Versatile, easy to mount radiator solution – no case cutting required – Joe
SUMMARY: Versatile, easy to mount radiator solution – no case cutting required.
The good guys at Swiftech were nice enough to send a Swiftech MCB-120 Radbox to try out. The Radbox features:
- 2 part construction: Holding Plate and Housing for ease of installation
- Multiple slots for vertical and horizontal adjustments
- Bolts directly to 60mm, 80mm, 92mm or 120mm fan holes
- Custom pass-thru PCI bracket
- 12″ “kinkless” tubing
- Instruction sheet
and adapters for 1/2″ OD tubing (3/8″ ID), designed for use with either quick-connect or screw clamp fittings
There are enough parts that ship with the unit
for just about any conceivable mounting situation – I don’t think you’ll need to go to Home Depot for parts. The mounting plate (5 1/8″ square) is removable from the Radbox
to allow for mounting on a case. There are nylon spacers (½” high)
which allow good airflow and enough room for the tubing to bend around and reach a PCI slot. There are multiple options
for mounting bolts included in the kit. The tubes that come with the kit are designed to bend rather sharply without kinking – a good feature as it will take a couple of sharp bends to get from the radiator to the PCI bracket. Note that the radiator is mounted with the intakes at the bottom – this is needed so that the tubes can reach the PCI slot.
I have a couple of cases that might prove to be more difficult for mounting a radiator and tried the mounting bracket to see how it would fit. The first case is for a Dell server:
This case features a 120 mm fan; however, note that there is a lip on the right side of the case:
The nylon standoffs were a tad too short to clear this lip. Even so, I could just clear the ports on the back so that there would be enough clearance for a the printer cable – but tight.
The next case I tried was a small Compaq:
In this instance, the back panel and power supply limit the Radbox’s positioning:
The Radbox will stand a bit above the top of the case, but it will fit and the tubes will reach the PCI bracket.
Swiftech’s Radbox appears to be a very adaptable product for adding a decent sized radiator without case hacking. The Radbox will add some bulk to the back of a case, but as long as this is not an issue, the Radbox could be an effective radiator solution.
Thanks again to Swiftech for sending this our way.
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