ASRock is well known among PC enthusiasts for its graphics cards, motherboards, power supplies, and gaming monitors. Now, it has entered the market for liquid cooling solutions.

We’re looking at two of the company’s first AIOs here, the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD and Steel Legend 360 LCD. Both of these liquid coolers feature 3.4-inch 480 x 480 displays for showing off animations and monitoring performance metrics. Aside from aesthetics, the main differences between the two are the included fans and radiator size. The Steel Legend 360 incorporates a standard 27 mm thick radiator, whereas the Phantom Gaming 360 uses a thicker-than-normal 32 mm radiator.

Let's take a look at the specifications and features of the coolers, then we’ll go over thermal and noise benchmarks and decide whether ASRock’s Phantom Gaming and Steel Legend AIOs deserve to make our list of the best CPU coolers.

Cooler specifications

Features of ASRock Phantom Gaming & Steel Legend 360 LCD

▶️ 60hz 3.4-inch LCD display

Both the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD and the Steel Legend 360 LCD include a 3.4-inch square IPS screen with a 480 x 480 resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate, with brightness rated at 250 nits.

To control and customize the screen, you’ll need to download ASRock’s Polychrome Display software. You have the option of selecting six preset themes, or you can build your own theme, and/or customize the individual elements shown on the display.

While I certainly wish there were more presets available, my biggest complaint using this software is the extreme file compatibility limits. If you’d like to upload a custom background, the image or video file needs to be less than 20 megabytes and 1080p or lower in resolution.

▶️ RAM Clearance

As with most liquid coolers, the design of both the Steel Legend and Phantom Gaming 360 has the CPU block set so it doesn’t overhang or interfere with the DIMM slots – ensuring that all sizes of RAM, no matter how tall, are compatible.

▶️ VRM fan

Included on top of the CPU block is a 70 mm, 3,000 RPM fan designed to help keep your RAM and motherboard’s VRM modules cool. As you’ll see in our Karhu benchmarks, it does an excellent job of cooling these parts of your computer.

▶️ Thick CPU cold plate

The copper contact plate is unusually thick, like you’d more typically see in an AIO supporting AMD Threadripper or Intel Xeon server CPUs.

Differences between the ASRock Phantom Gaming 360 LCD and Steel Legend 360 LCD

▶️ Color schemes and aesthetic

While they are similar in many ways, each of these AIOs has a different aesthetic, similar to what you’d see in the company’s motherboard lines. The Steel Legend might appeal to those who prefer simpler designs, with a white body and gray fan blades.

If you want flashy lighting, the Phantom Gaming 360 might be your thing. In addition to ARGB lighting on the fan blades, it also includes a lighting strip across the side of the radiator.

▶️ Radiator sizes: 32 mm and 27 mm

There are two primary technical differences between the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD and the Steel Legend 360 LCD; one of those is the radiator size. The Steel Legend 360 LCD has a standard 27 mm radiator, whereas the Phantom Gaming 360 features a thicker 32 mm radiator.

▶️ 120 mm fans

There’s more to a liquid cooler than just the radiator and liquid pump. The included fans directly impact noise levels and cooling performance. This constitutes the second primary technical difference between the AIOs we’re reviewing today.

Both units include fans that are 28 mm thick and pre-installed for user convenience. The Steel Legend 360 features three individual 120 mm fans, with a white shell and gray blades.

The Phantom Gaming includes a fancier fan block instead of individual fans, and features ARGB lighting on the fan blades and a strip across the radiator. These fans aren’t as powerful – or as noisy – as the fans included with the Steel Legend, but this is balanced by the thicker 32 mm radiator included on the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD.

Packaging

The outer packaging is a bit flashy – at least, in comparison to your normal AIO box. It features a rendering of the cooler against a black background with streaks of purple hues.

The inner packaging is just as fresh as the outside, with each component of the cooling system well protected from the chaos that shipping can bring by using a combination of soft covers and individual cardboard walls for each component.

Included with the package are:

• Mounting hardware for AMD and Intel platforms
• Tubing clips
• A small tube of thermal paste
• 360 mm radiator and 120 mm fans
• 3.4-inch LCD display

AM5 Installation

This section assumes you’ve already mounted the 360 mm radiator. Installation of AIOs is typically much easier when you have already secured the radiator to your computer case.

To begin putting things together, you’ll first need to remove the default AM4/5 retention from the motherboard.

The next step is to place the mounting bars on top of the studs, securing them with the included screws. The middle of the mounting bars includes a helpful image indicating the direction the bars should be installed, with an arrow pointing towards where the CPU should be.

Now you’ll want to apply the included thermal paste. If you’re not sure how to do that, we have a handy thermal paste application guide that covers the different methods you can use.

Afterwards, place the pump block against the CPU and mounting bars, and use a screwdriver to secure it. You should have the liquid tubing in the south position for best thermal performance.

The next step is to slide the LCD display on top of the VRM fan. To complete the AIO’s installation, you’ll want to connect the USB, PWM, and ARGB headers as appropriate – then you can power on your system.

Real-world testing configuration – AMD AM5 platform

We’ve tested coolers with both the Ryzen 9950X3D and its non-V-Cache sibling, the 9950X. There are some differences in how the 9950X and 9950X3D CPUs are impacted by thermal events. While the heat output of the CCDs of AMD’s 9950X3D is relatively balanced, the 9950X I used has one CCD that runs much hotter than the other, with a difference of over 10 degrees Celsius in some scenarios, shown below.

We’ve since returned to using a 9950X3D for cooler testing, as it has a more balanced heat profile, and is almost certainly a more widely adopted CPU. The benchmark results shared in these reviews may differ from others because I emphasize results that are comparable to real-world use. This means I generally test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods.

Many reviewers test coolers on open test benches, which have a combination of lesser airflow needs and lowered ambient temperatures. This results in making weak coolers appear stronger than they really are. Some also use generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect real-world cooler conditions.

Our latest testing setup uses the Flova F50 computer case from Tryx.

This case features a unique “crossflow” fan that pulls air from the side, which the company claims is more effective than traditional intake fans. For air cooling tests, we’ve added a single Noctua NF-A12 G2 intake fan.

We’re going to start this review’s benchmark section by focusing on a traditional maximum performance test, with the CPU cooler’s fans allowed to reach their fastest speeds for the best cooling possible.

Turning on PBO allows AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D to stretch its legs to an extent, and all air coolers I have tested with PBO enabled using MSI’s X870E Carbon Wifi motherboard reach the maximum CPU temperature of 95 degrees C (203 F) and thermally throttle to some extent.

The thermals of both ASRock AIOs are excellent, able to keep AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D under its peak temperature (TJ Max) in Cinebench R23 with PBO enabled – allowing for the best possible benchmark performance. Of particular note is the performance of ASRock’s Steel Legend 360; it maintained an average of 61.5C over ambient (83.5C), the best result we’ve seen on this test bench.

Some coolers perform well in maximum strength tests, but require running loudly to maintain said performance. The ASRock AIOs we tested reach 46.9 and 47.8 dBA, which is about average for most liquid coolers on the market.

200W thermal benchmarks

For the next thermal test, I leave the motherboard settings at their defaults, which results in a power limit of 200W when running Cinebench R23.

When a standard power limit is imposed, the thermal differences between the two ASRock coolers close, with both coolers performing about the same. I measured 47.3 and 47.9 degrees over ambient, giving them the third- and fourth-best performing results from this test bench.

150W + GPU thermal results, noise levels

Our next test runs Cinebench on the CPU with a 150W power limit, while also running Furmark on MSI’s RTX 4070 Ti Super Ventus 3x OC. This causes the GPU to consume ~295W of power. This test is designed to emulate the thermals of games, which primarily stress the CPU and GPU.

ASRock’s Steel Legend stood out in this test, outperforming all other competitors, with an average temperature of 57.4 C (35.4 C above ambient). The Phantom Gaming AIO also performed well, taking the fourth-place spot.

But thermals are only part of the story. Noise levels, especially when you’re gaming, are far more important here. When tied to my motherboard’s default fan curve, ASRock’s Steel Legend 360 had a noise level measured at 39.2 dBA. The Phantom Gaming 360 LCD was just a hair louder, measuring 39.6 dBA.

Noise-normalized testing

Most testing is performed with the cooler tied to the default fan curve of our MSI X870E Carbon motherboard, but some prefer to see tests when the noise levels of coolers are equalized. This is especially important to those of you who prefer silent computers. This next test has the CPU cooler noise-normalized to 38.9 dBA, with PBO enabled for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU.

With recordings of 258.8 and 258.2W average CPU power consumption, ASRock’s AIOs perform essentially on par with each other while noise-normalized.

Karhu DDR5 RAM thermals testing

Your CPU cooler does not operate in isolation. It has an impact on not just your CPU’s temperatures, but also the other components in your build, like your RAM and GPU. To that end, I’ve run the Karhu RAM stress test. This places a load of ~153W on the CPU and ensures system RAM (DDR5 in my case) is fully stable. In this type of scenario, most AIOs tend to produce worse results than air coolers.

DDR5 temperatures were excellent in this test, with averages of 20.9 C (Steel Legend) and 21.5 C (Phantom Gaming) recorded. Of the AIOs I’ve tested on this configuration, only Silverstone’s IceMyst Pro with its unique stackable fans performs better.

We’ve also included a chart showing the CPU temperatures in this test, and thermal performance was strong – outperforming air coolers by ~5 degrees C. But I haven’t recorded this data for other AIOs yet.

Conclusion

ASRock’s Steel Legend 360 LCD and Phantom Gaming 360 LCD are both strong coolers, well suited to heat-intensive CPUs like AMD’s Ryzen 9950X3D or Intel’s Core i9-14900K.

Of the two ASRock AIOs, I would recommend the Steel Legend 360 LCD for users who want the best thermal performance possible (and a lower price tag). It might lack the thicker 32 mm radiator included with the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD, but its included fans are stronger, and as a result provide lower CPU temperatures and quieter noise levels in common scenarios. Still, at around $160, the Steel Legend is far from the most affordable AIO with a display, and it’s only available in white.

For a very long time, many of us have been begging Noctua to build a liquid cooler. In a time when CPUs are becoming ever more powerful, their power consumption is also rising, and air-coolers are often no longer up to the task. However, this was a problem for Noctua’s customers, as the brand has stubbornly not built a liquid cooler – at least until now. Meet the NL-LC1-36, Noctua’s first liquid cooler.

Today we’re reviewing the 360-mm variant, but it also comes in 240mm and 420mm flavors.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: At its core, this is not a liquid cooler designed 100% in-house by Noctua – it’s an Asetek cooler with some Noctua touches. This may be a bit of a let-down, especially for Noctua purists – up until now, every product that had a name in Noctua’s nomenclature, such as NL-LC1-36, or NH-D15 G2, or NF-A12x25 G2, was 100% designed and built in-house by Rascom and Kolink, the two owners of the Noctua brand.

Keen readers will note that there is a Noctua case, Noctua PSU, and Noctua GPUs, but that’s not entirely accurate. The Antec Flux Pro Noctua Edition, Seasonic Prime TX-1600 Noctua Edition, and Asus Noctua Edition GPUs are all, as their name implies, Noctua-Edition products, which are not strictly speaking a core part of Noctua’s own lineup, and they do not carry Noctua’s typical nomenclature.

What’s really going on here is something we’ll get into later, but for now, let’s dive into the box and see what we’ve got on the test bench.

Specifications

Product Walkthrough

The cooler comes packaged in a typical Noctua box with a matte finish and product details written on it. Noctua also sells an auxiliary fan, the NL-ACF1, which can clip onto the pump block to cool the area surrounding the CPU.

Open the box, and we’re presented with a nice appetizer – the large Noctua plaque that can later be installed onto the pump block if you’re not using the auxiliary fan.

This is a truly beautiful plaque, and quite large too – a bit unusually large for Noctua. Is Noctua trying to emphasize its own brand to distract us from Asetek?

An included accessory box contains the mounting brackets, cleaning wipe, instructions, TIM guard, and the classic Noctua Torx screwdriver. Both the AMD and intel mounting brackets come with -7mm offset holes so that the cooler is better placed over the CPU’s hotspots.

The three fans come in their own box too. Here we have three NF-A12x25 G2s, two of which are the PPA variant and one PPB, which have 50 RPM offsets to prevent harmonics from forming between them. These fans spin at such consistent speeds, that if you mount two next to each other on the same fan splitter, they can sing in harmony.

The fans all come equipped with the full rear gasket for a perfect seal on the radiator.

Moving on to the pump assembly, here we find the pièce de résistance, the NL-PNA1. PNA stands for Pump Noise Absorber, and this is a custom pump cover designed by Noctua that features multiple layers of foam, sound barriers, and silicone mounts, all to quiet down the pump.

At its heart, the NL-CL1 is based on Asetek’s Emma Gen8 V2 pump platform that, although very powerful, isn’t the quietest pump on the market. However, the combination of its power and the PNA1 cap means that Noctua is happy to stand behind the product, and we’ll see in testing whether this stance is justified.

This pump cap isn’t only engineered to absorb and deflect noise, however – it’s also a tuned mass damper. Sitting on silicone mounts, its own mass and positioning is engineered such that it dampens mechanical noise. This damping essentially shifts the higher, more annoying frequencies pumps typically produce toward deeper, more pleasant frequencies that typically bother human hearing less.

The cold plate is beautifully milled, and the exposed copper should do a great job at transferring heat.

Hidden between the two tubes is a dip-switch with three positions. They’re not marked, but it’s easy to tell whether you’re in the quiet, balanced, or unrestricted mode. These limit the pump’s RPMs to 2100 or 2600 for the quiet and balanced profiles. Within these profiles, you can use the motherboard’s PWM control to guide the pump. However, the pump’s internal coolant temperature sensor will override the PWM signal at certain duty cycles or beyond certain coolant temperatures and push to 100% duty anyway, which may lead to the pump running louder than you want. In practice, however, we haven’t found this to be a problem.

For full control, you’ll want to use the unrestricted mode, where you have the pump’s full 3700 RPM at your disposal.

What I find a bit of a let-down here, is that there is no two-pin thermal probe output. I have a lot of experience with custom water cooling, and my preferred method of managing pump and fan speeds is by using the coolant temperature as the source value. It’s great that this AIO’s pump will manage itself and I’m stoked to see this feature finally coming to numerous AIOs, but I’d like access to the coolant temperature so that the fans can be controlled by this too.

The AIO’s radiator is a relatively standard aluminum type, but it’s 30mm thick which is an improvement over thinner 25mm radiators on more budget-friendly coolers.

Lastly, the loop is filled with Glycol, and is not user-serviceable.

Optionally, for $20, you can add an auxiliary fan to cool the VRM and memory surrounding the CPU, but this honestly feels like an afterthought and doesn’t look very charming compared to the rest of the cooler. I don’t doubt that it works, but it’s not nearly as neatly integrated into the pump block as we’ve seen with much of Noctua’s premium competition.

Testing Part 1: Pump speed vs. dBA

To test the NL-CL1, we decided to deviate from our usual procedure. Usually, we take AIO’s as they come and pit them against each other in a real-world scenario using a closed case and standard onboard fan curves. However, with the improvements Noctua has made to the pump assembly, we wanted to really focus on the impact of this different pump on both acoustic and thermal performance.

To do this, we’re pitting the NL-CL1 against the Phanteks Glacier One M25 G2 and the Lian Li Hydroshift II LCD-C 360N – but instead of using their included fans (the Lian Li doesn’t come with any), we’re installing the three NF-A12x25 G2 fans that come with the Noctua.

The reason we’re testing this way is because I feel that the primary audience that would be interested in this AIO, is also the type that would fan-swap an existing cooler. It’s also to take the fan variable out of the equation – we know Noctua’s fans are better than any other (they sit atop our Best PC Fans list just for that reason), and what we really want to know is how much better this pump unit really is.

These two competing coolers cost about $150 each, and if you were to install three NF-A12x25 G2’s on them, that brings the total cost to about $250, which is in-line with Noctua’s pricing. So, what do you get for the same money with the old method, vs the new, official Noctua cooler?

Meanwhile, for the purists among you, we’re also adding the legendary NH-D15 G2 air cooler to the test at the end. The main reason to contemplate a Noctua AIO is to minimize pump noise – and for a few, up until today, that simply meant not using an AIO at all, rather sticking to air cooling with fewer moving parts.

Test Setup

We’re using an MSI Godlike X870E motherboard with a 9950X3D CPU and some Kingston Fury Renegade DDR5-6000 memory. We also have a PNY RTX 5080 installed, though it’s there only for display purposes and will be kept at its zero-RPM mode.

We’re doing these tests on an open test bench, as to expose as much of the pump as possible.

Testing Part 1: Pump speed vs. dBA

For the first series of tests, I ran the three AIO’s pumps through their RPM ranges independently, by themselves. To get the system quiet enough, we ensured the GPU’s fans were not spinning, there was no load on the CPU (and thus no whining VRMs or PSU fan), and disconnected the CPU fans – the only moving part was the pump itself – that’s all we’re trying to figure out here.

What’s clear from the results is that the Noctua pump is notably quieter at most speeds, right up until about 2300 RPM, where Phanteks’ Glacier One becomes quieter, and Noctua’s pump actually makes a big jump up in noise levels.

What’s also interesting is that up until about 1900 RPM, the pump on Noctua’s cooler is almost indistinguishable from the noise floor of the room. That’s very impressive if you consider that the dB meter was placed at a mere 20cm from the pump, at night, in a room treated for acoustics.

I debated testing with dB-C weighting, as this is more sensitive to low frequencies, but decided against this. C-weighting spans across a wider range of frequencies, which technically speaking, would offer results more representative of the entire sound spectrum.

However, dB-A weighting is geared more toward the sensitivities of human hearing – and Noctua specifically engineered the pump cover to shift the pump’s sound profile towards lower frequencies, where they would be less bothersome.

With that in mind, I do want to mention that the dB reading alone really doesn’t tell the whole story. As mentioned, the Noctua pump ends up louder than the Phanteks, at least as far as decibels are concerned.

As I was testing, I saw these numbers, and I thought: that’s not right. How can that be? The Noctua sounded much quieter to my ears.

So, I went back, re-installed the Phanteks, and lo-and-behold, it put out the exact same figure it did before – quieter than the Noctua on the dB meter, but my ears told a different story.

Using dB(A) weighting should have compensated for that difference, but it didn’t. So, perhaps my dB meter is wrong, or Noctua knows more about human hearing than dB(A) weighting accounts for.

However, what may also play a role is the differences in pump assembly and how they impact flow rate. If, for example, the Phanteks pushes more fluid per rotation than the Noctua, then it’d be only logical that it’s louder too – but I doubt it does.

Either way, we’ll be going back and testing with subjective noise levels in addition to these objective figures for a complete picture.

Testing Phase 2: AIO Objective Noise-Normalized, + Min and Max

In order to account for the pump’s engineering, I’ll be running a noise-normalized test that has the NF-A12x25 G2 fans spinning at the same 1200 RPM speed on each cooler, on every test. I’ll be running the three pumps at speeds that have matching noise levels, which we’ve figured out in the previous testing phase with the dB meter.

This is not a test meant to simulate real-life performance -- we run the fans at a fixed speed of 1200 RPM, and keep the CPU at stock settings to limit power draw to exactly a hair under 200 watts under all scenarios, so that all coolers make it through the test and to remove any variables. The only factors influencing the thermal results are the pump, its mounting offset, the flow resistance, and the radiator – all factors over which we ultimately have no influence.

This is where things started to get very interesting. Let us start with the minimums and maximums – you’ll note that at the minimum pump speed, the Noctua has the CPU running much hotter than the other two coolers. I’d like to clarify that the minimum and maximum tests are not noise-normalized, but have the pump running at their minimum and maximum speeds. Noctua’s LC1 has an extremely wide RPM range to work with, which the other two coolers don’t. And running a 200W workload with a pump running at just 750 RPM isn’t going to do great things for thermals. It does, though, mean that in low-load situations, the pump can run completely quietly.

However, in the noise-normalized test between 29 dB(A) pump noise and 32 dB(A) pump noise, we saw some shocking results. Noctua’s cooler, even when it has its pump running at a barely perceptible noise level of just 29 dB(A), still runs significantly cooler than both the Glacier One and the Hydroshift with their pumps running at full speed.

Of course, it must be noted that there are more factors at play here than just the pump – the LC1 offers a 7mm offset mount for Ryzen systems which we used, a different cold plate design, and a radiator that’s slightly thicker than its competition.

Testing Phase 3: Subjective Noise-Normalized

As mentioned earlier, according to my ears, some of the pump’s acoustics don’t match up with what my dB meter shows. For this reason, I’m repeating the previous batch of tests, but instead of looking at the dB meter, I’m trusting my ears to guide me in picking an RPM setpoint for each pump that I deem fits the description. If you see a result missing, it’s because the criteria weren’t met. The RPMs of the pumps are in the chart below.

To determine the RPM levels, I first ran the pump at the highest speed at which it was still completely inaudible. I then figured out a middle point where I was happy to tolerate the noise level under load. And finally, I pushed the pump speed up further, and found the lowest value at which its noise started to annoy me.

To give some additional context, I’d like to emphasize that I have highly sensitive hearing, and I’m someone that likes to run their gear as close to inaudible as possible. This is also a very subjective test – you may hear something where I didn’t – but on the flipside, what annoys me, you may be just fine with, so do take these findings with a grain of salt.

Then, with those numbers, I ran the thermal tests again, all with the fans at 1200 RPM to remove any other variables.

Here, the Noctua started to really stand out from the crowd. Even pushing the Glacier one to annoying noise levels couldn’t make it keep up with the thermals produced by Noctua pump running inaudibly. That’s honestly quite staggering.

I contemplated for a moment whether to adjust the fan speeds in this test to match the annoyance factor, but this would make comparison difficult, and I really am trying to focus on the difference the pump makes here, and nothing else.

What’s really important to note here, though, is that from my experience, I can truly say that the dBA figure means almost nothing in practice. The subjective noise profile of the pump matters way more than the dBA, and whereas the Noctua might, strictly speaking, be louder than the Phanteks at higher speeds, it’s also far smoother. Whatever they did with the PNA1, it’s working.

Meanwhile, though, from the results it’s also clear that there is no need to run the Noctua at these higher pump speeds, as there is very little additional benefit.

And that’s not to even mention the Lian Li pump, which is always audible. Consequently, I had to omit it from the inaudible category entirely, and I can tell you from experience, there are many AIOs that are unable to run their pumps at inaudible levels. This is not an isolated case.

Testing Phase 4: Air vs Water (Noise-Normalized)

As mentioned, we also added the NH-D15 G2 to the mix, as it is Noctua’s most powerful air cooler and the most surefire way to avoid pump noise entirely, and I’m sure many of you who want nothing except Noctua, actually want to know how the new liquid cooler compares to Noctua’s finest air cooler – not a bunch of AIO’s you wouldn’t buy anyway.

TheD15 air cooler has – as its name implies – much larger 150mm fans. Consequently, to test fairly against the NH-D15, we decided to set two noise targets, based on the AIO’s internal pump limiters selected with the switch on quiet and balanced.

The test we’re performing here is more representative of real-world performance than the previous bunch. For the quiet and balanced pump profiles, I set the AIO’s fans to a speed that I felt matched up nicely, where the fan and pump noise blended smoothly. I measured the total dB(A) produced, then figured out which fan speed the NH-D15 G2 had to run at to produce the same overall noise level.

For the maximum speed test, dB(A) figures were ignored – all gear was run at full speed.

The results speak for themselves. Noctua’s NL-LC1-36 offers vastly superior performance to the NH-D15. Even with the NH-D15 G2 air cooler running at full tilt, producing a highly annoying 43.9 dB(A), it still runs 6 degrees hotter than the LC1 running in the quietest profile with the fans barely even trying at just 1000 RPM, producing only 29.6 dB(A).

Noctua has been defeated. Long live Noctua.

When I first heard that Noctua’s first liquid cooler would be an Asetek unit with some Noctua sprinkles added to it, I had some major doubts about its efficacy and, quite frankly, Noctua’s business decisions.

I grew up knowing Noctua as a company that prides itself on its standards, and designing its products entirely in-house. With that in mind, the Noctua NL-LC1 is a bit… unlike the classic Noctua that we know and love – at its core, it’s not a Noctua cooler in any way we’ve seen before.

However, if you look at the history of companies that have tried to build their own AIO’s, you’ll be met with a very long list of fallen soldiers -- whether that’s due to being unable to build a reliable pump, or because of litigation from Asetek when their patent was still valid. If history has taught us anything, it’s that it’s surprisingly difficult to build a good AIO with no liquid cooling experience.

In that sense, I somewhat doubt whether the LC1 is the liquid cooler Noctua actually wanted to build. The company is also still working hard on its pumpless Thermosiphon cooler. But in the meantime, the market still wants what the market wants.

With CPUs becoming ever-more powerful, and consumer demands increasing, Noctua either had to find a way to give the people what they wanted, or get left behind in the CPU cooling space – a space they once dominated.

With all this in mind, I believe that the LC1 is the result of Noctua making a compromise – they won’t design the cooler entirely in-house, but instead work with Asetek for the pump and radiator, but adding their own pump cover, mounting bracket, and fans to bring the total package to a new industry standard.

