Fractal Design Celsius S24 LCS review - Article

Fractal Design Celsius S24 Review
Scandinavian cooling in a new package.

Fractal Design. They're a well-known contender in the PC components market, most famously manufacturing cases that all conform to a very clean, minimalistic, and clean aesthetic. We recently reviewed their simply stellar (albeit pricey, though here it is justified) Define R6 case, the review of which you can see here. We felt compelled to give the unit a full 5/5. So will Fractal Design continue that excellence to their series of all-in-one liquid CPU coolers?

The unit comes armed with a 240mm radiator (that uses standard G 1/4'' fittings) and two X2 GP-12 120mm PWM fans. Whilst I was unable to find a TDP rating for the unit, I would have no issue using the cooler to tame an 8 core Ryzen CPU, an i7 8700k, or even a lower end X299 chip such as the i7 7820X. In our 2017 builds guide (which, to anybody interested, you can see on page 5, linked here), we recommended that anybody looking to build and overclock a Threadripper based system should use a TR4 designed cooler. This is due to the IHS being somewhat bigger than the base plate of the vast majority of cooling options out there, even in early 2018.

Unlike many other AIOs, the S24 Celsius comes with no attached or required software. Instead, the unit relies on an intelligent 'Auto' mode to balance performance and acoustics, or controlled PWM mode for more precise operation. Depending on who you are, this will be a blessing or an annoyance. For me, it is absolutely fine. Those who have read any of my previous case reviews will know I have a near passionate hatred of cable clutter or poor cable management. In fact, it's one of the reasons why I still rock a 120mm air cooler in 2018, a year where most have jumped ship to the watery side.

Some final points before we move onto the unboxing, detailed specs, and performance review, however. The unit contains no lighting to speak of. Again, depending on who you are, this will either 'seal the deal' or make you go with something else. One thing is for certain, however. Fractal has continued their 'minimalist' looks with this unit. It is very understated, with a simple black pump block and braided hoses. There is also the matter of the G 1/4'' fittings. To those not in the know about 'standard' fare water cooling parts, the above are very commonly used.

Finally, the unit comes with a 5-year manufacturer warranty, though anything added to the unit will start its warranty date from the day of purchase of the S24 unit. I have to say, this is a very impressive warranty period for perhaps a class of PC hardware still viewed with intense suspicion by many even seasoned veterans. To them, the risk of a leak is just not worth it. I would venture Fractal's aim here is to instill some confidence in those who have yet to try out the world of water cooling. I have to say, it worked for me, as I have long been a water cooling skeptic. 5-year warranty? Sure, where do I buy?