We have earlier tested DC Radiant 240 from darkFlash and this budget cooler got our praise. This time we are taking a look at the Twister 2.6 DC36 White edition from the same manufacturer. This is a 360mm version and this version is compatible with Intel LGA1700 and AMD AM5 sockets. We have got a white color edition which looks quite pleasing.

Key features include:

• Redesign water pump infinity mirror with 360-degree rotation
• Cooling fans are synchronizable with most motherboards.
• Dense liquid channels for a better cooling effect.
• Supports both Intel and AMD
• TDP: 285W

I am a bit surprised to see that darkFlash rated the 240mm version for 270W TDP and this 360mm version is rated for a mere 285W. This makes me think that DC Radiant is actually their new generation compared to Twister.

Item:                     Twister DX360 V2.6 White

Price:                    PKR 25000

Twister DX360 V2.6 Specifications

Packaging and Unboxing

The cooler is shipped inside a cardboard packing box. darkFlash has emphasized two key changes over here. One is the compatibility with the Intel LGA1700 and the AMD AM5 sockets. The second is a rotatable pump top in 360° rotation so that the darkFlash logo remains upright.

Infinity 8 ARGB PWM Fans caught my attention while I was looking at the backside. What is Infinity 8? I don’t know. What I know is that there is an infinity mirror effect on the center of these fans which gives quite a cool look to the unit. darkFlash has listed more features of the unit over here.

There is another container inside the main box. The main cooler and the contents are placed in this container for safe and sound shipping.

Accessories

Let’s see what accessories are provided.

There is a printed user guide. I did not check it since the mounting mechanism of this cooler is the same as is on the DC Radiant 240.

The mounting hardware is provided inside a transparent container. 360 is labeled on top of this container indicating that it is for the 360mm size cooler.

There are:

• 4x Intel LGA 115x Standoff Screws
• 1x Intel Backplate
• 4x Intel Thumb Nuts
• 4x Intel LGA1700 Standoff Screws
• 4x Intel LGA20xx Standoff Screws
• 4x Intel LGA1700 Washers (Not in the Picture)

There are two mounting brackets for the pump housing.

There are two AMD mounting brackets and two screws. There are 12x fan screws and 12 radiator screws.

There is a 3-port fan hub included as well. This port has 3x 4-pin PWM ports.

Closer Look

Let’s take a look at the unit starting with the radiator.

This cooler has a 360mm size and comes with a radiator having a dimension of 394x120x27mm. Here 27mm is the thickness of this unit. Installing a 120x25mm fan would make this thickness 53mm or so including the thickness of the screw head. The complete assembly is white color coated. The fin density is 20 FPI. There are 12 channels for coolant flow. There is a gap of 105mm between two mounting holes at opposite ends. There is a gap of 15mm between two adjacent mounting holes.

The far end or block has rounded corners to my liking. It has a thin profile which is obvious and more of a standard design. There is no sticker or label of any sort over here.

The overall fin stacking job is satisfactory as we did not find any bend or broken fin.

Looking at the tube side of the radiator, we can see a serial number sticker or label however you name it. White color metallic covers hide the connections. There is a warranty void sticker over another port cover. Possibly this port is reserved for factory use and tampering with it may lose the vacuum pressure of the loop.

There is a darkFlash text in a white color on the side frame. This frame is riveted to the main housing. There is a gap between side frame and actual fin stack implying that thickness of fin stack is less than 27mm.

darkFlash uses rubber tubes. These have nylon braided mesh sleeves over them. These tubes have a length of 400mm. These tubes are not that flexible.

The pump housing is made of plastic material and it is in a ring or circular design. It has a dimension of 78.5x70x54mm. There is a dual-chamber sort of design. The top chamber can be rotated. There is a thick diffuser separating the top portion from the lower portion. The top portion has an infinity mirror effect with a darkFlash brand logo whereas the lower chamber has a pump and cooling block.

