Asus' costly AMOLED liquid cooler suffers from cooling degradation — company offers replacements for affected units

The ROG Ryuo IV SLC 360 ARGB is one of the more visually striking all-in-one liquid coolers on the market and is probably capable of competing with the best CPU coolers. Nevertheless, Asus has found that some units have experienced reduced thermal performance. Therefore, the company is providing free replacements for impacted customers.

Asus reports that the affected ROG RYUO IV SLC 360 ARGB liquid coolers experience decreased cooling efficiency when exposed to prolonged high temperatures. The manufacturer indicates that this issue arises only when temperatures exceed 90 degrees Celsius for approximately 72 hours or more. However, under typical conditions ranging from 40 to 45 degrees Celsius, the cooling performance of the ROG RYUO IV SLC 360 ARGB is not compromised.

As stated in the FAQ, Asus assesses each ROG RYUO IV SLC 360 ARGB liquid cooler according to industry standards, which include a 72-hour aging test at 70 degrees Celsius. Therefore, operating the liquid cooler at temperatures exceeding 90 degrees for extended periods, like 72 hours, clearly falls outside its specifications. This scenario does not reflect typical usage conditions. Nonetheless, enthusiasts and overclockers often push their processor overclocks to the limit during long testing sessions.

Asus has not disclosed the technical reasons for the issues with the ROG RYUO IV SLC 360 ARGB. At this point, we can only assume it may be a manufacturing defect. Fortunately, this issue does not pose a risk to the other components of your system since it is related solely to performance.

Sadly, the issue isn't limited to a small number of units. Asus asserts that the problem is global, impacting devices with serial numbers that begin with T4 and have digits in positions 9 to 12 that fall within the specified ranges:

• 1689 - 1932
• 2025 - 2888
• 2961 - 2998
• 3193 - 3242 

However, if you have a ROG RYUO IV SLC 360 ARGB liquid cooler from the defective batch, you should contact Asus for a replacement. If you're unsure, you can always input the serial number of your liquid cooler in the tool at the bottom of Asus' FAQ page.

The ROG RYUO IV SLC 360 ARGB liquid cooler is not yet available at major U.S. retailers. However, Asus has released it internationally, with prices ranging from $300 to $400.

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