Introduction
Lian Li needs no introduction since they are among the old players in the market and are popular for their famous PC cases and related accessories. They are in the business for over 37 years and also provide OEM and ODM services that help develop small start-up products or enables large-scale high-quality manufacturing of Industrial and server cases. They have persisted in the philosophy that their products should stand out from the competition so that the users would feel the difference.
We recently did a round-up content on the high-end air coolers. It was quite a success and based on the community’s feedback we are planning another round-up content. This time the round-up content is on the best 240mm AIO coolers. We have chosen this size of the liquid cooler as it is still the most commonly used size in the liquid cooler category out of other available sizes which are 120mm, 280mm, and 360mm. We have reached out the over 30 brands and set ourselves a minimum of 15 coolers for the test. We are nearing our mark as the deliveries have started.
Lian Li has recently ventured into a liquid cooling category with the release of their GALAHAD series CPU liquid coolers. These coolers are available in 240mm and 360mm sizes in black and silver colors. The silver is the white edition with a silver aluminum cover on the radiator and the aluminum cap on the block. We are taking a look at the GALAHAD 240 Silver edition. The cooler is compatible with the Intel sockets LGA 775/1366/115x/20xx and AMD’s AM4 socket. The cooler comes with 2x white color 120mm ARB fans. The tube is also in the white/silver combination and so are the block colors. The radiator is white color spray painted. Even the first look at the components alone will make you fall in love with it! Speaking my heart out! Hoping that the cooler would perform as well. Here are the features of the cooler:
- Magnetic Aluminum Cap
- Sophisticated RGB Lighting
- Aluminum Housing
- Extreme Cooling Capability
- Extreme Silent
- 5 Year Warranty [Fans and LEDs limited to 2 years]
Item: GALAHAD 240 Silver
Manufacturer: Lian Li
Price:
| Source | Price |
| NewEgg US | $119.99 |
| Overclockers UK | £109.99 |
Specifications
Packaging and Unboxing
The cooler is shipped inside a black color cardboard packing box with Lian Li theme.
There is a picture of the cooler in black color. This would confuse a buyer if it is indeed a silver/white edition. There is a marking of SILVER right next to the cooler’s picture confirming that it is indeed a Silver edition. The warranty of the coolers is printed as well. The RGB information is also provided.
Eight features of the cooler are highlighted using the pictures. Some of these are:
- High static pressure fans
- Rotatable Aluminum Cap on the block
- ARGB LED Lighting
- Triple Chamber pump design
The specifications of the cooler are printed here as well the packing list and the socket compatibility information is also provided.
The block diagrams are showing the dimensions of the units. It is good to see that Lian Li was thorough in their marking as they have mentioned the thickness of the radiator including the fill port and the barb fittings.
The length of the tube is 400mm. They have provided a dedicated lighting controller in the box. The user can connect the lighting cable either to the controller or to the digital header of the motherboard. The lighting is compatible with:
- ASUS AURA SYNC
- MSI MYSTIC LIGHT SYNC
- GIGABYTE RGB FUSION READY
- ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
Opening the box will show the nicely packed contents in the egged carton. There is a white color Styrofoam pad on the top.
Contents
Let’s take a look at what Lian Li has provided in the accessory box.
Lian Li has provided a detailed user manual for the installation of the cooler on multiple sockets.
We have:
- 1x Metallic Backplate
- 1x Intel Mounting Bracket
- 1x AMD Mounting Bracket
We have:
- 4x Spring-Loaded Thumb caps/nuts
- 4x Intel LGA20xx standoffs
- 4x Other sockets standoffs
- 5x washers
- 4x black spacers
- 2x AMD Pins
We have:
- 8x small screws for the radiator
- 8x screws for the fans
1x tube of thermal paste is also provided.
Lian Li has provided a magnetic top cover for the block’s lid. The block of the GALAHAD AIO 240 has Lian Li branding on the top which is surrounded by a backlit meshed design. The user can cover the Lian Li branding using the provided magnetic cover. It is seldom that we see such a detailed approach from the brand so Kudos to their design team.
Lian Li has provided a Y cable which allows the user to connect both fans to a single fan header on the motherboard. The cable is braided.
