Final words and conclusion
Final words and conclusion
The number of AIO kits based upon an Asetek design far exceeds the number of days in one year due to a complex and binding patent they have. This round is not any different as we 'think the TUF LCS is based on Asetek as well. the good news is that ASUS focussed on a silent operation, and even when tweaked you will be hard-pressed to hear this LCS. The flipside of that coin is that when you keep your fans at low RPM, you'll drop a bit in cooling capacity. In that mindset of 'enough cooling' versus 'sheer silence,' things work out in a very balanced matter. The TUF LC240 did not disappoint in terms of performance, in fact even at 1.35 Volts for the CPU tweaked I'd be fine using this cooler for short-term bursts of time. At 1.40v however, the cooler became noisy as at one point the coolant will heat up requiring more airflow.
Accoustics
Noise levels, at defaults and up-to 1.35 Volts on our proc this is a quite hushed product, on our ASUS Sabertooth we simply leave the default PWM based fan profile for what it is (not the AUTO setting), and yeah, we reached ~34 dBA under full processor load. Up-to 1.35 Volts (tweaked) the noise levels remain very silent to normal, after that at 1.40v and serious CPU load (based on a 90W TDP processor) nature of airflow kicks in. Overall the consensus is that is is a silent (under normal conditions) product cooling capacity is definitely good enough for even a nice overclock.
Aesthetics
The overall looks are very good as far as I am concerned, all-black design makes the rad/fans/pump look nice. My one dislike is that TUF logo on the cooling block. I simply do not like logos 'in your face'. But hey, you can disable the logo RGB of course. The rest is subtle enough and we like the sleeved tubing.
Usability
Overall it is easy to install with the mounting system, prefilled. It's one of the more relaxed and comfortable kits on the market to use and install. The black design will make this kit match up nicely in any PC. It simply is a good alternative to heatpipe coolers with the added benefits of being fairly quiet whilst offering very nice looks. We like the simplicity, only one wire goes from the water-block to the motherboard, and then the fan just needs a FAN header on the mobo as well. Installation is simply a breeze, easy and fast. No skills are required other than the need for ten minutes to install the kit.
Final words
The new ASUS TUF LC 240 RGB quite honestly did not disappoint, it, however, did not excel either. It is easy to install and a very decent performing product series. I am getting less comfortable with RGB though, the cable clutter it creates is starting to bother me. I have nothing against RGB, in fact, it can complement your build. But it would be nice if manufacturers came up with a solution for that. Cooling capacity, up to 1.35 volts on a 90W TDP CPU is good, the fans stay at reasonably silent RPM levels. These LCS coolers will be backed by a 5-year warranty. Pricing, unfortunately, is a bit of a riddle as we cannot find this product selling anywhere online. We think this should be a 125 USD product, but RGB might bring that to 150 USD. Other than that, you of course really need to dig the TUF styling and theme. But overall, certainly, as far as any LCS goes, this cooler comes recommended.
Update: we just learned that product will cost €110,- excl VAT (depending on where you reside that's roughly 130 EUR incl VAT. A smaller model at 120mm would be €85,- excl VAT.
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