Hardware Labs SR2 280 Multi-Port Radiator Review

Hardware Labs SR2 280 MP Radiator Review

Welcome to another Extreme Rigs 280mm radiator review. Today we’ll be looking at the Black Ice SR2 280 MP (Multi-Port) from Hardware Labs. It is one of 8 models available in the SR2 MP range of radiators that fall under HWLabs’ Black Ice^® banner.

The SR2 280 MP is a 60mm thick radiator and is one of four radiators in our test group that are over 50mm thick. The SR2 and now the SR2 MP range are the successor’s to HWLab’s massively popular SR1 series which for many years had the reputation of being the best radiator with low speed fans. For the SR2 series release HWLabs have tweaked the cooling core so that it now has great all round performance, while still being excellent with low speeds fans. We saw evidence of this in our review of the SR2 360 MP where it placed 2nd in the overall performance rankings and received an ER Gold Award. We are excited to see if this 280mm version performs similarly. We have high expectations and suspect that it won’t let us down.  After all we’ve already seen it perform well in our reviews for the SR2 140 MP and SR2 420 MP.

In this review of the SR2 280 MP we’ll take a close look at it’s construction & quality, analyze the performance data by comparing it’s results against other 280mm radiators and then conclude with a summary.

Firstly a big thanks to Hardware Labs for providing the review sample of the SR2 280 MP. Since we commenced our radiator testing their commitment to our independent tests has been exemplary. Extreme Rigs couldn’t publish the reviews we do without the continued support offered by our sponsors.

Before we start we would again like to say thanks to Noctua for providing the NF-A14 Industrial PPC-2000 IP67 PWM 140mm fans. We use these fans for all our 140mm based radiator thermal performance testing because they have great static pressure which is required to get the best performance from even densest of radiator cores and of course, their proven reliability.

What’s in the Box?

The SR2 280 MP sample arrived in full retail packaging. Existing packaging from the SR2 280 has been used, as the “MP MuiltiPort” labeling is a sticker which has been strategically placed on the front of the retail sleeve. We can confirm that the extra ports are the only difference between the initial release and the MP revision, so we expect to see the packaging updated in the future.

On the back of the retail sleeve a detailed technical drawing is provided along with a list of features. Because the sleeve is from the original single port SR2 280, there is no reference to the Multi-Port features anywhere to be found.  Nor are the extra ports shown on the technical drawing.

After removing the outer retail sleeve we find a sturdy cardboard box with a Black Ice^® seal.

The seal advises to check screw lengths if using screws other than those provided, which we’ll discuss in more detail shortly.

Opening the box, we see the familiar packing layout which HWLabs use for all their radiators. The packaging is strong and secure, but it we feel it lacks a bubble wrap sleeve to avoid possible scuffing/scratches on the paint during transport.

On the right hand side the supplied accessories are placed under a lift up flap.

The package consists of the following:

1 x SR2 280 Multi-Port Radiator
8 x M4 x 28mm screws.
8 x M4 x 5mm screws.
4 x G 1/4 port plugs.

As only 8 screws of each length are provided, you will need to provide an extra set of “longer” screws if you intend to install a Push/Pull fan assembly.

The shorter screws measure in at ~5mm and only have 1 possible use with SR2 MP radiators, that being to attach mounting brackets for reservoirs or pumps directly to the radiator.

Normally one might also be able to use the short screws to attach the radiator to a case panel or mounting bracket. BUT that is not possible with the SR2 MPs because when port plugs are fitted they protrude out past the casing by about 4mm rendering the 5mm screws useless for radiator installation.

The longer screws are 28mm long. and these are “almost” the perfect length for mounting a 25mm thick fan directly to the radiator.

However in almost all instances the 28mm screws are not long enough to mount a fan between radiator and case panel. If using a mounting bracket, or placing fans between the case panel and radiator, you will need to provide your own M4 screws of suitable length. In most instances M4 x 30mm screws will be suitable.

This leaves us with a rather unusual situation where the radiator can not be installed using the supplied hardware. The 28mm screw are too short and the 5mm screws are unusable because of the ports.

We have discussed this with HWLabs previously and in the end we agreed to disagree that the screw sets are the appropriate/incorrect length to be able to mount the SR2 MP radiators.

In the following photos 2 different 30mm screws have been used to fix a 25mm thick fan in position with a supplied 28mm screw beside it. There is ~1.5mm clearance when using the 30mm screw to attach the fan, so we argue that 30mm screws would be the ideal length to supply with the SR2 MP radiators. If 30mm screws were supplied purchasers would have the choice to fit a fan between their case panel or directly mounted to the radiator without having to purchase any additional screws. Even better would be to include 2 sets of 30mm screws to accommodate installation of a push/pull fan assembly.

HWLabs also provides some spare port plugs, aka stop fittings. 4 x extra port plugs come with the Multi-Port version of the SR2 280. These are in addition to 6 that are pre-installed into 6 of the 8 the ports of the radiator which is fantastic because the radiator is ready for flushing straight from the box. This means it comes with a total of 10 stop fittings, which is great, if somewhat overkill. To keep the costs down these are not made of brass but instead are POM, aka Delrin or in other words they are plastic.

If you look closely you will notice that the stop plugs have a hex-head machined into the outer surface.
HWLabs recommends only using fingers to tighten down the port plugs. However given that using an allen key is an optional method of tightening/loosening these plugs we tried using them. Unfortunately the recessed key holes begin rounding off after a couple of uses.

Ultimately end users will decide whether or not they choose to replace these factory fitted Delrin plugs with plated/painted brass ones. I suspect that most users will be happy to keep the stock plugs in place as they certainly are convincing and do look good. I think HWLabs made a good decision to include all the port plugs (not so sure about the 4 extra) and so the cost saving benefit of using the plastic material is justified.

NOTE: It has come to our attention that the o-rings installed on the stop plugs are quite soft and can be inadvertently “nicked” when tightening up the stop plugs potentially causing a slow coolant leak. Therefore we suggest that users who wish to use the supplied stop fittings consider replacing the O-Rings prior to use.

HOWEVER: For our Restriction Testing, the supplied stop fittings were used and no leaks were encountered with flow rates up to 3 times that of a typical operating system. Additionally the supplied plugs were used in the thermal test chamber, and again we had no leaks.

Onwards to technical specifications!