Lian Li has also provided a SATA powered 2-pin fan connector. The user can connect the pump’s power cable of the unit to this cable or can also connect the 1-2 fans to this cable. Attention to the details is remarkable.
Lian Li has provided a dedicated lighting controller and a plethora of cables for the connectivity.
The controller is a slim design with three control buttons on it. The M button switches between the modes. The + and – buttons control the speed of the dynamic effect and brightness. There is an LED indicator on the controller. It has the following effects:
- If the LED indicator is green, press + or – to adjust lighting effects.
- If the LED indicator is red, press + or – to adjust speed.
- If the LED indicator is blue, press + or – to adjust brightness.
- If the LED indicator is yellow, the lighting effect is on auto-mode, thus + and – are non-functional.
There is a 4-pin header with an arrow symbol. Make sure the 5V pin side or the side with an arrow symbol on the connector aligns with the arrow symbol on this header.
There is a 2-pin header for which there is a SATA powered 2-pin connector provided in the box.
The picture shows the 2-pin power cable for the controller. Connect the SATA end of the cable to the PSU and the 2-pin connector to the controller.
The above picture shows a splitter cable for the ARGB LED devices. The user can connect up to 3x ARGB LED devices to this cable for a single control.
There is a 4-pin proprietary connector on this cable which is connected to the controller. We have a 3-pin connector with 4-pin spacing and a 3-pin connector for connectivity.
This cable allows the user to connect the fans and the pump to the motherboard’s 5V light header.
The above picture shows the controller with the cables connected to it.
Closer Look
It is time to take a closer look at the components. The cooler is compatible with Intel LGA20xx/1366/1200/115x/775 sockets and AMD AM4 socket.
RADIATOR
The Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 240 is a 240mm CLC cooling solution. It has a 240mm radiator with 2x high static pressure ARGB fans.
The dimension of the radiator is 277 x 123 x 27.2mm. The thickness of the radiator is 27.2mm. With 25mm fans, the overall thickness would be roughly 54mm with the screws’ heads. The radiator has a 20 fins per inch one (FPI). There is a gap of 105mm between any two fan mounting holes on the radiator. The thickness of the radiator with the fill port is 36.2mm whereas this thickness is 47.2mm with the barb fittings. The whole assembly is sprayed with white color.
We have a few bend fins there. This reminds me of the CORSAIR H110i GT which I bought back in 2015. The CORSAIR’s cooler had more bend fins and on both sides.
Fixing the fins to the extent that they open the airflow path is an easy task though I would expect a better build quality and QC from Lian Li.
The above picture shows the close-up view of the fin assembly.
The radiator is made of aluminum hence it is lightweight. The blocks on both ends of the radiator are rectangular. Fin stack is dense and taking into account the left and right side channels, it has a total of 12 aluminum-made channels for the coolant flow. Notice the gap between the sides of the housing and the aluminum plate on both sides! The fin assembly itself has a 20mm thickness.
There is no protective plating under the mounting holes on the radiator assembly much like what we have seen on the majority of AIO solutions in the market with a few exceptions.
Both sides of the radiator housing have brushed aluminum plates with Lian Li branding. This silver touch adds more to the overall look and feel of the unit and adds certain rigidity and protection to the housing itself.
The far head has a rectangular design and a neat finishing.
A sticker is pasted on the far head/block which seems to be part no of the unit.
Lian Li is using straight barb fittings on the radiator. The fittings and the connected tubes are covered in a stylish cap. These caps are also in the white color finish. There is a sticker pasted here showing the serial no of the cooler.
There is what seems to be a refill port on the radiator. Though there is no warranty void sticker pasted on it, it is likely to be reserved only for factory use. Don’t attempt to open the port as you may lose the vacuumed pressure of the loop.
The GALAHAD AIO 240 is using reinforced 400mm leakproof tubes with enhanced flexibility without kinking. These tubes are in nylon braided sleeves finished in the white/silver combination. Both aesthetically pleasing and functionally focused, the optimized tubing design ensures a pain-free installation experience.
PUMP/BLOCK
Let’s take a look at the block of the cooler which is a marvelous design.
