HWLabs Nemesis 140 GTX Radiator Review

Technical specifications: as listed by Hardware Labs.

• 140 mm x 1 fan Xtreme form factor two-pass radiator
• 172mm x 153mm x 54mm (L x W x H)
• 16 FPI 25 Micron Copper Fins
• Now optimized for sub-800 rpm ultra-stealth fans
• Supercruise optimizations for scalable performance with higher speed fans
• 15% more tubing area in the same Black Ice^® GTX^™ 140 form factor
• Increased internal coolant flow rates
• Standard G 1/4″ inlet/outlet fittings
• Standard M4 mounting threads
• Custom Dark Matter^™ high quality finish
• Fully ROHS Compliant
• 100% Made from conflict-free materials
• Industry standard Black Ice^® quality
• Lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects^*

Thanks to HWLabs we have a technical drawing of the Nemesis 140 GTX.

Dimensions Measured on the Radiator Tested:

The + 1.5 on the thickness is the amount that the ports sit proud of the casing. Measured at the ports, the Nemesis 140 GTX is 55.5mm thick, which the tech drawing correctly indicates.

Radiator Core Dimensions:

The Nemesis 140 GTX is a dual pass radiator, but not in the tradition sense where the coolant flow path is side to side such as in the following image.

Instead the Nemesis GTX series is made up of 2 separate cores back to back and has a flow path of front to back OR back to front depending on which port is used as the inlet.

The flow path depicted in the following picture (Nemesis 360 GTX) has the red tube as warm coolant in and  is optimized for air flow direction through the rad from the non port side, typically an intake installation. For a typical set-up with fans run as exhaust, the coolant flow path needs reversing to achieve maximum performance and is simply achieved by switching the inlet/outlet ports.

In other words the coolant travels up the tubes the full width of the radiator then changes direction in the non-port tank and travels down the other set of tubes on the opposite side. To get this flow path to work HWLabs have installed a plate and tube in the port tank end.

Each pass is a single row of 16 tubes which we measure at 1.35mm and has split, non louvered fins. HWLabs list the Nemesis 140 GTX to have 16 FPI, however on our sample we get a spread of 12 FPI to 14 FPI.

The split non louvered fins are quite evenly spaced on the medium density core.

Please Note: alternate lighting was needed to get a decent picture of the fins. This distorts the color of the finish and it is not a true representation of the “almost” black shade of the “Black Carbon” paint finish.

Finish and Features

HWLabs calls the finish “Black Carbon”, which is an accurate description. The finish on our sample of the Nemesis 140 GTX could almost be described Matte Black. However it is more like an extremely deep charcoal grey. It has a subtle yet stylish look which should work in great with almost any build’s theme.

The Black Carbon finish of our sample we believe is for the European market. In the US, HWLabs’ offers the textured “Dark Matter” finish.

PerformancePCs also have a “primer only” version available of the Nemesis 140 GTX. To assist in the perfect paint job they sell the “HWLabs Professional Radiator Paint Hanger Assembly”.

Additionally, PPCs also have listed red and white versions of the Nemesis 140 GTX. We assume these are the primer units which have had finishing coats applied by the PPCs team.

The Nemesis 140 GTX comes equipped with just the 2 x G1/4 ports.
While either port can be used for inlet or outlet, a performance advantage is obtained when the ports are matched to the airflow direction – “Opti-Flow” or “Maximize” which we detailed earlier.

No alternate ports are fitted:

Given the nature of the port end’s internal design, the luxury of extra ports on the Nemesis GTX series is not something on the feature list. Not that it couldn’t be done. Extra ports could be fitted if another tube was fitted within the port end tank. This is unlikely to ever happen, so we hope the trade off is the gain in performance.

On the return end tank there is no auxiliary port fitted. This is unfortunately something which is missing on all HWLabs radiators.

The auxiliary ports often come in handy as a drain or fill port option on vertical radiator installations. This is on our wish list for future revisions of the GTX series.

Care has been taken during painting to ensure paint did not get into either of the G ¼ ports.

Unlike all other HWLabs radiators, there are no screw protection plates fitted on the Nemesis 140 GTX.

It seems unusual that HWLabs chose not to fit the plates, but as the fan screw holes are not located directly over any tubes the lack of plates is not overly important.

The Nemesis 140 GTX looks great when paired up with some black fittings:

Add your favored 140mm fan and you have a cooler that is ready for business:

So here we have a ~55mm thick 140mm radiator with a medium fin count which has no alternate port options. The build quality is excellent, and a variety of finishes are available.

Let’s see how it performs…