Avoid cheap equipment. Exceeds safety standards

Last week, in Telepolis, we informed you about the effects of the German investigation, which examined the state of the market for parts used in proprietary liquid cooling systems. The conclusions were not good – manufacturers lie like crazy, and customers often get something different than what was promised in the specifications.

Barrow uses a lead-based solder material

The Igor’sLAB editorial team decided to expand their investigation to include products from other companies. This time it was the widely known how Corsair and Thermaltakebut also much cheaper ones Barrow or Chinese Kafuta. And while three of them have no reason to be ashamed, the coolers of one of them are being withdrawn from sale.

The analysis again included dissection of the heat sinks and detailed laser-induced decay spectroscopy of the interior. It checked the materials used in production, the quality of processing, soldering, connectors, cleanliness and painting. The conclusions are as follows:

• Corsair Hydro X-Series XR 5 120 mm – Everything’s fine
• Thermaltake
• Kafuty 120 mm aluminum radiator – APPROX,

So as you can easily guess the problem turned out to be the cheap but popular company Barrow. The Chinese used a material consisting of 70% lead both as a soldering binder and as a filler. It is far exceeds the standards adopted in the European Union and poses a health hazard. The full article in German is available HERE.

Igor’sLAB contacted one of Barrow’s largest sellers in the EU, a store Caseking. The Germans immediately withdrew the described radiators from their offer and contacted the manufacturer. What’s more they have started the refund process. Regardless of when the cooler was purchased from them and at what price. This is another proof that sometimes it is better to buy from reputable Polish or European sellers, rather than AliExpress.