Page 2 - Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
As compared to the Cooler Master Nepton 280L, you may have noticed that, in comparison, the "L" denotes "large" as "M" denotes "medium". Whether that is the case, comparing the radiators between the Nepton 240M and the 280L shows the 240M is the smaller of the two by a whole 40mm. Comparing both coolers as a whole, there is very little difference between the two other than the fact the words "Cooler Master" are lit up on the water block of the Nepton 240M when powered on, but are not on the Nepton 280L. This is like comparing twins: They may look alike, but there are subtle differences one would notice to tell them apart. In addition to the size difference and glowing effects on the water block, the Nepton 240M is clearly labeled on the side of the radiator.
Upon closer inspection, you will see there is a dense array of aluminum fins on the radiator. If you take a close look at it, fins are designed in an S-shaped pattern, which is the same as its brother as well as the Thermaltake WATER2.0 Performer and Thermaltake WATER2.0 Pro. One thing to point out is the fin design seems to be optimized for airflow and good aerodynamics, so there should be no problems for the fans to cool the radiator. There are two tubes, which are pre-assembled and sealed, in a closed loop configuration, which leads to and from the radiator and the water block. These should be long enough for most configurations, and is flexible for anyone to work with. No maintenance is required, as there is negligible coolant evaporation due to the closed loop configuration, as mentioned previously.
Most of the time, bigger means better, but is that always the case? We will find out in the following page when we run our standard APH Networks tests. The Nepton 240M's radiator measures in at 274mm in length by 119mm in width by 27mm in thickness. Essentially, if you shave off a little from the Nepton 280L, you will have yourself a Nepton 240M. The design of the Nepton 240M is not all that special in particular. In fact, it is pretty much the same design as the Nepton 280L, and it is quite similar to the Thermaltake WATER2.0 Pro and Thermaltake WATER2.0 Performer Jonathan and I have reviewed, respectively, some time ago. Rest assured that the Nepton 240M is Cooler Master's in-house design.
As with the pump, it is rated at 12V, which is equivalent to 2.9W, following the formula P=IV and is powered by your motherboard's 3-pin header. Also, copper is used as the contact material on the base. For your reference, its thermal conductivity is 401 W/mK, and since we do not need to worry about weight due to its limited size, it is probably the best type of material to use for transferring heat without blowing your budget out of the water -- no pun intended. However, it would have been best if it was nickel plated, as nickel-base alloys generally have desirable properties that can withstand corrosive environments and high temperatures. For the most part, the Cooler Master Nepton 240M is solidly built, so if anyone has a question about its quality, you are in good hands.
Installing the fans on the radiator is relatively straightforward. Simply make sure the fans are pointing the right way for a push configuration, align the holes, and take the long screws to mount them on. It is probably best to install the water block first before installing the radiator. If you are a cabling enthusiast like the staff here at APH Networks, then the fans will come in last. However, for demonstration purposes, the photo above shows both fans installed for the push configuration of air through the radiator. At this point, you may also decide to install the rubber grommet used for vibration dampening. As for the screws for your respective brackets, there is no need for additional installation, as they are pre-assembled other than the fact you will need to be mounted onto the water block. Since the screws for the brackets are already installed, it does not take a genius to figure out which way they should be mounted on a water block.
Up next is installing the backplate corresponding to your socket. In this case, I am demonstrating this on the Intel socket because, quite frankly, I do not own any AMD products, haha. Once you have figured out which holes you are using, slide in the respective screws. Before we actually start the process, make sure you have sufficient thermal paste applied to the copper side of the pump. Next, slide in the screws on the backplate after you have determined which holes to use. There are four plastic clips that will hold the screws in place, so you do not have to worry about them sliding out when you are aligning the pump on the other side.
With the backplate in place, Cooler Master provides four metal standoffs with threads, which are screwed onto the screws themselves to hold the backplate in place without having to hold it in place yourself. I found this very convenient, especially when you are installing the water block yourself. It looks like Cooler Master has taken our suggestions into consideration, as the Nepton 280L did not have the screws implemented with the brackets, whereas the screws and the brackets for the Nepton 240M come as a pre-assembled set -- awesome. With that challenge out of the way, you can install the radiator into your chassis. I found that this is the most effective and efficient way.
To install the radiator, find a location on your chassis that supports the 240mm radiator. For my chassis, it was on the bottom, which you will see on the following page. Other chassis will most likely have a different spot for it; usually at the top. Simply align the holes and mount it. If you have the radiator installed first before installing the pump, this may prove to be a greater challenge, as there will be some stiffness from the tubes.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
