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No Power Limits Thermal Results
Without power limits enforced on Intel’s i7-13700K, the CPU will hit its peak temperature and thermally throttle with even the strongest air coolers. When the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I measured the CPU package power to determine the maximum wattage cooled to best compare their performance.
The general exception to this comes with the strongest AIOs on the market, of which only the strongest are able to keep Intel’s i7-13700K under TJ Max. This is no small task, most 360mm AIOs fail this test.
The thermal results of Enermax Liqmaxflo here are good, especially when you consider its relatively budget price of $129 USD. The result of 68C over ambient is 1-3C better than its predecessor, a respectable improvement.
The thermal improvements are alright, but where Enermax’ new AIO really shines is noise levels – it’s the quietest AIO I’ve tested that’s capable of keeping Intel’s i7-13700K under it’s peak temperature! The measurement of only 42.4 dBA is extremely impressive.
Thermal Results With Noise Normalized to 38.2 dBA
Finding the right balance between fan noise levels and cooling performance is important. While running fans at full speed can improve cooling capacity to some extent, the benefits are limited and many users prefer a quiet system. With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.2 dba. This level of noise is a low volume level, but slightly audible to most people.
Enermax’s latest AIO does extremely well when noise levels are set to a low 38.2 dBA, with the second-best result we’ve recorded thus far of any cooler tested with Intel’s i7-13700K.
175W Cinebench Results
Most coolers on the market can keep Intel’s i7-13700K under its peak (TK Max) temperature if the power consumption is limited. So for this test, we’ll be looking at the CPU’s actual temperature.
The result of 51 C over ambient is good, in the middle of the road for AIOs we’ve tested with Intel’s i7-13700K. It doesn’t really look like much of an improvement compared to its predecessor, at least not until you consider the noise levels. With volume measured at only 38.9 dBA, Enermax’ Liqmaxflo is again the quietest AIO I’ve tested with Intel’s i7-13700K thus far. What this means is that you don’t need to tune the curve of the fans with Enermax’ latest offering. Only running at 38.9 dBA while cooling 175W is impressive, it means you can run all but the most demanding tasks while keeping your PC quiet.
125W Cinebench Results
The lowest power limit I test with Raptor Lake CPUs is 125W. This is a high enough limit to allow the CPU to maintain its base clock speeds even in the most intensive tests, and most coolers should be capable of keeping the CPU below TJ Max (the max temperature before throttling) – even low-end coolers.
Thermals don’t really matter in this scenario. Even Intel’s stock cooler can handle a load like this with ease. Noise levels, rather than CPU temperature, are the most important factor here. Enermax Liqmaxflo again delivers chart-topping results here. At 37.3 dBA measured, the Liqmaxflo runs quieter than the sound of my system fans.
Conclusion
Enermax Liqmaxflo 360 might be a tongue twister of a model name, but it’s a very strong offering in today’s crowded and competitive market of liquid coolers. It’s able to keep hot CPUs like Intel’s i7-13700K under their peak temperature while running quieter than the competition. And what pushes this cooler over the top is its price. At only $129.99, it’s cheaper than many coolers that don’t perform as well.
