master | Master Liquid ML240L ARGB V2 |
| ASUS | ROG RYUO 240 |
| Enermax | Aquafusion 240 |
| DeepCool | Castle 240EX White |
| AeroCool | P7 L240 or Mirage 240 |
| Reeven | Naia 240 |
| Lian Li | Galahad |
| be quiet! | Pure Loop 240 |
