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Comparison Hardware, Evaluation & Conclusion
We retain the hardware configuration from previous big cooler reviews while comparing the Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB 360 TT Premium Edition to previously reviewed rivals. We retain the stock fan configuration of our Corsair 760T case, removing the magnetic panel cover to mount radiators under its top panel in exhaust orientation.
Comparison Products
Alphacool provided our previous 3x 120mm cooler, but that one’s re-configurable and even includes a leak-free quick coupling while being priced less than the Floe Riing 360 TTPE. Such is the price of RGB. Having run out of 3x 120mm coolers, we picked the two 2 x140mm models for this comparison because of their performance.
Test Results
In spite of its small pump, the Floe Riing 360 TTPE cools the CPU a little better than the Eisbaer 360. That’s likely a limitation of the water block, since the Eisbear is designed to support additional components. On the other hand, the Floe Riing 360 TTPE’s temperatures are matched by the Kraken X61 and beaten by the CLC 280!
The tachometer shows us how the Floe Riing 360 TTPE ended up in the middle of the temperature metric: Its fans are really slow. Yet that could have a really good impact on noise, right?
We said that if you only wanted the most powerful cooler to fit your 2x 140mm mount (noise be damned), the EVGA CLC 280 appears to be your best bet. Yet even its low speed noise level is greater than the maximum produced in the Floe Riing 360 TTPE. Thus, if you want the quietest possible cooling for your big overclocked CPU, the Floe Riing 360 TTPE appears to be your best bet.
The Floe Riing 360 TTPE tops out our Acoustic Efficiency chart with the best cooling-to-noise ratio of any liquid system we’ve tested.
Value takes a huge hit from the high price of Thermaltake’s RGB hardware. Plugging a few numbers into our worksheet, we determined that the Floe Riing 360 TTPE could have made a clean sweep of this chart if it were $33 cheaper.
An RGB fiend may have found the Floe Riing 360 TTPE’s included $67 markup for RGB hardware acceptable, but less enthusiastic builders probably scoffed. It would be nice to believe you’ll get half of that value back by way of the cooler’s superior cooling-to-noise ratio, even though we haven’t tested the non-lighted version of the cooler. And if you’re an RGB and overclocking and low-noise enthusiast, don’t stop believing!
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