Performance
Our benchmarks begin with the 105W AMD Ryzen 5950X CPU operating at stock speeds. We run the popular Cinebench R23 multi-core benchmark for an extended period and chart the average CPU temperature from the last five minutes of 100 per cent load.
G.Skill isn't kidding when it describes the Enki 280 as "a performance-focused water cooler." Out-the-box temperatures are low enough to top the charts, but there is a caveat...
...you guessed it, noise levels are way above the norm. We typically connect each liquid cooler to the Asus motherboard's dedicated AIO header, allowing the pump to operate at full speed. In this scenario the Enki 280 is far too noisy for our liking, and you're going to want to spend some time in BIOS optimising the curve for both pump and fans.
Even then, ultra-quiet acoustics may be difficult to achieve. Lowering pump speed to ~2,500RPM resulted in idle noise dropping to 33.1dB, but under-load noise remains high due to the excitable fans and actual temperature climbs a fraction to 59.7°C.
Upping the ante while maintaining complete stability, we raise the CPU multiplier to 45x on all cores and increase voltage to 1.25V. The modest overclock pushes CPU power up to 200W and represents a sterner challenge for coolers of this ilk.
Wearing a good set of headphones? Unconcerned about system noise output? Then the Enki 280 may well fit the bill as it makes little effort to keep quiet and puts the emphasis firmly on lowering temps.
You will need a particularly good set of headphones, mind. Nearly 50dB under load is otherwise extremely distracting.