However, this compromise is proving to pave the way to greatness. From my brief testing, I can safely say that this is an absolutely fantastic AIO – and I’m glad to finally see somebody making a liquid cooler that focusses on what really matters: noise and performance.

Priced at $220 to $280, it’s not the cheapest AIO, but certainly isn’t the most expensive either. So, despite the fact that it’s not 100% Noctua, this one comes highly recommended to anybody looking for a high-quality AIO with fantastic performance and a stellar 6-year warranty.

So, as much as I may not feel like this AIO appeals to me as a Noctua purist, as a hardware enthusiast, I really quite like it, and it’ll certainly be finding its way into a personal system.

Noctua’s highly anticipated AIO cooler is finally available, and PC builders can get it in three sizes — 240mm, 360mm, and 420mm. These all-in-one water-cooling solutions start at $219.95 on Amazon for the smallest 240mm two-fan solution. The larger 360mm version costs $249.95, and is slightly more affordable than the converted European price of US$289.95 (based on the current conversion rate for EUR 250), while the largest 420mm, equipped with three 140mm fans, is priced at $279.95.

• Get the Noctua NL-LC1-24 240mm Quiet All-in-One Water Cooler on Amazon
• Get the Noctua NL-LC1-36 360mm Quiet All-in-One Water Cooler on Amazon
• Get the Noctua NL-LC1-42 420mm Quiet All-in-One Water Cooler on Amazon

Given that this is a Noctua cooling solution, you can expect it to stay silent while still offering performance. It achieves this with the NL-PNA1 pump noise absorber — a mass damper that sits on top of the pump and water block featuring multiple layers of acoustic foam, a dense sound barrier, floating silicone mounts, and an outer shell with a metal faceplate. The pump itself also has three available speed profiles; it’s set by default to quiet mode, ensuring that it remains inaudible during operation. You can set it to balanced mode if you want additional performance headroom at the cost of some noise, while veteran users can switch to manual mode for full control over the AIO.

You can also purchase the optional NL-ACF1 80mm auxiliary cooling fan that mounts directly on the water block. This small add-on can make a big difference to other components, as we saw in Noctua’s booth at Computex 2026. It claims a VRM temperature reduction of nearly 40%, allowing your case fans to run at a slower RPM and further reduce noise. You can check out the Noctua video below if you want to see the company’s deep dive into its first AIO cooling solution.

Aside from these new innovations, the company also includes its legendary A-series fans with the AIO coolers. The 240mm comes with two NF-A12x25 G2 PWM 120mm fans, while the 360mm model boasts three of these fans, which are also found in our best PC case fans of 2026. The larger 420mm AIO trades in the 120mm fans for three NF-A14x25 G2 PWM 140mm fans. All three AIO models are equipped with the SecuFirm2+ mounting system, allowing you to use them on the latest and current-gen sockets on the market, including AM4, AM5, LGA 1700, and LGA 1851. This also means that you can easily swap a Noctua air cooler with this AIO solution if you already use a brown and beige air cooler like the Noctua NH-D15 G2.

The Noctua NL-LC1 series of AIO coolers is admittedly quite expensive, with its starting price of $219.95 on Amazon. This is especially true as there are numerous more affordable options out there, with the best AIO coolers starting at around $120. But if you’re either going for an all-Noctua PC build or want to have a silent PC at all costs, then the Noctua NL-LC1 AIO is your best bet for achieving that.

The latest liquid cooler from MSI to land on our test bench is the new MPG Coreliquid P22 360. While it packs a budget price of only $129.99, it doesn’t cut corners, featuring good thermal performance, low noise levels in common scenarios, and a fancy 2.1-inch IPS display.

Let's take a look at the specifications and features of this eye-catching AIO, then we’ll go over thermal and noise benchmarks, and decide if MSI’s MPG Coreliquid P22 360 deserves to make our list of the best CPU coolers.

Cooler specifications

Features of MSI’s MPG Coreliquid P22 360

▶️ Frame compatible with both AMD and Intel systems

Usually when you purchase an AIO, there’s at least one frame included, designed for a specific AMD or Intel socket.

MSI has simplified the install process here, with a single-frame design that’s compatible with both AMD AM4/AM5 and Intel LGA 1700/1851.

▶️ 2.1-inch 540x540 IPS display

A 2.1-inch IPS display with a resolution of 540x540 is included with this AIO, allowing users to observe performance metrics by glancing at the screen. Four preset backgrounds are included with the AIO’s software, and custom images and videos up to 500MB are supported.

To customize the AIO, you’ll need to download MSI’s EZ Display software, which is simple to use but a little rough around the edges. You can set it to use one background by enabling the “repeat” button, or you can have it alternate between the images and videos you have loaded in the software.

My biggest complaint here is that you can’t disable or remove the preset images, which means they’ll be included in the rotation of images displayed unless you’ve set the AIO to show only one image or video by selecting the “repeat” button.

▶️ RAM Clearance

As with most liquid coolers, the design of thisAIO is such that the CPU block doesn’t overhang or interfere with the DIMM slots in any manner, ensuring that all sizes of RAM, no matter how tall, are compatible.

▶️ 120mm fans

There’s more to a cooler than just the radiator and pump. The included fans have a direct impact on aesthetics, noise levels, and overall thermal performance. Conveniently, the trio of fans here arrive pre-installed, saving a few moments during installation. They also feature a daisy-chaining quick-connect system, designed to eliminate cable clutter.

▶️ Packaging

The outer packaging is a bit flashy, at least, in comparison to your normal AIO box. It features a rendering of the cooler against a background of black, blue, purple, and pink.

The inner packaging is typical of most liquid coolers, with molded foam, cardboard, and plastic coverings protecting the contents during shipping.

Included with the package are:

• Mounting hardware for AMD and Intel platforms
• Aesthetic cover for mounting hardware
• A small tube of thermal paste
• 360mm radiator and pre-installed 120mm fans
• 2.1-inch display

▶️ AM5 Installation

This section assumes you’ve already mounted the 360mm radiator. Installation of AIOs is much easier when you have already secured the radiator to your case.

To begin putting things together, you’ll first need to remove the default AM4/5 retention.

The next step is to screw in the mounting studs, followed by an application of thermal paste to the CPU. If you’re not sure how to do that, we have a handy thermal paste application guide that covers the different methods you can use.

After thermal paste is applied, take the CPU block and press it against the studs, using the included screws and a screwdriver to secure it in place.

There are two final steps. First, place the aesthetic cover on the CPU block. Then attach the USB, PWM, and ARGB connections to their corresponding motherboard headers.

Real-world testing configuration – AMD AM5 platform

We’ve tested coolers with both the Ryzen 9950X3D and its non-V-Cache sibling, the 9950X. There are some differences in how the 9950X and 9950X3D CPUs are impacted by thermal events. While the heat output of the CCDs of AMD’s 9950X3D is relatively balanced, the 9950X I used has one CCD that runs much hotter than the other, with a difference of over 10 degrees Celsius in some scenarios, shown below.

We’ve since returned to using a 9950X3D for cooler testing, as it has a more balanced heat profile, and is almost certainly a more widely adopted CPU. The benchmark results shared in these reviews may differ from others because I emphasize results that are comparable to real-world use. This means I generally test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods.

Many reviewers test on open test benches, which have a combination of lesser airflow needs and lowered ambient temperatures. This results in making weak coolers appear stronger than they really are. Some have also used generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect real-world cooler conditions.

Our latest testing setup uses the FLOVA F50 computer case from Tryx.

This case features a unique “crossflow” fan that pulls air from the side, which the company claims is more effective than traditional intake fans. For air cooling tests, we’ve added a single Noctua NF-A12 G2 intake fan.

PBO Performance and maximum noise levels

We’re going to start this review’s benchmark section by focusing on a traditional maximum performance test, with the CPU cooler’s fans allowed to reach their fastest speeds, for the best cooling possible.Turning on PBO allows AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D to stretch its legs to an extent and consume over 260W. Enabling PBO incrteases max power consumption and heat output. We use MSI’s X870E Carbon Wifi motherboard, and often the CPU will reach its TJ Max (peak temperature) of 95 degrees C (203 F) and thermally throttle to some extent with most coolers. When this throttling occurs, I’ve measured the average power consumption to determine performance.

High-end AIO liquid coolers, however, are expected to be able to keep AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D under TJ Max during the duration of the benchmark – in these cases, we compare the CPU’s actual temperature.

Today’s review is a bit unique, in that we have the results from a prototype and final version of the AIO being reviewed today – giving us some insight into how these products evolve during the design and manufacturing process.

Both the prototype and retail versions of MSI’s MPG Coreliquid P22 360 handle this test with ease, with an average temperature of 84.7C (184.5F) – one of the best results we’ve seen on this test bench.

Some coolers perform well in maximum-strength tests, but run loudly at full speeds. Noisy fans in this scenario aren’t necessarily a bad thing; some folks prefer to hear them as a way to be aware when the CPU is getting hot.

One issue I raised when I tested the prototype of this AIO was that it ran louder than it needed to. 48.9 dBA is pointlessly loud for most users. MSI took that feedback to heart, and the fans included with MSI MPG Coreliquid P22 360 reach 44.9 dBA at 100% RPM, a moderate volume level that is much quieter than the maximum noise levels of competitor liquid coolers. Those who prefer to implement speed restrictions for silent operation need not worry; our noise-normalized benchmarks show good performance even when the fans are set to run quietly.

200W thermal benchmarks

For the next thermal test, I leave the motherboard settings at their defaults, which results in a power limit of 200W when running Cinebench R23.

In this test, with a standard power limit enabled, MSI’s Coreliquid P22 performs in the middle of the results we have from other liquid coolers – 1.2 degrees C behind our best result, and 3.6 C cooler than the worst result from another AIO.

150W + GPU thermal results, noise levels

Our next test runs Cinebench on the CPU with a 150W power limit, while also running Furmark on MSI’s RTX 4070 Ti Super Ventus 3x OC. This causes the GPU to consume ~295W of power. This test is designed to emulate the thermals of games, which stress the CPU and GPU.

In this test, designed to emulate the thermal conditions of a CPU-intensive AAA game, MSI’s P22 continues to deliver outstanding performance – the result of 37.1 C over ambient (59.1 C actual temperature) is our third-best result, and an improvement of one degree compared to the prototype of this AIO.

Noise-normalized testing

Most testing is performed with the cooler tied to the default fan curve of our MSI X870E Carbon motherboard, but some of y’all prefer to see tests when the noise levels of coolers are equalized. This is especially important to those of you who prefer silent computers. This next test has the CPU cooler noise-normalized to 38.9 dBA, with PBO enabled for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU. Most coolers will not be able to keep the CPU from reaching its peak temperature (TJ Max) in this stress test. So we’ll look at this in terms of average CPU power consumption, which averaged 255.8 watts.

This test is especially difficult, because in addition to the reduced noise from the CPU cooler, our current test bench’s system fans are configured to run extremely silently, below the floor of the noise meter I use to measure dBA.

While I prefer to look at the power consumption in a scenario where the CPU reaches TJ Max (the processor’s peak temperature), I’ve also included the average CPU temperature in the chart below.

Karhu DDR5 RAM thermals testing

Your CPU cooler does not operate in isolation. It has an impact on not just your CPU’s temperatures, but also the other components in your build, like your RAM and GPU. To that end, I’ve run the Karhu RAM stress test. This places a load of ~153W on the CPU and ensures system RAM (DDR5 in my case) is fully stable. In this type of scenario, most AIOs tend to produce worse results than air coolers.

DDR5 temperatures were excellent in this test, on par with ASRock’s Steel Legend, which features an integrated VRM fan. The only result showing better performance is from Silverstone’s IceMyst Pro, with fans that directly cool system DIMMs.

Conclusion

MSI is back in the AIO game with the MPG Coreliquid P22 360. This AIO has a relatively low price tag while featuring a 2.1-inch IPS display, excellent thermal performance, and low noise levels in common scenarios. It’s a solid choice if you’re after a cooler with a round display that cools well. Just note that if you can live without a display, there are excellent options that cost quite a bit less, like Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro, which sometimes sells for less than $85.

Sama has made a splash this past year, rolling out a number of cooling-related products the company announced at Computex in mid-2025. We covered the A60E air cooler back in August; today’s review will cover Sama’s latest AIO, the L70 AIO.

At first glance, this cooler might not seem different from alternatives on the market, with its standard infinity mirror CPU block and RGB fans like many others have released, but it also sports a rock-bottom price of only $70 USD. And just wait until you see the thermal performance of this newly released AIO; it delivers performance that’s ver competitive with much pricier coolers.

Will this new cooler make our list of the best CPU coolers on the market? Let’s first take a look at its specs, along with what comes in the box. Then you can decide for yourself if it’s worth putting in your next build.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

Sama’s AIO is protected with molded cardboard, soft coverings, and a foam top to keep the cooler protected during shipment.

Included with the product are the following:

• 360mm AIO with pre-installed fans
• Freezee thermal paste
• Mounting for AMD and Intel platforms
• Installation manual
• Pre-installed tube clips

Features of SAMA’s L70 AIO

▶️ Low MSRP of only $69.99

It’s not just the thermal performance of this cooler that’s good – the price is extremely enticing at only $69.99. This is very competitive with the cheapest offerings from ID-Cooling, Thermalright, and other manufacturers.

▶️ Top performing Freezee thermal paste

Sama includes its high-performance Freezee thermal paste with the L70 AIO, and this among the best thermal paste on the market – outperforming competitors like DeepCool’s DM9 and ID-Cooling’s Frost X45 in our testing. Taking our third-place position for traditional pastes, it was only beaten by Arctic’s MX-6 and Thermal Grizzly’s Duronaut!

▶️ Full RAM compatibility, Infinity mirror CPU block

As with most liquid coolers, SAMA’s L70 360mm AIO does not interfere with or overhang DIMM slots. All sizes of RAM, no matter how tall, are compatible.

The bottom of the CPU block features a full-size copper coldplate to move heat away from the CPU.

▶️ Pre-installed 28mm fans with quick-connect system

The fans of this liquid cooler come pre-installed, saving users a few minutes of time during the installation process.

A quick-connect system for the PWM and ARGB connections is also used to minimize cable clutter.

AM5 installation

Prior to following the steps below, you’ll want to secure the radiator to your PC’s case.

1. AMD users will remove the default mounting mechanism, then place the included black metal standoffs around the CPU.

2. Take the mounting brackets and place them on top of the standoffs, using the included screws to secure the brackets. The mounting bars include convenient arrows that should point to the CPU, which makes installation a little simpler.

3. Apply the included Freezee thermal paste to your CPU. If you aren’t sure how to do this properly, please refer to our handy guide on how to apply thermal paste.

4. Press the pump block on top of the CPU, and secure the built-in screws using a screwdriver.

5. Connect the cables – there’s a PWM header for the pump and the AIO’s fans, and ARGB connections for the fans and the infinity mirror on the CPU block.

6. Power on your computer, and you’re good to go.

Real world testing configuration –AMD AM5 platform

My results may differ from others, because I emphasize results that are comparable to real-world use.

This means that I test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods. Many will test CPU coolers outside of a case, on an open test bench. But open benches have lowered ambient temperatures, which in turn makes coolers appear stronger than they really are. Some publications have used generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect the real-world conditions in which a CPU cooler is typically used.

The 9950X3D setup that we started testing coolers with last year has suffered an unfortunate death – as such, we’ve begun to test coolers on a system with AMD’s 9950X.

There are some differences in how the 9950X and 9950X3D CPUs are impacted by thermal events. While the heat output of the CCDs of AMD’s 9950X3D are relatively balanced, the 9950X we’re using has one CCD that runs much hotter than the other, with a difference of over 10 degrees Celsius in some scenarios, shown below.

Noise levels

We’ve measured noise levels at two settings to give you an idea of how the cooler operates when tied to a motherboard’s default fan curve. Our first measurement is when the fans are allowed to run at full speed, their loudest noise levels possible.

In terms of maximum volume, SAMA’s L70 is one of the louder units on the market, reaching 47.2 dBA. This comparison chart is larger than others you’ll see in this review because we’re using data collected from previous systems here.

Our next acoustic measurement is the cooler’s volume when the CPU consumes 150W. This is more similar to “worst case” gaming scenarios, especially if PBO is enabled.

SAMA’s L70 reaches 40.3 dBA in this scenario. I think most users will find this level of noise acceptable, but those who prefer the quietest systems may want to manually lower the fan speeds.

Noise-normalized testing

Most testing is performed with the cooler tied to the default fan curve of our MSI X870E Carbon motherboard, but some of y’all prefer to see tests when the noise levels of coolers are equalized. This is especially important to those of you who prefer silent computers.

We’ll start with the “easiest” of these tests, which runs Cinebench R23 with a “stock” power limit. With our motherboard, this means the CPU will consume roughly 200W. SAMA’s L70 kept the CPU at an average of 78.7 degrees C, placing it between ID-Cooling’s FX360 and Thermalright’s Wonder Vision 360.

The next test is a bit harder, with PBO enabled to allow the CPU to use as much power as it wants – that was 242.7W over the course of testing. This is in line with the previous results, placing it again between competitors from ID-Cooling and Thermalright.

For our last test, we’ve added the heat of a GPU to the mix, which contributes 295W of thermals into the PC case. Sama’s cooler handles this test better than the previous two, and doesn’t lose as much thermal capacity with the added GPU heat. As a result, it secures the second-best position of the 360mm AIO coolers we’ve tested in this setup.

PBO Performance – full fan speeds

While some builders prefer to run coolers at low noise levels, I know a lot of you just want maximum performance. This test lets the fans run at their full speeds, to test the maximum potential of the AIO’s cooling abilities. Turning on PBO allows AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X to stretch its legs and guzzle power, pushing the limits of any closed-loop CPU cooler on the market.

SAMA’s L70 does remarkably well for a budget $70 AIO, cooling 258.2W from the CPU, on par (within margin of error) with the best results we’ve seen from pricier 360mm liquid coolers.

200W thermal benchmarks and noise levels

For the next thermal test, I leave motherboard settings at their defaults, which results in a power limit of 200W when running Cinebench R23. SAMA’s L70 continues to punch above its weight here, trailing our best result from a 360mm AIO by only 0.1 degrees C, and at a fraction of its competitors’ prices!

150W thermal benchmarks and noise levels

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

SAMA’s position in this test drops a little bit, but it still performs exceptionally well at 60.6 degrees C, only 2.4 degrees behind Arctic’s larger, more powerful Liquid Freezer III Pro 420mm.

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 handling. Results, as expected, are excellent – the average temperature of the CPU measured 47.7C using Sama’s AIO.

Conclusion

Sama’s L70 challenges one of the longest-standing assumptions in the AIO market: that strong 360mm liquid coolers must come with a premium price tag. In terms of raw cooling potential, the L70 stands among the strongest offerings currently available on the market, while carrying a price tag of only $70. It’s not the quietest cooler you can buy, but if you don’t like its noise level, you can dial down the fan speeds somewhat and still get the level of cooling that most users need.

Arctic is a name well-known by many PC enthusiasts for often providing high-value, quality cooling solutions. Arctic’s MX-6 is one of the best thermal pastes on the market, and the Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 showed some of the best liquid cooling results we’ve seen when tested on AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel’s i7-14700K.

Since the release of the Liquid Freezer III Pro, many loyal readers have been requesting that we test the 420mm version of this powerful cooler. And so we’ve tested it with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X.

Not to get ahead of our testing, but this cooler will certainly be a strong contender for a spot on our Best AIO Coolers list. It offers industry-leading cooling performance at a very reasonable price. But before we get to testing, let’s look at the cooler’s specs and what’s included in the box.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro 420 arrives in a triangle-shaped box, a very unusual design decision, which certainly makes it stand out. It also certainly makes it harder to ship, but that shouldn’t be an issue for potential buyers.

Included with the product are the following:

• 420mm AIO with pre-installed fans
• MX6 thermal paste
• Mounting for AMD and Intel platforms
• All-in-one or separated PWM cords
• VRM fan

Features of Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro 420

▶️ 38mm thick radiator

This AIO’s radiator is thick. At 38mm for the radiator and 27mm for the fans, that’s a combined thickness of 65mm. This will present compatibility issues with many cases, so make sure to do some measuring before buying. You probably aren’t considering a compact case with a 420mm cooler. Even with our MSI MAG Pano 100R PZ test case, we had to mount the radiator above the top frame, as it doesn’t technically support coolers this large. More on that below in our testing section.

▶️ Anti-bending frame for Intel systems

Intel LGA 1700/1800 CPUs, especially Raptor Lake, have been known to warp or bend in certain conditions. And as a result, the CPU can become harder to cool. This issue can be avoided altogether with the use of a contact frame, which Arctic includes for users of Intel systems. It’s a nice inclusion, but it also complicates the installation process and is a requirement for mounting Artic’s current-gen AIOs on Intel-based systems.

▶️ Low price

Officially, the LF3 Pro 420 carries a MSRP of $148.99, which is a reasonable price in and of itself. However, this AIO is frequently on sale, making it an even better value. At the time of this writing, it is available for only $103 on Amazon.

▶️ MX-6 thermal paste

Arctic includes a small tube of its MX-6 thermal paste. We’ve tested it on both AMD and Intel systems, and it’s one of the best on the market! Check out our thermal paste benchmarks for more detailed information.

▶️ Improved CPU mounting

Different CPUs currently on the market can have different hotspots, which can impact the effectiveness of a cooler. This is why some coolers seem to do better – or worse – with AMD or Intel. Arctic refined its mounting for AMD AM4/AM5 and LGA 1851 systems, resulting in claimed performance increases of up to 9 degrees Celsius with a 250W power limit. We’ll, of course, see how that shakes out shortly, in our testing.

▶️ New P14 Pro Fans – and a VRM fan too!

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case.

The new P12 Pro fans include seven blades instead of the five-bladed fans included with previous Liquid Freezer CPUs, and are pre-installed for convenience. Arctic claims they perform at the same level as its MAX fans, but at a lower noise level. That’s not to say these fans run quietlym though. As you’ll see in our benchmarks below, they can get pretty loud.

A quick connect system for the PWM and ARGB connections is utilized to minimize cable clutter.

AM5 installation

The installation of this cooler is simple, but a bit of a pain for Intel users, due to the required use of a custom contact frame for the CPU. This guide will go over the installation on AMD systems. Intel users can check out our review of the smaller Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro for installation help.

1. Remove the default AM4/AM5 mounting mechanism.

2. Place the rubber standoffs around the screw holes surrounding the CPU.

3. Take the included mounting bars and place them on top of the standoffs, and then secrure them with a screwdriver and the included screws.

4. Apply the included Arctic MX-6 thermal paste to your CPU. If you aren’t sure how to do this properly, please refer to our handy guide on how to apply thermal paste.

5. Press the pump block on top of the CPU, and secure the built-in screws using a screwdriver.

6. Once complete, connect the cabling to the CPU block’s head. For the purposes of testing, I chose the option with individual PWM control for the fans, pump, and VRM fan. However, some may prefer the simplicity of the all-in-one cable. Connect the cables, place the VRM fan on top of the CPU block, and installation is complete.

Real world testing configuration –AMD AM5 platform

The 9950X3D setup that we started testing coolers with last year has suffered an unfortunate death. As such, we’ve begun to test coolers on a system with AMD’s 9950X.

There are some differences in how the 9950X and 9950X3D CPUs are impacted by thermal events: while the heat output of the CCDs of AMD’s 9950X3D are relatively balanced, the 9950X I’m using has one CCD that runs much hotter than the other, with a difference of over 10 degrees C in some scenarios, shown below.

The benchmark results shared in these reviews may differ from others because I emphasize results that are comparable to real-world use.

This means that I generally test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods. Open benches have lowered ambient temperatures, which in turn makes weak coolers appear stronger than they really are. Some have used generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods, because they don’t accurately reflect the real-world conditions where a CPU cooler is used.

That said, this review bends this rule a little: The MSI Pano 100R PZ case that we use for cooler testing doesn’t technically support 420mm radiators. So I had to place it on top of the case to make it fit. This likely affects thermals and acoustics at least somewhat, but short of re-testing all our coolers in a different case, we didn’t have a better option. We tested Be Quiet’s competing Silent Loop 3 420 in this same way for comparison, while the smaller 360mm coolers were tested in a typical fashion, with the radiator and fans inside the case. If there is heavy interest in large 420mm cooler testing, we will revisit these results in a larger case later this year.

Noise-normalized testing

Most testing is performed with the cooler tied to the default fan curve of the MSI x870E Carbon motherboard, but many of y’all prefer to see tests when the noise levels of coolers are equalized. This is especially important to those of you who prefer silent computers.

We’ll start with the “easiest” of these tests, which runs Cinebench R23 with a stock power limit. On this motherboard, that means the CPU will consume roughly 200W. The Liquid Freezer III Pro 420 achieved the best result we’ve seen yet on this system, with a temperature of only 73.6C – outperforming all of the 360mm AIOs we’ve tested here, and even beating BeQuiet’s Silent Loop 3 420 by 1.4 degrees C.

The next test is a bit harder, with PBO enabled to allow the CPU to use as much power as can be handled, and the cooler handled a whopping 262.3W, on average.