The above picture shows the top view of this block. It has a high glossy finish and is fingerprint magnet.

There is no branding or styling on any side of this housing.

Looking at the main frame from the front, we can see flat cables coming from the upper base. The majority of the AIOs have these cables coming out from the tube end of the block and that makes the cable management easier than this way.

There is a 3-pin connector on a cable powering the pump. There are standard 3-pin, 5V ARGB connectors for the ARGB LEDs. This makes the Twister DX360 V2.6 compatible with the RGB sync technology of major motherboard manufacturers. The pump is rated for 2700 ± 10% RPM. It is rated for 12VDC.

There are two more cables coming out from the base. One is the SATA connector and the other is the RESET SW label connector cable. Both are optional. These cables would be needed in case your motherboard does not have a 5V, 3-pin ARGB header, in which case you would have to sacrifice the reset connector on the front panel of your PC Case by connecting it to this connector and powering this connection using SATA. This will enable the pre-programmed ARGB modes allowing the users to still enjoy lighting effects.

The above picture is taken from darkFlash website and it highlights the same what we have described above.

The backside of this housing has 90° right-angled fittings on which the tubes are connected. They can be moved towards the right and left depending on the requirement. darkFlash has used metallic clamps to conceal the connection. There is a copper base on this unit measuring 55x55mm. The mounting brackets are installed on the housing using 4x screws.

There are three 120mm A-RGB fans that come with this cooler. Unlike the DC Radiant cooler, these fans don’t come pre-installed. Each fan has 9 blades. There is a darkFlash branding on the hub. Hub has a large size diameter because it has A-RGB LEDs and it has an infinity mirror design as well. This is something new to me. Overall, this cooler is quite something to look for. There are cut-to-size anti-vibration pads on the mounting corners.

We could not find the arrow symbols that help the novice user identify the direction in which the blades would spin and the direction of airflow through the fan. There is a stylish striped design on the sides.

There is a 6-arms assembly on the backside. There are two arms extended from one arm that catches the wires passing from the hub towards the frame. The fans are made in China. There is no power rating printed over here.

darkFlash is using standard ARGB connectors which is a wise move. The fan’s power cable has a 4-pin PWM connector. Salient specifications are:

Installation

We are not covering the details of installation. Please refer to the online user guide for detailed instructions about installing this cooler. We did not notice any observation during the installation.

RGB Lighting

Since darkFlash is using standard RGB connectors, the A-RGB lighting is compatible with RGB sync technologies of motherboard manufacturers. We have tested on GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX motherboard using RGB FUSION 2.0 app and it was found working fine. The lighting solution is compatible with:

• ASUS AURA SYNC
• ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• MSI MYSTIC LIGHTING SYNC

Here are a few pictures:

Thermal Testing

We have used the following configuration for testing:

• Intel Core i7 13700k
• GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX
• Kingston Fury DDR5 32GB @ 6400MHz CAS 32
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• Be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

The test table for Intel core i7 13700k is:

We have seen AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs taking more power and this time both sides have aimed at reaching the maximum clocks regardless of thermal limit. In fact, the AM5 SKUs will run into thermal limits right away depending on the cooling solution and the clocks being used. This has made testing of CPU coolers challenging because viewers/readers are not used to a new nomenclature which is what clocks are sustained under a given load using a particular cooler. That is if the cooler is capable of providing enough cooling head to sustain the high frequencies at high package power. Among other reasons is the high thermal density of these new CPUs. Traditionally we are used to going the other way around that is which cooler is better in terms of thermal capacity. Despite this, we are using temperatures as a base for measuring this unit.

The ambient temperature was 27°C. We are reporting absolute temperatures in the graph. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two same SKUs are likely to take same voltage to yield same performance at same thermals per se but margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is why we have listed our variables and their settings. Let’s take a look at the results.

