Key features
Today I would like to introduce you to the Lumen S28 RGB liquid all-in-one cooler from Fractal Design. This cooler attracts with its discreet and simple design, which can be easily enlivened with RGB LEDs and uses an atypical build with a pump in the radiator. So the question remains whether this solution is an effective enough alternative against conventional AIO coolers with a pump directly in the block, which of course I intend to test in today’s review.
Key features of the cooler
Most of Fractal Design’s products are characterised by Scandinavian minimalism and this one is no different. The cooling block here is pleasingly compact and lightweight, which is of course due to the absence of a pump. Thus, the block serves only as a passive element of the cooler, where the waste heat of the CPU is dissipated through the heat transfer surface of the copper coldplate into the radiator via a liquid.
The top of the cooling block with the manufacturer’s logo serves as a light diffuser for the six RGB LEDs underneath. It can be removed and rotated at 90° intervals to the position that is most visually pleasing to you. This is a small but nice detail.
On the side of the cooling block you will find a connector to connect the cooler to the motherboard using the supplied cable. The manufacturer thus gives you the option of styling the cooler in a minimalist matte black and unobtrusive look without a single cable coming out of the block. Attachment of the tubes to the block is solved with 90° swivel fittings and the tubes are equipped with a protective nylon braid for added durability. A thin layer of thermal paste is applied to the coldplate of the cooler from the factory, so you don’t have to think about the amount of paste or how to apply it.
As mentioned in the previous text, the pump is integrated directly into the radiator. Its position is chosen so that the pump overlaps with the fan motor, thus avoiding unnecessary waste of the radiator’s usable area. This is because the area behind the centre of the fan is a dead space where there is no airflow through the radiator. The cable from the pump is routed through a small notch in the edge of the radiator so that it can be easily hidden and won’t be mechanically damaged during installation. Although the pump cannot be regulated by a PWM signal, it can at least be regulated by voltage. At the end of the radiator, next to the tube fitting, a covered port can be found, which is probably used to fill the radiator in production, but unfortunately it cannot be used to refill the fluid. The radiator is fully maintenance free and no user intervention is expected.
Fortunately, the manufacturer did not skimp on accessories. On the coldplate you will find a layer of thermal paste applied from the factory, in the package there is paste for about three other applications and you will also find an alcohol cleaning cloth for optimal preparation of the heat spreader of the processor. In the accessories you will also find all the necessary components for installing the cooler on the processor, where you just need to choose the installation frame according to your processor socket and the corresponding set of screws. The installation of the cooler is easy and everything is illustrated in the well-designed user manual and you should not encounter any complications during the process.
As is already common practice, for AMD processors you use the native backplate of the motherboard and for Intel processors you use the backplate supplied with the cooler. Of course, there is also a set of 5mm screws to mount the radiator to the computer case or a cable to connect the cooling block lighting to the 5V ARGB connector on the motherboard.
Pump, radiator and fan parameters
Lumen S28 RGB does not stand out from its class of coolers in terms of dimensions. The overall thickness of the aluminum radiator, including the fans, does not exceed 55 millimeters to maximize compatibility with common computer cases, and the cooler is compatible with all current CPU sockets except HEDT. The price is set very reasonably and a nice extra bonus is the five-year warranty.
| Cooler | Fractal Design Lumen S28 RGB | Endorfy Navis F280 | |
| Supported sockets | Intel 115x, 1200, 1700, 20xx; AMD AM4, AM5 | Intel 115x, 1200, 1700, 20xx; AMD AM4, AM5 | |
| Radiator dimensions (H × W × T) | 313 × 140 × 27 mm | 317 × 138 × 28 mm | |
| Block dimensions (H × W × T) | 67 × 79 × 43 mm | 90 × 95 × 48,5 mm | |
| Hose length | 4000 mm | 390 mm | |
| Pump speed | 4000 rpm | 2600 rpm | |
| Radiator material | aluminium | ||
| Max RAM height | no restrictions | ||
| Warranty | 5 years | 3 years | |
| Approx. retail price | 129 EUR | 99 EUR |
The supplied Aspect series fans, like the Lumen S28 RGB cooler block, are equipped with six ARGB LEDs and the cables can be connected in series, which greatly simplifies cable routing and also simplifies motherboard connection without the need for splitters. They’re not bad at all in terms of performance, but paper specifications are unfortunately not comparable between manufacturers and without a unified methodology they don’t have much relevance.
| Fan | Fractal Design Aspect 14 RGB PWM | Endorfy Fluctus 140 PWM | |
| Bearing | rifle | fluid | |
| Max. speed | 1700 rpm | 1800 rpm | |
| Max static pressure | 2.05 mm H2O | N/A | |
| Max. airflow | 132.5 m3/h | N/A |
- Contents
- Key features
- Measurement methodology
- Results – 36 dBA
- Results – 39 dBA
- Results – 42 dBA
- Results – 45; 48 and 51 dBA
- Results – maximum speed
- Conclusion and evaluation