For our last test, we’ve added the heat of a GPU to the mix, which contributes 295W of heat into the PC case. The result of 249.3W is very impressive, outperforming the best 360mm result, with an increased thermal capacity of 16.5W.

Noise levels

We’ve measured noise levels at two points to give you an idea of how the cooler operates when tied to a motherboard’s default fan curve. Our first measurement is when the fans are allowed to run at full speed, their loudest noise levels possible.

In terms of maximum volume, the Liquid Freezer III Pro 420 is quite noisy, at 52.7 dBA. This is the second loudest cooler we’ve tested in the past few years.

Our next acoustic measurement is the cooler’s volume when the CPU consumes 150W. This might be similar to your “worst case” gaming scenarios, especially if PBO is enabled. At 42.4 dBA, it isn’t too loud – but it ain’t quiet by PC standards, either!

PBO Performance – full fan speeds

While some enthusiasts prefer to run coolers at low noise levels, I know a lot of you just want maximum performance. This benchmark lets the fans run at their full speeds to test the full potential of the AIO's cooling potential. 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.

Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro 420 stayed true to its name, cooling over 268W here.

200W thermal benchmarks and noise levels

For the next thermal test, I leave the motherboard settings at their defaults, which results in a power limit of 200W when running Cinebench R23. The performance gap between 420mm and 360mm AIOs shrinks at this power level. While the Liquid Freezer III Pro 420’s result of 73.6 degrees C is the best we have seen thus far, it is only 0.9 degrees lower than the best 360mm AIO we’ve tested.

150W thermal benchmarks and noise levels

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

The story for our 150W results is about the same as our 200W results. The LF3 Pro 420 takes the lead with a relatively cool temperature of only 58.2 degrees C, maintaining a 0.9 degree lead over the best 360mm result we have in this chart.

100W thermal results

Our next test is the “easiest” benchmark featured here, with a workload consuming only 100W. This is a simple test, one that even most mainstream coolers should have no issue dealing with. Results, as expected, are excellent once again, with the average temperature of the CPU measuring 44.6 degrees C, an improvement of 3 degrees CC compared to the best 360mm AIOs we’ve tested.

Conclusion

The 360mm version of Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro is among the best AIOs on the market, and the newer 420mm variant only pushes the bar for cooling performance further, delivering the best temperatures we’ve seen from any AIO when paired with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X CPU. If you have the need for this level of cooling and your case has the space for it, the Artic Liquid Freezer III 420 is an excellent cooler and an excellent value – especially if you can find it on sale significantly below its $149 MSRP.

Tom's Hardware's boots on the ground at CES have yielded an impressive amount of information, and the latest batch comes from the stand of German silence engineers Be Quiet. The company has finally pulled back the curtain on multiple new products and revisions of existing gear. The stars of the show are the Light Loop AIO and Dark Perk mice, arriving with the Dark Rock 6 / Pro 6 coolers, and PowerZone 2 and PurePower 13 M 1,200 W power supplies as entourage.

The Light Loop AIO is currently the apple of Be Quiet's eye. This stylish closed-loop cooler comes fitted with a round LCD display coupled with an RGB LED light ring esconced in the ridges around the pump assembly. That gives it a fairly unique look, further customizable by Bequiet's IO Center software that's getting a new revision around April and is now all web-based.

The display is a 2.1" unit that's capable of 500 nits of brightness, and the spinners on the radiator are 120-mm Light Wings LX PWM units. Be Quiet claims the jet plate and cold plate are bespoke designs, too. The Light Loop will be available on the 14th of April, in black or white colorways. The price is 205 € for the 240 mm and 235 € for the 360 mm variant. Taking away VAT and doing currency conversion, that should be roughly $201 and $231, respectively.

The Dark Perk mouse has been quite a while in the making. It was originally announced at CES 2025 and has finally arrived. Be Quiet says it spent this while tuning the mouse, particularly the battery life for the wireless version. There are two ergonomic takes on the Dark Perk: the standard right-handed Ergo, and the ambidextrous Sym.

Inside, the rodent contains a PixArt PAW3950 sensor capable of reading 32,000 DPI and polling information at a rate of 8 KHz. The switches underneath the main buttons are Omron optical units, and the corded version has an angled cable to avoid snagging. The base weight is a mere 55 g (1.94 oz). Bequiet says the wireless version should be good for 110 hours of gaming. Expect these on February 3rd.

Next up, we have the Dark Rock 6 and Pro 6 coolers. The standard model has six heatpipes and one 135-mm Silent Wings fan, while the Pro 6 variant has two Silent Wings spinners and seven heatpipes. You'll be able to get these on the 19th of May.

Additionally, Be Quiet showed off a prototype of a Dark Rock cooler with a customizable LCD display, the Dark Rock Pro 6 IO LCD. The screen measures 4.5" across and will have the same wide-ranging customization options available as the Light Loop IO. There's no set release date, but the German makers expect to deliver this upmarket variation in the second half of 2026.

Last but by no means least, there are now 1,200 W versions of both the Power Zone 2 and Pure Power 13 M PSUs. The Power Zone 2 is primed for efficiency, carrying both an 80 Plus Platinum badge and a highly demanding Cybenetics Platinum certification. The fan inside is a custom 140 mm Pure Wings 3 model. This power supply is ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 compliant and comes with a 90° angled 12V-2x6 connector. This model will arrive on the 27th of January-

As for the Pure Power 13 M, it has an 80 Plus Gold efficiency logo (up to 93.5%), and is likewise compatible with ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1. Both models use LLC topology, and their voltage regulation should be able to take spikes up to twice their rated power, making these a safe bet for RTX 5090 graphics cards that tend to draw power in quick, high-amplitude bursts. Be Quiet says this version will be in stores on the 10th of February.

Oh, and do check out the gallery below for the full-sized versions. There's a Pretzel PC in there, and yes, it was tasty.

Like its competitor Thermalright, ID-Cooling has made a name for itself with budget-priced cooling products that generally perform well while costing less than the competition. The company’s dual-tower A720 is one of the best-performing air coolers on the market. We’ve also tested the FX360 Pro, which has a rock-bottom price of only $60 USD.

With today’s review, we’re looking at the company’s latest release, the FX 360 Pro. This new cooler features ID-Cooling’s latest Gen-7 Pro liquid pump and an unusually small 1.48-inch display on the CPU block.

Will this new cooler make our list of the best CPU coolers on the market? Let’s go through the features and benchmarks of this cooler, and you can decide for yourself if it is worth buying. First, let’s look at the specs.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

The AIO is protected with molded foam and coverings, a bit fancier than the typical packaging for a liquid cooler.

Included with the product are the following:

• 360mm AIO with pre-installed fans
• Frost X45 thermal paste
• Mounting for AMD and Intel platforms
• Installation manual
• Tube clips
• Stud tool

Features of ID-Cooling’s FX360 LCD

● Low noise levels

Thermal performance isn’t the only thing that matters in a cooler – noise levels matter too, unless you don’t mind your PC sounding like a jet engine. Fortunately, the FX360 LCD provides quiet, virtually silent operation in most common scenarios, only reaching 37.3 dBA in our 150W stress tests.

● Frost X45 thermal paste pre-applied, and an extra tube!

ID-Cooling includes its premium Frost X45 thermal paste, which – as our thermal paste benchmarks show – is one of the best available on the market. The AIO arrives with it pre-applied to the copper coldplate, and an additional tube is included in the accessories box for future applications.

● Full RAM compatibility

As with most AIOs on the market, ID-Cooling’s FX360 LCD does not interfere with or overhang DIMM slots. All sizes of RAM, no matter how tall, are compatible with this liquid cooler.

● Pre-installed AS-120 V2 ARGB fans with quick-connect system

The fans of this liquid cooler are pre-installed, saving users a few minutes during the installation process.

A quick-connect system for the PWM and ARGB connections is utilized to minimize cable clutter.

● 1.48-inch display

The display is the last feature I’m mentioning, because it isn’t very interesting. In terms of size, it’s the smallest display I’ve ever seen incorporated onto a liquid cooler – only 1.48 inches. That’s more petite than the screen of an Apple watch! The resolution is also very low, merely 240x240 pixels – so low that even on a 1.48-inch screen, the pixels are easy to distinguish.

Forget about something fancy like HDR! Color support is limited to only 18-bit color depth and 262K colors. That’s something I’d expect from displays from decades ago, not anything made in 2025. Lighting is officially rated at 300 nits, but it feels less bright – which might be a side effect of having a much brighter ARGB lighting ring around the display.

While I wasn’t impressed with the AIOs screen, the software to control the screen was easy enough to use. The “home” section of the software shows an overview of essential system stats, including CPU usage, temperatures, and more.

There are nine visual presets you can choose from – or you can create your own theme using pictures, gifs, or video files. There’s also a variety of widgets you can use in custom themes for time, weather, date, or sysmon stats.

My one complaint about this software is that it activates a User Account Control (UAC) prompt upon starting, requiring manual approval.

AM5 installation

Prior to following the steps below, you’ll want to secure the radiator to your PC’s case.

1. AMD users will remove the default mounting mechanism and then place the included black and silver standoffs around the CPU.

2. Take the mounting brackets and place them on top of the standoffs, using the included screws to secure the brackets.

3. Press the CPU block with its integrated screen against the mounting bars, and use a screwdriver to secure it.

4. Connect the cables – there’s a PWM header for the liquid pump and the AIO’s fans, ARGB connections for the fans and CPU block, and a USB header connection for the 1.48-inch display.

5. Download the FX LCD Series software from ID-Cooling, and don’t forget to remove the protective peel cover from the CPU block.

Real-world testing configuration with AMD’s AM5 platform:

My results may differ from others because I emphasize having results that are comparable to real-world use.

This means that I test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods. Many will test CPU coolers outside of a case, on an open test bench. Open benches have lowered ambient temperatures, which in turn makes weak coolers appear stronger than they really are. Some publications have used generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect the real-world conditions a CPU cooler is used in.

Today’s test bench has more limited results than normal, as our 9950X3D system has suffered an unfortunate death – as such, we’ve begun to test coolers on a system with AMD’s 9950X.

There are some differences in how the 9950X and 9950X3D CPUs are impacted by thermal events. While the heat output of the CCDs of AMD’s 9950X3D are relatively balanced, the 9950X I’m using has one CCD that runs much hotter than the other – with a difference of over 10 degrees C in some scenarios, shown below.

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.

PC hardware manufacturer ASRock has just announced its slate for CES 2026, and it includes all-in-one (AIO) liquid coolers for the first time, marking another entrant into a crowded (and competitive) market. ASRock is known for having some of the best motherboards on the market, alongside producing mini PCs. The company is also a notable AIB partner for both AMD and Intel GPUs.

The company has dabbled in cooling products once before, when it partnered with Cooler Master in 2019 to create a Phantom Gaming-themed AIO, but it wasn't a mainstream release. Now, it's set to debut liquid coolers across the Taichi, Phantom Gaming, Steel Legend, Challenger, Pro, and workstation (WS) lineups at CES 2026.

ASRock says these coolers feature an "industry-leading pump architecture" paired with "expertly engineered flow-path design" that results in maximum performance and efficiency. High-end models will feature large screens capable of displaying telemetry and custom backgrounds (hopefully, there's no AI involved).

No other details were shared yet, but we can make out at least four of the six models with an LCD, which is an ongoing trend in the segment. We also see one model with just a faceplate featuring the company's logo on it, and another sporting a pumpless look. It's unclear whether these are just licensed Asetek designs, or custom-built in-house.

ASRock will take the show floor from 9 AM to 6 PM at the Las Vegas Hotel, between January 6th and January 9th. So, we should learn more about these products very soon.

A few months ago, we covered Thermaltake's "AI Forge" feature for the first time, detailing how it can generate custom backgrounds for you based on AI prompts. At the time, we even highlighted how it must connect to the internet to use some diffusion model instead of running anything locally. Today, Thermaltake has finally given the feature a purpose with its new MAGCurve 360 Ultra ARGB Sync AIO, and it turns out that you do need a paid subscription to either OpenAI or JiMeng to create the images.

The cooler itself looks maximalist in the best ways possible. It's another entry in the line of L-shaped AIOs with curved OLED screens, a trend that the Tryx Panorama kicked off last year. Thermaltake's iteration uses a 6.67" AMOLED panel that wraps around the pump block, and features a resolution of 2240 x 1080, which puts it in the territory of a phone display. It's very sharp, but we don't have info on max brightness or refresh rate.

You need to use Thermaltake's TT RGB PLUS 3.0 software to customize this display, and there you'll find the option for AI Forge. Clicking on it will open up a new window where you can type out a prompt and an image will be generated using one of two available models: OpenAI's Dall-E 3 and JiMeng — both of which require their own setup.

There's an entire FAQs page that tells you how AI Forge works, where you'll also find the manual. For Dall-E, you need to have a paid OpenAI subscription, which you'll need to connect to the TT Plus software with an API key. Each image created with a prompt will cost roughly $0.04 based on OpenAI's pricing structure.

Thermaltake is kind enough to mention that if this is your first time using an OpenAI account (separate from a ChatGPT account), a minimum top-up of $5 is required using your credit card. That $5 can generate up to 125 images. On the other hand, JiMeng is free for the first 200 images, but costs $0.03 per image credit afterward. Either way, you're likely paying up if you want to use AI Forge in the long-term.

On the contrary, you can just use Gemini, ChatGPT, or even Grok to generate images for free, taking the downloaded JPEG and puting it in the TT Plus software manually. The built-in image generation gives you a static image anyway. Funnily enough, the software does include six built-in dynamic backgrounds that don't look far from AI slop to begin with.

Listings for MAGCurve 360 Ultra AIOs have popped up online but there's no official MSRP despite the fact that this cooler was originally unveiled at CES last year. It's available in both black and white. Since it's a brand-new option in the market, there are no reviews for it yet, but the last Thermaltake AIO we looked at ended up placing second in our best AIOs roundup.

There are plenty of all-in-one liquid coolers with built-in displays these days, where panels can be used to show system temperatures, animations, videos, or even act as tiny secondary monitors. However, Thermaltake’s new Minecube 360 Ultra ARGB Sync takes things a step further with its patented Quad-LCD Cube Display. After debuting the cooler at Computex 2025, the company has finally started selling it, and you can now pick one up from Newegg starting at $349.99 in black or white (Snow) color variants.

• Thermaltake's Minecube 360 Ultra ARGB Sync AIO liquid cooler at Newegg

Essentially, the CPU block has a removable top in the shape of a cube with four displays placed at the front, sides, and top, for a wraparound visual effect. Each square display measures 3.95 inches diagonally and uses a TFT LCD panel with a resolution of 720 x 720 pixels. With support for a wide range of formats, including JPG, GIF, MP4, and AVI, Thermaltake’s dedicated software lets you configure each panel individually to showcase various items all at once, or combine all LCDs together to create a dynamic block of digital art. The software additionally comes with some presets and the option to upload your own images or animations.

As for the cooling capabilities, it features a standard 360mm radiator with a thickness of 27mm and three 120mm Swafan EX ARGB Sync fans. Thermaltake says these fans can spin up to 2000 rpm and offer daisy-chain capability, which uses contact pads and magnets to reduce a chunk of cable clutter. They also feature a swappable fan blade design, allowing one to change the direction of airflow without having to unscrew and remove the entire fan. This also makes the fans easier to service as the blades can be rinsed with water and refreshed by applying the included bearing lubricant. The pump block has a copper-finish coldplate and a built-in 3500-rpm VRM fan that can potentially help in cooling various components on the motherboard, mostly around the CPU socket.

The quad-LCD setup does create a one-of-a-kind visual element for your PC, but the prominent bezels around each display mean it isn’t as seamless as it sounds. Then there’s the cost. At $350, the Minecube 360 is priced higher than most liquid coolers with a standard round or square LCD screen, and substantially higher if all you want is a reliable CPU cooler. Still, if you want your PC to stand out and don’t mind paying a premium, this cooler does make a statement.

Battlefield 6 has had an explosive launch, marking a return to critical acclaim and record-breaking player counts. Everyone wants to get in on the military shooter action, and it seems even your job can’t stand in the way of that mission. German reviewer AllAroundPC just showed us the best way to make use of the little downtime between tasks — by playing Battlefield 6 on the tiny circular screen of a CPU liquid cooler (video embedded below). That’s right, the apparatus designed to keep your processor’s thermals in check can now double as a quickly deployable secondary display.

Many high-end AIOs these days come with built-in screens that have secondary display functionality baked in — such is the case with MSI’s CoreLiquid P13 (Tom's Hardware review link), which is what “Tim” used in the demonstration. The P13 features a 2.1-inch IPS display with a resolution of 480 x 480. It’s got a circular aspect ratio, so you do lose some screen real estate, but nothing bothersome enough to stop some creative XP farming. “I mean, maybe not the best setup, but a little XP farming? Why not, you could do that,” claims Tim while laser-focused on the AIO.

Adding to the absurdity is our resident gamer Tim’s actual job — he’s supposed to be reviewing monitors. He was meant to be testing a new OLED, which you can even see on his desk in the video, but when he’s caught red-handed gunning down enemies in Battlefield, he responds cleverly: “Yeah, I am doing monitor tests here.” He’s not wrong; it may not be OLED, and it certainly wouldn’t be the first choice for competitive gaming, but as they say — it’s never about the car, it’s about the driver. Or in this case, I guess, how it’s being driven.

The PC community is no stranger to unconventional gaming, with Doom long serving as the modern-day, unofficial benchmark for knighting worthy tech. Someone got it running on a literal wall charger. We also recently saw a whole gaming computer be built inside a Porsche wheel, and an entire setup made from Lego-compatible bricks. It's always great to see the hobby birth such creative concepts that, while not exactly practical, are always novel to look at and push the DIY nature of this rabbit hole forward.

At Computex earlier this year, Noctua showed off its first-ever AIO (all-in-one) liquid cooler intended for the mainstream market. Originally, the show floor specs stated the cooler would launch in the first quarter of 2026, but an updated roadmap on Noctua's website now tells us that release is planned for Q2 2026.

The yet-to-be-named liquid cooler from Noctua is based on Asetek's flagship G8 V2 pump instead of an in-house solution. In lieu of that, the company has decided to focus on maximizing the performance possible from Asetek's design by developing its own 3-layer sound dampening system. According to Noctua, there's a "tuned-mass damper effect" to keep the whole operation quiet.

Moreover, Noctua is using its SecuFirm+ mounting system for the cooler so it's compatible with exisitng brackets while promising future socket support. If you already own one of their air coolers, it will make the installation that much easier. The AIO will be offered in three sizes: 240 mm, 360 mm, and 420 mm, covering all bases and ensuring everyone can throw a bit of beige in their systems.

Speaking of which, to match the cooler will be NF-A14x25 G2 (140mm) or NF-A12x25 G2 (120mm) fans that offer class-leading performance while keeping the decibels low. There's also an option for an extra 80 mm auxilary fan that can cool surrounding components like motherboard VRMs, M.2 SSDs, and RAM sticks.

AMD’s incredibly powerful new Threadripper Pro 9995WX doesn’t come bundled with a cooler. However, Geekerwan might have the perfect answer for this processing Goliath that can casually consume over 1,000W. The Chinese TechTuber decided to remove the radiator and pump from his BMW M4 high-performance coupé, to see how it could tame the heat from Shimada Peak.

AMD’s $11,699 Threadripper Pro 9995WX is designed to deliver breakthroughs, as the “World’s Fastest Workstation Processor,” according to AMD. Checking through the full Threadripper 9000 specs table we published last week, the 9995WX is right at the top, as the newest flagship, featuring the Zen 5 architecture, a 384MB cache, and boasting 96 cores and 192 threads, running at up to 5.4GHz - given the opportunity (power and cooling) to do so.

While it has a quoted TDP of 350W, if you want to squeeze every ounce of performance out of the 9995WX, you will turn to PBO and overclocking techniques. With these performance-enhancing technologies turned up to 11, the king of the Shimada Peak processors can quickly demand 1,000W of power, or much more. That’s a lot of heat to dissipate.

BMW (and Toyota) to the rescue?

Geekerwan asserts that the BMW M4 has “the best cooling performance in the world” for a civilian vehicle (machine translated). Holding aloft the radiator, ripped from his precious M4, he highlights that the hefty rad in his hands is about 600 x 350mm, or about the size of five 360mm radiators stuck together.

Geekerwan’s BMW radiator shenanigans begin around 7 minutes. Closed captions translated to English are available.

Of course, a suitable pump is also required to make the most of the BMW radiator, and naturally, the M4’s pump was also commandeered for this Threadripper 9000 cooling task. The M4's automotive cooling pump can push 1,200 liters per hour (0.33 liters per second!).

There’s one more essential to building an automotive AIO for a CPU, and that is the fans. Geekerwan didn’t opt for the typical Arctic, Noctua, or Cooler Master spinners, though. Here’s where Toyota came in, with a Highlander 4x4’s fans borrowed for pushing air through the M4 radiator. Two of these 30cm fans were used and required 100W alone to do their duty.

Still can’t beat a flask of LN2

German computer hardware brand be quiet!, known for its high-performance silent products, is showing off several new items at Computex 2025. The Tom’s Hardware team visited the company booth in Taiwan, and these are some of the products that grabbed our interest as we roamed around the exhibition center. There’s the Pure Loop 3 family of AIOs, new bases for the Light Base 900 series PC cases, and the Dark Mount modular mechanical keyboard.

The simplest addition to be quiet!’s line-up is the new wooden bases for the Light Base 900 series of PC cases. The standard Light Base 900 PC cases come in either black or white, but the competition has been releasing PC cases with wooden accents. One example of this is the Fractal Design North, which received our Best-Looking PC Case award from our list of the best PC cases. So, be quiet! decided to jump on the bandwagon and create these wooden bases for its premium PC cases.

The good thing about this is that you can just swap out your existing metal base with either the dark walnut or white oak wooden base. This will save you money, as you don’t have to buy a completely new case just to change the feel of your desktop PC. Aside from that, you don’t have to transfer all your components when adding this base, making swapping simple and easy.

We also saw be quiet!’s latest upgrade to its AIO lineup with the Pure Loop 3. These all-in-one liquid coolers come in two variants — the base Pure Loop 3, which comes in 240 mm, 280 mm, 360 mm, and 420 mm size options and do not have RGB lights, and the Pure Loop 3 LX, available in 240 mm and 360 mm versions, both of which have ARGB lighting. These AIO coolers are the latest iteration of the company’s Pure Loop 2 AIO coolers, which we’ve previously reviewed as a “strong tier one cooler featuring an upgraded in-house pump design”.

Aside from those items, we also saw the company’s Dark Mount modular mechanical keyboard, which features a hot-swappable Numpad and Media Dock, making it perfect for multiple use cases.

For example, you can place the Numpad on the right side of the keyboard while you’re using your PC for work and productivity. But when you launch your favorite RPG, you can then move it to the right so have access to the customizable shortcut keys while giving you more space to move your mouse across your desk.

Arctic is a name well-known and beloved by many PC enthusiasts for providing high-value, quality cooling solutions. I caused a bit of a controversy with my last review, where I didn’t mince words, stating “the Liquid Freezer III is unimpressive.”

Well, it appears that Arctic took my feedback to heart. We’re looking at the Liquid Freezer III Pro today, and let me tell you guys, they take the pro moniker very seriously. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear they designed this cooler just for me. Its performance blew away my expectations – I honestly couldn’t believe my own results until I tested it with both Intel’s Core i7-14700K and AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPUs.

Will Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro make our list of best coolers on the market? There’s no doubt about it. Let’s take a look at the specifications and features of the cooler, then we’ll go over thermal performance with both Intel and AMD CPUs, as well as noise levels. Since this is our first review including AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D, I’ll try to spend a little more time explaining how I test coolers and why I chose the methods shown in today’s review.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

The packaging for the cooler is typical for Arctic, advertising the cooler on the outside. Opening the box reveals the contents, carefully protected and packaged with foam, plastic, and cardboard.

Included in the box are the following:

• 120mm P12 Pro fans
• 38mm 360mm radiator
• Thermal paste
• Mounting accessories for modern AMD and Intel platforms
• Installation manual

Features of Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro

▶️ 38mm thick radiator

This AIO’s radiator is thick. At 38mm radiator and 25mm fans, that’s a combined thickness of 63mm – this will present compatibility issues with some cases. So make sure to do some measuring before buying if you’re installing in an existing build.

▶️ Offset mounting for Intel and AMD CPUs

Different CPUs on the market can have different hotspots, which can impact the effectiveness of a cooler. This is why some coolers seem to do better – or worse – with AMD or Intel. Arctic refined its mounting for AMD AM4/AM5 and LGA 1851 systems, resulting in claimed performance increases of up to 9 degrees C with a 250W power limit.

▶️ Pump noise

This AIO’s pump can run a little louder than some users may prefer at full speed. It doesn’t interfere with my noise-normalized testing at 38.9 dBA, but as part of testing this cooler I’ve been investigating different ways to do noise-normalized testing at lower noise levels. To test this cooler normalized at 37.3 dBA required limiting the speed of the liquid pump. That said, if you set up this cooler using the all-in-one cable, the pump will not run at full speed except in the most intensive scenarios, resulting in a quietly running pump that never overpowers the noise of fans.