Result

The darkFlash Twister DX360 V2.6 has performed quite well beating the ID-COOLING DASHFLOW 360 XT LITE WHITE by 1°C though this is a marginal takeover. In fact, both coolers are in the same thermal performance range. This is where the darkFlash cooler has a distinct advantage because of its price. It is retailing at PKR 25,000/- whereas the ID-COOLING cooler will be released at 36,500/-.

Noise

This cooler was loud making 55 dB(A) at an ambient of 32 dB(A).

Conclusion

We have tested a 360mm cooler from darkFlash named Twister DX360 V2.6. The version 2.6 is latest and supports Intel LGA1700 and AMD AM5. In addition to this support, the block of this cooler has a rotatable top cover which is a wise decision by the manufacturer. The radiator is made of aluminum material and has a dimension of 394x120x27mm. The total thickness of this unit would be near 53mm or so including the thickness of the fan screw head. Since this is a white edition, the complete assembly is spray color coated in white color.  There are 12 coolant flow channels and fin density stands at 20 FPI. The connections are concealed using white color clamps. The rubber tubes have nylon braided sleeves that run to 400mm in length.

The block has a circular design with a dual chamber design. The top portion houses ARGB LEDs and an infinity mirror finish with a darkFalsh logo on the top. Speaking of the top, it has a glossy finish. Handle it with care since it is a fingerprint magnet. There is a backlit diffuser running across the borderline between the top and the bottom chamber. The lower chamber has a pump and cold plate. We only know that the pump runs at a maximum of 2700 RPM ± 10% at 12VDC. I hope that the pump is using ceramic bearing but can’t confirm since there is no data available. The copper base roughly measures 55×55. The pump is powered by a cable having a 3-pin connector. The ARGB LEDs are powered by standard 3-pin, 5V connectors that make this cooler compatible with the RGB sync technology of major motherboard manufacturers. There are two more cables as well. One is SATA and the other has a large-size connector. These are optional and would come in handy for users who have motherboards without ARGB headers. Those users can optionally sacrifice the reset functionality of their PC Case by connecting the front panel’s reset connector to this header/connector of the cooler and powering it using the SATA cable. Using the pre-programmed RGB modes, one can still enjoy the lighting effects. I am not sure if this is a cost-effective measure or something but it is better than those dedicated ARGB controllers that need to be placed inside the case and there is no access to them. On the other hand, there is no alternative to a proper ARGB controller.

darkFlash has provided three 120mm ARGB fans in white color with this cooler. Each fan has 9 blades. These fans are using Rifle bearings. Their rated speed is between 800 and 1800 RPM generating airflow of 51 CFM ± 10% at a static pressure rating of 1.5 mmH₂O at 12VDC. These fans have a sound output rating of 32 dB(A) ± 10%. Their life span is 30,000 hours MTTF. They have a 4-pin PWM connector and standard 3-pin, 5V ARGB connectors for daisy-chaining. I appreciate the use of standard connectors. There is no 3-way PWM splitter cable. Instead, there is a fan hub included in the box. This is a fancy way of doing the same thing.

We have tested this cooler on the Intel platform on the LGA1700 socket. The installation on the LGA1700 socket is simple and it requires 15 items to complete the block’s installation on the CPU. However, cable management would be challenging because cables are coming out of the pump housing from the front side. The top cover is rotatable hence the orientation of the installation is not an issue.

This cooler is retailing in the local market of Pakistan at a price of PKR 25,000 at the time of this writing. This is competitive and budget-friendly pricing. darkFlash is offering a 3-year warranty on this cooler. This cooler has actually managed to beat the expensive ID-COOLING DASHFLOW 360 XT LITE WHITE that is expected to be released at PKR 36500. The darkFlash Twister DX360 V2.6 white is an effective cooling solution in its price range competing quite well and comes recommended by us.

