Introduction and Specifications
We check out the 240 mm entry in Fractal’s new Celsius lineup
Fractal Design is well known in PC enthusiast circles for their excellent cases, and they also entered the self-contained liquid CPU cooler market in 2014 with the Kelvin, and today are releasing a brand new cooler lineup called Celsius. There are two models being introduced, with the 360 mm Celsius S36 and the 240 mm Celsius S24; the latter of which we have for review today.
While on the surface this might appear to be a standard 240 mm all-in-one liquid CPU cooler, there are some key features that help to differentiate the Celsius lineup in an increasingly saturated market. The hoses (themselves flexible rubber in nice-looking sleeves) are attached at both ends with metal fittings, with the radiator side the standard (and removable) G1/4 variety, and the fans connect via an unusual radiator-mounted header that receives power via a hidden fan cable in one of the sleeved hoses. Additionally, the Celsius coolers offer a dual-mode setting with the choice of automatic fan control or PWM passthrough from the motherboard – and this is controlled via a clever switch built into the trim ring around the pump.
I have been impressed with the low noise of Fractal Design fans in the past, and I went into this review expecting a very quiet cooling experience. How did the Celsius S24 fare on the test bench? Read on to find out!
Specifications from Fractal Design:
- Coldplate technology: Fifth generation
- Coldplate material: Copper
- Additional sound dampening: Integrated
- Sockets supported (Intel): 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2011-v3
- Sockets supported (AMD): AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, AM4, FM1, FM2, FM2+
- Tube length: 400 mm
- Tube material: Sleeved low-permability rubber tubes
- Fittings, block side: Durable metal fittings, non-removable
- Fittings, radiator side: Durable metal fittings, G 1/4" thread
- Thermal paste: Pre-applied, high thermal conductivity
- Fan control: Integrated dual mode
- Warranty: 5 years
Radiator specification
- Dimensions: 284 x 122 x 31mm
- Housing material: Aluminium
- Fin material: Aluminium
- Port threads: G 1/4"
- Fan screw threads: UNC 6-32
Fan specification
- Fan type: Fractal Design Dynamic X2 GP-12 PWM Rotational speed: 500-2000 RPM Bearing: LLS bearing PWM control: Yes Acoustical noise (full speed): 32.2 dB(A)
- Maximum air flow: 148.8 m3/h | 87.6 CFM Maximum static pressure: 2.30 mm H2O
- Input voltage: 12 V DC Maximum input current: 0.2A
- MTBF: >100,000
Pump specification
- Rotational speed: 1950-3150 RPM Bearing type: Ceramic bearing and shaft PWM control: Yes Acoustical noise (full speed): 20,0 dB(A)
- Maximum liquid flow, 50°C: 40 l/h | 0.18 GPM
- Maximum pressure, 50°C: 1m H2O | 1.45 PSI
- Input voltage: 12 V DC
- Input current (without fans): 0.15 A
- Rated input power (with fans): 6.6W
- MTTF: >50,000 hours
- Fractal Design Celsius S24: MSRP $109
Before moving on to the cooler's design and installation, we'll first take a quick look at the packaging and contents of the Celsius S24.
Inside the box we find a standard, form-fitting carton with all parts secure and well protected.
The hardware kit includes both AMD and Intel mounts, with the new AM4 socket for AMD's Ryzen processors also supported out of the box.
Next we will take a close look at the design of the Celsius S24.
good old noctua still doing
good old noctua still doing pretty well when you factor in the noise levels
thanks for the excellent review
Yeah, having switched from
Yeah, having switched from H100i to NH-D15S, I have to agree. The few degrees one get at max RPM isn’t really that helpful for OC, but the noise level is so much higher for AIO. If I limit fan speed of H100i, the temperature is actually worse than NH-D15S.
It’s great to see S24 getting this close to NH-D14, even though single-fan NH-D15S is quieter than NH-D14 by a small margin.