LABS TEST / 240MM LIQUID COOLERS
T
he Phanteks Glacier One 240MPH
HALOS differs from the Glacier One
MP we reviewed a few issues ago in
one key area, which is the inclusion of Phanteks’
HALOS fan rings, which are equipped with RGB
lighting. These rings are available to buy
separately, and can jazz up any 120mm fan,
especially those with transparent or semi-
transparent blades, or white models.
Sensibly, Phanteks has included white
120mm fans here, which look fantastic when
they’re illuminated. Our particular sample also
sported white HALOS fan rings, and a white
pump and radiator too, so it would look amazing
in a white-themed PC.
The pump top is separate to the actual
pump section, and simply sits on top of it using
magnets. It’s there purely for aesthetic reasons,
but we can’t argue with how good it looks,
illuminated at the edges and sporting an infinity
mirror effect in the same colour. To control the
lighting, you can either use your motherboard’s
3-pin RGB headers, or connect it to one of
Phanteks’ own RGB-equipped cases with its
proprietary connectors. An adaptor cable is
also included, allowing you to use either option.
Handily, the RGB components can also
be daisy-chained, so you don’t need to have
dozens of cable strands all over the place,
although inevitably you have to deal with a few
more cables here than for one with a cooler
without RGB lighting. To make building a tidy
PC a little easier still, tube clips are included
PHANTEKS GLACIER ONE
240MPH HALOS /£140 inc VAT
SUPPLIER overclockers.co.ukwith the
Phanteks to keep
the two braided
tubes equal
distances apart.
This is actually quite effective, and also anchors
the tubes together, which can help to prevent
them from bending outwards into the cooler
or case fans once it’s installed too, especially in
smaller cases.
The fans are reasonably powerful, with a
peak speed of 2,200rpm, but no extra screws
are included in the box to add another row of
fans on the other side of the radiator, creating a
push/pull setup. Rather than pre-apply paste,
Phanteks has also included a tube of thermal
goo in the box, so you won’t need to buy more
if you upgrade your CPU.
Sadly, where the Phanteks is slightly less
impressive than the competition is when it
comes to cooling ability, especially for its £140
inc VAT asking price. Cooling was akin to the
current McLaren F1 team – a solid second row
performance, but off the pace of Mercedes
and Red Bull.
The Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix
and Lian Li Galahad 240mm were always
a degree or two cooler, but the Glacier One
240MPH HALOS was the next best performer,
consistently beating the be quiet! Silent Loop
2, Antec Neptune 240 and Alpenföhn Glacier
Water 240 ARGB.
Its delta T of 62°C was just a degree behind
the Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix and
two degrees off the Lian Li cooler in our Intel
system, and the Phanteks was just one degreebehind both the aforementioned coolers in our
AMD system. Its fans were reasonably loud,
but the noise wasn’t unpleasant at full speed.
However, the Phanteks’ pump did generate a
noticeable whining noise.Conclusion
With good cooling and great looks, the
Phanteks Glacier One 240MPH HALOS is a
decent cooler, especially if you’re building an all-
white PC. However, the Phanteks needs a more
competitive price. The Lian Li Galahad 240mm
looks just as good for a cheaper price, while the
Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix offers more
features for just an extra tenner.GLACIER
+^ Decent cooling
+^ Fantastic RGB lighting
+^ Tube clipsICICLE-^ Similarly priced
coolers have
more features
-^ Cheaper coolers offer
better cooling
-^ Expensive
SPEC
Intel compatibility LGA1200,
LGA115x, LGA2066, LGA2011
AMD compatibility Socket AM4, TR4/TR4X
Radiator size with fans (mm)
120 x 273 x 52 (W x D x H)
Fa ns 2 x 120mm
Stated noise 34dBAVERDICT
Top-notch aesthetics, but not particularly
great value for the cooling on offer.COOLING
37 / 40
DESIGN
14 / 20FEATURES
14 / 20
VALUE
13 / 20OVERALL SCORE
78 %
COOLING
37 / 40
DESIGN
14 / 20FEATURES
14 / 20
VALUE
12 / 20OVERALL SCORE
77 %
FITTING
EasyFITTING
EasyLGA 1 2 0 0AM 4