ID-COOLING has released a new cooler named DASHFLOW 360 XT LITE White. It has quite a long name. This thing is becoming a norm these days with brands coming out with quite lengthy names of their coolers. In case you wondering what LITE means in the name, there is another version of this cooler named DASHFLOW 360 XT. It has better specifications compared to LITE versions and it comes with one extra fan to harmonize the system look plus it has A-RGB fans and those fans have double ball bearings whereas the fans in the LITE versions have fluid dynamic bearings. Anyhow, coming back to the cooler, it is also available in black edition. The following features are listed:

• Advanced Pump Design
• Superb Cooling Performance
• Synchronizes with motherboard RGB
• Stylish Premium Sleeved Tubing
• Universal Compatibility
• Easy Installation

Speaking of compatibility this cooler is compatible with Intel LGA 1700/1200/115x/20xx and AMD AM4/AM5 sockets.

Product:                                               ID-COOLING DASHFLOW 360 XT LITE WHITE

Price:                                                    Seems like this product is being released in the market at the time of this writing. ID-COOLING has informed us that its MSRP is USD $129. Its PKR pricing would be 36500/-

Specifications

Packaging and Unboxing

There is a paperboard-made outer packing box. The packaging itself is quite stylish and gives a premium feel. There is a picture of the cooler on the front page. Above mentioned features are stated here.

ID-COOLING has listed the main specifications here. There are diagrams of the unit showing dimensions as well. There is a picture showing a stylish pump cover in action. I think the main attraction center of this unit is the block design and the cover on it. This unit is manufactured by Shenzhen Wanjinghua Technology Co. Ltd. If this is not a subsidiary of ID-COOLING or vice-versa, it seems to be OEM of the unit.

There is a white color cardboard box inside the outer packing box.

ID-COOLING has been paying attention to the packing. There is a thick black color Styrofoam pad into which the contents are nicely placed for safe shipping.

Accessories

There is a brown color accessory box placed inside the main box. It has all the mounting hardware and other related items.

ID-COOLING has provided a user guide and they have failed to mention simple information that the pump cover is removable and how to remove it. There is no mention of it in the user guide. You can scan a label and watch a YouTube video about the installation. Ok, sure but why did you not mention it in the user guide where you are precisely mentioning the fan screws and radiator screws. Enlighten me!

There are:

• 2x AMD Mounting Brackets
• 4x AMD Screws
• 4x AMD Red color Spacers
• 2x Intel LGA1700 Mounting Brackets
• 4x Intel LGA1700 Gray Color Spacers
• 2x Intel other sockets Mounting Brackets
• 4x Intel Platform Thumb Nuts
• 4x Intel LGA1200 Gray Color Spacers

There are 4x Intel LGA20xx standoff screws.

The backplate on the left is for the Intel LGA1200 and LGA115x. The backplate on the right is for the Intel LGA1700 socket.

There is a thermal paste tube and two white-colored tube covers or catchers.

There are three separate packages of screws. One is for each fan. Each container has 4x long screws for fans and 4x short screws for the radiator. Sorry, but what a waste when these all can be placed in a single package!

ID-COOLING has provided a dedicated A-RGB controller with this cooler. It is powered by a SATA connector. It has a 3-pin, 5V male connector on the other end. There are three buttons on this controller. M button cycles through the pre-programmed modes. The S button controls the speed of the dynamic modes. The c button changes the colors in static mode.

Closer Look

It is time to take a closer look at each component of the main unit starting with the radiator.

This unit has a 360mm size radiator having a dimension of 396x120x27mm. Here 27mm refers to the thickness of this unit. When you will install 120x25mm fans on this unit, the overall thickness would come to 53mm approximately if we count the head thickness of the screw. This unit is made of aluminum material and has a standard fin stacking. Overall fin stacking job is done satisfactorily. There is a standard 105mm gap between two opposite fan mounting holes and 15mm spacing between any two adjacent fan mounting holes. We count 12 channels through which the coolant flows. The complete assembly has a white color spray paint job. The radiator has a 20 FPI count.

Looking at the far end of the radiator, it has a rectangular outlook and there is no branding of any sort.