The block has a dimension of 87.1x74x62mm (LxWxH). It has a two-tone color finish to it. The top section has an aluminum cover which is running almost half of the height of the block. The lower portion is in the white color finish. The complete block is in a circular shape. The build quality is top-notch and speaks for itself. The two sections have a diffuser running on the entire length of the block dividing the portions. It is backlit as well. 35 ARGB LEDs are embedded in the GALAHAD AIO 240.
The brushed aluminum top cap has a majestic finish to it. There is a black color faceplate in the center with Lian Li branding on it. This faceplate has a circular ARGB backlit area on the border which when light up gives the impression that there is a mesh on the border of the plate with ARGB LEDs under it.
The above picture shows the block with the lights on. This is one heck of a cool show on the GALAHAD AIO 240.
For the users who would want to conceal the Lian Li branding and still want to use the beautiful GALAHAD AIO cooler, there is a magnetic top cover that can be placed on the top center. It will hide the Lian Li branding. Its color matches the color on the aluminum cap so the overall design goes hand-in-hand. Lian Li has my praise for this small yet smart design element.
Another striking feature is the rotation of the aluminum cap. I have been complaining about several AIO design which features stationary branding on the top of the block. This restricts the users from installing the block in their desired configuration subject to the installation location of the cooler. A few brands have come up with a fix to this issue by providing a removable top lid and rotating the logo plate like Castle V2 series coolers from Deepcool. Lian Li has provided a simple and most convenient method to address this issue. The aluminum cap can be rotated which will also rotate the branding portion on the top. So, without removing or taking off anything, the user can install the cooler in either direction and still have the Lian Li text facing upward.
The front, left and right sides of the block are identical in layout. There is no branding at all on these sides.
The GALAHAD AIOs feature a triple-chamber pump design that combines the pump chamber, the connecting chamber, and the cold plate chamber into one unit to significantly reduce the friction produced by the coolant’s rapid flow. This design also serves as a protection mechanism to prevent leakage.
The M.C.T. design separates the hot and cool liquid flow by conveying them into different, sealed water passages, significantly enhancing the heat exchange efficiency and extending the lifespan of the CPU block pump by preventing the hot liquid from flowing back.
Following are the specifications of the pump:
| Speed | Up to 3300 RPM |
| MTTF | 70,000 hours |
| Noise Level | <20 dB |
| Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| Connector | 3-pin |
| RGB Connector | 3-pin addressable |
Looking at the backside of the block, the tubes are installed on rotary barb fittings with the same covers that we saw on the radiator. The tubes are in 90° for easy rotation. We have an ABS material made black color base portion housing the cold plate. There are two cables coming out from the mid-section of the housing. Both cables are braided sleeves.
We have a 3-pin connector cable powering the pump. It has an approximate length of 400mm. The other cable is for digital lighting. It is a 3-pin connector that can’t be connected to the motherboard’s 5V header directly. It has an approximate length of 420mm.
We have a copper base measuring 55x55mm. The copper base is almost covering the entire ABS housing. There is a protective sheet on the base. Don’t forget to peel it off before the installation.
FAN
Lian Li has provided 2x high-performance ARGB fans with the cooler. Each fan is in a white color finish. Even the cables are in the white color sleeve. Each fan has 9 frosted blades optimized for high pressure and low noise operation. The center portion has a large diameter as it is housing the ARGB LEDs. The center has a black color sticker on it with Lian Li branding. Each mounting corner has a white color anti-vibration pad. Each fan has an industrial-grade motor driving the blades using fluid dynamic bearing. An extra magnetic force has been added to the center hub of the fan frame to support the fan blades, reducing the vibration level and thus ensuring a low noise level while in operation. There is a slope down design on the mounting corners which then flattens towards the base.
Each fan has a rigid white color frame surrounding the assembly. The frame is a square design. There are no arrow symbols on any side of the frame that could visually help the user identifying the direction of the airflow and the blades’ spin.
The backside of the fan shows the 4-arms assembly on the mainframe with one arm carrying the cables out of the fan. There is a black color sticker in the center showing the power rating of the fan and rated speed. The overall build quality is top-notch.
There are two cables coming out of each fan. Both are in a white color sleeve with an almost white color connector. One is the 4-pin PWM connector cable to power the fan’s motor. It has an approximate length of 500mm. The other cable has a 510mm in length and has a 3-pin addressable connector for the ARGB LEDs.