▶️ New P12 Pro Fans – and a VRM fan too!

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case.

The new P12 Pro fans include 7 blades instead of the 5-bladed fans included with previous Liquid Freezer CPUs, and are pre-installed for convenience. Arctic claims they perform at the same level as their MAX fans, but at a lower noise level. That’s not to say these fans run quietly though. As you’ll see in our benchmarks below, they can get pretty loud!

Real world testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 and AMD AM5 platform

My results may differ from others because I place an emphasis on having results that are comparable to real world use.

This means that I test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods - many will test CPU coolers outside of a case, on an open test bench. Open benches have lowered ambient temperatures, which in turn makes weak coolers appear stronger than they really are. Some publications have used generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions.

I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect the real world conditions a CPU cooler is used in.

My previous reviews have also tested Intel’s latest platform, using the Core Ultra 9 285K Arrow Lake CPU. We’re going to be retiring this from our testing suite. Between BIOS updates and Windows updates, Arrow Lake’s thermal characteristics have changed in some scenarios – rendering much of our previous testing data useless.

With today’s review, we’re adding AMD’s recently released Ryzen 9 9950X3D! This is one beast of a CPU, providing the best gaming and multithreaded performance on the market – and can prove quite challenging thermally when PBO is enabled for overclocking.

AM4/AM5 and LGA 1700/1851 installation

The installation of this cooler is simple, but a bit of a pain for Intel users due to the required use of a custom contact frame for the CPU.

1. You’ll first need to remove the standard CPU socket if you’re using an Intel CPU. AMD users will remove the default mounting mechanism.

2. Next you’ll set the rubber standoffs on AMD systems, or carefully install the custom mounting frame for Intel systems.

You may notice the additional standoffs present in the Intel system’s photo below. This is because I used another cooler’s mounting to secure the CPU socket while I installed the custom frame.

3. Next, AMD users should take the mounting bars and place them on top of the rubber standoffs, securing them with the included screws. Intel users can skip to the next step.

4. Apply the included thermal paste to your CPU. If you have any questions on how to do this properly, please refer to our handy guide on how to apply thermal paste.

5. Mount the CPU block and secure it with a screwdriver.

6. Once complete, connect the cabling to the CPU block’s head. For the purposes of testing, I chose the option with individual PWM control for the fans, pump, and VRM fan. However, some users may prefer the simplicity of the all-in-one cable. Connect the cables and place the VRM fan on top of the CPU block, and installation is complete!

CPU-only thermal results with PBO enabled: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Without power limits enforced, the hottest CPUs on the market will hit their peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers, and even most liquid coolers on the market, in intensive stress testing. For the best liquid coolers on the market, the results of this test will be shown using the CPU’s temperature. However, when the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve measured the CPU package power to determine the maximum wattage cooled to best compare their performance. It’s important to note that thermal performance can scale differently depending on the CPU it’s being tested with.

We’ll start by looking at the performance of this cooler with AMD’s newly released Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU, with the disclaimer that I’ve only had a limited amount of time to test coolers with this system and Arctic’s previous coolers have performed better on AMD systems.

Honestly, the results shown above blew my mind. When even Hyte’s massive THICC Q60 throttled after enabling PBO – I doubted that any AIO could fully tame AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D - but Arctic proved that assumption wrong, easily taming AMD’s flagship CPU!

CPU-only thermal results with power limits removed: Intel’s i7-14700K

My last reviews of Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III did not show impressive performance with Intel’s i7-13700K or i7-14700K – at least when pure CPU performance was being considered.

Arctic’s engineering team appears to have taken my feedback to heart, as they delivered the most incredible performance improvements that I have ever seen in an AIO – thrashing their competition, outperforming the closest competitor by a whopping 13 degrees C! I was convinced I had made a mistake or some kind of error, until I retested Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro again the next day, finding the same incredible results!

But of course, a cooler’s maximum performance can’t be considered in and of itself. You should also consider the noise levels of a cooler. And to be honest, this is Arctic’s noisiest product yet, reaching a whopping 52.6 dBA! If you are sensitive to noise, you’ll want to limit this AIO’s fan speeds.

CPU-only thermal results with noise normalized to 38.9 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 quieter system.

With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.9 dBA using the i7-14700K system. This level of noise is a low volume level, but slightly audible to most people. The LF3 Pro reigns supreme here, tying for the best results I’ve seen from any AIO yet.

I’ve also begun to test noise-normalized results with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D, but I’m going to wait until I’ve recorded more data to present this information. One important observation from this testing: the pump will interfere with lower levels of noise-normalized testing if it is run at 100% RPM. If you want a silently running cooler running less than 38.2 dBA, you’ll need to run the pump at less than maximum speeds.

200W Power Limit

My older reviews have focused more on tests with both the CPU and GPU being stressed, but many of y’all have indicated that you would like to see more CPU-only tests. So we’re going to look at thermal and noise performance for AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D at stock CPU settings – which limits power consumption to 200W.

There’s only a limited selection of coolers here, because I’ve only just started testing AMD’s new flagship CPU. However, it is no surprise Arctic dominates this chart based on our earlier results. It does get a bit noisy by default, so again I’d advise limiting maximum fan speeds.

150W CPU + 290W GPU results

Testing a CPU Cooler in isolation is great for synthetic benchmarks, but doesn’t tell the whole story of how it will perform. If your GPU is running a full load, that heat doesn’t just disappear – it makes it harder for your CPU cooler to do its job due to the increased heat within your computer case.

The CPU power limit of 150W was chosen based on the worst CPU power consumption I’ve seen reported in gaming with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D. My personal experience has shown most games to use much lower amounts of power, but this might be biased by the games I play.

The lead over competing liquid coolers lowers in this scenario, but Arctic commands a significant improvement over air coolers – nearly 15C! Noise levels are tolerable here, reaching 43.8 dBA. This isn’t quiet, but it’s not too bad either.

140W CPU results

The last round of test results we’ll look at in today’s review is a test with a 140W power limit imposed. This level of power is dramatically easier to cool for most CPU coolers – and as a result, this is the easiest test we’ll run with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU for liquid coolers – but I’ve recorded lower power results for comparisons with SFF and air coolers for future reviews.

In line with the rest of our test results, Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro delivers outstanding performance – even outperforming Hyte’s infamous THICC Q60 by over 6C!

Conclusion

Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro delivers outstanding performance, taking the thermal crown when tested with both AMD and Intel’s most difficult to cool CPUs. At only $125 USD, it offers a relatively budget price – and can often be found for even less (it was selling for just $89 on Amazon when this was edited). The LF3 Pro is an improvement in every way compared to its predecessor, earning our rarest rating – 5 stars! My biggest complaint is that the fans can run a little loud; most users will want to limit the maximum speeds of the fans. Other than that, the LF III Pro is basically AIO perfection.

Keeping your gaming PC running smoothly depends greatly on keeping your components cool. Your graphics card, RAM, SSD, motherboard chipsets, and VRMs all produce much heat. Your choice of case, fan, and cooler combinations can help not only increase the lifespan of your tech but also increase the overall performance of your rig, especially if you've opted for high-end parts or like to overclock. Today's deal is on an all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooler with a large 360mm radiator to help dissipate your CPU-generated heat.

Available at its lowest-ever price on Amazon (according to Amazon's price-checking tool - the Camelizer), Arctic's Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 All-In-One CPU Cooler is just $89, reduced in price by 28% from its original $124 list price. That's a lot of cooler for the money, but you do have to make sure your case is big enough to install this large a radiator.

The Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 uses 3 x 120 mm P12 Pro PWM fans mounted on a 360mm radiator. The radiator has an attached PWM pump and integrated VRM fan on the CPU block and can cool sockets for AMD AM5/AM4 and Intel LGA1851/1700. For the Intel sockets, a contact frame is also included.

The included contact frame for Intel LGA1851/LGA1700 sockets is designed to help you increase the contact pressure between the CPU blocks cold plate and the CPU for better heat dissipation. This should hopefully stop the CPU from thermal-throttling and increase the performance and lifespan of your CPU. Another neat touch is that Arctic likes to thread the PWM cables down the radiator pipe sleeves to give a cleaner look to your build with better cable management.

Don't forget to look at our Amazon coupon codes for April 2025 and see if you can save on today's deal or other products at Amazon.

Today we’re looking at Corsair’s latest AIO, the iCUE Link Titan 360 RX RGB. Most users interested in this AIO will be interested in it due to its compatibility with the iCUE ecosystem, which allows for a ton of customization options – including cooler upgrades like optional VRM fan modules or even adding a fancy LCD screen. In common scenarios, this cooler has some of the lowest noise levels I’ve seen thus far – but it isn’t without flaws, as I’ll detail below

Will this AIO make our list of Best CPU Coolers? Let’s take a look at the specifications and features of the Titan RX RGB AIO, then we’ll go over thermal performance and noise levels.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

The packaging for Corsair’s AIO is relatively standard, not much different from the average AIO. The product is secured with plastic wrappings and molded cardboard, and the fans are preinstalled for user convenience.

Included with the box are the following:

• Three pre-installed 120mm fans
• 360mm radiator and CPU block
• Pre-installed Thermal Paste
• iCUE Link Hub
• Mounting accessories for modern AMD & Intel platforms

Features of Corsair’s iCUE Link Titan 360 RX RGB

*️⃣Pre-installed Thermal Paste

Corsair only includes pre-installed thermal paste, sufficient for a single installation. This will be useful for most users, but the downside is that you’ll need to purchase additional thermal paste if you ever want to move the cooler to a new system or swap in a new CPU.

*️⃣27mm Radiator

The iCUE Link Titan 360 RX RGB includes a radiator 27mm in size, which is standard for most liquid coolers.

*️⃣Upgrade Options

One thing that sets the iCUE Link Titan 360 RX RGB apart is the ability to upgrade the AIO with different options that mount on top of the cold plate. These optional upgrades are cheapest if you purchase the AIO directly from Corsair and customize the features during the checkout process.

The module I find most interesting is the VRM fan upgrade, which costs an additional $30 if you purchase it after already owning the AIO – but only $15 if you purchase it with the AIO.

Another upgrade option is a 2.1-inch, 480x480 IPS display which allows you to view real-time CPU temperatures, animated GIFs, movie files, and more. However, I find it hard to recommend as an aftermarket purchase due to its high price of $100 USD.

The last upgrade option available is a simpler “Groove” module, which changes the RGB aesthetic for only $15.

*️⃣iCUE Ecosystem

The Titan RX 360 RX RGB is controlled by an iCUE hub, pictured below. This allows you to take advantage of the iCUE ecosystem.

There’s a lot of options and customization available with Corsair’s iCUE Link system, which is designed to simplify PC building and cable routing, while adding some interesting lighting effects.

One disadvantage of the iCUE Link hub is that it has higher power requirements than a simple USB connection can provide – you’ll need an extra 6-pin PCI-e GPU power connection to power it on.

*️⃣Corsair RX Series 120mm fans

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. The fans included here aren’t PWM and require using an iCUE Hub to control. However, as the benchmarks will show, they enable strong cooling performance, both at full speed and when restricted to low noise levels!

These fans are pre-installed and feature a quick-connect system, designed to save the user time and offer tidy cable management.

*️⃣Full RAM Compatibility

Like almost every other AIO on the market, Corsair’s AIO doesn’t interfere with or overhang RAM DIMMs in any manner, allowing for use of all sizes of RAM, no matter how tall.

*️⃣Six-year warranty

Most AIOs on the market have a limited warranty of only 1-3 years. Corsair goes the extra mile with a six-year warranty for the Titan 360 RX RGB. This generous warranty almost negates the high price of this AIO – almost.

Things I didn’t like about this AIO

There are two primary things I didn’t like about this AIO, and one minor complaint that is subjective.

❌ First, the iCUe software didn’t always save my custom cooling settings. On multiple occasions when I rebooted my computer, I’d have to manually configure them. Sometimes, my presets wouldn’t save at all. Enabling the “device memory mode” in the iCUE software prevents this problem from occurring entirely, but users shouldn’t have to take this extra step.

❌ The second thing I don’t like about this AIO is that it has higher power consumption compared to competitors. You need an extra 6-pin PCIe GPU power connection to power the hub and cooler. Even if you don’t care about some extra power consumption, this is inconvenient when modern GPUs often require whatever PCIe plugs your PSU has to offer.

❌ The last thing I don’t like about Corsair’s iCUE Link Titan 360 RX RGB is that by default, pump and fan speeds are tied to the temperature of the liquid coolant. But this is a personal preference, you might actually prefer this type of operation. This has the advantage of avoiding fan bursts and delivering lower maximum noise levels.

❌ The primary disadvantage is that this design allows the CPU to reach its peak temperature and throttle during intensive workloads. The other disadvantage is that fans will remain at higher noise levels even after a workload has ended – because it is harder / slower to cool the temperature of the liquid coolant down than it is to cool the temperature of the CPU down.

Testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 and LGA1851 platform

There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system's motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bending, which results in poor cooler contact with the CPU.

In order to prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, we’ve installed Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information.

I’ve also tested this cooler with Intel’s latest platform, Arrow Lake and LGA 1851.

LGA 1700 and 1851 Installation

The installation of the AIO is simple. The following steps assume that you will mount the radiator to your case first, which is generally a good idea unless your case is very small.

1. You’ll first need to place the backplate against the rear of the motherboard. The backplate included is simple, and only really designed for a single installation. It uses adhesive strips around the rubber standoffs. This has the advantage of making the first installation easy, but it doesn’t adhere very well on additional installations – requiring that the user hold the backplate while attempting to complete the other installation steps.

2. Next, take the CPU block and place it on top of the CPU. Use the screws pre-attached to secure the CPU block.

3. The next step will be to install the iCUE hub, connect it to a 6-pin PCI-e power cable, and then connect cables from the hub to the CPU block and radiator.

4. Now you can power on your computer, as installation is complete.

CPU-only thermal results without power limits

Without power limits enforced on Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K and i7-14700K CPUs, the CPU will hit its peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers and even most liquid coolers on the market. When the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve measured the CPU package power to determine the maximum wattage cooled to best compare their performance. It’s important to note that thermal performance can scale differently depending on the CPU it’s being tested with.

For this test, I manually set the fans to operate tied to the temperature of the CPU and set the pump to the “extreme” profile. Keeping Intel’s Arrow Lake Core Ultra 9 285K cool is no easy task, but the Titan 360 RX RGB was able to keep the CPU at an average of 93 degrees C – which puts it amongst the strongest AIOs on the market, tied for the third-strongest result I’ve seen on this system.

But as I’ve mentioned before – how well a cooler performs can vary depending on what CPU it is paired with. So how’s performance with a CPU that is harder to cool like Intel’s i7-14700K?

Corsair’s AIO performs better with Raptor Lake, keeping the CPU at an average of 90 degrees C, narrowing its gap against the best-performing result to only 2 degrees C (as opposed to a 4C difference with Arrow Lake). The reason for this difference in performance likely comes down to Arrow Lake’s shifted hotspot.

Both of the results above require manually setting the cooler to adjust its performance based on the temperature of the CPU, rather than the temperature of the coolant. Noise levels are lower in the default configuration, but thermal performance suffers as a result, making this cooler comparable to a good 240mm AIO.

To achieve this level of thermal dominance, the fans of the cooler reach up to 49.2 dBA in a custom-configured mode. In the default operating behavior, maximum noise levels are lower – only reaching a moderate 44.2 dBA.

CPU-only thermal results, with noise normalized to 38.9 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 quieter system.

With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.9 dba using the i7-14700K system. This level of noise is a low volume level, but slightly audible to most people. Corsair’s AIO was extremely impressive when configured to a static low noise level, cooling 257W. Technically this is the second-best result I’ve seen, but a 1W difference is within the margin of error – as far as I’m concerned, this is industry-leading performance!

253W results

My recent reviews have focused more on tests with both the CPU and GPU being stressed, but many of y’all have indicated that you would like to see more CPU-only tests – so I’ve started testing Intel’s “Arrow Lake” Core Ultra 9 285K with a 253W limit. My current results for this test are limited, but this will grow as I have time to test more coolers.

Testing with the default power limits of 253W shows good performance, tied for the second-best result I’ve observed yet. But note that I need to test more coolers in this scenario for a complete picture.

135W CPU + 290W GPU results

Testing a CPU Cooler in isolation is great for synthetic benchmarks, but doesn’t tell the whole story of how it will perform. I’ve incorporated two tests with a power limit imposed on the CPU, while also running a full load on MSI’s GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16G VENTUS 3X.

The CPU power limit of 135W was chosen based on the worst CPU power consumption I observed in gaming with Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K, which was in Rise of the Tomb Raider.

This scenario isn’t quite as thermally demanding as our previous tests, but that said the Corsair AIO has the second-best results I’ve seen in this test!

These results were obtained with the cooler in its default configuration, in which cooler operation is tied to the temperature of the liquid coolant. This also allows for low noise levels – at only 37.3 dBA, it had the quietest operation of any cooler I’ve tested yet in this scenario.

85W CPU + 290W GPU results

The second round of CPU + GPU testing is also performed with Arrow Lake. The power limit of 85W was chosen based on typical power consumption in gaming scenarios using the Core Ultra 9 285K CPU. This should be fairly easy for most coolers, the main point of this test is to see how quietly (or loudly!) a cooler runs in low-intensity scenarios.

With a CPU temperature of 52 degrees C, Corsair’s AIO ties for the third-coolest result in this test. This test was also performed with the cooler at its default settings, tied to the temperature of the liquid coolant. This also allows for low noise levels – at only 36.4 dBA, this result ties with NZXT’s Kraken Elite for the quietest result I’ve recorded in this test.

Conclusion

Corsair’s iCUE Link Titan 360 RX RGB is one of the strongest coolers on the market. Its noise-normalized performance is industry-leading, and the iCUE ecosystem allows for a number of customization options and even upgrades for the cooler itself! My primary complaints are its high price, the six-pin PCIe power connector requirement, and the fact that the software didn’t always save my custom settings properly.

Of the many events we had time to cover while we were at CES 2024 this year, a few things did slip under the radar— among them, a pair of new IceGiant pump-free liquid CPU coolers.

IceGiant has already made waves with its Prosiphon Elite cooler, which costs roughly $170. However, the company is expanding its cooling portfolio with these new Titan series AIO liquid coolers. Unlike conventional AIO liquid coolers, the Titan series doesn't use a pump. IceGiant states these coolers feature an all-copper evaporator and an upgraded six-core 360mm condenser.

The IceGiant Titan 360 supports the Intel LGA115x, LGA1200, LGA1700, LGA1851, LGA2011, and LGA2066 sockets. However, AMD socket support is limited to AM4 and AM5. Similarly, the IceGiant ProSiphon Titan-TR 360 only supports the AMD TR5 socket.

While these costs are easily comparable to custom loop setups, the maintenance involved with those is exponentially higher— and if IceGiant's no-moving-parts-besides-fans philosophy holds up to the test of time, the pump degradation that befalls AIOs and custom loops alike shouldn't ever be an issue, here. If IceGiant's claims of longevity with zero maintenance besides periodically dusting and/or replacing the fans hold, these coolers could make a lot of sense for HEDT builders intent on high-performance, low-maintenance cooling.

The current listings price the IceGiant Titan 360, which is targeted at overclocking modern mainstream platforms, at a whopping $419.99. Meanwhile, the IceGiant ProSiphon Titan-TR 360 keeps the same radiator length but bulks up the design to accommodate the larger Threadripper CPUs, costing a brutal $599.99. These coolers look pretty good, and including a lifetime warranty (six years on the fans) is compelling.

That price point is difficult to justify regardless of the novelty of a pump-free cooler design, though—excellent cooling performance can still be much cheaper with the best coolers nowadays. Before users consider purchasing decisions, we want to see this build's final noise level. The system could get quieter without pump noise, but fans still make noise. If IceGiant can successfully ship the quietest AIO on the market while providing a lifetime warranty and painless maintenance, it could be a real pocket killer.

Here at CES 2025, we've seen coolers with just about every kind of design on them. The Cooler Master Atmos II even has switchable faceplates that allow you to swap among RGB, LCD and pixel-art themes. However, MSI has a prototype cooler on display that breaks the mold: a version of its CoreLiquid A13 with room for a figurine (or action figure) to live on top of your processor.

At MSI's CES suite, the company showed a sample where an action figure of its "Lucky" dragon mascot was rotating on a turn table on top of the CPU's waterblock. Company representatives said that this is a prototype and they are still trying to decide whether or not to turn the action figure AIO into a shipping product.

Representatives also said that, if it ships, the AIO will come empty and the user will decide what type of figurine or other object to put inside the case. So you don't have to put a dragon in there if you don't want to.  

We didn't get details on the exact size of the capsule that holds your figurine, but it's about large enough to hold a keychain-sized object. It probably could not hold 4-inch action figure like our old Star Wars figures, but probably could hold a 2-inch Smurf figure.

It's unclear whether MSI would use the exact specs of the MAG CoreLiquid series AIOs if it brought this to market. CoreLiquid A13 AIOs are available currently in 240 and 360mm varieties and have 3,800 rpm fans on board. Overall, it's unclear whether this concept will ever come to market, but if it does, it will certainly turn some heads.

PC hardware and accessory vendor Hyte displayed an impressive array of products at this year's CES. The sister brand to iBuyPower showcased a long-awaited 360mm AIO in its THICC line, new CPU contact plates, and a bespoke distro plate for water cooling its Y70 Touch chassis, among other updates and announcements.

The most hyped release for Hyte this year is the THICC Q80 Trio, a new 360mm all-in-one CPU water cooler. An acronym for "Technology Harnessing Innovative Chonk for Cooling" (and not an excuse to say "thicc"), THICC Q80 is the sequel to the THICC Q60, a highly-lauded 240mm AIO. We gave the Q60 4.5 out of 5 stars in our review, praising its cooling performance, which beat most 360mm AIOs in our testing, and insanely quiet operation.

The Q80 Trio is instantly recognizable by its 5-inch 720p ultrathin display, which protrudes from its CPU block and is ready to display system metrics or play video files. A bay of ARGB lights blasts from the front and back of the display, bathing the motherboard in rainbows. The 52mm-thick radiator uses a cableless design to mount its fans, simplifying cable management.

In black and white colorways, Hyte's THICC Q80 Trio seems like an unbeatable future release in all respects, but its price is. The Q60 launched at $300, and the extra 120mm of cooling on the Q80 Trio will run consumers $320 at launch. Those ready to set money aflame can head to Hyte's website to preorder the THICC Q80, set to ship in March.

Hyte's cheapest new release is also among its most valuable. The "Solid Processor Frame" is a $20 accessory that replaces your motherboard's stock CPU mount instead of framing your processor in aluminum. Contact frames like this one are not a sexy upgrade or completely useless. By holding the CPU with even pressure from all sides, contact frames hope to eliminate bending and warping and ensure perfectly even cooling performance.

With colorways including Taro Milk, Blueberry Milk, and Cherry, you're paying a few dollars above standard to swaddle your AM5, LGA 1851, or LGA 1700 processor in pastel metal. A gold colorway was also shown off at the booth, but it's not likely to leave the show floor.

We've reached the most exciting part of Hyte's product lineup: new software and USB hubs! Joking aside, Hyte's new magnetic internal USB hub will be a welcome grab for consumers looking to prioritize Hyte branding while wiring up all of the USB-hungry peripherals inside a modern RGB-maxing computer. Hyte's Y70 Touch Infinite case comes with a large side screen, the THICC Q80 needs USB connects for its monitor, fan hubs require connections; while we don't know how much the Hyte logo on clear plastic will cost, it's sure to get picked up by someone.

Hyte's Nexus 2.0 RGB software update is also worth mentioning. Hyte's native RGB app now integrates with OpenRGB's SDK, allowing 1,800+ generic and branded ARGB devices to communicate natively with Nexus software. Nexus is also newly ready for universal PWM fan header control, further simplifying the software glut of DIY PCs. New updates to further support the THICC coolers and Y70 chassis displays, including adding macros to the touchscreen on the Y70 Touch's exterior.

The Hyte Y70 Touch is a modern fish tank PC case notable for its 14.5-inch touchscreen in its 45-degree angled face. But what if you could remove the touchscreen and return to gaudy PC tradition? The newly announced Y70 Touch Distro distribution plate replaces the Y70's trademark touchscreen with acrylic and countless ARGB diodes, allowing water-cooling enthusiasts to route their loop through this corner display piece.

The flow chambers seem to have a different layout than the Y60 case's distro replacement, which held four distinct flow chambers and allowed for separate CPU and GPU loops. While not many details are yet known about the Y70's Distro screen replacement, it will likely cost more than the $100 price tag of its shorter Y60 variant.

Be sure to monitor our live event coverage here for more straight from the floor of CES 2025 and to see all the shiny new hardware you can keep cool with Hyte's above components.

The A13 series AIOs are the latest budget liquid cooling offerings from Taiwanese hardware mainstay, MSI. These coolers don’t offer flashy features aside from some RGB, but that means they’re very reasonably priced, at just $99 for the 360 model and $79 for the 240 option. Will one of them make our list of best CPU coolers? We’ll have to run our usual benchmarks to be sure, but first we’ll take a look at their specifications and features.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents 

The packaging of the 360mm AIO is much like many others, with molded cardboard for primary packaging and both cardboard and plastic coverings for the individual parts. The top is protected with a layer of foam.  