Looking at the near end of the block where the tubes make a connection with the radiator, the connection is well concealed using white color clamps. There is a serial number label pasted between the tube connections.

Looking at the side of the radiator, there is a stylish DASHFLOW label in the center of the frame. We can see the rubber tubes as well. These are covered under the nylon braided white color sleeves. These tubes run approximately 465mm in length.

Now it is time to take a look at the main attraction of this cooler which is the block on the DASHFLOW 360 XT LITE WHITE cooler. This block has a dimension of 94x90x62mm (LxWxH). This is quite a large size block compared to other regular-design liquid coolers in the market. It has a height of 62mm. We can see a fan embedded in the housing under the top cover. The top cover is removable ID-COOLING has forgotten to mention anywhere. The white color gives a dope look to this unit and we admire the design.

Now we are looking at one side of the block. There is nothing fancy here and I like how ID-COOLING has kept it simple and plain here. Pay attention to guide vanes here. This is where the air will come out from the embedded fan and will be blown out towards the VRM and near the socket area of the motherboard. This is wisely done by ID-COOLING. I made this observation when reviewing GAMDIAS Chione P3 360U AIO. There are no guided vanes and the cutouts are way up top on the block of the GAMDIAS cooler that it would hardly reach the VRMs. This is not the case with the ID-COOLING cooler.

We are looking at the rear of the unit. There are 90° adapters on which the tubes are installed. They can be rotated (limited movement) like any other AIO in the market. We can see flat white color cables coming out from the upper section of the base.

The pump is powered by a 4-pin PWM connector.

The embedded fan is powered by a 4-pin PWM connector which is another positive of this cooler. There is a socket as well to which the pump’s connector can be connected optionally. There are standard 3-pin 5V A-RGB connectors for daisy-chain capability.

So, it happens that ID-COOLING has mentioned that the pump cover is made of aluminum. It not only adds to the look but has a better thermal conductivity. THEY ARE HALF WRONG.

Take a look at the pump cover. It is made of plastic material and there is nothing aluminum about it. And even if it was made of aluminum, what part of it would have conducted heat from where? ID-COOLING, your Marketing department needs to clear some air.

Now we are showing the embedded fan itself. It is rested right on the pump. This is in part a good move as it would throw fresh air on the pump housing and blow out heat from the warm housing towards the near socket components of the motherboard. There are screws and screws all around. We did not proceed with further dismantling though.

This fan has 11 blades and has the ID-COLING brand logo in the center. There is a ring around the fan itself. This ring has A-RGB LEDs for some lighting effects. The fan’s dimension is 70x70x15mm. Its rated speed is 800 to 2800 ± 10% RPM. Its static pressure rating at 12VDC is 1.90mmH₂O and an airflow rating of 23 CFM with 28 dB(A) noise output. It takes 0.08A. It has a ball bearing.

There is a black color steel plate that sits on top of the copper base plate. We can see two standoffs on this plate which are the terminating ends of the spring-loaded screws. The large-size copper base measures approximately 54x60mm. ID-COOLING has mentioned that copper fin stack density is 0.2mm.

Speaking of the pump, it has a ceramic bearing and is rated for 0 to 2500 RPM. Its power rating is 0.32A at 12VDC. The operating voltage range is 10.8 to 13.2 VDC. Its started voltage is 7VDC with an input power of 3W. The flow rate is mentioned to be 135 L/H.

There are 3x non-RGB white color fans provided with this cooler. These fans combined with the block give this unit quite a good look that is augmented by the white color. Each fan has 7 blades. The center still has relatively a larger diameter and there is a brand logo over it. There are large-size anti-vibration pads on the mounting corners. We have observed that these pads come off when fans are installed on the radiator due to the pressure of the screws. The hint is not to over-tighten the screws. Everything about these fans is white.

These fans have a square frame though this is not a closed-frame design. We could not spot arrow directions on the frame. These directions provide a visual aid to novice users in determining the direction in which the blades would spin and the direction of airflow through the fans.

