By: Qian Chen
May 29, 2026
Review in progress.
Contents in this article are incomplete, and may contain errors or incorrect information.
I have always known the education system has been out of touch with the reality of modern-day society. It is talked about by everyone, whether that is through the people I meet or the videos I watch online. I always wondered, if it is so well known, why has there been nearly no change in the system? Are student teachers being taught in a way that promotes the traditional school system? This was one of the questions I was very curious about as I entered my education degree. To my surprise, nearly every class I took either explicitly or implicitly criticized the current education system, and with research to back it up. In fact, they have been teaching this for many decades now. On one hand, I was glad to see there is a push for more authentic education, but on the other hand, I began to realize how helpless teachers are. Even the most enthusiastic, creative, and skilled teacher must teach within the confines of the system. I also recognize the system cannot simply change since there is a large cultural aspect involved as well. I do not have much hope for education to make significant improvements during my lifetime, but I do have hopes for the review product we received. Today, we will be reviewing the SilverStone XED120S, which is a server cooler adjusted for everyday PC use. Will its performance solidify its place in the PC market? Read on to find it!
Our review unit of the SilverStone XED120S traveled all the way from Chino, California, United States, to our location in Calgary, Alberta, Canada through FedEx Ground shipping. Travelling alongside the SilverStone XED120S, we also received the SilverStone HSW41 and the SilverStone IceMyst 360 PRO with the IMF70-ARGB upgrade kit. The shipping box had a few dents, but the products inside were in perfect condition.
The SilverStone XED120S has an incredibly simple package design. It is a white box with a sticker stuck onto it. On the front side of the box, the sticker displays the SilverStone logo with an image of the product right below it. The rest of the space is filled with features and specifications for the cooler. On the top side of the box, there are some bar codes and product disposal information. If this package is displayed on a rack with other coolers, I would not expect it to be an attractive purchase. However, SilverStone does mention that this was originally designed for servers rather than personal computers, which would explain the plain package design.
Pulling from SilverStone's website, we have the following specifications:
Socket compatibility: Intel LGA1851/1700 AMD Socket AM5/AM4
CPU TDP: 240W
Net weight: 972g
Material: Copper heat pipes with aluminum fins
Fan dimension: 120mm (W) x 30mm (H) x 120mm (D) or 4.72" (W) x 1.18" (H) x 4.72" (D)
Fan speed: 800~3000 RPM
Fan noise level: 44.9 dBA
Fan rated Voltage: 12V
Fan rated Current: 0.35A
Fan max airflow: 102CFM
Fan max air pressure: 8.24mmH2O
Fan connector: 4 pin PWM
Fan bearing: Dual Ball Bearing
Fan MTTF: 70,000 hours
Much like the packing, the unboxing experience is also very simple. Upon opening the package, there is a white cardboard box containing the mounting brackets and accessories, along with the user manual. Removing the box reveals the SilverStone XED120S wrapped in a plastic bag and sandwiched between two plastic holders.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Installation and Test Results
4. Conclusion