There’s not a lot of extras with this AIO. Nothing like extra cable ties or whatnot, just the essentials you’ll need to install the liquid cooler.

• 120mm fans, pre-installed
• Radiator and CPU block
• PWM Splitter cable
• Thermal Paste
• Mounting for modern Intel and AMD platforms

Features of MSI’s A13 AIOs 

Subtle ARGB lighting

The CPU block has a minimalist diffused ARGB lighting strip, giving it some subtle flair.

Thermal Paste

MSI includes a very small tube of thermal paste with the cooler – suitable for one or two installations, but no more.

27mm Radiator

The A13 AIOs include a 27mm-thick radiator, which is standard for most liquid coolers.

Rotatable tubing 

The tubing of MSI’s A13 AIOs is fully rotatable, which helps make installation easier.

120mm CycloBlade 7 fans, pre-installed

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans significantly impact cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. The fans included here are MSI’s CycloBlade 7 fans, and are pre-installed on both 360mm and 240mm A13 AIOs – saving users a few moments of install time. This should be standard for most AIOs.

Testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 and LGA1851 platform

There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system's motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bending, which results in poor cooler contact with the CPU.

In order to prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, we’ve installed Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information.

I’ve also tested this cooler with Intel’s latest platform, Arrow Lake and LGA 1851.

LGA 1700 and 1851 Installation

For most users, I’d recommend attaching the radiator and fans to your case before the steps below.

1. You’ll first need to place the backplate against the rear of the motherboard. It features mounting tape, so you won’t need anything else to secure it.

2. Apply the included thermal paste to your CPU. If you have any questions on how to do this properly, please refer to our handy guide on how to apply thermal paste.

3. Next, simply take the CPU block and place it on top of the CPU, using a screwdriver to connect the four corners to the motherboard backplate.

4. Connect the ARGB and PWM connections to your motherboard, and installation is complete!

CPU-only thermal results without power limits

Without power limits enforced on Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K and i7-14700K CPUs, the CPU will hit its peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers and even most liquid coolers on the market. When the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve measured the CPU package power to determine the maximum wattage cooled to best compare their performance.

It’s important to note that thermal performance can scale differently depending on the CPU it’s being tested with – which is one of the reasons I show results for maximum intensity scenarios with two different systems now.

With Intel’s i7-14700K, neither of MSI’s A13 AIOs can keep the CPU below its peak temperature – so we’ll look at the CPU package power instead. With this system, the 360mm version of the A13 performed just a hair ahead of competing coolers from Arctic and ID-Cooling, with 259W cooled during the course of testing.

The performance of the 240mm A13 wasn’t quite as impressive – performing only on par with the best air coolers, and slightly behind other 240mm units.

The results are a little different when testing with the “Arrow Lake” Core Ultra 9 285K. Some coolers will do better or worse on Arrow Lake due to its shifted hotspot, but overall the CPU’s cooling difficulty is lower than Raptor Lake CPUs like the i7-14700K or i9-14900K.

The 360mm version of the A13 performs better on Arrow Lake, keeping the CPU at an average of only 95 degrees C during this test of Cinebench without power limits.

The 240mm version of the A13 was not able to keep the CPU from reaching its peak temperature, so we’ll look at the CPU package power for this one. Honestly, it performed worse on Arrow Lake than I expected – falling a few watts behind the performance of good air coolers like Thermalright’s Peerless Assassin 140!

CPU-only Thermal results with noise normalized to 38.9 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 quieter system.

With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.9 dBA using the i7-14700K system. This is a low volume level, but slightly audible to most people.

The results of this test were interesting. With 249W cooled, the A13 360mm was on par with Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III – putting it on the lower end of the best performing AIOs. The 240mm version didn’t do quite as well, barely outperforming the best air coolers on the market, with only a 2W lead over Thermalright’s Peerless Assassin 140.

253W results

My recent reviews have focused more on tests with both the CPU and GPU being stressed, but many of y’all have indicated that you would like to see more CPU-only tests. So I’ve started testing Intel’s Arrow Lake Core Ultra 9 285K with a 253W limit. My current results for this test are limited, but this will grow as I have time to test more coolers.

At least with this Arrow Lake Core Ultra 9 CPU, there’s not a huge gap between the best AIOs and air coolers. The 360mm version of MSI’s A13 AIO performed on par with Thermalright’s Peerless Assassin 140, while the 240mm version fell a few degrees behind.

CPU-only noise levels with a 120W load

The last thermal test that only stresses the CPU is performed while giving Intel’s i7-14700K a 120W thermal load. For this type of test, temperatures don’t really matter as pretty much any cooler can handle this level of thermal load with ease. Noise levels matter most.

With a result of 38.2 dBA, both MSI AIOs ran quieter than the i7-14700K test system’s minimum noise levels. This indicates that, in most common scenarios, the coolers will remain pleasingly quiet.

165W CPU + 275W GPU results

Earlier this year I updated my testing methodology to better represent the scenarios a user might actually encounter in real life usage. The first of these new tests is designed to emulate, though not perfectly, a CPU in an intensive game with a full GPU load using ASRock’s Steel Legend 7900 GRE GPU and Intel’s Core i7-14700K CPU.

Most of the time Intel’s i7-14700K will use less than 165W in games. This value was chosen because it was the peak power consumption I observed in Far Cry V. I would consider the results of this test closer to what you might see with an overclocked setup.

The 360mm and 240mm AIOs provided the exact same thermal performance in this “heavy gaming” scenario, tied with Montech’s Hyperflow 360 for the second-best thermal results here.

Noise levels weren’t bad either, with 40.9 & 41.4 dBA readings. While these don’t take the best spots for noise levels, they certainly run quieter than most other coolers I’ve run through this test.

135W CPU + 290W GPU results

Our second round of CPU + GPU testing is performed with Arrow Lake. The power limit of 135W was chosen based on the worst CPU power consumption I observed in gaming, which was in Rise of the Tomb Raider.

This scenario isn’t quite as thermally demanding as our previous results, and as a result the thermal differences between coolers are smaller. The 240mm A13 performs just a hair better than the best air coolers, and the 360mm version is slightly behind our best results in this scenario.

Noise levels are again more important here. With the 360mm version reaching 40.9 dBA, this isn’t a noisy result by any understanding of the word – but it is louder than competitors from BeQuiet, ID-Cooling, and others.

85W CPU + 290W GPU results

Our third round of CPU + GPU testing is also performed with Arrow Lake. The power limit of 85W was chosen based on typical power consumption in gaming scenarios using the Core Ultra 9 285K CPU. This should be fairly easy for most coolers. The main point of this test is to see how quietly (or loudly!) a cooler runs in low-intensity scenarios.

In terms of thermals, both MSI A13 AIOs performed excellently at 53 & 54 degrees C. But honestly, thermals in this type of scenario really don’t matter – especially when the most basic of air coolers is managing to keep the CPU under 60 degrees C. Noise matters much more here.

Like the previous set of noise results, the measurements here are not loud by any stretch of the word, but the coolers do run louder than the competitors I’ve measured.

Conclusion

MSI’s A13 AIOs provide good overall thermal performance and noise levels. These aren’t the strongest or quietest AIOs on the market, but they’re not far from it – and the U.S. price tags of $79 for the 240mm and $99 for the 360mm version are very reasonable.

The brand Be Quiet! should be familiar to most enthusiasts, with their products focused on – as the name implies – cooling performance with low noise levels. The company’s cases have made several appearances on our Best PC Cases list,  and its Silent Base 802 was the case I used for CPU Cooler reviews which used Intel’s i7-13700K.

Today’s review, we’re looking at Be Quiet’s latest AIO – the Light Loop 360. It features a newly designed pump and cold plate and – spoiler alert – this cooler is definitely making our list of the best CPU coolers! Let’s take a quick look at the unit’s specifications, then we’ll dive into its features and the benchmarks.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

The packaging of the AIO is much like many others, with molded cardboard for primary packaging and both cardboard and plastic coverings for the individual parts.

Included with the box are the following:

• Three 120mm fans
• 360mm radiator and CPU block
• Hardware hub supporting PWM & ARGB connections
• Thermal paste
• Cable management ties
• Extra liquid coolant
• Mounting for modern AMD and Intel platforms
• Two Be Quiet logo stickers

Features of Be Quiet’s Light Loop 360

▶️ DIY friendly, with extra liquid coolant

The Light Loop 360 includes an easily accessible refill port, should you need to refill the unit’s coolant after the warranty expires.

Usually, when it comes to AIOs, I go out of my way to recognize companies when they simply don’t include a consumer-unfriendly “warranty void if removed” sticker on top of the refill port – an action that’s technically illegal under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in the USA. 

Not only does Be Quiet refrain from trying to scare consumers away from servicing their own equipment, but the company also goes the extra mile and actually includes extra coolant for the AIO. This sort of consumer-friendly approach deserves special recognition.

▶️ Redesigned liquid pump and CPU contact plate 

The most exciting part of Be Quiet’s Light Loop 360 is the newly redesigned liquid pump and CPU contact plate. This enables the thermal performance that makes AIO stand out from the competition, as you’ll see shortly in our benchmarks.

I pressed Be Quiet to see if I could obtain any additional details about the improvements under the hood. This is what a company rep told me, with a few edits for clarity:

The Light Loop has a split flow design on its cold plate, which means the flow comes from left and right and is guided to the middle, while the liquid in the previous generation Pure Loop 2 block flows from left to right. This leads to a higher turbulence where the two streams "clash" in the middle. 

On top of the split flow, the Jet Plate in the Light Loop block helps to guide the liquid through the fins, increasing cold plate efficiency. More movement in the liquid leads to better heat transfer, and therefore more efficient transmission of heat to the cooling liquid - especially on Intel CPUs where the hot spot is centered (or not as offset as on AMD, in the case of the Ultra series).

The Pure Loop 2 has more of an all-rounder approach in that regard and that is part of the reason why the Light Loop comes with an AMD offset mounting, as this solution is not as ideal for a lower hot spot.

The Light Loop's flow and especially pump pressure was increased with a larger impeller in the block, which allows for lower RPM, and the switch to a 6-Pole 3-Phase Motor design with a very progressive IC allows for quieter pump operation. 

Lastly, the cold plate itself is thinner in the fin area than on the previous generation Pure Loop 2. Copper is good at conducting heat, but longer travel distances still decrease efficiency. Thinner is better for thermal transfer, but finding the right balance to achieve as thin as possible while not risking defects is not easy and requires tight tolerance machining.

▶️ 27mm Radiator 

The Light Loop 360 includes a radiator that’s 27mm thick, which is standard for most liquid coolers.

▶️ Hardware ARGB and PWM Hub 

Instead of using daisy-chain connections, Be Quiet includes an ARGB and PWM fan hub in the box. It supports six fans, which will be useful for those who would like to purchase additional fans and configure the AIO in push-pull configuration for maximum thermal performance. 

The hardware hub can be conveniently attached to a SSD plate supporting 2.5-inch drives, simplifying installation.

▶️ Thermal Paste 

Be Quiet includes a small tube of thermal paste with the AIO, sufficient for approximately 3-4 installations. The company curiously does not list the SKU of thermal paste used, so we’re not sure if this is the DC2 thermal paste they offer or a newer paste not yet available separately.

▶️ Cable ties and stickers 

Be Quiet includes standard zip ties for cable management purposes, and also two stickers bearing its logo for those interested in that type of thing.

▶️ Light Wings LX 120mm PWM high-speed fans 

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. The fans included are Light Wings LX 120mm PWM high-speed – which, as the benchmarks will show, enable strong cooling performance both at full speed and when restricted to low noise levels!

▶️ New CPU block design

The CPU block has a new aesthetic, with “fins” illuminated by diffused lighting.

▶️ Fully rotatable tubing

The tubing of the AIO is fully rotatable, which can make installation a little simpler.

▶️ Full RAM Compatibility

Like almost every other AIO on the market, the Light Loop 360 doesn’t interfere with or overhang RAM DIMMs in any manner – allowing for the use of all sizes of RAM, no matter how tall.

Testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 and LGA1851 platform

There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system's motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bending, which results in poor cooler contact with the CPU.

To prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, we’ve installed Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information.

I’ve also tested this cooler with Intel’s latest platform, Arrow Lake and LGA 1851.

LGA 1700 and 1851 Installation

The installation of the AIO is my only real complaint about this product, as it takes more steps and is slightly more difficult than with other coolers. For some, it may be simpler to first attach the fans to the radiator and secure the radiator to your case before moving to the following steps. 

1. You’ll first need to place the backplate against the rear of the motherboard, and then secure it using the included standoffs. Before you place the backplate against the rear of the motherboard and secure it using the included standoffs (which is usually the first step), you’ll need to assemble the backplate as shown below.

2. Next, you’ll secure the backplate by attaching standoffs. You’ll then place the mounting bars on top of the standoffs, and secure them with the included screws.

3. Apply the included thermal paste to your CPU. If you have any questions on how to do this properly, please refer to our handy how to apply thermal paste guide.

4. Place the CPU block on top of the CPU, and secure it with a screwdriver.

5. Install the hardware ARGB and PWM hub to a location of your choosing, connecting it to SATA power and your motherboard’s CPU PWM slot. Then connect the fans to the hardware hub.

6. After all that, power on your computer and installation is complete!

CPU-only thermal results, without power limits

Without power limits enforced on Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K and i7-14700K CPUs, the CPU will hit its peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers and even most liquid coolers on the market. Where the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve measured the CPU package power to determine the maximum wattage cooled to best compare their performance. It’s important to note that thermal performance can scale differently depending on the CPU it’s being tested with.

The results we observed with Be Quiet’s Light Loop 360 were extremely impressive, outperforming my wildest expectations. With an average temperature of 90 degrees Celsius, Be Quiet’s Light Loop 360 outperformed its closest competitor by 3 degrees C. This alone is enough to make Be Quiet’s new AIO stand out.

But as I’ve mentioned before – how well a cooler performs can vary depending on what CPU it is paired with. So how’s performance with a CPU that is harder to cool like Intel’s i7-14700K? Be Quiet’s lead over competitors shrinks here, but it still manages to outperform all competing coolers – if only by a single degree.

To achieve this level of thermal dominance, the fans of the Light Loop 360 run up to 44.9 dBA. This is a moderate noise level, quieter than most competing AIOs on the market.

CPU-only Thermal results with noise normalized to 38.9 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 quieter system.

With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.9 dba on the i7-14700K system. This level of noise is a low volume, but slightly audible to most people. True to its brand name, the Light Loop 360 performs excellently here. With 255W cooled on average, this is the second-best result I’ve recorded yet – only beaten by NZXT’s Kraken Elite 360 with its extra thick AIO tubing.

253W results

My older reviews have focused more on tests with both the CPU and GPU being stressed, but many of y’all have indicated that you would like to see more CPU-only tests – so I’ve started testing Intel’s Arrow Lake Core Ultra 9 285K with a 253W limit. My current results for this test are limited, but this will grow as I have time to test more coolers.

With a reasonable power limit set, Be Quiet’s Light Loop 360 outperformed MSI’s A13 AIO by 4 degrees C. This seems fairly impressive, but I’ll add a disclaimer that I’ll need to test more coolers in this situation to make fully informed judgments.

CPU-only noise levels with a 120W load

The last thermal test I run that only stresses the CPU is performed while giving Intel’s i7-14700K a 120W thermal load. For this type of test, temperatures don’t really matter as pretty much any cooler can handle this test with ease. Noise levels matter most here.

With a result of 38.2 dBA, the Light Loop 360 ran quieter than the i7-14700K test system’s minimum noise levels. This is a great result, but I do plan to transition away from this test because of this system’s minimum noise level. As you’ll see in our final benchmarks, the cooler is capable of running quieter than this result would indicate.

165W CPU + 275W GPU results

Earlier this year I updated my tests to better represent real-life use. The first of these new tests is designed to emulate, though not perfectly, a CPU in an intensive game with a full GPU load using ASRock’s Steel Legend 7900 GRE GPU and Intel’s Core i7-14700K CPU.

Most of the time, Intel’s i7-14700K will use less than 165W in games. This value was chosen because it was the peak power consumption I observed when running Far Cry V. I would consider the result of this test closer to what you might see with an overclocked setup.

In this scenario, the thermal performance of Be Quiet’s Light Loop 360 was still excellent – but not quite as strong compared to its competitors, slipping to third place in our tested coolers. However, thermals are only half of the story. When it comes to noise levels in this scenario, Be Quiet is true to its name with a result of only 39.6dBA – the second-quietest result we have recorded here!

135W CPU + 290W GPU results

Our second round of CPU + GPU testing is performed with Arrow Lake. The power limit of 135W was chosen based on the worst CPU power consumption I observed in gaming with Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K, which was in Rise of the Tomb Raider.

This scenario isn’t quite as thermally demanding as our previous results, and as a result competitors like NZXT’s Kraken Elite and ID-Cooling’s FX360INF perform similarly to the Light Loop 360 in this test with the best thermal results.

Noise levels are again superb here, with the result of 38.2 dBA tied for the quietest result we have in this particular test. Many would consider the low noise levels here to be more important than the low temperatures, but with the Light Loop 360, you can have both!

85W CPU + 290W GPU results

Our third round of CPU + GPU testing is also performed with Arrow Lake. The power limit of 85W was chosen based on typical power consumption in gaming scenarios using the Core Ultra 9 285K CPU. This should be fairly easy for most coolers; the main point of this test is to see how quietly (or noisily) a cooler runs in low-intensity scenarios.

In terms of thermals, Be Quiet’s Light Loop again performed excellently at only 52 degrees C. But honestly, thermals in this type of scenario really don’t matter – especially when the most basic of air coolers is managing to keep the CPU under 60C. Noise matters much more here.

When it comes to noise levels, Be Quiet’s Pure Loop does well – reaching 37.3 in common low-intensity scenarios. There are some coolers on the market that have lower noise levels in a test like this, but those are few and far between.

Note that the above chart starts a 35 dBA rather than zero. This is in part due to the logarithmic nature of sound measurements, and because of the limitations of our testing equipment and environment.

Conclusion

I usually try to tamper my recommendations, but this cooler is inarguably the best option for owners of Intel CPUs – providing the best thermal performance I’ve seen of any AIO when tested with Intel’s Core i7-14700K and Core Ultra 9 285K CPUs! The cherry on top? Low noise levels in common scenarios. The cooler carries a price tag of $159.90, which is slightly higher than the average 360mm AIO, but much lower than NZXT’s Kraken Elite 360 RGB.

NZXT’s cooler is $300 and performs slightly better in some tests, but worse in others, making it hard to argue for at nearly twice the price of Be Quiet’s new cooler. The Light Loop 360 is well worth its price when you consider its industry-leading thermal performance, the included hardware ARGB and PWM fan hub, and the pro-consumer choice of including extra liquid coolant with the AIO!

The Corsair iCUE Link H100i LCD liquid cooler is now available for an unbeatable Cyber Monday deal price of $99 on Amazon. This deal makes it one of the most affordable AIO liquid coolers equipped with a customizable LCD display. This 240mm cooler, typically found in higher price ranges, delivers excellent value with both performance and aesthetic appeal.

The 2.1-inch IPS LCD screen on this liquid cooler is capable of displaying real-time CPU temperatures, custom graphics, or even animated GIFs. With a 480x480 resolution and 16.7 million colors, it’s perfect for PC enthusiasts who want to personalize their builds without breaking the bank. The cooler also includes dual QX120 RGB fans featuring 34 LEDs each, delivering quiet, efficient cooling with eye-catching visual effects.

Additionally, this AIO liquid cooling solution comes with Corsair’s innovative single-cable iCUE Link ecosystem that reduces cable clutter and streamlines installation. Designed for wide compatibility the H100i plays nicely with most modern AMD and Intel CPUs. Using Corsair’s iCUE software users can control fan speeds, sync RGB lighting, and monitor system performance, making it easy to integrate into any setup.

According to Corsair, the cooler isn’t just about looks; it delivers robust cooling performance thanks to its split-flow copper cold plate and pre-applied Corsair XTM70 thermal paste. The fans can ramp up to 2,400 RPM for intensive tasks while also supporting a zero RPM mode for silent operation during low loads.

Backed by a six-year warranty, the H100i is a long-term investment for PC builders seeking cutting-edge features at an accessible price. Whether you’re upgrading your system or building a new rig, this deal offers an exceptional opportunity to own one of the best-looking and most versatile AIO liquid coolers on the market.

We are working hard to find the best deals for you this Cyber Monday. If you're looking for other products, check out our Cyber Monday Computer Hardware Deals Live blog for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals Live blog, Monitor Deals Live, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

There are a couple of choices for cooling your CPU in your PC build: air cooling, a custom water loop, or an AIO (All in One) liquid loop and radiator. Today's deal features an AIO cooling solution from Corsair, that also comes with Corsair's iCUE link hardware for connecting to multiple RGB fans for illuminating your PC with whatever color scheme you can think of.

The Corsair H100i RGB 240mm AIO liquid CPU cooler with iCUE link is available at Amazon for its lowest-ever price of $74. The H100i is compatible with Intel LGA 1700 and AMD AM5 platforms, and the 240mm radiator is ample for cooling most processors at stock settings.

Corsair's H100i RGB uses a 240mm radiator to dissipate the heat collected from the CPU through the copper plate on the cooling head, but the big selling point for this cooler is the recent addition of the iCUE link ecosystem which allows easy connection of iCUE link enabled devices for the ultimate RGB rainbow build. Using 2 x QX120 RGB PWM fans with 34 RGB LEDs per fan this is one colorful cooler and just the thing to highlight your components if you have a case that lets you easily display what's inside.

The Corsair H100i RG can cool your processor easily with fan speeds up to 2,400 RPM to quickly bring the CPU heat down. PWM controls enable automatic control over your fan settings and there's also a quiet/0 RPM mode that allows fans to stop spinning entirely at low CPU temperatures, eliminating fan noise completely.

The SYN AIO from MyValkyrie features what might be the fanciest packaging I’ve seen for a cooling product, plus upgradable storage via an SD Card, and is available in both 240mm and 360mm models. Does the 360mm version of Valkyrie’s SYN AIO have what it takes to make our list of best AIO coolers? We’ll have to put it through testing to be sure, but first here are the specifications from My Valkyrie.

Cooler specifications 

Packing and included contents 

The packaging of the AIO is rather different from most coolers. It feels like luxury product packaging. The individual parts are protected by molded foam, carboard, and plastic coverings. On the side of the unit, a removable keychain is attached which can be used to open the drawers. The fans are contained in a second drawer below the main parts.

Included with the cooler are the following: 

• 360mm radiator and CPU block
• Pre-installed 32GB SD Card
• Three 120mm fans
• Hardware Fan and ARGB hub
• Valkyrie thermal paste and pre-installed thermal paste
• Bushing tool
• Mounting for AMD and Intel platforms

Features of Valkyrie’s SYN 360 

*️⃣ Included PWM and ARGB Hub

A transparent PWM and ARGB hub is included, which supports up to six devices. 

*️⃣ Full RAM compatibility

As this AIO does not interfere or overhang DIMM slots in any manner, all sizes of RAM, no matter how tall, are compatible with the SYN 360

*️⃣ 2.1-inch LCD display, MythCool software

Valkyrie’s SYN features a 2.1-inch round display, which can be customized with a custom background, GIF, or video file via the MythCool software. You can also control the software using a mobile phone, if you prefer. I’ll go over a few more details about the software in the next section of the review.

*️⃣ 27mm thick radiator

The radiator included is a standard 27mm size, for a total of 52mm in thickness if you include the fans attached.

*️⃣ Rotatable, braided tubing

The braided tubing of the AIO is fully rotatable, which can help make installation easier. 

*️⃣ Extra thermal paste

Most companies either have pre-applied thermal paste for their coolers, or include a small tube of thermal paste for the user to apply. MyValkyrie goes the extra mile and does both – pre-applying paste to the CPU block, and also including an extra tube for future use.

*️⃣ Upgradeable storage

Valkyrie’s SYN AIOs include a removable 32GB SD card for storing custom animations and videos.

*️⃣ Cable management features

Included are cable management clips and velcro straps, which can help keep the tubing of the AIO organized.

*️⃣ 3x Valkyrie X12 fans

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. 

Valkyrie includes its X12 120mm fans with the AIO. These fans feature 9 blades, rubber anti-vibration pads, and incorporate ARGB strips for decorative lighting.

What I don’t like about the SYN 360 

❌ High Price

The price of this AIO is higher than competing 360mm AIOs. Part of this can be explained by the inclusion of the LCD screen and included PWM hub, but $209.99 is still hard to accept because of the next point.

❌ “Beta” level software

The software is very rough around the edges and feels clunky and rushed. Some parts have not been translated into English yet and display in Mandarin.

The software also only includes one background for the display. No other visuals are available, unless you upload a custom image or video file.  

Testing Methodology, and how my testing differs vs the competition

I do a few things differently than many other reviewers, to ensure my results are actually applicable to most users. I test in an actual case, rather than an open bench. The problem with testing on an open bench is that with typical consumer usage – you know, with an enclosed computer case – the ambient temperature within the case will be higher than that of outside air, which adds difficulty to the cooler’s job. 

