EK Nucleus CR240 Lux White RGB Review

White models of EK Nucleus CR240 Lux RGB CPU coolers are coming, and we've tested an early sample

If you are unaware, we reviewed EK's Nucleus CR360 Lux AIO CPU liquid cooler earlier this year, and we loved it. EK's 360mm Nucleus Lux series cooler is the best performing CPU cooler that we have ever tested, and following the review we asked EK two things. 1, How good is the 240mm model, and 2, Will these AIOs become available in white?

To answer these two questions, EK sent us an early Nucleus CR240 Lux RGB White CPU cooler. This AIO is due to become available to consumers soon, and it is clear that EK has spent a lot of time to ensure that all of their white components match, a trait that is often challenging for producers of white components. If you have an eye for colour, you will know that there are a lot of shades of white, and this can make the production of all white products a challenge. 

Today, we will be looking at EK's Nucleus CR240 Lux White RGB CPU cooler and see how it compares with other 240mm all in one CPU liquid coolers and EK's larger 360mm CR360 model. Purchasers should note that this heatsink supports all modern AMD and Intel CPU sockets. This includes LGA 1700 (Intel Alder/Raptor Lake), and AMD AM5 (Zen 4/Ryzen 7000).

RGB support

Unlike many other companies, EK hasn't opted to create an RGB lighting software/hardware ecosystem that is incompatible with competing solutions. EK's Nucleus CR360 Lux D-RGB liquid cooling solution utilises standard 3-pin 5V addressable D-RGB headers for RGB control, allowing their RGB lighting products to be controllable by all motherboards and controllers that are compatible with standard 5V addressable RGB headers. This allows EK's RGB lighting to be controllable using software solutions like ASUS Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light, and ASRock RGB LED. Simple.

Packaging

EK's packaging for their Nucleus CR240 Lux liquid cooler is simple and effective. The heatsink, radiator and its supplied fans are all stored within a foam insert that protects the AIO from harm during shipping. There is enough foam here to ensure that your AIO survives pretty much any drop your package may experience during transit, which is good news for anyone who has an clumsy with their packages.