Magicool MC-RAD120G2 120 mm / X-Flow
Of course, I also bought the “original” from Caseking as a “New Design”, i.e. what Magicool sells under its own name. Visually, you can hardly tell the difference, only the coating looks a little more premium to the touch. So it will be interesting to see. Lead or no lead, that is the question here. But only the fins are sold as copper, the rest as brass. Commendable.
And then there was also the X-Flow in the shopping basket, which is the same material as the G2, but the packaging was simply reused, which is quite irritating, because cross-flow looks different from parallel-flow, especially with the connections. But never mind…
I also took the part apart and analyzed it, but came up with the same results, especially since the inner workings are completely identical except for the water flow. Therefore, the measurement results of the normal G2 also apply to the X-Flow, so I can save myself redundant pictures and texts.
Now let’s let the manufacturer have his say before I comment on this:
| Material | Copper fins, brass chambers |
| Fins spacing | 16 FPI (Fins Per Inch) |
| Dimensions | 152 x 120 x 27 (mm) |
| Tube | 16 mm x 1.5 mm |
| Connection threads | G1/4″ |
| Weight | 370 g |
| Pressure tested | 2,5 bar |
| Mounting / fan installation | 4 pcs UNC 6-32 threads on both side for 120 mm fan |
Pre-chamber, inlet and perpendicular
Let’s open the radiator at the pre-chamber (tank). The solder joints of the cooling channels are again neither oxidized nor scaled. The solder is not completely circumferential and is spread a little too thinly on the narrow sides of the channels. The bottom line is that you can leave it as it is. Other things are much more interesting!
The solder is good, no question about it, because they use so-called pewter! This is an alloy that consists mainly of tin and is often alloyed with other metals such as copper, antimony or lead, in smaller quantities, to increase the hardness, strength and/or melting point. Modern pewter alloys are popular due to their safety, durability and good finishes, but also cost more than normal tin solder.
The antimony makes the tin solder harder and increases its strength, which is particularly important for structural applications where the solder is exposed to mechanical stresses. Antimony improves the solder’s resistance to thermal fatigue, which means it can better withstand repeated temperature cycles without failure. This is particularly important in electronic components that undergo heating and cooling cycles. Although antimony makes the solder harder, it helps to maintain acceptable ductility, reducing the tendency for brittleness.
Incorporated copper increases the tensile strength and hardness of the solder, which improves the mechanical stability of solder joints and can also improve the wetting ability of the solder on metal surfaces, resulting in better solder joints. Copper also contributes to the corrosion resistance of the solder joint, which is important for long-term stability and reliability. It also improves resistance to thermal fatigue, which is important for applications where joints are exposed to frequent temperature changes.
The walls of the pre-chamber are also without complaint, as CuZn40 (I’m rounding this up for goodwill) is really decent brass. So this is the same material as the leaded OEM product Richer-R.
Now we come to my favorite place where the wheat is separated from the chaff, namely at the threaded inserts for the fittings, which were soldered into the chamber beforehand. Here, too, it is pewter, an alloy of tin, antimony and copper. This time, in contrast to the channels in the tank, even without flux residues.
The soldered thread insert is made of CuZn42 with around 42% zinc by weight. This is also significantly better (and less brittle) than the OEM radiator.
Unfortunately, there are clearly visible deposits in the open pre-chamber (tank):
This does not look very appealing when enlarged…
.. .because they are pure flux residues!
Cooling channels and cooling fins
Now we come to the cooling channels and the fins soldered to them. If you cut the whole thing open, you will see the usual picture and again there are soldered folded tubes.
The usual channels of soldered folded tubes can also be found here, but the copper content of the CuZn35 (rounded up) is back to the usual normal level, as with the radiators from Hardware Labs.
The slotted cooling fins are made of pure copper, because brass would break more easily here, as it would also be much more brittle due to the zinc.
Frame and screws
With the addition of up to 20% chrome, the frame with the threaded holes for assembly is very durable, but the usual 14 to 16% could have been used. The alloying here was probably simply poor.
The galvanized screws, on the other hand, are made of pure, unalloyed steel. In detail, the analysis looks like this:
Summary and interim conclusion
Compared to the extremely lead-containing Amazon clone, the officially distributed product is actually free of criticism apart from the lack of rinsing. It is also inexpensive and therefore definitely a price tip if you want to save money. However, it should be thoroughly cleaned before installation.
| Assembly | Manufacturer’s specification | Material test |
| Pre-chamber / Terminal | Brass | Brass CuZn40 (60% Cu, 40% Zn) |
| Threaded inserts G1/4 | Brass | Brass CuZn40 (60% Cu, 50% Zn) |
| Channels/tubes | Brass | Brass CuZn35 (65% Cu, 35% Zn) |
| Solder used | n.a. | Pewter (Zn, Sb, Cu) |
| Cooling fins | Copper | Copper (100% Cu) |
| Frame / side panel | Steel | Chrome steel (75% Fe, 25% Cr) |
| Screws | – | Galvanized steel |
| Other accessories | – | – |
| RoHS labeled on box | No, but lead-free | |
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