I also strictly regulate the ambient temperature to 23 degrees C during testing. I do not accept results at 22 or 24 C as valid, even though in theory there wouldn’t be a significant difference in terms of test results.

Testing is also only performed with recent-generation CPUs. Older CPUs have bigger hotspots due to older manufacturing processes, and they also have lower clock speeds, which can make them easier to cool.

Many other reviewers, and also most of my own older reviews, only test coolers with a load running on the CPU. While this does provide good and useful information, it doesn’t paint a complete picture of how a cooler will perform. Many workloads, and especially gaming, will stress both the CPU and GPU.

To test how well a CPU’s cooler will perform in these situations I’ve added two tests: one with a light CPU and one with a moderate CPU load, both while running a full load on with AMD’s Radeon RX 7900GRE.

Today's highest-end CPUs, whether Intel or AMD, are difficult to cool in intensive workloads. In the past. reaching 95 degrees Celsius or more on a desktop CPU might have been a cause for concern. But with today’s top-end CPUs, this is considered normal operation. Similar behavior has been present in laptops for years due to cooling limitations in tight spaces.

All testing is performed with a 23 C ambient room temperature. Multiple thermal tests are run on each CPU to test the cooler in a variety of conditions, and acoustic measurements are taken with each result. These tests include:

1. Noise-normalized testing at low noise levels

2. Out-of-the-box / Default configuration thermal and acoustic testing

a. No power limits enforced

b. Because CPUs hit TJ Max in this scenario, the best way to compare cooling strength is by recording the total CPU package power consumption. 

3. Thermal and acoustic testing in power-limited scenarios

a. Power limited to 175W to emulate a medium-intensity workload

b. Power limited to 125W to emulate a low-intensity workload

The thermal results included are for 10-minute testing runs. To be sure that was sufficiently long to tax the cooler, we tested both Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE and DeepCool’s LT720 with a 30-minute Cinebench test with Intel’s i9-13900K for both 10 minutes and 30 minutes. The results didn’t change much at all with the longer test: The average clock speeds maintained dropped by 29 MHz on DeepCool’s LT720 and 31 MHz on Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE. That’s a small 0.6% difference in clock speeds maintained, a margin of error difference that tells us that the 10-minute tests are indeed long enough to properly test the coolers.

Testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 platform

There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system's motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bending, which results in poor cooler contact with the CPU.

In order to prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, we’ve installed Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information.

Installation

The cooler installation is simple and easy. The fans come pre-installed, saving a few moments of installation time. I generally recommend securing the radiator to the case before proceeding to other steps.

1. Place the CPU bracket against the rear of the motherboard, and secure it using the included standoffs.

2. With the first installation of the cooler, you won’t need to apply thermal paste – it’s already on the copper contact plate. However, additional paste is included for other installations. If you’re not sure how to apply thermal paste, we have a guide you can read for more details.

3. Attach the mounting bars, and secure it using the included thumbscrews.

4. After securing the CPU block, you’ll need to connect the pump to a USB header using the included cable. You’ll also need to connect the power cord to the CPU block and a SATA power port. Finally, connect the ARGB and PWM cables to finish installation.

Thermal results without power limits

Without power limits enforced on Intel’s i7-14700K, the CPU will hit its peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle, even with strong coolers. When the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve measured the CPU package power to determine the maximum wattage cooled to best compare their performance.

Valkyrie’s SYN 360 was able to cool 260W on average when paired with Intel’s i7-14700K, just a few watts from full unthrottled performance. It’s important to note how well the cooler scales can vary with different CPUs – earlier this year I tested the SYN 360 on the i7-13700K, and it was able to keep the CPU from reaching its maximum temperature, allowing full unthrottled performance. 

To achieve this level of performance, the unrestricted fans run up to 49.2 dBA. This is a bit loud and I don’t think there’s any reason for fans to run so noisily. 

Thermal results with noise normalized to 38.9 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 quieter system. With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.9 dba. This level of noise is a low volume level, but slightly audible to most people. 

The noise-normalized performance of this cooler is much more impressive, cooling 251W on average. This is only 6W less than the best result we have for this test with NZXT’s Kraken Elite!

165W CPU + 275W GPU results

I’ve updated my testing methodology to better represent the scenarios a user might actually encounter in real-life use. The first of these new tests is designed to emulate a CPU-intensive game with a full GPU load. Because the CPU load is constant, this test is a bit more difficult than an actual game would be – I consider these results to be more comparable to what someone might see after overclocking.

Valkyrie’s SYN 360 did well here, tied for third place with ID-Cooling’s FX360 INF and Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III 360. To sustain this performance, the noise level of the fans averaged 45.3 dBA – a bit on the louder end compared to our other results, but an acceptable noise level in my opinion.

110W CPU + 275W GPU results

Our second round of CPU + GPU testing is performed with a lower CPU power limit and, in theory, should be similar to games that are moderately intensive for a CPU. Syn’s 360 performed acceptably well here, with a temperature of 59 C.

120W Cinebench Noise Levels

With my previous testing methodology, I used to record the temperatures and noise measurements using a 125W CPU-only test. And I would emphasize how temperatures do not matter in this scenario.

As such, for this section, I’m only going to report noise levels here. The temperature of the CPU in this scenario is largely irrelevant, but the results for liquid coolers are similar to those reported above in the 110W + GPU tests if you are particularly concerned about this information.

Valkyrie’s Syn 360 reached a noise level of 40.9 dBA for this test. This is in line with many other coolers on the market, but a little louder than I’d prefer in this scenario. Ideally, I feel that noise levels should be under 38.9 dBA in this test.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to like about Valkyrie’s SYN AIO. It offers quieter performance than competitors in low-power scenarios, has the unique distinction of supporting upgradable storage, and the packaging is much fancier than any other AIO on the market (if that matters to you). However, the “beta” feel of the software and the unit’s high $209.99 USD price tag make it hard to recommend against competitors.

Whether you’re pushing for the highest sustained clock speeds with your new Ryzen 9 9590X3D or Core i9-14900K, or you just want your modest rig to stay quiet under load, there are some important things to consider when choosing the best AIO (all-in-one) cooler for your new PC (or if you're just upgading your CPU and / or cooling).

AIO coolers are much more convenient and affordable than custom liquid cooling loops. And, traditionally at least, AIOs have been able to deliver lower CPU temperatures with less fan noise than air coolers. That’s not always the case these days, though, as the best air coolers have gotten better and, in some cases, bigger.

You’ll need to be sure there’s room to install an AIO cooler in your PC case, preferably in the top or rear in most cases, exhausting your CPU heat out of the chassis. AIO coolers mostly come in three sizes, defined by the dimensions of the radiator and the fans the radiator is designed to fit: 120 (one 120 mm fan), 240 (two 120 mm fans), or 360 mm (three 120 mm fans). And some coolers have thicker radiators, like Arctic's impressive Liquid Freezer III Pro.

There are some 140, 280 mm, and 420 mm AIO coolers as well, but they are far less common. As you might expect, the larger the radiator (generally speaking), the greater the cooling potential. That said, radiator thickness, materials, and fan and pump performance can factor heavily into cooling capability and noise output, too.

If you aren’t running a flagship CPU with lots of cores and 5-6 GHz speeds, and you don’t plan on overclocking, a 120 mm AIO (which you can usually mount in the rear exhaust fan area of your PC case) should suffice. That said, Intel's 13th and 14th Gen CPUs are generally more demanding on coolers. And AMD's Ryzen 9000 lineup, while less thermally demanding than Intel's chips, isn't exactly easy to cool either. So if you want better temperatures and slower-spinning fans, a good 240 mm AIO cooler is a better starting point, but it won’t fit in as many cases. A 360 mm AOI will generally give you better cooling and may be quieter than a 240 mm model, but it will fit in fewer cases.

In your quest for the best AIO cooler, don't forget to consider thermal paste or another thermal interface material (TIM) to use with your AIO cooler. Most coolers these days will come with some kind of paste, either in a small syringe or pre-applied to the metal cold plate (sometimes both). But to make sure you're getting the most efficient thermal transfer between your CPU and cooler plate, check out the many products we thoroughly tested to find the best thermal paste for your CPU.

While AIOs come with their own fans, case fans are also critical in keeping temperatures down. The cooler the intake air is hitting AIO or heatsink, the cooler your CPU temperatures will be. That said, we've started fan testing at Tom's and have published our first Best PC Case Fans article covering several recent PC fans including some from Noctua, Arctic, Phanteks, and more. Find out which fans perform best for your needs, be it quiet operation, high-performance, or RGBs, we have you covered and expanding testing testing more fans as we speak.

Intel Core Ultra Arrow Lake S cooling tests

If you're considering buying one of Intel's latest Core Ultra desktop processors, you may not need to spend as much as you think on cooling. Arrow Lake S is generally a more efficient design (though there are some serious tradeoffs in performance, particularly in gaming), so you generally don't need as much cooling performance as we saw with Raptor Lake chips.

Check out our testing below to see what kind of cooler you'll need to keep the latest Ultra 7 and Ultra 9 CPUs running fast and cool.

➡️ Intel Core Ultra 9 285K cooling testing

➡️ Intel Core Ultra 7 265K cooling testing

Quick List

Best AIO Coolers You Can Buy Today

Best 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler

If your primary cooling concern is the lowest possible CPU temperatures and you don't want to pay extra for RGB or a screen, Arctic's 360 mm Liquid Freezer III Pro is, hands down, the best option I've ever tested, whether you're using a high-end AMD or Intel CPU. Nothing else even comes close.

Just note that its radiator and fans together are 63 mm thick, so it won't fit in every case. And its default settings are arguably overkill for even a 9950X3D or a 14900K. So if you're sensitive to fan and pump noise, you'll want to tune things down a bit. Aslo, Intel users will have to install an included contact frame, which makes installation more complicated. Installation is pretty standard for AMD users.

Aside from performance, the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro also wins on price. Its $125 U.S. MSRP is competitive or below many other big-name cooling brands. But the cooler is also often on sale for much less. When we wrote this, the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 mm was selling for just $88 on Amazon. At that price – or really at any price around $100 – it's hard to argue for any other AIO cooler.

Read: Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro review

Best 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler Alternative

Thermalright continues to prove it's a market leader, raising the bar for performance and value with the Grand Vision 360. This 360mm AIO’s thermal results were better than previous coolers we’ve tested, both with Intel's current Core Ultra 9 285K and the older Core i7-14700K.

Its cooling performance wasn't drastically better than close competitors from Be Quiet and NZXT, but at $129 in the US, its more affordable than those alternatives, while offering up more features.

Unlike most AIOs in this price range, the Grand Vision 360 includes a fancy LCD screen with tons of preset customization options. And while not everyone wants or needs that in their cooler, Thermalright at least delivers the feature at a lower price than most competitors, and doesn't sacrifice cooling performance for a flashy LCD. If you’re looking for an LCD-equipped AIO that cools extremely well and doesn’t break the bank, Thermalright’s Grand Vision 360 is the liquid cooler you’re looking for.

Read: Thermalright Gran Vision 360 Review

Best Budget 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler

ID-Cooling, much like rival Thermalright, has established itself as a company that delivers solid colling performance at budget-friendly prices. Its FX360 INF 360mm AIO, while not the cheapest in the company's lineup, is still quite affordable at around $80. For that price, you get RGB fans and an infinity mirror on top of the CPU block, a tube of one of the best thermal pastes we've tested, and shockingly great performance for the price.

The ID-Cooling FX360 INF was within striking distance of the best coolers we've tested, just one watt below the best results we've seen cooling the Core i7-14700K with no power limits. And it kept our newer Core Ultra 9 286K more than 10 degrees Celsius below its throttling threshold. And even more impressively, it did all that with a maximum noise level of just 44.4 dBA – and when tied to our test system's default fan curve during our heavy gaming test, the cooler topped out at just 40.9 dBA. Those are both some of the quietest results we've seen from an AIO.

You could spend more – and you'll likely have to spend a lot more – to get slightly better cooling performance and / or aesthetic features like a customizable screen on the water block. But if all you care about is keeping your CPU cool and your system quiet while adding some RGB lighting to your rig, ID-Cooling's FX360 INF is one of the best – and most affordable – 360mm options we've tested to date.

Read: ID-Cooling FX360 INF review

Best Multipurpose AIO Liquid Cooler

Silverstone’s IceMyst AIOs show that there’s still plenty of room for innovation in the CPU cooling market. Apart from doing a good general job at CPU cooling, this cooler lets you add multiple fans ($16 extra per fan) around the base of the CPU block and direct them over your VRMs, RAM, SSD, etc. This is a feature unmatched by any existing product on the market. And the IceMyst coolers also cost less than many high-end AIO cooler alternatives.

In our CPU cooling tests, the IceMyst AIOs (we tested both the 360 and 240mm models) performed very well, usually landing close to the best-performing coolers in terms of chip-chilling abilities. And when all coolers’ fans are set to the same low noise level of 38.2 dBA, Silverston’s IceMyst 360 performed the best of any cooler we’ve tested, handling 237 watts. The 240mm model also did well, handling 228W.

My only complaint is that by default, the IceMyst’s included radiator fans run much louder than needed – but that’s easily fixed by implementing a custom fan curve. If fan noise bothers you, don’t worry too much because when set to run silently the 360mm IcyMyst provides the best noise normalized results I’ve seen from any cooler on the market.

Read: Silverstone IceMyst 360 and 240mm AIO Review

Best 280mm AIO Cooler

Lian Li’s Galahad II LCD 280 shows that with the right design, you don’t need a 360mm AIO or a loud cooler to keep modern high-end CPUs from throttling. Its performance is amongst the best we’ve seen from any AIO, and its limited 280mm size means that it will fit in many cases where a 360mm model won’t. The included LCD screen is vibrant and adds eye-catching functionality to the cooler’s aesthetics.

At $229, the Galahad II LCD 280 is on the expensive end of the AIO spectrum. But if the LCD display isn’t your thing or you’re on a budget, the non-LCD versions of the Galahad II are available for $159.99 for the 360mm version and $119.99 for the 240mm model.

Read: Lian Li Galahad II LCD 280 Review

Best 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler

If you’re looking for a strong 240mm AIO, you can’t go wrong with Lian Li’s Galahad II Trinity 240mm. Our testing shows it's the best-cooling AIO of its size on the market. It's also quiet in most workloads, and it has a very reasonable price of only $119.99.

I never imagined that a 240mm AIO would have this level of cooling domination. Lian Li’s Galahad Trinity II Performance 240mm managed to sidle up to or outperform 360mm AIOs that were previously considered among the best available.

Read: Lian Li Galahad II Trinity Performance 240 Review

Best 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler Alternative

After installing and testing it, I found Cooler Master’s new MasterLiquid 240 Atmos especially impressive. It’s clear the company has improved its flagship AIO in several key areas. Noise levels are low in most common workloads, and despite its smaller 240mm profile, the 240 Atmos is one of only a handful of AIOs I’ve tested that's capable of keeping Intel’s i7-13700K under its peak temperature, even in the hottest of workloads.

The attention to detail is also apparent in the packaging (which incorporates installation instructions) and RGB lighting. And Cooler Master backs the quality of this product with rated lifespans of over 160,000 hours for the fans and 210,000 hours for the pump, combined with a 5-year warranty.

Lian Li's Galahad II Trinity Performance 240 cools just slightly better and sells for a little less. But Cooler Master's Atmos includes an ARGB controller box for syncing your lighting with other components. If you can make use of this controller, which would cost about $20 on its own, the two coolers are effectively evenly priced.

Read: Cooler Master MasterLiquid 240 Atmos Review

Best 120mm Closed-Loop Liquid Cooler

In most instances, you can get better performance with air cooler at a lower price than a small 120mm AIO. And an air cooler won't add pump hum to your PC. But there are certain kinds of systems, whether they be extremely compact, or just with very little clearance above the CPU socket and no space to mount a larger 240mm radiator, where a small 120mm AIOs will be your best (or perhaps only) choice.

We tested four popular models of these compact liquid coolers. And while the Enermax LiqMaxFlo SR 120mm wasn't quite the best performer when it comes to cooling, it offered the best balance of cooling ability, quiet noise levels, and price (selling for around $80 when we wrote this).

Enermax's cooler also brings a unique feature in its block-mounted RGB fan, which adds a some glow, while also helping to circulate air around your VRMs and RAM. In very tight cases where you might have to use a 120mm AIO, the extra airflow in this area can be a very helpful feature.

Read our 120mm AIO roundup: Testing Be Quiet, Corsair, Cooler Master, and Enermax models

Best AIO Cooler Specifications

Savings on the Best AIO CPU Coolers

Savings on the Best AIO CPU Coolers

Whether you're shopping for one of the products that made our best CPU coolers list or one that didn't, you may find some savings by checking out our list of Newegg promo codes or Corsair coupon codes.

MORE: Best Air CPU Cooling

MORE: How To Choose A CPU Cooler

Whether you’re after the highest clock speeds possible or looking to build a PC that's near-silent under load, you should to choose your CPU cooler carefully. The best CPU cooler for your build will dictate your processor's temperatures and contribute to its fan noise.

In high-end systems, a great cooler can also deliver better performance by keeping your CPU's boost clocks higher for longer periods. We test dozens of PC air coolers and all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler models every year. You'll find our picks for the best coolers below to keep your CPU temps under control. And if you're after a liquid cooler in particular, check out our Best AIO Coolers page for even more excellent cooler options for your system's CPU.

ASRock has dipped its toes into AIO liquid cooling market, some with a pumpless design, we'll see at CES. The plan to release coolers across the Taichi, Phantom Gaming, Steel Legend, Challenger, and Pro, and workstations lineups with most using a more traditional pump configuration. We also have a visits scheduled with Cooler Master, Corsair, Lian Li, and others who are expected to show off some new coolers and AIOs for 2026; some which could make our best list. Keep an eye out here for updates!

While AIOs and air coolers come with their own fans, case fans are also critical in keeping temperatures down. The cooler the air hitting AIO or heatsink, the cooler your CPU temperatures will be. That said, we've started fan testing at Tom's and have published our first Best PC Case Fans article covering several recent PC fans including some from Noctua, Arctic, Phanteks, and more. Find out which fans perform best for your needs, be it quiet operation, high-performance, or RGBs, we have you covered and expanding testing testing more fans as we speak.

Best Air Coolers

Best AIO Coolers

The Best Air Coolers You Can Buy Today

Best Air Cooler for Most People

Thermalright's Peerless Assassin 120 SE lives up to its name, delivering the best performance from an air cooler that we've tested on Intel's Alder Lake at a price that undercuts the competition. In our tests, it performed so well when cooling our Core i9-12900K that we re-tested it multiple times to be sure the results were correct. The Peerless Assassin 120 SE cooled the CPU when it was drawing over 200 watts better than our tested competition, and at lower thermal/TDP settings, it performed much better than the competition.

The cooler's two 120mm fans did their job of dissipating all that heat at low noise levels, making at just 34.5dB at max speed, and 33dB at 50% speed. It's also available in in silver/gray, white or black, so it should fit in with most build themes if you care about matching aesthetics. Whether you care about value or not, you should consider this cooler for your next system build, so long as your case has room for it.

Read: Thermalright Peerless Assassin SE review

Best Big Air CPU Cooler

Thermalright has long been delivering impressive cooling at prices that most of competition can't match. But the Royal Pretor 130 shattered my expectations, once again raising the bar for what I consider possible with air cooling, both in terms of maximum theoretical performance and when its fans are set to run quietly. And unlike big air alternatives from brands like Noctua or Be Quiet, the price of this cooler is reasonable, typically selling for just above $50 in the U.S.

That said, unless you're running one of the highest-end consumer CPUs under sustained productivity workloads that task all all available cores, or you need the quietest possible performance, most people should be happy with a lower-end, lower-priced cooler like Thermalright's Peerless Assassin 120 SE, which typically sells for $15-$20 less than this cooler. But if you’re looking for the best air cooler on the market and don't mind spending around $50, the Royal Pretor 130 is what you should buy.

Read: Thermalright Royal Pretor 130

Best Mid-size Air CPU Cooler

With the Mugen 6, Scythe brings performance and noise levels comparable to high-end models available from BeQuiet! and DeepCool, at a lower price. If you’re after a well-performing air cooler with low maximum noise levels, the Mugen 6 and Mugen 6 Black Edition are well worth considering.

There aren’t many other quiet coolers at this price level, aside form Thermalright’s Phantom Spirit 120. It can dissipate slightly more watts for high-end CPUs, but it does so at higher maximum noise levels.

Read: Scythe Mugen 6 review

Best Entry-Level Air Cooler

You shouldn't use it for overclocking, but for those looking for an aftermarket cooler on a tight budget, Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE is the best option on the market at the moment. Our testing shows it delivers essential cooling performance sufficient for most users, while also keeping noise levels low. Its one-year warranty is less than most of the competition. But if the fan goes in a couple of years, you can probably afford to replace it considering how affordable this cooler is.

Read: Thermalright Assassin X 120 R SE review

Best Fanless CPU Cooler

Noctua’s NH-P1 is a unique fanless cooler that delivers truly silent cooling, at the cost of slightly reduced cooling thermal performance. Don't look to this cooler if you need every last bit of performance for overclocking. But if you’re a user who prefers silence and runs more common workloads, it's a great option. Even if you run intense multi-core workloads, there won’t be much of a performance loss, as we saw in our Cinebench R23 tests using AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D.

Not only is Noctua’s NH-P1 the strongest fanless solution available for typical PC users, it's also the only one that is easily available for purchase. The $119 USD price will be tough for many to take, but that’s the price of a niche product with strong performance.

Read: Noctua NH-P1 review

Best AIO Coolers You Can Buy Today

Best 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler

If your primary cooling concern is the lowest possible CPU temperatures and you don't want to pay extra for RGB or a screen, Arctic's 360 mm Liquid Freezer III Pro is, hands down, the best option I've ever tested, whether you're using a high-end AMD or Intel CPU. Nothing else even comes close.

Just note that its radiator and fans together are 63 mm thick, so it won't fit in every case. And its default settings are arguably overkill for even a 9950X3D or a 14900K. So if you're sensitive to fan and pump noise, you'll want to tune things down a bit. Aslo, Intel users will have to install an included contact frame, which makes installation more complicated. Installation is pretty standard for AMD users.

Aside from performance, the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro also wins on price. Its $125 U.S. MSRP is competitive or below many other big-name cooling brands. But the cooler is also often on sale for much less. When we wrote this, the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 mm was selling for just $88 on Amazon. At that price – or really at any price around $100 – it's hard to argue for any other AIO cooler.

Read: Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro review

Best Budget Curved Screen AIO

If you’re in the market for a new AIO and like huge screens, Thermalright’s Wonder Vision 360 UB ARGB is one of the best we’ve recently tested. Sporting a large, high-resolution 6.7-inch detachable curved screen that sets it apart from most of the competition, good cooling performance, low noise in common scenarios, and a lower price than competing curved-screen AIOs, this makes a great cooling solution for anyone who wants a screen on their AIO without the sticker shock.

Our testing revealed that the Wonder Vision handles more than 255W with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X CPU; however, they said it gets loud when maxed out (47 dBA peak). Quiet isn’t its specialty during high-load scenarios, but it operates quietly in other scenarios. Still, the claim to fame for this AIO is the detachable 6.7-inch, 2,400 x 1,080-resolution anamorphic screen that can be mounted elsewhere, even outside your case. Thermalright stands behind this AIO with a long six-year warranty, too.

Read: Thermalright Wonder Vision 360 UB ARGB Review

Best 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler Alternative

Thermalright continues to prove it's a market leader, raising the bar for performance and value with the Grand Vision 360. This 360mm AIO’s thermal results were better than previous coolers we’ve tested, both with Intel's current Core Ultra 9 285K and the older Core i7-14700K.

Its cooling performance wasn't drastically better than close competitors from Be Quiet and NZXT, but at $129 in the US, its more affordable than those alternatives, while offering up more features.

Unlike most AIOs in this price range, the Grand Vision 360 includes a fancy LCD screen with tons of preset customization options. And while not everyone wants or needs that in their cooler, Thermalright at least delivers the feature at a lower price than most competitors, and doesn't sacrifice cooling performance for a flashy LCD. If you’re looking for an LCD-equipped AIO that cools extremely well and doesn’t break the bank, Thermalright’s Grand Vision 360 is the liquid cooler you’re looking for.

Read: Thermalright Grand Vision 360 Review

Best Budget 360mm AIO Cooler

ID-Cooling, much like rival Thermalright, has established itself as a company that delivers solid colling performance at budget-friendly prices. Its FX360 INF 360mm AIO, while not the cheapest in the company's lineup, is still quite affordable at around $80. For that price, you get RGB fans and an infinity mirror on top of the CPU block, a tube of one of the best thermal pastes we've tested, and shockingly great performance for the price.

The ID-Cooling FX360 INF was within striking distance of the best coolers we've tested, just one watt below the best results we've seen cooling the Core i7-14700K with no power limits. And it kept our newer Core Ultra 9 286K more than 10 degrees Celsius below its throttling threshold. And even more impressively, it did all that with a maximum noise level of just 44.4 dBA – and when tied to our test system's default fan curve during our heavy gaming test, the cooler topped out at just 40.9 dBA. Those are both some of the quietest results we've seen from an AIO.

