EK is a stalwart in the liquid cooling business and a well-known brand among overclocking enthusiasts. The company's efforts have focused primarily on custom loops and modular kits. That has now changed. The new EK-AIO family will stand up to the crowded competition with a line of proper all-in-one (AIO) liquid coolers for CPUs.

The EK-AIO family appears to be the successor to the Phoenix series, which EK previously called the AIO line. While technically an AIO design, it is also a modular solution, with a choice of "core modules" (radiator and pump assemblies) and independent CPU blocks to which they are attached.

These new AIO coolers are different. Like all other AIO coolers on the market, they come fully assembled ("plug and play" as EK calls it) with a universal CPU block. Like most AIO coolers, they come with hardware that supports many sockets including Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2011-3, 2066, AMD AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1 FM2, FM2+, FM2, and FM1. This means most CPUs manufactured in the past decade or more, except for the Threadripper socket.

Judging solely from the images and renders, the EK-AIO series is sleeker looking than the Phoenix series. Since it is not a modular cooler, there is no break in the lines connecting the CPU block to the radiator, and the RGB lighting shines on both the fan and the CPU block assembly.

Users can choose from three different coolers: the EK-AIO 120 D-RGB, 240 D-RGB, and 360 D-RGB; the numbers indicate radiator size (120mm, 240mm, or 360mm) and come with one to three high static pressure Vardar fans.

"The perfectly balanced milky white 7-blade rotor design is optimized for light dispersion and high pressure operation while maintaining a low noise profile throughout the entire fan operating range. A total of nine addressable D-RGB LEDs under the motor hub ensure perfect light dispersion, even in broad daylight," states EK.

According to EK, the 120 D-RGB is suitable for small form factor PCs with limited space and can accommodate "any mainstream processor" in its basic configuration. The 240 D-RGB, on the other hand, is a larger cooler with "enough headroom for overclocking," while the 360 D-RGB can handle "the toughest processors."

These are relatively vague descriptions, and I'd like to get these for review and see how they perform in practice; given EK's track record, I'm optimistic.

For those who want to jump on board without waiting for a review, all three coolers can be ordered now with a 10% introductory discount. Prices are as follows:

One odd quirk, however. A couple of other editors have seen prices on product pages that are higher than the prices listed on the landing page. For example, on the 360 D-RGB product page, both Jarred and Corbin see a discounted price of $170.18 and an MSRP of $189.09, while both Joanna and I see the lower price above. I also noticed that one of the landing page URLs says "Phoenix" (this page).

My gut feeling is that something odd is going on that is causing the cheaper pricing to be correct and the Phoenix price point to appear on the new EK-AIO cooler for some folks. As far as I know, it is not a regional thing. I am asking EK for clarification and will update this post when I hear back.

As for availability, the coolers will begin shipping on February 28, 2020. They each come with a 5-year warranty. However, even if you are betting on performance, we would not recommend completing the purchase if you are looking at a high price.