Looking at the backside of the fan, we can see a 4-arms assembly holding the blades and the center. One of the arms is widened to carry the cables. There is a sticker in the center with the power rating of the fan. The fan is made in China.

Each fan is powered by a flat cable having a 4-pin PWM connector and a 3-pin socket to daisy-chain the connection.

The specifications of the fans are:

RGB Lighting

The only element that has A-RGB LEDs is the embedded fan on the block. It has a ring around it that has those LEDs. ID-COOLING is using standard connectors that would work with the RGB sync technology of motherboard manufacturers. Here are a few pictures from the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX based setup using RGB FUSION 2.0 app.

Installation

We are no longer providing installation steps since the user guide is there for that matter. We only mention observations recorded during installation. The only observation we have about this cooler about its installation is the inability of ID-COOLING to clearly and precisely mention taking the pump cover off in the user manual. You have to lift it off. Yes, you may have to apply some pressure the first time as well but it should come off without removing any screw. Other than that, installation is straightforward and there is no clearance issue either. You have to ensure that your case has clearance and support for a 360mm AIO mount.

Thermal Test

We have used the following Intel-based configuration:

• Intel Core i7 13700k
• GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX
• Kingston Fury Renegade DDR5 32GB 6400MHZ @ CAS32
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Be Quiet! Straight Power 11 1000W Platinum
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

Below is the settings table:

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two SKUs are likely to take the same voltage to yield the same performance at the same thermals per se but the margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, the mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is why we have listed our variables and their settings. Variables not mentioned are on the Auto setting. The ambient temperature was 27°C.

Result

There is a 1°C difference between the darkFlash and ID-COOLING cooler that hardly makes either cooler a winner on this platform much thanks to the thermal behavior of this platform. Speaking of which, this is a good performance from both coolers. Here is the summary showing a marginally better performance from the dark flash cooler.

Noise

We measured roughly 54 dB(A) at an ambient sound level of 32 dB(A). There was a whining noise from the block at regular intervals.

Conclusion

ID-COOLING is releasing a new cooler in the market named DASHFLOW 360 XT LITE. This will be available in white and black editions. This is a light version of the DASHFLOW 360 XT with some key differences that are beyond the scope of this content though we have mentioned a few in the introduction. We have tested the DASHFLOW 360 XT LITE WHITE edition. Performance and everything aside, the outlook and aesthetics alone on this cooler are quite appealing and look that good in person. This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA1700/1200/115x/20xx and AMD AM4/AM5 sockets hence we have universal compatibility for now.

Having a 360mm size means it comes with three 120mm fans. The radiator is made of aluminum material and the complete assembly is white color spray painted. The dimension of this radiator is 396x120x27mm (LxWxH). After installing 120x25mm fans, the overall height of the unit would come to 54mm approximately including the heads of screws. It has 12 channels for coolant flow and has a fin density of 12 FPI. ID-COOLING uses rubber-tubing which runs to 465mm in length and has a white color nylon braided sleeve mesh for aesthetics and preventing bending. One good thing about the design is that the clamps concealing the tube connection with the radiator are also white.

Coming to the block itself, man, this is something to speak of. I am sure there will be many other good-looking liquid coolers out there but this design is out of this world for its bold simplicity. ID-COOLING has done a marvelous job here. But like it is said, nothing is perfect, someone from their marketing has wrongly mentioned the pump cover as made of aluminum whereas it is made of plastic material. This is not all, as they have mentioned aluminum having a good thermal conductivity helping heat transfer from the pump. Yes, aluminum has a better thermal conductivity rating but there is no part in the pump housing that has aluminum. At least nothing there passed my magnetic test. There is a plate between the pump and copper block that could look aluminum but it is a magnet lover; there is to that.

