Hardware Labs SR2 Radiator

Shortly after releasing the Nemesis GTX and GTS line up, Hardware Labs have now launched the SR2 Radiator:

“NOT JUST BIGGER -BUT BETTER!
The new BLACK ICE® SR2™ takes up the legendary Black Ice SR1® mantle and takes it to another level.

Now with a Supercruise™ optimized compact core; the SR2 is equipped with 3 rows of high flow tubes and 9FPI velocity tuned copper fins, giving performance enthusiasts enhanced performance and dramatically improved overall system flow for complex multi-block cooling set ups.

Hardware Labs performance, quality, and reliability comes as standard.”

The picture shows a smooth semi-gloss finish unlike the rough matte finish that the US got on the Nemesis rads. A full range of 120/140 size is available in single, double, triple and quad sizes.

“Standard Feature Set
9 FPI 45 Micron Copper Fins
Optimized for sub-800 rpm ultra-stealth fans
Supercruise™ optimizations for scalable performance with higher speed fans
50% more tubing area than the Black Ice® SR1
Increased internal coolant flow rates optimized for multi-stage cooling configurations
Standard G 1/4″ inlet/outlet fittings
Standard M4 mounting threads
Compatible with Black Ice® GTX® and Black Ice® SR1® radiators
Custom Black Carbon™ high quality finish
Fully ROHS Compliant
100% Made from conflict-free materials
Industry standard Black Ice® quality
Lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects*”

The original SR1 was optimized with low air flow restriction in mind. The SR2 is now optimized with low coolant flow restriction in mind. In other words it should be very high flow. This is surprising because radiators are often fairly high flow anyway and reducing a small percentage of your loop restriction results in a small change. Although this may help some complicated loops (running radiators in parallel would achieve the same effect) – the main help is really in loops with a weak pump. However users with a weak pump may not be willing to pay for a premium radiator. For example PPCs has the range running from $59-$199 depending on size with the 360 size running in at $123. While not the most expensive radiator out there (for example the AMS 360 in copper @$245) these are priced at a premium, no doubt intended to reflect the higher quality of manufacturing and design than we’ve come to see in the past from HWLabs.  After all many other radiator designs are outsourced to unnamed but easy to guess Chinese manufacturers. HWLabs makes their own radiators out of their Philippines base.

The website also currently has some specs that at first glance appeared incorrect and confused us.  The spec in question was the heat capacity of these radiators but we have since clarified with HWL that while these numbers are real,  the test conditions for this are based on an industry standard which is not that similar to what an end user might buy this radiator for.  These power levels are based on a delta of 25C coolant inlet to ambient, with 7lpm coolant flow, and 60cfm from each of 3 fans – the hardwarelabs website is being updated shortly to include these test conditions so that this is clearer:

In reality with ~800 rpm fans you’re only going to be dissipating about 100-150W on a 360 radiator with a safer 10C coolant delta (our recommended maximum coolant delta), therefore a quad GPU setup would need multiple 360 radiators to utilize 800RPM fans.  We recommend lower temperature deltas because warmer coolant accelerates the tube’s life, and an old tube becomes stretched out and can pull out of a previously tight compression fitting.

We’ve been told we’ll be getting one for review as part of our upcoming huge radiator roundup, so we’ll see what the real deal is then.  Marketing pics below: