Enermax ELC 120 Liquid CPU Cooler Review

In reaching the final part of this review on the Enermax ELC 120 liquid CPU cooler it is now vital for us to consider the price of this unit so we have some way of situating this product in the marketplace. Enermax have given the ELC 120-TA and ELC 120-TB models both an MSRP of €89.90. This translates into a UK MSRP of £69.99. The “real” price is always a bit lower so we can hope some retailers might offer it for £65. Therefore, the Enermax ELC 120 finds itself priced up against the Corsair H90, the Corsair H60 and the Antec Kuhler 920. That’s a very stiff bunch of competition right there. When our results show us that the Enermax ELC 120 only just beats the entry level Cooler Master Seidon 120M and Corsair H55, I am slightly concerned for the value for money this product offers. This concern is compounded when I see that the Enermax ELC 120 is quite a way off the performance of the NZXT Kraken X40 (which is identical to the Corsair H90 except with different logos). Considering you can pick up a Corsair H90 for same price, this leaves the Enermax ELC 120 precariously placed.

Enermax’s ELC 120 strikes me as a very attractive and competent unit. Enermax have provided two excellent fans with this product – whether you get the TA or TB model you will be happy with the excellent quality of the fans.  In fact I would go as far to say that out of all the AIO watercooling loops I have tested to date from Corsair, Thermaltake and Cooler Master, the Enermax unit equips the best quality fans. The Blue LED lighting display offered by the TA variant is particularly pleasing, in addition to the fan switches provided on both models which give you great cooling flexibility. I was also very pleased with the mounting kit as this offered a very firm mount and was relatively simple to do, aside from the fact Enermax seemed to have missed out a retention ring – although to their credit the notches on the pump do “kind-of” lock the mounting bracket on which is why I am not too bothered about this – the mount still works effectively. It was very nice to see black sleeved 4 pin cables on the pump that allow you to take three 4 pin devices (two fans and one pump) and power them all off a single 4 pin motherboard header. So credit to Enermax for all these things.

However, there are a few things wrong with this unit too. Firstly, the tubing is ribbed plastic, not rubber. I penalised the Cooler Master Seidon 120M for this so I feel it is only fair to do the same to the Enermax ELC 120. Rubber tubing is preferred by just about everyone, I am surprised that Enermax would think this plastic tubing was a good idea. Secondly, the provided pump strikes me as being a little on the weak side. Unlike every other recent Asetek/CoolIT unit I have tested where pumps wear near silent, the Enermax ELC 120 had a noticeable pump noise. The problem I have is that “silence freaks” would be put off by this since you cannot correct pump noise like you can with fans. Ultimately you will barely hear the pump once inside a decent case but for me  you shouldn’t be able to hear the pump at all, even when on an open air test bench.

It is also worth noting, the Enermax ELC 120 has a 32mm radiator and dual 120mm fans, yet only just beat the Corsair H55 and Cooler Master Seidon 120M by a few degrees – strange results? You may think so. But my belief is that the pump is affecting cooling performance. Swiftech showed us how much difference a good pump makes on its H220 by beating the Corsair H100i and coming very close to the NZXT Kraken X60. It did this with slower and quieter fans, so there is only one variable that allowed it to do this – a better pump. Now this may seem like an “off-topic” point, but I can assure you it isn’t. Had Enermax equipped a stronger pump, the ELC 120 would fare a bit better than where it currently is on our charts. I’ve seen the Corsair H80i beat the NZXT Kraken X40, and the Corsair H80i is probably the ELC 120’s nearest physical competitor – yet the ELC 120 comes some way off the NZXT Kraken X40 in our testing.

With all that said, I find myself struggling to recommend the Enermax ELC 120 when the Corsair H90 & H55 and Cooler Master Seidon 120M offer much better performance for the price. The Enermax ELC 120 could be a decent proposition if you can manage to get it for £65 and your case only supports 120mm fans. Although there are numerous other similar products to consider from Corsair, Antec, Cooler Master and Thermaltake at the same price point. Compared to what else is on offer in the marketplace, the Enermax ELC 120 is precariously placed because it has slightly sub-par cooling performance for its price. It was nice to see Enermax enter the liquid cooling market and the ELC 120 is a reasonable starting product, but I think improvements need to be made if they want to be successful in this fiercely competitive market – particularly against the established AIO giants like Corsair and Antec.