Inter-Tech Elektronik Handels GmbH is a company based in Germany and was founded in 1996. Since then, the main focus has been on the Europe-wide distribution of OEM and retail hardware for PC systems. Originally, the portfolio mainly included PC cases and power supply units. However, this has since been expanded to include numerous divisions such as fans, peripherals, hard disk enclosures and adapters. In August 2024, Inter-Tech once again expanded its portfolio in the area of CPU coolers. One of these new products is the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 compact water cooling system, which we are testing today.
The Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 is a simple compact water cooling system with a 240 mm fan and two non-illuminated 240 mm fans and pump block. The Inter-Tech Argus Iceman -240 is also highly compatible with many old and new sockets. If you want to buy the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240, you currently have to pay € 66.84 *.
Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 review: Technical details
General specifications |
|
| Dimensions (with fan, L x W x H) | 277 x 120 x 52 mm |
| Weight (with fan) | 1035 g |
| Compatibility AMD | AM3 / AM4 / AM5 |
| Intel compatibility | LGA 775 / 115X / 1200 / 1366 / 1200 / 1700 / 1800 |
| Cooling capacity |
250 W |
| price |
€ 66.84 * |
Radiator specifications/ heat sink specifications |
|
| Type | Soldered radiator |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 277 x 120 x 27 mm |
| Radiator material | Aluminum |
Fan specifications |
|
| Number of fans | 2 |
| Fan designation | A1225M12S |
| Bearing type | hydrodynamic plain bearing (FDB) |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Fan speed | 900 ~ 1800 rpm |
| Max. Noise level | 35.4 db(A) |
| Max. Volume flow | 135 m³/h |
| Max. Air pressure | 1.99 mm H2O |
| Lighting | N/A |
| Rated voltage (fan) | 12 V |
| Rated voltage (LED) | N/A |
| Rated current (fan) | < 0,25 A |
| Rated current (LED) | N/A |
| Nominal power (fan) | 3 W |
| Rated power (LED) | N/A |
| Connection (fan) | 4-pin PWM |
| Connection (LED) | N/A |
| Fan cable length | 500 mm + 100 mm (Y-splitter) |
| LED cable length | N/A |
Pump specifications |
|
| Pump dimensions | 80.3 x 71 x 41 mm |
| Cold plate material | Copper |
| Speed (pump) | 2500 rpm |
| Rated voltage (pump) | 12 V |
| Nominal voltage (LED) | N/A |
| Rated current (pump) | N/A |
| Rated current (LED) | N/A |
| Rated power (pump) | N/A |
| Nominal power (LED) | N/A |
| Connection (pump) | 3-pin |
| Connection (LED) | N/A |
| Hose length |
350 mm |
Packaging & scope of delivery
The Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 comes packaged in a cardboard box printed in color on which the color black dominates but also pictures of the compact water cooling system can be seen. The product name, a table with the most important technical data and a short product description are also printed on the packaging.
Inside, in addition to a thin foam mat, we also find a mold made of recycled cardboard that holds all components and accessories in place. Additional plastic protective films are also designed to prevent scratches on the painted components. In addition to the radiator-pump combination, the scope of delivery also includes two pre-installed 120 mm fans, the necessary mounting accessories, mounting instructions, a tube of thermal paste and a spatula for spreading the paste.
Design & workmanship
The manufacturer has given the aluminum radiator of the Iceman B-240 an unobtrusive design and painted all fins and covers black. Furthermore, Argus has not implemented any lighting, lettering or other eye-catching accents on the radiator. With a depth of 27 millimeters, it is also within the typical average for compact water cooling systems and the coolant also flows through 14 channels in the 240 version.
The water flows between the CPU block and radiator through two 350 millimeter long hoses, which may be a little too short for larger cases. To ensure that the simple rubber hoses do not spoil the appearance, Argus has covered them with a tightly woven nylon fabric and they are firmly pressed into metal sleeves on both the radiator and the CPU block, which means that the compact water cooling system cannot be extended. The rotatable hose joints on the CPU block also allow flexible orientation of the compact water cooling system.
The pump housing of the Argus Iceman B-240 is round and made of metal. Argus has also dispensed with lighting on the CPU block, keeping everything in a plain black and even dispensing completely with a logo. Inside the block, a pump with ceramic bearings and a maximum speed of 2500 revolutions per minute ensures a stable flow rate. The CPU heat is absorbed by a screwed copper plate, which is covered with a protective film at the factory.
The two A1225M12S fans supplied have a frame width of 120 millimeters and consist of a black fan frame and a black rotor with nine blades. Each fan is controlled via a 4-pin PWM connector and enables speeds between 900 and 1800 revolutions per minute. The manufacturer also equips the fans with rubberized surfaces at all eight corners for decoupling purposes and includes a Y-switch for connecting the fans.
Overall, the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 weighs 1035 grams and measures 277 x 120 x 52 millimeters. In terms of workmanship and paintwork, we couldn’t find any flaws in the smaller model either. Thanks to its simple design, the Inter-Tech Iceman B-240 is at least visually suitable for any type of system.
Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 Test: Assembly
For the review, a test system is used which is mounted on a benchtable. This allows us to rule out factors such as heat build-up in the case. The test system consists of the following components.
