14 DAY TRIAL // Technically, Fractal Design entered the liquid cooling market earlier this year. However, until now the brand was still only known for its PC cases. Now, though, the Kelvin Series is finally ready to sell.
You might still not see the newcomers up for order for a few days, but the outfit vowed in its press release that shipments would start this month (December 2014).
There are three new coolers available, called Kelvin T12, Kelvin S24, and Kelvin S36. All have product pages already set up, and prices known. They are all-in-one models. You won't need an existing water cooling system to make use of them.
Some background on all-in-one coolers versus normal ones
Normal water cooling systems have a reservoir/tank either inside the computer case or outside of it (but still nearby).
The water flows from it to one or more water blocks (the parts that actually come into contact with CPUs, GPUs, or chipsets) through pumps and hoses.
All in all, water cooling systems, or systems using other kinds of coolant if that happens to be the case, are large, complex things.
All-in-one models are more akin to air-based coolers. They have the coolant stored in a radiator constantly cooled by one or more fans, and the setup forms a single whole along with the pumps and water block.
The Fractal Design Kelvin T12, S24 and S36
The AiO systems have all the benefits of their kind, but Fractal Design chose to do something unusual and build them as open-loop products.
It means that while they can work on their own, they can also be integrated into DIY (do-it-yourself) cooling systems like the ones we mentioned before.
Thus, if you get a second video card or a stronger CPU, or upgrade most of your PC at once, you can add to the liquid cooling setup every time if necessary.
For example, you can add a GPU block or extra radiators to the same loop, thanks to the strong and silent high-performance ceramic pump. On that note, the CPU block and the radiators are made of pure copper.
Availability and pricing
The Fractal Design Kelvin T12, Kelvin S24, and Kelvin S36 have prices of $100 / €80.79, $120 / €97 and $140 / €113, respectively. In that order, they have radiators large enough to accommodate one, two and three fans, respectively. Both Intel and AMD processor sockets are supported: Intel 775, 1150, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, and AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2, FM2+.
