Technical Data – as listed on the SE packaging:

• 400mm x 120mm x 26mm (L x W x H)
• Weight: 740g (1.61 lbs.)
• For 3 x 120mm fans

Technical Data – as listed on the EK website:

To be updated after the SE is released and EK have listed their info.

Tech Drawing of the SE 360:

se360

Dimensions Measured on the Radiator Tested:

The (+5) is the measurement that the primary ports sit up proud of the casing. At the port end I got a thickness measurement of 26.5mm while at the return end I measured 27mm – so the largest measurement seems most appropriate to list here, while being 1mm thicker than the specs on the packaging. Down the length of the casing the thickness is different again – measuring at ~25mm. This may seem like nit-picking, but when the SE’s main appeal is its’ size, I feel it is important to get the facts straight.

The other unusual spec is that the width is exactly 120mm.  Most radiators are slightly larger than the fans, and in some cases significantly so.  This is a radiator designed with maximum case compatibility in mind.

Radiator Core Dimensions:

SE - Size Core

The core is made up of a single row of 12 tubes arranged in a standard U-Flow configuration. The fin arrangement is made of single non-louvered fins with a 21 FPI count. The high fin count shouldn’t be an issue for air-flow as the core is super thin at just ~16mm – the thinnest core we have seen to date.

This picture is a reference which shows a typical U-Flow coolant flow path, where the coolant travels up all the tubes on one side (left in pic) of the rad and then returns down the other side. U-Flow is most easily recognized when the port end has 2 separate tanks, unlike the SE which has a boxed cover.

cool8

cool7The single non-louvered fins are spaced quite unevenly between the tubes, but with such a high fin count this is to be expected. In the following pic we can see fin counts of 21 and 22, with the majority of the measurements taken being 21 FPI.

EK SE 360 -7

Finish and Features

The SE has a satin black finish which has a slight texture to it. I’ve always preferred a matte black finish but the SE finish is excellent and looks great.

All visible joints look decent and the panels fit together well with minimal gaps. The side panels do feel just a bit flimsy and a thicker material might have been a better option here. It’s a minor issue I know, but it somehow detracts a bit from the overall feel of the unit.

At the non-port end is the seemingly mandatory branding we find on more and more of our gear. At least it’s in an inconspicuous spot and tastefully done.

The fan mount spacing is the standard 15mm.

None of these mounting holes are located directly above tubes, so EK have chosen not to have protection plates fitted on the SE. Even so, care must be taken if you need to use custom length screws due to your mounting needs.

The SE 360 comes equipped with just 2 ports in total, 1 inlet and 1 outlet. It appears then that the SE is a slimmer version of the PE, which also has just the 2 ports, while the thicker XE model has 4 ports in total.

Extra ports offer potential for dedicated fill or drain ports depending on the installation orientation, so it’s a shame that EK chose not to include them on the SE.

Unfortunately there is no dedicated fill/bleeder port on the return end either.

While I did not disassemble the SE it can be easily dis-assembled allowing for custom painting of the panels. You can get a good indication of what to expect from the SE after dis-assembly by checking out the XE 360mm model in pieces – of course the SE parts will be narrower.

So what do we have….
A super slim rad with a high FPI count that is really not offering us much in the way of installation/user friendly features. The finish is excellent as is the overall build is good. So far so good.

Let’s see how it performs…

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

4 COMMENTS

  2. Thank you for doing this terrific review. It is very useful in the context of the earlier radiator round up you did. Really appreciate the methodology. I am currently choosing slim radiators for a new build; although the Hardware Labs Nemesis GTS series are almost impossible to find in Europe, I think that I will pay up for shipping and customs charges to get a pair sent to me in the UK.

    (I’ve tried Hardware Labs importers / retailers in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands: all have terrible stock levels, usually only stocking a few old / superseded models and nowhere like the full range. When I have contacted the UK and Dutch importers to special order two Nemesis GTS they either tried to sell me different radiators that I did not want but which they had in stock, or replied saying we can’t order anything from Hardware Labs for you, or didn’t even bother to reply).

  3. Another great review FF, thanks.
    Some surprising results for the SE! Man, I yell ya, I am giving up trying to make predictions. I was concerned that the move to 1.5mms tubes would mean high restriction but it’s really quite reasonable. Quite disappointing thermal results that is hard to understand considering how well it’s thicker brother did.
    I guess it just shows how valuable your work is because we just can’t make any assumptions.

    • Hey Jak,
      Yeah this one was pretty low across the board.
      I Just finished another 360mm slim rad, it was weaker than the SE with low speed fans, especially in Push Only, but turned out to dominate in the high speed fans because it has a very high FPI count.
      I used to try and make predictions, but but doing so can be dangerous, as the predictions can slip easily into assumptions, which in turn tend to make you look for patterns in the data which may or may not end up being there. At this stage you’re questioning the validity of the results, and do a retest, only to get the same results.
      Better for sanity’s sake to accurately set the test parameters, and then trust the data that is logged.

Comments are closed.