The specification of the fans are:
| Dimension | 120x120x25mm |
| Type | 4-pin PWM Connector |
| Speed | 800±200 (30% Duty) ~ 1900 RPM ±10% |
| Airflow | 69.17 CFM |
| Air Pressure | 2.6 mmH₂O |
| Noise | 32 dB(A) |
| MTTF | 40,000 hours |
| ARGB Connector | 5V,3pin ARGB dual Header |
RGB Lighting
ARGB lighting on the fans and the block are one heck of an AURA show. The colors are vibrant, vivid with cool effects. The diffusion is evenly spread on the spectrum. The looks on the block are dope and I am literally out of words to describe the beauty of it. The dedicated controller has some 17 modes that the user can utilize. Alternatively, one can connect to the digital header on the motherboard and use the motherboard’s software to control the lighting. Here are some pictures:
Installation
We have tested the cooler on the X99 platform using the Intel LGA 2011-3 socket. Installation is simple and as under:
Install the Intel LGA20xx standoffs.
Install the fans on the radiators.
Apply the thermal paste on the CPU. Peel off the protective cover on the block. Place the block on the CPU by aligning the holes on the mounting bracket with the threaded sides of the standoffs. Use the spring-loaded thumb nuts to secure the installation.
You can use the Y cable to connect both fans to the single fan header on the motherboard. Another fan header would be needed for the 3-pin cable coming from the block to power the pump or you can connect it to the SATA powered fan header provided with the cooler. Similarly, daisy chain the ARGB cables on the block and the fans to connect them to a single controller for synchronized lighting control.
There is no clearance issue with respect to the DIMM slots and first PCIe slot. Make sure your chassis has clearance for a 240mm radiator.
Testing Methodology
Following test bench has been used: –
- Asus Rampage V Edition 10
- Intel i7 6850k
- CORSAIR VENGEANCE RED 16GB @ 2666MHz
- Colorful GeForce GTX 1050Ti Vulkan
- Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
- Cooler Master MWE 650W Gold
- Custom open-air test bench
The software used for testing and monitoring include:
- Asus Real Bench v 2.56 (Intel)
- Real Temp GT v 3.70 (Intel)
Here is the settings table for testing:
| OC Clock (MHz) | 4000 |
| OC Voltage (V) | 1.21 |
| Turbo Boost | Disabled |
| C-States | Disabled |
| Speed Step | Disabled |
| Thermal Paste | Noctua NT-H1 |
| Test Run Time | 60 minutes |
| Idling Time | 15 minutes |
| Fan Speed | Tested using Integrated Hub on the radiator at Auto/PWM
Manually set to run at 100% speed. Auto PWM using CPU Fan Header |
| Pump Speed | Connected to the AIO Pump header to run at 100% speed |
We are using Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste for coolers testing. Using the same thermal paste for all coolers would ensure standardization. Delta temperatures are reported on the graphs. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.
Not every run of the stress test may yield the same result. This could well be due to many factors like mounting pressure, thermal paste application, varying ambient temperature, the temperature sensor of the die. Not to mention the silicon differences even among the same category of the chips. Hence, it is pertinent to mention the testing methodology along with the specifics.
Let’s take a look at the results.
100% PWM Cycle
Auto PWM
We have a good thermal performance from the Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 240 Silver. On Auto PWM the fans were spinning in the range of 800 RPM. I have noticed that after the last UEFI/BIOS update, the PWM controllers on the motherboard are not using the fan’s PWM range effectively hence all these coolers that we are testing are continuously being reported on the lower side of the PWM range.
Acoustic
The fans are a bit loud at full speed and we measured them to making 50 dBA with an ambient sound level of 32 dB(A).
Conclusion
Lian Li has entered in a liquid cooler segment of the market with their GALAHAD series of coolers and they are making some waves out there nevertheless! The GALAHAD AIOs are available in two sizes; 240mm and 360mm. Each option is available in the black color and Silver (with white) color. Lian Li has provided two high-performance ARGB fans in the white color with the Silver edition (the one we have reviewed). The GALAHAD AIO 240 Silver is compatible with – Intel Sockets LGA: 775, 1366, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 2011, 2011-3, 2066, and AMD Socket: AM4.