- AMD Ryzen 5 1400 @ 3.8 GHz at 1.175V*
- ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus*
- Crucial Ballistix Sport LT gray 32 GB DDR4-3000*
- TeamGroup T-Create Classic PCIe 4.0 DL*
- Gigabyte AORUS GTX 1060 6G*
- LC-Power LC550 V2.31 Platinum Series 550W*
The assembly on our AMD test system was completed quickly as only a few assembly steps were necessary. First, the factory Intel frame had to be removed from the CPU block and the AMD frame attached. This process only requires a little force in the thumbs and no tools. We then attached the supplied retaining lugs to the frame, applied thermal paste and screwed the CPU block to the AMD retention module.
With Intel, the CPU block is mounted using a supplied plastic backplate and corresponding spacers with which the backplate is screwed to the mainboard. The frame on the CPU block is then connected to the spacers.
Especially with an AMD system, the entire assembly process was very easy to understand and completed quickly. Although we were unable to implement the Intel assembly, it is very similar to the assembly systems of numerous other manufacturers and appears solid. Finally, it should be mentioned that despite its compact structure, the assembly instructions clearly show all the necessary steps in writing and pictures.
Cooling capacity and volume
As already shown in the previous chapter, we use an AM4 system based on the Ryzen 5 1400 and the ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus as test hardware. The Ryzen runs at 3.8 GHz at 1.175 V. To heat up the processor, it was loaded with Prime95 for 30 minutes. The temperature of the CPU was then read out with the CPUID hardware monitor. The room temperature was always around 20 °C during the measurements.
| wdt_ID | CPU-Kühler | Temperatur Minimaldrehzahl (in °C) | Temperatur 50% PWM (in °C) | Temperatur 100% PWM (in °C) | Minimale Lüftergeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) | Minimale Pumpengeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | Thermaltake TH280 V2 ARGB | 0,00 | 46,60 | 45,90 | 550 | 1.200 | 1.800 | 680 | 2.100 | 3.200 |
| 124 | Cooler Master MasterLiquid 240 Atmos ARGB | 0,00 | 50,40 | 46,50 | 560 | 1.340 | 2.270 | 1.965 | 6.620 | 10.230 |
| 125 | be quiet! Pure Loop 2 240mm | 0,00 | 50,70 | 46,70 | 800 | 1.070 | 2.080 | 4.150 | 4.700 | 5.530 |
| 126 | Alpenföhn Panorama 2 | 0,00 | 76,00 | 66,80 | 450 | 1.450 | 2.720 | |||
| 127 | Alpenföhn Brocken 4 | 0,00 | 53,60 | 49,60 | 410 | 870 | 1.610 | |||
| 128 | AMD Wraith Stealth | 95,00 | 95,00 | 76,00 | 800 | 1.430 | 2.630 | |||
| 129 | Corsair A115 | 0,00 | 49,40 | 46,90 | 190 | 920 | 1.560 | |||
| 130 | Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE | 0,00 | 49,50 | 47,50 | 350 | 1.050 | 1.680 | |||
| 131 | Thermalright Assassin X 120 SE | 0,00 | 53,60 | 50,60 | 340 | 1.070 | 1.690 | |||
| 132 | DeepCool Assassin IV (Silent) | 0,00 | 51,40 | 48,70 | 500 | 860 | 1.330 | |||
| CPU-Kühler | Temperatur Minimaldrehzahl (in °C) | Temperatur 50% PWM (in °C) | Temperatur 100% PWM (in °C) | Minimale Lüftergeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) | Minimale Pumpengeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) |
As can be seen from the table and the diagram, the CPU of our test system reaches a maximum of 49.0 °C (at minimum speed), 47.5 °C (at 50% PWM fan and pump speed) and 45.0 °C (at 100% PWM fan and pump speed) under full load. This puts the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 at the top of our table and ahead of some other compact water cooling systems with 240 mm radiators, such as the recently tested LC-Power LC-CC-240-B – JetFlow or the be quiet! Pure Loop 2 240mm.
Here too, the main reason for the very good temperatures is probably the higher minimum speed of the supplied fans. However, as with the 360 version, the pump in this model also suffers from certain running noises from a speed of 2000 revolutions per minute. However, it is possible to reduce the pump speed.
Conclusion of the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 test
In conclusion, the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 is a decent compact water cooling system with a number of positive features. First of all, from our subjective point of view, there is the plain black look (almost) without logos, lettering or lighting. We also liked the simple but solid mounting of the CPU block and the high compatibility with many old and new AMD and Intel sockets. The cooling performance shown is logically lower than the 360 mm version, but in no way has to hide from the competition with a 240 mm radiator.
The negative aspects of the larger version also apply one-to-one to the Iceman B-240. The above-average minimum speed of the fans results in a slightly higher background noise and the pump also hums a little above 2000 rpm. However, many other compact water cooling systems also have to contend with louder fans and audible pumps.
In terms of price, the Iceman B-240 is € 66.84 * around €10 below the Iceman B-360, which is of course clearly ahead in terms of cooling. So if you have enough space in the case, we would clearly tend towards the larger version. If you can only fit a 240 mm radiator and can live with the negative aspects or are prepared to adjust the fan curves in the UEFI, then the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 is definitely worth a look.
Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240
Design
Processing
Assembly
Performance
Price-performance ratio
89/100
The Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-240 is a very simple and well-performing water cooling system with a solid mounting system and high socket compatibility. However, the minimum fan speed should be a little lower and the pump also hums a little more than desired at higher speeds.
