Conclusion
We are now at the end of this test of the Silverstone Vida 240 Slim. So, what is this model worth? Let’s review.
Only 38 mm thick!
As you can see, the particularity of this kit lies in the thinness of its radiator and its fans. Once assembled, we find a set measuring only 38 mm, which offers a serious space saving compared to the 52 mm of more conventional kits. This space saving can be useful in ITX configurations, but also in medium tower cases. We think especially with a front installation of the radiator with a large graphics card in the tower.
Beside that, we find a rather well finished kit with a nice square radiator and a nice paint. It’s always nice, especially when you compare it to some models where the rivets are visible. Moreover, we can orient the pump from 90° to 180° so that the logo is always in the right direction. Also, the aRGB lighting proposed by the brand is convincing.
While we are at it, let’s talk briefly about the assembly which is not difficult in itself. There are few elements to handle: spacers, a mounting arm and possibly a backplate. You will just have to deal with tubes that are a bit rigid. On the other hand, the big difficulty concerns the cabling which will not necessarily be obvious because of the big quantity of cable brought by the aRGB part.
Good temperatures despite a slim radiator!
As far as temperature readings are concerned, despite a thinner than average radiator, the kit does quite well. At low revs, the kit runs out of steam on our most demanding consumption profiles, but that’s not surprising. On the other hand, it does quite well at high speeds, allowing it not to lose face compared to other models.
As for noise, the noise levels displayed by this kit are far from being catastrophic, even at full throttle. But we will remember that the noise levels are higher than average at mid speed. As the load on your CPU increases, the noise is likely to be present more quickly than other kits. Be careful to manage your fan curve!
An interesting price, but availability at half mast:
Finally, the good surprise of Silverstone comes from the pricing. If you look hard enough, you can find it on Amazon.com for $130,66 and in Europe for under 120 €. This price allows the kit to compete with more imposing references such as the Pure Loop 2 240 from be quiet! or the ML240 Illusion from Cooler Master. In short, even without trying to gain a compactness, it is a reference that deserves attention.
Silverstone Vida 240 Slim :
We like:
- The good finish of the radiator
- The adjustable pump cover to have the logo in the right direction
- The serious space saving due to the thickness of the radiator/fan
- Easy to mount the pump
- Convincing aRGB lighting, good light intensity, good colors
- The temperatures are far from catastrophic despite its size
- The well studied pricing
We liked less:
- The pipes are a bit rigid, not easy to put in place
- The big quantity of cable brought by the lighting part
- Careful with the temperatures at low speed!
- The noise is higher than average at mid speed
- Very little spread in our countries
Finally, we choose to award the silver to this Silverstone kit. For about 120 €, we have an original kit with a slim radiator. Despite a compact kit, the temperatures are not worse than a more classic model, be careful at low rpm and on big consumptions. As far as assembly is concerned, it goes well, even if the pipes are quite rigid and there are many cables. Finally, the pricing is aggressive, but we only have a few dealers!
A big thank you to Silverstone !
