Technical specifications: as listed by HWLabs.
• 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 following tech drawings are of the SR2 240 MP, but note that none of the dimensions take consideration for the extra 4mm that each port plug requires.
I made mention above of the extra 4mm on each port adding to the dimensions. The following photo shows that each port face is flush with the casing, a ruler is placed over one of the side ports. So whatever plugs you use, their length should be added for a final dimension size.
Dimensions Measured on the Radiator Tested:
The (+4) and (+4 +4) are the addition measurements if the supplied port plugs are fitted.
Radiator Core Dimensions:
The core is made up of 3 rows of 12 tubes arranged in the standard U-Flow configuration. The fin arrangement is made of single louvered fins with a 9 FPI count. The low fin count should equate to some decent Push Only results, but might not be so competitive in the Push/Pull comparisons.
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 such as the SR2 240 MP has.
The single louvered fins are spaced extremely evenly between the tubes and here we see the 9 FPI count as per the specs.
Finish and Features
The SR2 240 MP has a true Matte Black finish and is my preferred finish for a radiator in most builds. It has a subtle yet stylish finish which would look great in most installations. HWLabs are renowned for the build quality and finish of their radiators and the SR2 MP keeps up the tradition with all visible joints appearing to be perfect and the paint finish is flawless.
In a change from the original SR2 the logo down the side panels has been dropped for the MP versions. It is refreshing to see a manufacturer not feeling obliged to plaster their products with their own logos.
The fan mount spacing is the standard 15mm. There is only a couple of threads to work with here so take care when starting off the fan screws as there probably won’t be a second chance if you strip the threads. Turn the screws anti clockwise first until you fell it “click” into the start of the thread, then tighten clock-wise to secure.
The fan mounting holes are not located directly above tubes; however they are very, very close so it is great that HWLabs chose to incorporate protection plates. Still, care must be taken if you need to use custom length screws due to your mounting needs.
The SR2 Multi-Port comes equipped with 8 ports in total, 4 for each inlet and outlet to choose from. This heralds the start of HWLabs multi-port radiators and I for one hope they will be updating other models which are suitable for the multi-port option – this however would exclude any of the GTX range due to its internal flow path configuration.
The extra ports give us options for dedicated fill ports or drain lines/taps and fitting of temp sensors depending on the installation orientation. In addition the extra ports could allow for better tubing runs or even hidden tubing without the need for angled fittings. We love multi-port radiators!
The SR2 240 MP is looking great and ready for business.
Unfortunately there is no dedicated fill/bleeder port on the return end tank. We hope that HWLabs takes on the feedback from its customers and that future revisions will have this port added to complete the port set and add flexibility for vertical installations. 8 ports are great – but 8 + 1 would be better still!
So here we have a 60mm thick rad with a low FPI count that is sporting a massive total of 8 port options. The matte black finish is excellent as is the overall build quality.
Prior to any testing I thoroughly flush each rad with a hot water rinse from the mains for at least 15 minutes, followed by our traditional “shake – a – rad” dance. The SR2 models do have more particles coming out during the flushing process than I recall seeing in other HWLabs models. It was a long dance with the 240mm version, requiring 6 steps until I was satisfied that all particles had been removed.
We contacted HWLabs with our concerns abut the unusual amount of green and black particles that were being flushed out. HWLabs replied that it was residue from the braze paste, likely from the extra ports that have been fitted, and that the issue will be addressed for the retail production units.
Let’s see how it performs…
Maybe slightly disappointing thermal results, but not a deal breaker. Swarf in rad not a deal breaker either. Flexibility of ports, flexibility of use/fan rpms and overall quality mean that this is still a very good radiator. Again: great test. Now, please get more 240 results!
Often written or said in radiator reviews, “Since the XXX size of brand X radiator has shown XYZ level of performance, one should expect like performance from up-size XXX (or) down size XXX.” If the ratio of/comparable performance of the SR2 240 MP falls short of the SR2 360 MP, should we expect the 480 to provide an additional boost in performance over the 360 or similar performance to the 360? Given what the test results of the 240 tell us, how can an answer to either possibility be justified?
Not sure quite what you’re trying to say Questors – can you explain again?
The 240 performs at about 70% of a 360 when using an equal heatload. However it is running more efficiently as an equal heatload equates to a higher delta T. The 240 *should* of course be 66% of the the 360 and I do believe that it would give us that result if we kept a constant delta T instead of a constant heatload.
So to answer the question – should the 480 provide an additional performance boost over the 360? Absolutely – yes it should. As to how much – we would expect the ideal 33% more cooling ability when measuring a constant delta T, however for a constant heatload you would some efficiency because the delta T would be lower. So to guess – somewhere between 25-30% better cooling.
Does that answer the question?
This was the basis for me asking the question: “However, the thermal Test conditions did not favor the 240mm variant quite as well as the 360mm. The consistency was still there but performance was weaker when compared to the same competitor.”
To me this meant the performance of the SR 240 vs the XE 240 was less proportionate to the SR2 360 results against the XE 360.
Your response clears things up for me – “a constant delta T instead of a constant heatload”
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