ID-Cooling FX360 LCD Review: Quiet, cool, and… why is this screen so small?

Maximum noise levels

In terms of maximum volume, ID-Cooling’s FX360 LCD has a moderate noise level at 43.8 dBA. This might not be quiet enough for users who prefer silence, but I think most users will find the noise levels to be reasonable. In common scenarios, as we’ll demonstrate in a later section, this cooler runs whisper quiet.

Noise-normalized testing

The above results are tests performed with the cooler tied to the default fan curve of the MSI X870E Carbon motherboard, but some prefer to see tests when the noise levels of coolers are equalized.

We’ll start with the “easiest” of these tests, which runs Cinebench R23 with a “stock” power limit. On this motherboard, this means the CPU will consume about 200W. The FX360 LCD performs especially well here, taking the second-place position, with a result of 77.7C.!

The next test is a bit harder, with PBO enabled to allow the CPU to use as much power as can be handled.

This is another good showing for ID-Cooling, with its FX360 LCD outperforming both Sama’s L70 and Thermalright’s Wonder Vision 360.

For our last test, we’ve added the heat of a GPU to the mix – which in this case is 295W.

PBO Performance

Turning on PBO allows AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X to stretch its legs and guzzle power, pushing the limits of any CPU cooler on the market.

ID-Cooling’s FX360 LCD performs reasonably well here, cooling 254W on average during the course of testing. This is a little behind the competitors from Thermalright, Sama, and Tryx that we’ve tested it against. But it is worth pointing out that the FX360 LCD also runs quieter than these competitors, as shown in the chart below.

150W thermal benchmarks and noise levels

For the next thermal test, I’ve set the power limit to 150W.

Measuring an average temperature of 62.6 degrees C, ID-Cooling’s AIO falls a bit behind the other 360mm competitors we’ve tested – but it does this while operating at a very low noise level, measuring 37.3 dBA with our Pyle PSPl25 noise meter.

100W thermal results

Our next test is the least-difficult benchmark featured in this review, with a workload consuming only 100W. This is a simple test, one that even most SFF coolers should have no issue passing. The FX360 again falls a little behind competitor AIOs – but with a result of only 49.8 degrees C, it is nothing to worry about. Noise levels are more important here, and the FX360 LCD runs whisper silent in this scenario – with audio volumes lower than my noise meter can reliably measure.

Conclusion

The FX360 LCD delivers the essentials where it matters: cooling strength, low noise levels, and a wallet-friendly price of only $90. In every thermal test, it held its own against more expensive competitors. That said, the unimpressive 1.48-inch display feels like an afterthought rather than a true feature. I’d recommend saving $10, skipping the display, and getting ID-Cooling’s FX360 INF instead.