Continuing our investigation
We can examine the CPU block more closely now. Naturally, the OEM for the pump itself is Asetek, as it always is on these units. Looking past that, the head itself is very plain, but - I would argue - sleek. There is nothing extra here, and whilst this unit will likely be entirely unattractive to the person wishing to make their PC the desk equivalent of a pimped out custom street racer, I would argue that the aforementioned market isn't Fractal's target here. The pump is also powered entirely off the 4 pin PWM header, and requires no additional SATA based input.
I'll get onto why I like this in a moment. Finally, you can see the 'mode' label, indicating the location of the mode switch for this unit. Again, it is between 'Auto' and PWM. Actually changing modes is as simple as rotating the block from one to other, as the outside of the pump head swivels slightly to allow this. It's a nice way of keeping every bit of this cooler's functionality 'on unit'.
Flipping the block over, we see the copper base that hides the fin array inside the head. Naturally, whilst totally fine for 90% of builds, I would not recommend this unit (or any other standard AIO/air cooler) for socket TR4, i.e. AMD's Threadripper. The IHS on those chips is just too large to be adequately covered by a standard sized block/plate. That said, the base has been nicely polished, and you can see the pre-applied thermal compound. Should you wish to remount the cooler at any point, you will need to buy additional paste. I think you can see clearly enough through the plastic that the base is polished to a good shine, and - for new builders - the worry of not having to peel off a plastic sticker saying 'REMOVE BEFORE USE' is one less thing to step wrong with... I mention this because, sadly, I have done this as an experienced builder.
Looking at the radiator itself, it is a relatively standard 240mm affair. It isn't overly thick, but neither is it on the skinny side. All in all, it is entirely normal. If you are interested, the dimensions are 284mm x 122mm x 31mm.
We can now also get the first view of the integrated fan hub, sandwiched between the two braided hoses (which are, incidentally, both long and flexible, coming in at 400mm). This feature is, I feel, something that should be somewhat of a standard in the AIO business. Modern PCs have enough cable clutter as is without having to worry about pump power, CPU/PUMP control cable, fan cables, and lighting cables for said fans. This is why I like this solution. Plug cables into an integrated hub, tie to hoses, job done. It's that simple. You can even do a decent job of routing the two fan cables 'in between' each other, keeping cables even cleaner.
That essentially concludes our walk-around of the unit. As mentioned before, there really is nothing extra with this unit, and it shows. Fractal Design has effectively designed and engineered a very 'bare bones' unit that still has clearly had a lot of TLC placed into it. I get a feeling of 'quality' from this cooler, in both the unboxing, overview, and feel. Good start, shall we install it?