You could spend more – and you'll likely have to spend a lot more – to get slightly better cooling performance and / or aesthetic features like a customizable screen on the water block. But if all you care about is keeping your CPU cool and your system quiet while adding some RGB lighting to your rig, ID-Cooling's FX360 INF is one of the best – and most affordable – 360mm options we've tested to date.

Read: ID-Cooling FX360 INF review

Best Multipurpose AIO Cooler

There is still room for innovation in the CPU cooling market, as evidenced by Silverstone's IceMyst AIO line. The 360mm model we tested performed generally quite well in our testing, but apart from that, this cooler lets you add multiple additional fans (which cost $16 each) on top of the CPU block that can easily be positioned to help cool VRMs, RAM, SSDs, or other nearby components. While not everyone needs this additional cooling, it's a unique option not available from any other AIO or air cooler. And the IceMyst is also priced less than most high-end AIO coolers.

We tested both the 360 and 240mm IceMyst AIOs and they performed well overall, generally landing close tot he best-performing alternatives in terms of thermal dissipation. But if you set the IceMyst cooler's fans to a quiet 38.2 dBA, as well as its competitors, Silverstone’s 360mm cooler performed better than any cooler we've tested, dissipating 237 watts. The 240mm model also did well, removing 228W of heat.

The only real downside is that you'll have to do some fan speed tweaking to get the best results. By default, Silverstone sets the IceMyst's fan speeds higher than they need to be, making them louder than necessary. But take a few minutes to set a custom fan curve in your BIOS or motherboard software, and these coolers offer the best noise-normalized performance we've tested so far. Plus, if you want to add some additional cooling to components around your CPU, you can do so for as little as $16 extra.

Read: Silverstone IceMyst 360 and 240mm AIO Review

Best 280mm AIO Cooler

With the right design, you don’t need a 360mm AIO or a loud cooler to keep modern high-end CPUs from throttling -- and Lian Li’s Galahad II LCD 280 proves it. Its performance is amongst the best we’ve seen from any AIO, and its limited 280mm radiator size means that it will fit in many cases where a 360mm model won’t. The LCD screen atop the cooling plate is vibrant and adds eye-catching functionality, too.

At $229, the Galahad II LCD 280 is on the fairly expensive, but if the LCD display isn’t important to you, the non-LCD versions of the Galahad II are available for $159.99 for the 360mm version and $119.99 for the 240mm model. That's a lot more affordable for what should be performance that's just as impressive as this model.

Read: Lian Li Galahad II LCD 280 Review

Best 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler

I never imagined that a 240mm AIO would have this level of thermal domination. Lian Li’s Galahad Trinity II Performance 240mm got surprisingly close to and even outperformed 360mm AIOs in our testing that were previously considered among the best available.

You can’t go wrong with Lian Li’s Galahad II Trinity 240mm if you're after a cooler that performs well. Our testing shows it's the best-cooling AIO of its size on the market. It's also quiet under most conditions, and is reasonably priced at only $119.99.

Read: Lian Li Galahad II Trinity Performance 240 Review

Best 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler Alternative

After testing, I found Cooler Master’s new MasterLiquid 240 Atmos especially impressive. The company improved its flagship AIO in several key areas: Noise levels are low in most common workloads, and despite its smaller 240mm profile, this is one of only a handful of AIOs I’ve tested that can keep Intel’s i7-13700K under its peak temperature, even in the most thermally demanding scenarios.

Cooler Master also backs the quality of this product with rated lifespans of over 160,000 hours for the fans and 210,000 hours for the pump, combined with a 5-year warranty.

Lian Li's Galahad II Trinity Performance 240 cools just slightly better and sells for a little less. But Cooler Master's Atmos includes an ARGB controller box for syncing your lighting with other components. If you have a use for the controller, which would cost about $20 on its own, these two coolers are effectively evenly priced.

Read: Cooler Master MasterLiquid 240 Atmos Review

Best 120mm Closed-Loop Liquid Cooler

Why you might not want a 120mm AIO

Generally, you can get better performance with air cooler at a lower price than a small 120mm AIO. And an air cooler won't add the underlying hum of pump noise to your PC. But there are certain systems, whether they be extremely compact, or just with very little clearance above the CPU socket and no space to mount a larger 240mm radiator, where 120mm AIOs are your best (or perhaps only) option.

We tested four popular models of these compact liquid coolers. And while Enermax LiqMaxFlo SR 120mm wasn't hands-down the best performer when it comes to cooling, it offered the best balance of cooling ability, quiet noise levels, and price (selling for around $80 when we wrote this).

Enermax's cooler also has a unique feature in its CPU-block-mounted RGB fan, which adds a splash of color while also helping to circulate air around your VRMs and RAM. In extremely tight cases where you might have to use a 120mm AIO, that extra airflow can be a very helpful feature.

Read our 120mm AIO roundup: Testing Be Quiet, Corsair, Cooler Master, and Enermax models

Intel Core Ultra Arrow Lake S cooling tests

If you're considering building around one of Intel's latest Core Ultra desktop processors, you won't need to spend as much as you might think on cooling. Arrow Lake S sports a more efficient design (though there are some serious tradeoffs in performance, particularly in gaming), so you shouldn't need as much cooling performance as you would or did with previous-gen Raptor Lake chips.

Our testing links below will tell you what kind of cooler you'll need to keep the latest Ultra 7 and Ultra 9 CPUs running fast and cool.

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K cooling testing

Intel Core Ultra 7 265K cooling testing

Quick Shopping Tips

When choosing the best CPU cooler for your needs, consider the following:

Managing heat is a fundamental consideration when building or upgrading a PC, if you care about optimal performance. For many enthusiasts, the decision boils down to choosing between traditional air cooling (with a metal heatsink and fan) or a liquid cooling solution. AIO (All-in-one) liquid coolers have gained popularity for their efficiency, aesthetics, and potential for overclocking, but are they necessary for your system? This guide will explore whether an AIO cooler is the right choice for your build.

What is an AIO cooler?

An AIO cooler is a pre-assembled liquid cooling system that includes a pump, radiator, and tubes pre-filled with coolant. It is designed to remove heat from the CPU and dissipate it through the radiator, which is usually mounted at the top or front of a PC case. Unlike custom liquid cooling loops that require assembly and maintenance (and are much more expensive), AIO coolers are ready to use right out of the box, providing liquid cooling benefits with minimal hassle.

AIO coolers work by placing a cold plate in direct contact with the processor's heat spreader, absorbing heat. The liquid coolant then circulates through the system, carrying the heat to a radiator, which dissipates the heat with the help of fans. The cooled liquid then returns to the cold plate to repeat the process, keeping the processor's temperatures in check and delivering strong sustained performance, especially under heavy workloads.

AIO coolers are often preferred for their ability to dissipate more heat at lower fan speeds (hence lower noise) than traditional air coolers. With heat transfer via liquid, they tend to maintain lower temperatures in demanding systems and are particularly useful in cases where overclocking or intensive workloads are common.

Noise and thermals

One of the key selling points of AIO coolers is that they generally provide better cooling with less noise compared to air coolers. The larger surface area of a radiator and the efficiency of liquid coolant mean that fans shouldn't have to work as hard, resulting in quieter operation.

However, large high-end air coolers like the Noctua NH-D15 or Thermalright's Peerless Assassin 140 can also deliver excellent thermal performance with minimal noise, especially in non-overclocked systems. The difference in temperature and noise between high-quality air and liquid cooling solutions often becomes negligible, especially for users who aren't pushing their systems to the limit for extended periods.

Other benefits of an AIO cooler

☑ Compact size for tight builds: An often overlooked benefit of AIO coolers is their compactness compared to large air coolers – at least when it comes to the space above the motherboard, which is often tight in compact cases. Air coolers, especially high-performance models, feature large heatsinks and multiple fans, which require wider cases and can obstruct access to other components like RAM slots or tall GPUs.

AIO coolers move the bulky radiator to the case's side or top, freeing up space around the CPU socket. This makes AIOs often a better choice for small form factor (SFF) builds or cases with limited internal space, where the heatsinks and fans from traditional tower air coolers might not fit.

☑ Aesthetics and customization: For many PC builders, aesthetics are nearly as important as performance. AIO coolers tend to offer a cleaner, more modern look, with sleek radiators and tubing. Many AIO coolers also come equipped with RGB lighting on both the pump and fans, allowing for customization that can match the rest of your build’s aesthetic. But of course, plenty of air coolers offer RGB lighting as well.

The comparatively low-profile design of an AIO cooler also results in a less cluttered internal layout, giving your build a minimalist appearance and providing for better airflow inside the case.

☑ Quieter operation: AIO coolers are generally quieter than air coolers, especially those with larger radiators (280mm or 360mm models) and high-quality fans. Bigger radiators use larger fans that can operate at lower RPMs, reducing noise while still pushing enough air to cool the system efficiently. In contrast, some air coolers (especially stock coolers included with CPUs) use smaller fans that spin at higher speeds, producing more noise.

Downsides of using an AIO cooler

⛔ Cost: AIO coolers are typically more expensive than their air-cooled counterparts, especially models with larger radiators or premium features like RGB lighting or built-in screens. Depending on the size and brand, AIO prices can range from $50 to $200 or more, whereas air coolers generally cost less. For budget-conscious builders, investing in a high-end air cooler might offer a better price-to-performance ratio, especially for non-overclocked systems.

⛔ Installation can be more complicated: Mounting hardware can vary in complexity between companies, and some AIOs ship with pre-installed fans, which generally makes installation easier. But broadly, installing an air cooler with one or two fans tends to take less time and effort than installing a radiator, two or three fans, mounting the cold plate to the CPU, then plugging in the cables for the pump, fans, and any RGB and / or data cables.

⛔ Potential for leaks: Although AIO coolers are designed to be sealed and maintenance-free, there is always a small risk of leakage. AIO coolers circulate liquid through tubing, and while leaks are rare, they can happen if the cooler is damaged or key parts fail over time. This is unlikely to occur, but it’s something to consider, especially when compared to the reliability of air coolers, which do not have any liquid to leak out and damage your PC if it fails or breaks.

⛔ Limited lifespan and maintenance: While AIO coolers generally require little to no maintenance, the pump in the cooler can wear out over time. Pumps typically last several years, but once they fail, the entire cooler will need to be replaced. This is in contrast to air coolers, which rely on fans as their only moving parts, which can be easily replaced if they stop working.

Additionally, AIO coolers might require occasional dust cleaning on the radiator, which can collect debris over time and reduce cooling efficiency. However, the same can be said for the fins of any cooling system.

When you might not need an AIO cooler

▶ Basic or mid-range builds: If you’re building a system for general use—like web browsing, office tasks, or even light gaming—an AIO cooler is usually unnecessary. Many modern CPUs come with stock air coolers that are perfectly capable of handling everyday workloads. A high-end AIO cooler would be overkill for these types of systems – as would a high-end air cooler.

Even if you're gaming or running mid-range hardware (such as Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 CPUs), a decent air cooler will likely keep your CPU at safe operating temperatures without the added expense and complexity of liquid cooling.

▶ Budget constraints: If you’re working within a limited budget, it might be smarter to invest in other components—such as a faster GPU or a larger SSD—than to splurge on an AIO cooler. The best CPU air coolers offer excellent performance at a lower price and can handle the thermal demands of most non-overclocked CPUs effectively.

Price difference

The price difference between CPU air coolers and AIO liquid coolers varies based on performance, size, and brand. Air coolers are typically more affordable, with budget models starting around $20 and high-end units like the Noctua NH-D15 G2 costing as much as $150. These are effective for most general workloads and offer reliability without complexity.

AIO liquid coolers are generally more expensive. Entry-level models (120mm radiators) start below $50, while larger, high-performance units (240mm to 360mm or larger) can cost as much as $200 or more. These coolers are ideal for heavy workloads, overclocking, or systems requiring superior sustained thermal management.

While AIOs generally offer better cooling for overclocked systems or high-end CPUs, air coolers remain a more budget-friendly and simpler solution for most users. The performance difference will be more noticeable during higher-power, longer loads with higher-clocked CPUs, where the best AIO coolers can maintain lower temperatures for extended periods. But AIOs also come with additional potential maintenance concerns due to moving parts like pumps and circulating liquid.

Conclusion

Ultimately, whether or not you should use an AIO cooler depends on your specific needs. If you’re overclocking, running a high-performance CPU, or building in a compact case, an AIO cooler can provide superior cooling performance, space-saving benefits, and enhanced aesthetics. AIOs are especially appealing for enthusiasts seeking optimal performance (without the extra cost and complexity of a custom cooling loop) or those building a system in a glass panel case who are after a clean look.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the performance differences between the best air coolers available today and an average AIO have lessened in recent years. All AIOs (and especially those with single-fan radiators) aren't going to perform better or run quieter than a good modern air cooler. So be sure to check our cooler reviews so you know what class of cooler you're getting.

In the end, if you value maximum CPU performance, low noise, and premium looks—and have the budget—an AIO cooler can be a worthy investment. If your priorities are cost-effectiveness and simplicity, a good air cooler is still worth considering.

For more on this subject and to narrow down your choices, see our list of the best CPU coolers we've tested, which includes several air coolers, as well as our favorite AIOs.

iBuyPower is primarily known for its pre-built gaming PCs, but the company has extensive expertise in creating cooling solutions as well. iBuyPower’s AIO design team is shared with Hyte, the same engineers who created the impressive Hyte THICC Q60 which we reviewed earlier this year. So I was curious to see how the 240mm and 360mm versions of the iBuyPower AW4 AIOs would perform.

The AW4 also caught my eye for its relatively low price (starting at just $79 for the 240mm model), but does it have what it takes to make our list of best CPU coolers? Let’s take a quick look at the specifications of these AIOs, then we’ll dive into their features and our benchmark testing. 

Cooler specifications 

Packing and included contents

The AW4 AIOs arrive in a black and red boxes, with molded cardboard and plastic coverings for the protection of the components.

Included with the cooler are the following:

• 120mm fans
• Radiator (240mm or 360mm)
• Mounting for modern Intel and AMD platforms
• Installation Manual
• PWM splitter cable
• Pre-installed thermal paste

Features of iBuyPower’s AW4 Liquid Coolers

*️⃣ Diffused lighting CPU block

The CPU block is translucent, with iBuyPower’s logo on top, and diffused lighting. It can be rotated to ensure the logo is in the correct orientation once the cooler is installed.

*️⃣ Available in black or white

The model we’re reviewing today is black, but there’s also a white option.

*️⃣ Pre-installed thermal paste, large copper contact plate

The AW4 AIOs have large copper CPU contact plates, with thermal paste pre-installed to make installation easier.

*️⃣ Low price

Most 360mm AIOs on the market have prices of $120 or more, some as expensive as $350! But the iBuyPower AW4 AIOs are reasonably priced, with an MSRP of $99.99 USD for the 360mm version and $79.99 for the 240mm model.

*️⃣ Unlimited RAM Clearance

Like most AIO liquid coolers on the market, the AW4 does not interfere with RAM DIMMs in any way. This means you can install any size of RAM, no matter how tall, without worrying about compatibility concerns.

*️⃣ Accessible Refill Port

This should be standard practice, but some AIO manufacturers don’t include refill ports on their AIOs. Those that do often try to scare consumers away from servicing the equipment with a “warranty void when removed” sticker that is illegal in the U.S. under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act – the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently issued warnings to Gigabyte, ASRock, and Zotac for this practice.

You shouldn’t need to refill the unit during its three-year warranty, but should you ever need to refill the unit, iBuyPower includes an accessible refill port on the AIO – with no illegal warnings trying to scare you away.

*️⃣ 120mm fans

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. These fans include nine blades with ribs and anti-vibration pads.

Testing Methodology

I do a few things differently than many other reviewers, to ensure my results are actually applicable to most users. I test in an actual case, rather than an open bench. The problem with testing on an open bench is that with typical consumer usage – you know, with an enclosed computer case – the ambient temperature within the case will be higher than that of outside air, which adds difficulty to the cooler’s job. 

I also strictly regulate the ambient temperature to 23 degrees C during testing. I do not accept results at 22 or 24C as valid, even though in theory there wouldn’t be a significant difference in terms of test results.

Testing is also only performed with recent-generation CPUs. Older CPUs have bigger hotspots due to older manufacturing processes, and they also have lower clockspeeds, which can make them easier to cool.

The problem with CPU-only testing

Many other reviewers, and also most of my own older reviews, only test coolers with a load running on the CPU. While this does provide good and useful information, it doesn’t paint a complete picture of how a cooler will perform. Many workloads, and especially gaming, will stress both the CPU and GPU.

To test how well a CPU’s cooler will perform in these situations I’ve added two tests: one with a light CPU and one with a moderate CPU load, both while running a full load on with AMD’s Radeon RX 7900GRE.

Testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 platform

There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system's motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bending, which results in poor cooler contact with the CPU. 

In order to prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, we’ve installed Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information. 

LGA 1700 Installation

1. Place the backplate against the rear of the motherboard, underneath the CPU.

2. Next, take the metal standoffs, and screw them into the backplate through the motherboard.

3. If you haven’t already done so, secure the included fans against the radiator, and then secure the radiator to your computer’s case. I’d also recommend connecting the fans to the PWM splitter cord during this step.

4. Place the CPU block on top of the CPU, and then secure it with the included screws.

5. Connect the PWM and ARGB cords to your motherboard.

6. Turn on your computer; installation is complete!

CPU Thermal results without power limits

For the first test, I’ve removed power limits from the CPU and run Cinebench to see how much the cooler can take in a worst case scenario. The 360mm version of this cooler was able to keep Intel’s i7-14700K below its maximum temperature of 100C, one of the few coolers on the market capable of doing so. 

This test was a difficult task with my last testing system, which used an Intel i7-13700K - and it’s even harder on my current testing system which uses a 14th generation i7 CPU. Most coolers will “fail” this test. It can only be “passed” with the strongest liquid coolers on the market. 

iBuyPower’s AW4 360 kept the CPU at an average of 92 degrees C during this test. While toasty, this is the second-best result I’ve seen thus far. If you’re looking for a cheap cooler that can handle the hottest of workloads, the AW4 360 offers rather impressive performance when you consider its relatively low price of only $99.99 USD.

The 240mm version of the AW4 was not capable of “passing” this test, with the CPU reaching its peak temperature and thermal throttling to a small degree. This is normal behavior for most coolers and is no cause for concern. In this situation, the best way to compare the performance of a cooler is to look at how much power the CPU consumes - stronger coolers will cause the CPU to sustain a higher power draw.

iBUYPOWER’s AW4 240mm allowed the CPU to sustain 253W on average during the course of testing. This is a small bit better than the best air cooler I’ve tested on this system, Thermalright’s Peerless Assassin 140.

In this test where the CPU sustains its peak temperature (TJ Max), the 240mm version of the AW4 did well - cooling 253W on average during this test. This is slightly better than the best air coolers on the market.

Maximum Noise Levels

Of course, maximum thermal performance benchmarks aren’t complete without taking into effect noise levels. The AW4 AIOs are not quiet coolers, running at up to 50dBA. This is louder than I most — generally, I prefer coolers that have maximum noise levels of 45dBA or less. That said, the pitch of the fans is low and pleasant – to me at least, it doesn’t feel quite as loud as other coolers of the same volume level.

Note that our chart above starts at 35dBA, which is unusual. We aren’t doing this to be deceptive. First, noise level measurements are logarithmic. A person with typical hearing will perceive a doubling of noise for every 10 dBA increase, but the impact can vary from person to person.

Second, 35dBA was chosen as the “zero” because it is the lowest level my noise meter can accurately measure. Second, 35dBA was chosen as the “zero” because it is the lowest level my noise meter can accurately measure. This is also low enough that other case or component fans are likely to be loud enough to drown out the noise for the CPU cooler.

Thermal results with noise normalized to 38.9 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 quieter system. With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.9 dba. This level of noise is a low volume level, but slightly audible to most people.

While they performed well when set to low noise levels, the AW4 coolers weren’t quite as impressive as the previous thermal results. The 240mm version performs similarly to the best air coolers on the market in this scenario and the 360mm model is comparable to Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III.

165W CPU + 275W GPU Thermal and Noise results

I’ve recently updated my testing methodology to better represent the scenarios a user might actually encounter in real-life use. The first of these new tests is designed to emulate a CPU-intensive game with a full GPU load.

The AW4 360 does very well here, tied with the Tryx Panorama 360 for the best results I’ve seen in this test yet. The 240mm does alright, with CPU temperatures 4-8C better than some of the best air coolers on the market.

Unfortunately, both coolers run rather loudly to achieve this level of performance – with an average noise level of 47.2 dBA.

110W CPU + 275W GPU Thermal results

Our second round of CPU + GPU testing is performed with a lower CPU power limit, and in theory should be similar to games that are moderately intensive for a CPU.

In this lower power scenario, the AW4 360 does well, with a temperature of 57C. As of this writing, this is the second-best result I’ve recorded. The 240mm isn’t far behind, trailing the 360mm version by only 2C with a temperature of 59C.

120W Noise results

With my previous testing, I used to record the temperatures and noise measurements using a 125W CPU-only test and I would emphasize how temperatures do not matter in this scenario. 

So for this section I’m only going to report noise levels – because that’s the only information that really matters for this test. The temperature of the CPU in this scenario is largely irrelevant, but the results for liquid coolers is similar to those reported above in the 110W + GPU tests if you are particularly concerned about this information.

While the thermal performance in a low-power situation was good, these noise levels are not. The AW4 coolers had noise levels of 41-42 dBA. While this isn’t loud, these are the noisiest results I’ve recorded with this test so far.  

Conclusion

iBuyPower’s AW4 AIOs are strong-performing coolers with chart-topping thermals and budget-tier price tags. However, that performance comes at the cost of higher noise levels. I would recommend these AIOs for users who want the best performance possible while on a budget, as long as they’re not particular about noise.

In recent months, we’ve tested high-end, high-price coolers from well-known brands like Cooler Master and Lian Li. But today we’re looking at the 240mm and 360mm variants of the Hyperflow ARGB AIO made by Taiwanese manufacturer Montech PC. The company’s lineup currently includes keyboards, cases, CPU coolers, and power supplies. 

What initially caught my attention about Montech’s Hyperflow ARGB were the company’s bold claims of top-tier cooling performance paired with a budget price of $94.99 USD for the 360mm AIO. Does Montech have what it takes to make our list of best performing coolers? Let’s take a quick look at the units’ specifications, then we’ll dive into their features and our testing.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

The outside of the box advertises the essential design of the unit (we’ll primarily be focusing on the 360 model), as well as its compatibility certifications.

Included in the box are the following:

• 28mm thick 120mm fans, pre-installed
• 27mm thick radiator of 240mm or 360mm size
• Cable management clips
• Pre-installed and additional thermal paste
• Mounting for modern AMD and Intel platforms

Features of Montech’s Hyperflow ARGB 360mm and 240mm AIOs

*️⃣ Pre-installed Metal Pro 12 ARGB 28mm Fans

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. The included 120mm fans are 3mm thicker than typical fans at 28mm are rated for 3.81 mmH2O static pressure, and feature ribs to help stabilize the blades. These fans also support 3-pin ARGB lighting.

To make installation easy for users, these fans feature a quick-connect system to reduce cable clutter and have been pre-installed by Montech, saving users a few minutes of setup time.

*️⃣ Budget price tag, strong performance

Many of the strongest AIOs come with high price tags, we’ve recently reviewed one that costs $349.99 USD! But Montech provides competitive thermal performance for less than 1/3 of that price at only $94.99 USD for the 360mm model and $84.99 USD for the 240mm variant.

*️⃣ 3100 RPM Liquid Pump

Montech’s Hyperflow ARGB features a 3100 RPM liquid pump with low noise levels. The marketing team claims the CPU block resembles an elegant gemstone. As you’ll see in the thermal benchmarks below, their pump offers strong thermal performance competitive with the best on the market.

*️⃣ Pre-applied and extra thermal paste

While the AIO has pre-applied thermal paste for convenience, Montech also includes a small tube of its high-performance thermal paste for an additional installation in the future.

*️⃣ Black or White models available

The Hyperflow ARGB offers models of black or white design to match the aesthetic design of your computer. The 360mm model we tested, shown below, was the black model. The 240mm we tested was the white version.

Testing Methodology

I do a few things differently than many other reviewers, to ensure my results are actually useful. To begin, I strictly regulate the ambient temperature to 23 degrees C during testing. I do not accept results at 22 or 24C as valid, even though in theory there won’t be much of a difference in terms of test results.

I also do my best to emulate the conditions a user would experience in real life, and tested in a real case – not on an open bench, which can decrease the difficulty of cooling.

Many other reviewers, and also most of my own older reviews, only test coolers with a load running on the CPU. While this does provide good and useful information, it doesn’t paint a complete picture of how a cooler will perform. Many workloads, and especially gaming, will stress both the CPU and GPU. As such, to test how well a CPU’s cooler will perform in these situations I’ve added two tests: one with a light CPU and one with a moderate CPU load, both while running a full load on with AMD’s Radeon RX 7900GRE.

Testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 platform

There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system's motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bending, which results in poor cooler contact with the CPU.

In order to prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, I’ve installed Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information.

