Since there is no software included with the Kelvin T12 we had to adjust the Fan header's power settings via either the Bios or the ASUS AI Suite. If we ran the PWM AUTO profile the RPM of the fans at idle was around 750 RPM, picking up rapidly to full blast when the processor was loaded with the Prime95 stability test benchmark. Therefore we include two readouts in this article when we tested the Overclocked setup:

• Kelvin T12 with the fans at full speed +/- 1754 RPM
• Kelvin T12 with auto adjusted fixed fan speed at 60% : +/-1200 RPM (barely audible)

However before we start off with the heavy pounding, a quick test at stock speeds of the hexacore i7-3960X. On the ASUS Rampage IV  board, the i7-3960X is not running according the stock Intel Turbo, but 3900MHz on all cores when being loaded.

At idle we see a minimalistic performance gain versus the three other AIO's, similar behavior as with the air coolers, this as the processor is idling at 1600MHz. Once all cores are crunching at 3900MHz, the Kelvin T12 can differentiate itself from the other AIO's, this while remaining enjoyable for the ears.

Though these kind of coolers only start to shine when our six core processor is overclocked. At idle nothing spectacular, yet the Kelvin T12 is already mingling itself amongst the other Corsair Hydro 120 variants and Enermax coolers. Between the manual and Full speed preset we see a  tiny drop in performance, implying the radiator even with the Fans at mid range speeds is more than able to dissipate the heat. Only the H80i with its fans running at speeds near or even in excess of 2000 RPM is able to nibble of some extra °C; this at the cost of extra generated noise.

Time to crank up the heat and let the i7-3960X rip at 4500MHz through the Mersenne Prime95 benchmark. The included air coolers have a hard time keeping the temperatures of the processor near the 80°C mark. Depending on the fan profile chosen most AIO's are near the 72-75°C when the Silent or Quiet profile is selected. Even with the Fractal Fans just running at a mere 1200 RPM (Manual mode) they still enable the Kelvin T12 to beat the faster spinning models of the competition. If we let the push and pull Fan setup spin at 1700 RPM (Full) the temperature drop is about 1.5°C. This is far less than with the other popular AIO's in this roundup, where we used to spot more of a 3-5° temperature drop between slow or fast spinning setups. Nevertheless this Kelvin T12 proves to be a nice addition to the All in One liquid cooling devices; best of all is that it does not require high speed Fans to perform, thus remaining also more enjoyable for the ears.

As mentioned above most of the 120mm fan equipped AIO's need fast spinning fans to achieve great cooling performance. Besides the debate whether or not these AIOs can be classified as liquid cooling devices, the lower generated noise level still make custom water cooling loops far more enjoyable for daily usage. The Fractal Kelvin T12 is able to close in on them DIY loops by achieving great cooling performance at an acceptable noise level, this even with the dual Fan setup spinning at 1700 RPM.