The unit has an aluminum radiator measuring 273 x 123 x 27.2mm. The thickness of the radiator is 27.2mm. The overall thickness would be roughly 54mm after installing the fans. The radiator has 20 FPI and the fin assembly itself has 20mm thickness. The radiator has a white color spray-coated housing. The Lian Li is using leakproof high flexible rubber tubes with nylon braided sleeves running to approximately 400mm in length. The tubes are installed on straight fittings on the radiator with clamps/covers which are in a white finish as well. Our retail unit comes with a few bend fins which were easy to fix. This is something Lian Li’s QC should look into otherwise I have no complaint whatsoever as the overall build quality and finish is top-notch and speaks of the Lian Li standard. The sides of the housing have pre-installed brushed aluminum plates with Lian Li branding. The metallic outlook looks good in person though that would hide the overall white look on the unit. But remember, Lian Li is selling this unit with the phrase Silver not white.
The most killer element on the entire unit is definitely the block itself. We have a circular shaped housing in aluminum, plastic, and ABS materials. The dimension of the block is 87.1x74x62mm (LxWxH). Lian Li was paying close attention to the details and this is where they have my praise. The top of the block has a backlit faceplate with Lian Li branding in the center. The border of the faceplate has ARGB LEDs underneath which when light up gives the mesh impression around the faceplate and it looks quite dope in person. The aluminum top cap can be rotated to align the Lian Li text upright regardless of the orientation of the cooler. This is too good and in my opinion the best implementation so far that I have seen all around. No more stationary branding which would force the user to install the cooler in a certain direction or not so convenient method of removing the top lid and rotating the logo plate in the desired direction by taking the plate off and putting it back on. There is a blank aluminum top cover provided as well which is magnetic. If you don’t want Lian Li branding on the block, simply put the cover in the center of the block, and voila! Almost a perfect execution! Hats off to the Lian Li design team for that. The block has two cables coming out of it which are in a black sleeve. I wish they were in the white sleeves as well! One is the 3-pin power connector power cable and the other is a 3-pin ARGB cable.
The GALAHAD AIO 240 comes with two high-performance ARGB fans. These fans are rated for up to 1900 RPM ±10% speed with a maximum airflow rating of 69.17 CFM at an air pressure rating of 2.6 mmH₂O. These fans feature frosted 9 blades to ensure high pressure with low noise operations. Both fans have ARGB LEDs housed inside the center. The cables are in the white sleeve. Lian Li has provided a plethora of cables with a dedicated controller to control the lighting of the fans and the block. The user can connect the cables to the supported motherboard digital headers (5V) as well. The lighting solution is compatible with ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, ASRock motherboards. The installation is easier as well with a few steps you will get going in no time.
The Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 240 Silver/Black is listed at $119.99 and £109.99 at the time of the review. Lian Li is offering 5 years warranty less the fans and LEDs which carry 2 years warranty. The Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 240 has performed remarkably well on our test bench. It is not an ordinary AIO to consider as it comes with premium features, stunning lighting, good thermal performance, good build quality with majestic looks, and a 5 years warranty showing the confidence of Lian Li in their product. I am more than happy to use this cooler as my daily driver and it has won our Must Have award.
We’ve reached out to most major brands in an effort to compare the best AIO coolers of 2020 against each other and let you know which ones come out on top. Please make sure to check out our 2021 AIO COOLER ROUNDUP and again, thanks to all the companies taking part. Below is the listing of the coolers confirmed so far.
| Brand Website | Cooler Review |
| AZZA | Blizzard 240 |
| SilverStone | IceGem 240 |
| Fractal Design | Celcius+ S24 PRISMA |
| CORSAIR | H100i RGB Platinum |
| Antec | Neptune 240 |
| XPG | Levante 240 |
| ARTIC | Liquid Freezer-II |
| EK Water Blocks | EK-AIO 240 |
| ID-Cooling | Aura Flow X 240 |
| Cooler Master | Master Liquid ML240L ARGB V2 |
| ASUS | ROG RYUO 240 |
| Enermax | Aquafusion 240 |
| DeepCool | Castle 240EX White |
| AeroCool | P7 L240 or Mirage 240 |
| Reeven | Naia 240 |
| Lian Li | Galahad |
| be quiet! | Pure Loop 240 |
