Arctic Announces Service Kit For Defective Liquid Freezer 2 AIOs

Arctic Freezer II Gasket Repair
(Image credit: Arctic)

PC cooling manufacturer Arctic has found a potential issue with the gaskets in its Liquid Freezer 2 AIO coolers manufactured between May of 2021 and March of 2022. The issue can lead to reduced cooling performance and a potential loss of cooling liquid in the loop. To fix this, Arctic has issued a self-repair service kit, enabling users to fix the problem themselves to keep system downtime low.

The issue in question is a chemical reaction between the gasket and the copper cold plate. This is due to the rubber gasket not being sufficiently vulcanized causing a reaction that can introduce sulphur residue and copper plate deposits. This can eventually lead to a reduction in cooling performance, and liquid loss. 

Thankfully the issue is not too severe, Arctic says the gasket degradation can occur within the six-year warranty period. So you won't find your AIO all of a sudden leaking fluid everywhere at a moments notice, or cease to function instantaneously. 

Nonetheless, coolant loss and reduced performance can become a issue after a long enough duration, so Arctic does recommend a gasket replacement with its service kit as soon as possible.

The gasket is user serviceable, and will take you less than a few minutes to complete if you have any PC building experience. The service kit has all the equipment you'll need including a new copper cold plate, brand new gasket and MX-5 thermal paste. You also get additional coolant and screws.

All users need to do is remove the copper cold plate and its associated four screws, swap the old rubber gasket with the new, and finally replace the copper cold plate. Then if necessary, users can refill their loop if their AIO lost a substantial amount of liquid.

If user repair isn't an option, you still have the ability to send in the product for service, where Arctic technicians will do the repair job for you. But, beware, this method will take up to two weeks to accomplish due to shipping constraints.

If you have an affected unit, go to Arctic's support page here to request a free service kit. Thankfully the six year warrant will remain intact even if you do the repair job yourself, so there's nothing to worry about.

Aaron Klotz
Contributing Writer

Aaron Klotz is a contributing writer for Tom’s Hardware, covering news related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.

  • -Fran-
    As I mentioned in the Discord: I've already requested mine, since it's one of the affected versions. Totally hassle free.

    I guess I actually have to do the swap, but looks easy enough.

    Regards.
    Reply
  • TheJoker2020
    -Fran- said:
    As I mentioned in the Discord: I've already requested mine, since it's one of the affected versions. Totally hassle free.

    I guess I actually have to do the swap, but looks easy enough.

    Regards.
    I would like to hear about your experience :)

    FYI: Gamers Nexus just covered this, including the replacement, liquid etc... Not saying that you would mess it up, but there are real PotatoHeads out there that would empty the liquid, and then replace it with the "top-up" bottle... We all know one of those people, typically called Brandon.
    Reply
  • AgentBirdnest
    Looks like I dodged a bullet. I got mine in March, two months before they started selling the defective ones.
    Props to Arctic for taking care of this the way an adult company should. :-)

    Good luck with the swap, Fran!
    Reply
  • RodroX
    Tom Sunday said:
    What is the procedure to establish if ones AIO is an affected version and without having to pull it off the MB? Many by now have not saved the box it came in for any possible references! For the future marketability and reputation of their product, ARTIC should consider to simply be offering a full replacement of a factory ‘recertified AIO’ unit upon proof of purchase and a credit card verification securing the customers return requirement! Then immediately shipping the replacement AIO within a guaranteed 3-day arrival date. It should not be assumed that all customers are qualified to handle such 'open heart surgery’ AIO service work locally or even expected to do so. Besides waiting a possible two weeks or more due to shipping constraints and taking ARTIC’s factory turn-around time in consideration will surely be unacceptable to many! Especially those that now WFH having to generate income with their PC!

    Arctic has done way, really way better than bigger companies did (ASUS, Gigabyte, NZXT among others).
    They offer to do the fix for you if you don't wana mess up with the task.
    Also you don't get a new car, just because an air bag or a light bulb has an issue, they replace the problem and you keep the same car.


    About your question you can see if your have the problem at the bottom of the page: https://www.arctic.de/en/lf-service-kit
    Reply
  • King_V
    TheJoker2020 said:
    I would like to hear about your experience :)

    FYI: Gamers Nexus just covered this, including the replacement, liquid etc... Not saying that you would mess it up, but there are real PotatoHeads out there that would empty the liquid, and then replace it with the "top-up" bottle... We all know one of those people, typically called Brandon.

    Brandon who? Care to be more specific?
    Reply