Performance
All tests were performed on the Intel i9-12900K processor, MSI MEG Z690 Unify-X motherboard, Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB DDR5-6200 CL36 memory kit, ASRock RX 6800 XT 16GB graphics card, and Corsair HX1200 1200W 80+ Platinum PSU. All the components were installed in a closed Raijintek PAEAN Premium PC chassis.
There are three tests. The first is called Idle, so an operating system without additional load besides standard processes in the background. The second test is based on the PCMark 10 Extended benchmark, which simulates daily work. The last one is a high CPU load tested with AIDA64 with AVX instructions.
The i9-12900K CPU runs at up to 5.2GHz with a TDP limit of 241W. There are many factors that affect the maximum frequency but there was no problem seeing it on our test rig. The CPU could even boost up to 5.5GHz on two cores, while others were closer to 5.2-5.3GHz. Manual overclocking on all cores was still limited as clearly some cores are weaker. We didn’t want to set different turbo clocks for each core so the all-core overclocking was limited to 5.2GHz. It’s still not bad, considering that the CPU wasn’t throttling.
Above are our results. During all tests, fans were left at automatic settings but they were not going up to 100% speed. The typical during higher load was about 1400 RPM so there is still some headroom. On the other hand, the airflow was good enough to say that the higher fans speed wouldn’t change much and it would only add noise.
We can see that the 240mm radiator on our setup wouldn’t be enough to keep the CPU below 100°C in all tasks. During the mixed load tests or gaming, it would be still fine and the CPU wouldn’t throttle. The 360mm, thick radiator gives us additional headroom for higher voltages and lets the turbo boost operate at wider settings.
The performance with a 240mm radiator can be compared to higher 240 AIO series coolers. It’s slightly better but isn’t a much better option than the listed Noctua NH-D15 cooler, which is cheaper. Of course, there are some advantages of both solutions, but if we want a well-looking PC with custom water cooling then we won’t pick the air cooler.
Even though the SCYLLA PRO CA240 is a good kit, then it asks for a larger radiator. On the other hand, I believe that this kit can be popular amongst users who want to expand it with additional one or two radiators as the kit’s price is significantly lower than the price of separate components. The RGB looks great so that’s another advantage of the SCYLLA kit.