LGA 1700 Installation

1. Place the CPU bracket against the rear of the motherboard. Secure it using the included standoffs. You’ll want to be careful while installing these standoffs, as improper threading can result in difficulty removing them from the motherboard down the line.

2. If you haven’t already, secure the radiator and fans to your computer case.

3. Remove the plastic covering from the CPU block, and place it against the CPU. Use the included top screws to secure the block to the standoffs.

4. Connect the PWM and (optionally) the ARGB cables to your computer’s motherboard.

CPU Thermal results without power limits

Without power limits enforced on Intel’s i7-14700K, it will hit its peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers. When the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve measured the CPU package power to determine the maximum wattage cooled to best compare their performance. This includes AIOs like the 240mm version of the Hyperflow ARGB, which cooled 256W on average during the course of testing. This technically results in minor thermal throttling, but the amount is so small that one would not notice the difference unless you were recording benchmarks.

The very best of AIOs on the market can keep Intel’s i7-14700K under its peak temperature in this test, but this is no small task. Testing Cinebench without power limits was hard on coolers even when paired with last generation’s i7-13700K, but the task is even more difficult using a Raptor Lake i7 CPU, because it has more cores and higher clock speeds. I fully expect most AIOs to “fail” this test and thermally throttle to a small extent. While the 240mm version of Montech’s Hyperflow ARGB fails this test, the 360mm version is one of the few AIOs I’ve tested capable of passing this test – averaging 93C during the course of testing.

To sustain this top-tier level of thermal performance, the fans of the 360mm reach up to 49.8 dBA. This is a fairly loud level, but I feel like most users who want the absolute best performance on the market won’t mind it – especially given the product’s low price. The 240mm model runs slightly quieter, at 48.7 dBA.

Note that our chart above starts at 35dBA, which is unusual. But we aren’t doing this to be deceptive. First, noise level measurements are logarithmic. A person with typical hearing will perceive a doubling of noise for every 10 dBA increase, but the impact can vary from person to person. Second, 35dBA was chosen as the “zero” because it is the lowest level my noise meter can accurately measure.

Thermal results with noise normalized to 38.9 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 quieter system. With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.9 dBA. This level of noise is a low volume level, but slightly audible to most people.

The 360mm model of the Hyperflow ARGB did especially well when noise normalized, tied for the strongest results of the AIOs we’ve tested with Intel’s i7-14700K. The performance of 240mm version wasn’t quite as impressive, handling a few more watts than strong air coolers.

165W CPU + 275W GPU results

I’ve recently updated my testing methodology to better represent the scenarios a user might actually encounter in real life usage. The first of these new tests is designed to emulate, though not perfectly, a CPU intensive game with a full GPU load. The Montech 360mm AIO had the second-best results I’ve seen with this setup, with a CPU temperature of only 70C. The 240mm version’s performance wasn’t far behind the bigger 360mm variant’s results, trailing it only by 3C with a temperature of 73C.

When tied to the default fan curve of my motherboard, the fans have a moderate noise level in this test of 45.3 dBA for both the 240mm and 360mm versions of the Hyperflow ARGB.

110W CPU + 275W GPU results

Our second round of CPU + GPU testing is performed with a lower CPU power limit, and in theory should be similar to games that are moderately intensive for a CPU. The Montech Hyperflow ARGB 360 ties with Tryx’s Panorama AIO for the best performance I’ve recorded thus far on this test, averaging only 56 degrees Celsius. Consistent with our previous result, the 240mm model held a temperature 3C higher – measuring 59C. Both of these results are good, thermally speaking.

120W Cinebench results

With my previous testing methodology, I used to record the temperatures and noise measurements using a 125W CPU-only test and I would emphasize how temperatures do not matter in this scenario.

As such, for this section I’m only going to report noise levels – because that’s the only information that really matters for this test. The temperature of the CPU in this scenario is largely irrelevant, but the results for liquid coolers is similar to those reported above in the 110W + GPU tests if you are particularly concerned about this information.

Noise levels were relatively low with both sizes of Montech’s Hyperflow AIO, measuring at 39.6 dBA for the 360mm version and slightly louder at 40.3 dBA for the 240mm model. Ideally, I’d prefer noise levels less than 38.2 dBA in this scenario, but 39.6-40.3 dBA is still reasonably quiet.

Conclusion

Montech’s Hyperflow ARGB 360 shows that strong thermal performance doesn’t have to break the bank. The 360mm model has a budget price of only $94.99 USD, but it can handle the hottest of workloads without breaking a sweat.

Overclockers have no time to get familiar with AMD's Zen 5 CPU architecture and the new Ryzen 7 9700X, which rivals the best CPUs. Professional overclocker Skatterbencher has already figured out how to push the 9700X to 5.8 GHz in single-core workloads. Skatterbencher published a highly in-depth overclocking tutorial showcasing the feat. But he's not done yet. The overclocker also revealed that he successfully hit 6 GHz on the 9700X with traditional AIO liquid cooling.

To achieve this high frequency, SkatterBencher used all of AMD's overclocking-friendly tools, including EXPO, Precision Boost Overdrive 2, Curve Optimizer, the all-new Curve Shaper, and external clock generators virtually.

The tutorial reveals that the biggest hurdle to overcome was the Ryzen 7 9700X's Fmax (frequency max) limit of 5,550 MHz (5.55 GHz) to achieve 5.8 GHz. Fmax is an artificial limitation in Ryzen CPUs that prevents the CPU from reaching higher frequencies, even if it has headroom. To achieve 5.8 GHz, SkatterBencher had to use PBO2 to raise the Fmax ceiling by 200 MHz from 5.55 GHz to 5.75 GHz — 200 MHz is the maximum offset you can apply with PBO2. 

SkatterBencher used an external clock generator to trick the 9700X into running at a higher frequency to get the rest of the way. An external clock of 104.3 MHz allowed him to unlock the 5.8 GHz frequency range.

To get the core(s) to boost up to that frequency, SkatterBencher used a combination of AMD's Curve Optimizer and Curve Shaper to undervolt the CPU and enable PBO2, which increases the amount of power the CPU can consume. Undervolting on Ryzen CPUs gives them more headroom, allowing them to hit higher frequencies without running into other limitations such as voltage, power, or thermal limits.

SkatterBencher also revealed that the Ryzen 9000 is heavily voltage-limited, featuring a peak VID limit of 1.4V for single core and 1.35V for multi-core. To help alleviate this problem, the overclocker utilized a PBO2 scalar preset 10X to boost the multi-core maximum voltage to 1.375V, enabling the chip to use more voltage to turbo higher than it previously would.

With all these technologies working in tandem, the overclocker achieved an idle frequency of 5.86 GHz. In stress testing, the maximum single-thread clock speed was 5.758 GHz, with a maximum multi-core frequency of 5.454 GHz operating at 95.2 degrees Celsius at a package power of 172.1 watts.

SkatterBencher's 5.8 GHz and 6 GHz overclocks represent the highest on the new 9700X. Der8auer and Overclocking.com showcased their respective overclocks on the 9700X but could only eke out 5.4G Hz. The main difference was that both outlets did manual overclocks, whereas SkatterBencher used AMD's plethora of overclocking tools, enabling them to hit higher frequencies.

I was recently made aware of the brand My Valkyrie, hearing high praises about the performance of their new Syn AIOs from users on social media. These AIOs feature what is perhaps the fanciest packaging I’ve seen thus far, upgradable storage, and are available in both 240mm and 360mm models. Since this is a fairly new company offering some unique features, we decided to test the 240mm version of My Valkyrie’s Syn AIOs. 

Does the Valkyrie’s Syn AIO have what it takes to make our list of best AIO coolers? We’ll have to put it through testing to be sure, but first here are the specifications from My Valkyrie.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

The packaging of the AIO is rather different from most coolers, reminiscent of luxury product packaging. The individual parts are still protected by fairly typical molded foam, cardboard, and plastic coverings. On the side of the unit, a removable keychain is attached. The fans are contained in a second drawer below the main parts.

Included with the cooler are the following:

• 240mm radiator and CPU block
• Pre-installed 16GB SD Card
• Two 120mm fans
• Hardware Fan and ARGB hub
• Valkyrie thermal paste and pre-installed thermal paste
• Bushing tool
• Mounting for AMD and Intel platforms

Features of Valkyrie’s Syn 240

*️⃣ Full RAM compatibility

As this AIO does not interfere with or overhang DIMM slots, all sizes of RAM, no matter how tall, are compatible with the Syn 240.

*️⃣ 2.1-inch LCD display, MythCool software

Valkyrie’s Syn 240 features a 2.1-inch display, which can be customized with a custom background, GIF, or video file via the MythCool software. You can also control the software using a mobile phone if you prefer. I’ll go over a few more details about the software in the next section of the review.

*️⃣ 27mm thick radiator

The radiator included is a standard 27mm size, for a total of 52mm in thickness if you include the fans attached.

*️⃣ Upgradeable storage

Valkyrie’s SYN AIOs include a removable 16 GB SD card for storing custom animations and videos. If somehow this isn’t enough space for you, you can purchase a 32GB SD card to upgrade the unit.

*️⃣ AIO tubing management clips

Included are cable management clips, which can help keep the AIO tubing organized.

*️⃣ 3x Valkyrie X12 fans

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case.

Valkyrie includes the X12 120mm fans with the AIO. These fans feature 9 blades, rubber anti-vibration pads, and incorporate ARGB strips for decorative lighting.

What I don’t like about the ION 360

*️⃣ High Price

The price of this AIO is significantly higher than competing 240mm AIOs. Part of this can be explained by the inclusion of the LCD screen, but $179.99 is still a bit hard to accept because of the next point.

*️⃣ “Beta” level software

The software is very rough around the edges and feels clunky and rushed. Some parts have not been translated into English yet and display in Mandarin.

The software also only includes one background for the display. No other visuals are available unless you upload a custom image or video of your own.

Testing Methodology, and how my testing differs vs the competition

My cooler testing is specifically designed to emulate the conditions a user would actually experience when using a computer. Some reviewers test coolers using an open bench. I do not like this method, it reduces cooling difficulty. When you use a case, the internal temperature of that case will become higher than that of the room’s ambient temperature, increasing the saturation of the cooler and overall cooling difficulty. Testing outside of a case will give an advantage to weaker coolers, especially those with fans that aren’t very strong. 

Others test using a thermal heatplate. This method suffers from all the drawbacks of an open bench but also doesn’t accurately represent cooling a CPU. A thermal plate evenly distributes a thermal load across the copper heat conduction square. The problem with this type of testing is that modern AMD Ryzen and Intel Core CPUs have most of their heat concentrated in a few hotspots – and cooling a concentrated source of heat is more difficult than cooling a source that’s spread evenly.

The last thing I do differently from some cooler testers is that I insist on using relatively new CPUs for cooler testing because people building new PCs should be using recent CPUs. Also, thermal density is just different with newer CPUs. Products like Ryzen 3000 “Zen 2” and older 14nm Intel CPUs have lower heat density compared to modern counterparts, due to a combination of using older manufacturing processes and running at lower clock speeds. Using a weaker cooler with an older CPU can make the cooler look better performing than it actually is with current-gen silicon. 

Today's highest-end CPUs, whether Intel or AMD, are difficult to cool in intensive workloads. In the past. reaching 95 degrees Celsius or more on a desktop CPU might have been a cause for concern. But with today’s top-end CPUs, this is considered normal operation. Similar behavior has been present in laptops for years due to cooling limitations in tight spaces.

All testing is performed with a 23C ambient room temperature. Multiple thermal tests are run on each CPU to test the cooler in a variety of conditions, and acoustic measurements are taken with each result. These tests include:

1. Noise-normalized testing at low noise levels

     a. Out-of-the-box / Default configuration thermal and acoustic testing

     b. No power limits enforced

2. Because CPUs hit TJ Max in this scenario, the best way to compare cooling strength is by recording the total CPU package power consumption.

3. Thermal and acoustic testing in power-limited scenarios

     a. Power limited to 175W to emulate a medium-intensity workload

     b. Power limited to 125W to emulate a low-intensity workload

The thermal results included are for 10-minute testing runs. To be sure that was sufficiently long to tax the cooler, we tested both Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE and DeepCool’s LT720 with a 30-minute Cinebench test with Intel’s i9-13900K for both 10 minutes and 30 minutes. The results didn’t change much at all with the longer test: The average clock speeds maintained dropped by 29 MHz on DeepCool’s LT720 and 31 MHz on Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE. That’s an incredibly small 0.6% difference in clock speeds maintained, a margin of error difference that tells us that the 10-minute tests are indeed long enough to properly test the coolers.

Testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 platform

There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system's motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bending, which results in poor cooler contact with the CPU.

In order to prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, we’ve installed Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information.

Installation

The cooler installation is typically simple. The fans come pre-installed, saving a few moments of installation time. I generally recommend securing the radiator to the case before proceeding to other steps.

1. Place the CPU bracket against the rear of the motherboard, and secure it using the included standoffs.

2. Next, apply the included thermal paste to the top of your CPU. If you’re not sure how to do this, we have a guide you can read for more details.

3. Press the CPU block against the standoffs, and secure it using the included thumbscrews.

4. After securing the CPU block, you’ll need to connect the pump to a USB header using the included cable. You’ll also need to connect the power cord to the CPU block and a SATA power port. Finally, connect the ARGB and PWM cables to finish the installation.

Thermal results without power limits

Without power limits enforced on Intel’s i7-13700K, the CPU will hit its peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers. When the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve 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, which can keep Intel’s i7-13700K under TJ Max. This is no small task, as many 360mm AIOs fail this test.

Valkyrie’s Syn 240 is able to keep the CPU under TJ Max in this test, reaching 69 degrees over ambient temperature. This is in line with other top-performing 240mm AIOs on the market.

To achieve this level of performance, the unrestricted fans run up to 46.9 dBA. This is quieter than most other 240mm AIOs capable of this level of performance, but there are a few that run at lower noise levels – like Iceberg Thermal’s IceFLOE Oasis 240.

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 quieter 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.

With the noise of the fans limited to 38.2 dBA, the Syn 240 cooled 228W. This is within expectations, in line with results from other top-performing 240mm AIOs.

175W Cinebench Results

Most coolers on the market can keep Intel’s i7-13700K under its peak temperature if the power consumption is limited, so for this test, we’ll be looking at the CPU’s actual temperature.

Valkyrie’s Syn 240 only reached 51 degrees over ambient with a limited 175W workload, our second-best result from a 240mm AIO. It reaches 42.2 dBA in this workload, which is in the middle of results for 240mm liquid coolers. A few alternative options will reach as low as 40.9 dBA, but most 240mm AIOs will run louder than Valkyrie’s Syn 240 in this scenario.

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.

Even Intel’s stock cooler can handle a load like this with ease, so thermals really don’t matter here. Noise levels, rather than CPU temperature, are the most important factor here.

When it comes to noise levels in common scenarios, the Syn 240 is unmatched! It operates quieter than the noise of my system fans, the first 240mm AIO I’ve tested to do so.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to like about Valkyrie’s Syn AIO. It offers quieter performance than competitors in low-power scenarios, has the unique distinction of being the first AIO (that I know of, at least) with upgradable storage, and the packaging is much fancier than any other AIO on the market. However, the “beta” feel of the software and the unit’s high cost make it hard to recommend against competitors.

Today on the test bench we’ve got Cooler Master’s latest ION 360 AIO liquid cooler. In many ways, it’s similar to the Atmos 360 AIO the company released last year, but it includes upgraded features, like a new 2.1-inch LCD display. 

Bells and whistles are nice, but does the ION 360 have what it takes to earn a spot on our best AIO coolers list? We’ll have to put it through testing, pairing it with Intel’s i7-13700K CPU, to find out. But first, here are the specifications from Cooler Master.

Cooler Specifications

Packing and included contents 

The packaging of the AIO is rather different from most coolers, with the parts neatly packed in individual boxes.

Rather than including a traditional user manual, the installation instructions are printed on the outside of the boxes. However, if you prefer a traditional manual, one can be downloaded by scanning the QR code shown in the picture above.

Included with the cooler are the following:

• 360mm radiator and CPU block
• Three 120mm fans, preinstalled
• Mounting hardware for modern AMD and Intel Platforms
• Cryofuze thermal paste
• Cable management clips for the AIO tubes and ARGB connections

Features of Cooler Master’s ION 360 AIO

● Full RAM compatibility

As this AIO does not interfere or overhang DIMM slots in any manner, all sizes of RAM, no matter how tall, are compatible with Cooler Master’s ION 360.

● 27mm thick radiator

The radiator included is a standard 27mm size, for a total of 52mm in thickness if you include the fans attached.

●  2.1-inch LCD display, MasterCTRL software

Cooler Master’s ION 360 features a 2.1-inch round display, surrounded by programmable LEDs.

The display is controlled by Cooler Master’s MasterCTRL software, which you can also use to modify fan behavior or customize the AIO.

I found one major flaw in the MasterCTRL software: There is no ability for the end user to modify the behavior of the AIO’s pump. I’ll touch on this more later. 

● AIO tubing and ARGB cable Management Clips

Two types of cable management clips are included with the ION 360. Most users will be familiar with the first type of clips, which help keep the tubing of the AIO organized.

The second set of included cable management clips I’ve seen in some models of AIOs, but seems to be less common. These clips slide around the sides of connected ARGB cables, keeping them secure and preventing them from slipping apart.

● 3x 120mm Mobius 120P fans

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. 

Cooler Master includes its latest Mobius 120P fans with the ION. The most interesting feature of these fans is that they are designed for very long lifespans – Cooler Master indicates its confidence in the quality of its fans with a MTTF rated at over 200,000 hours.

● Thermal paste and grease spreading tool

Cooler Master includes a typically sized tube of their premium Cryofuze thermal paste, sufficient for multiple applications.

Also included with the product is a grease application tool, which can help novice users in application of thermal paste.

What I don’t like about the ION 360

● No ability to modify pump behavior

Cooler Master’s ION 360 doesn’t let you modify pump behavior. I suspect the pump’s default behavior is the reason I observed less-than-expected performance when the fans were set to low noise levels, as you’ll see in our noise normalized performance results below.

● Delayed pump activity, resulting in bursty fan noise

The pump does not react quickly to temperature changes. As a result, whenever a workload begins that raises the temperature, the fans will run louder than they should for a few moments until the pump kicks in and temperatures stabilize.

● Louder than its predecessor, the Atmos 360

Last year I reviewed this AIO’s predecessor, the Atmos 360, and found it to be one of the best AIOs on the market in terms of performance and noise levels in common scenarios. The ION 360 offers similar thermal performance, but runs much louder in the same tests.

● High Price

At $249.99 USD, the ION is one of the more expensive AIOs on the market. This would be acceptable if it was a notable improvement over the Atmos 360, which is $100 USD cheaper. But in many ways the performance of the ION 360 is a regression compared to its predecessor.

● “Warranty void when removed” 

While Cooler Master provides an accessible refill port, they cover it with a “warranty void when removed” sticker. According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), these policies violate the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which prohibits companies from putting conditions on their warranties based on the use of a product or service, such as a repair service. The FTC has recently cracked down on these sorts of violations warning Gigabyte, ASRock, and Zotac that they are in violation of US law.

Testing Methodology, and how my testing differs vs the competition

My cooler testing is specifically designed to emulate the conditions a user would actually experience when using a computer. Some reviewers test coolers using an open bench. I do not like this method, it reduces cooling difficulty. When you use a case, the internal temperature of that case will become higher than that of the room’s ambient temperature, increasing the saturation of the cooler and overall cooling difficulty. Testing outside of a case will give an advantage to weaker coolers, especially those with fans that aren’t very strong. 

Others test using a thermal heatplate. This method suffers from all the drawbacks of an open bench, but also doesn’t accurately represent cooling a CPU. A thermal plate evenly distributes a thermal load across the copper heat conduction square. The problem with this type of testing is that modern AMD Ryzen and Intel Core CPUs have most of their heat concentrated in a few hotspots – and cooling a concentrated source of heat is more difficult than cooling a source that’s spread evenly.

The last thing I do differently from some cooler testers is that I insist on using relatively new CPUs for cooler testing because people building new PCs should be using recent CPUs. Also, thermal density is just different with newer CPUs. Products like Ryzen 3000 “Zen 2” and older 14nm Intel CPUs have lower heat density compared to modern counterparts, due to a combination of using older manufacturing processes and running at lower clock speeds. Using a weaker cooler with an older CPU can make the cooler look better performing than it actually is with current-gen silicon. 

Today's highest-end CPUs, whether Intel or AMD, are difficult to cool in intensive workloads. In the past. reaching 95 degrees Celsius or more on a desktop CPU might have been a cause for concern. But with today’s top-end CPUs, this is considered normal operation. Similar behavior has been present in laptops for years due to cooling limitations in tight spaces.

All testing is performed with a 23C ambient room temperature. Multiple thermal tests are run on each CPU to test the cooler in a variety of conditions, and acoustic measurements are taken with each result. These tests include:

1.  Noise-normalized testing at low noise levels

2.  “Out-of-the-box”/Default configuration thermal and acoustic testing

     a.  No power limits enforced 

     b. Because CPUs hit TJ Max in this scenario, the best way to compare cooling strength is by recording the total CPU package power consumption.  

3. Thermal and acoustic testing in power-limited scenarios 

    a. Power limited to 175W to emulate a medium-intensity workload 

     b. Power limited to 125W to emulate a low-intensity workload 

The thermal results included are for 10-minute testing runs. To be sure that was sufficiently long to tax the cooler, we tested both Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE and DeepCool’s LT720 with a 30-minute Cinebench test with Intel’s i9-13900K for both 10 minutes and 30 minutes. The results didn’t change much at all with the longer test: The average clock speeds maintained dropped by 29 MHz on DeepCool’s LT720 and 31 MHz on Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE. That’s an incredibly small 0.6% difference in clock speeds maintained, a margin of error difference that tells us that the 10-minute tests are indeed long enough to properly test the coolers.

A note about testing with this specific cooler

Typically when testing AIOs I will test them using 100% pump speeds and fan speeds set on a curve. If the cooler’s software operates differently out of the box, I’ll test both in the default configuration and when set to my typical system settings. However, Cooler Master’s ION does not allow the user to modify the AIO’s pump behavior. For this reason, I’ve only tested the ION 360 in its default behavior when used with the MasterCTRL software for this review.

Testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 platform

There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system's motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bending, which results in poor cooler contact with the CPU.

In order to prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, we’ve installed Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information.

Installation

The cooler installation is simple and easy. The fans come pre-installed, saving a few moments of installation time. I generally recommend securing the radiator to the case before proceeding to other steps.

1. Place the CPU bracket against the rear of the motherboard, and secure it using the included standoffs.

2. Next, apply the included thermal paste to the top of your CPU. If you’re not sure how to do this, we have a guide you can read for more details. Cooler Master also includes a stencil to help simplify the process.

3. Press the CPU block against the standoffs, and secure it using the included thumbscrews.

4. After securing the CPU block, you’ll need to connect the pump to a USB header using the included cable. You’ll also need to connect the power cord to the CPU block and a SATA power port. Finally, connect the ARGB and PWM cables to finish installation.

Thermal results without power limits

Without power limits enforced on Intel’s i7-13700K, the CPU will hit its peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers. When the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve 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, which can keep Intel’s i7-13700K under TJ Max. This is no small task, as many 360mm AIOs fail this test.

Cooler Master’s ION performs exceptionally well here, with the best thermal performance on the market we’ve seen from any CPU cooler. This level of thermal performance is matched by two other coolers we’ve tested, Lian Li’s GA II Performance 360mm AIO and Cooler Master’s own 360 Atmos AIO.

To achieve this level of performance, the unrestricted fans run up to 50.0 dBA. This is louder than I am personally comfortable with, and is a regression from last year’s Atmos 360, which ran 2.3 dBA quieter.

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 quieter 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.

With the noise of the fans limited to 38.2 dBA, Cooler Master’s ION 360 only cooled 216W. This is a significant regression compared to the Atmos 360, which cooled 233W at the same noise level setting. I believe the reason the ION performed so poorly in this scenario is due to the behavior of the pump, which can’t be changed or modified by the user.

175W Cinebench results

Most coolers on the market can keep Intel’s i7-13700K under its peak temperature if the power consumption is limited, so for this test, we’ll be looking at the CPU’s actual temperature.

The result of 49 degrees C over ambient is one of the best we’ve tested, tied for second place – but it is 1C behind the performance of the Atmos 360. That would be fine if noise levels were similar, but they’re not. The ION 360 ran at 45.6 dBA, a significant 4.7 dBA louder than its predecessor the Atmos 360 AIO.

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.

Really, thermals do not matter in this scenario, because 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. That said, thermal performance – while good – is 2C behind the performance of last year’s Atmos 360 AIO.

This would be a nothingburger if noise levels were similar, but the ION 360 has the worst noise levels of any AIO we’ve tested in this situation – reaching 42 dBA!

Conclusion

Cooler Master’s ION is a strong performing AIO with a customizable 2.1-inch screen. But I can’t recommend it because it has worse thermal performance and louder noise levels than its predecessor. That said, these issues might be fixed with a future software update. Unless you really need that fancy display, I’d recommend looking at Cooler Master’s Atmos 360 instead.