I digress, coming back to the main topic, there is an embedded fan having 11 blades measuring 70x70x15mm. It has a rated speed of 800 to 2800 ± 10% RPM and a static pressure rating of  1.90mmH₂O with an airflow rating of 23 CFM at 12VDC. The maximum noise rating is 28 dB(A). It takes 0.08A and has a ball bearing. What I love is how the airflow is directed. This fan takes fresh air through the open area of the top cover and directs it towards the pump housing. There are guided vanes at the bottom of the housing through which the air is exhausted. Going this route, this fan also helps to keep the pump somewhat cool. Having guided vanes at the base ensures that the embedded fan serves its purpose of spreading air towards the near socket area of the motherboard. Job well done, team ID-COOLING though I did not measure the exact impact on the VRM thermals. The pump on this unit uses a three-phase motor for efficient coolant flow. It has a ceramic bearing and is rated for 0 to 2500 RPM. Its power rating is 0.32A at 12VDC. The operating voltage range is 10.8 to 13.2 VDC. Its started voltage is 7VDC with an input power of 3W. The flow rate is mentioned to be 135 L/H. The copper base measures 54x60mm approximately.

ID-COOLING has provided three non-RGB white color fans with this cooler. These fans are using Fluid Dynamic Bearings. This is among the key differences between the DASHFLOW XT V2 and the DASHFLOW XT LITE where the predecessor is using double ball bearings. Each fan has 7 blades. There are large-size anti-vibration pads. Each fan has a flat cable with a 4-pin PWM connector and a 3-pin socket to daisy-chain the fans and connect them to a single header on the motherboard. These fans are rated for a maximum of 2000 RPM±10% speed. The static pressure rating is 2.68 mmH₂O and the airflow rating is 78.25CFM at 12VDC. They use 0.25A.

The only element in this cooler that has A-RGB LEDs is the block. There is a ring surrounding the embedded fan. ID-COOLING has wisely provided standard RGB connectors making it compatible with the RGB sync technology of motherboard manufacturers. They have also provided a dedicated controller that is SATA-powered and has a simple control interface using three buttons. It is pre-programmed. Speaking of the installation, our only observation is that the manual does not speak of how to remove the top cover on the block whereas they have emphasized the fan screws and radiator screws. Installation itself is easier and straightforward. We have tested the cooler on the Intel Z790 platform where a total of 11 items are required to install the block only.

ID-COOLING will release the DASHFLOW 360 XT LITE WHITE in the International market at an MSRP of USD $129 and 36500 PKR in Pakistan. They have informed us that this cooler will come with a 5-year warranty. In our testing of this cooler on Intel’s 13th generation platform, it has managed to handle 250W load and taming the CPU at 90°C at an ambient of 27°C. This is a nice performance from this cooler in its price range.

It’s portable, rugged, stylish, and plug-and-play – it’s ready to go, without drivers, with its travel-friendly, integrated USB-C cable. The aluminum main body adorns ABS casing for improved heat dissipation to keep the unit and your cards cool during sustained operation. The Multi-Card Reader includes four memory card slots of differing types with a simple status LED to let you know it’s connected and ready to go. Then, it’s just a matter of transferring your videos, photos, and other content-rich files to the system of your choice to help usher along your next masterpiece with maximum efficiency.

The CR-C4PM supports the common microSD and SD memory cards that fit everything from smartphones and laptops for your photos to the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally for your games. These cards are everywhere, and this reader supports UHS-II to reach maximum speeds up to 312MBps. Videographers and camera enthusiasts may enjoy using the higher-performance CFast 2.0 and CFexpress Type B memory cards instead, which this reader also supports at up to 460MBps and 950MBps, respectively. Whether for work, play, travel, or home, the USB-C Multi-Card Reader is a flexible, fast, and easy companion for managing your memories and increasing your productivity.

Your Multi-Card Reader: The Sabrent USB-C Multi-Card Reader (CR-C4PM) is the solution for anyone working with different memory card types. It supports CFexpress Type B, CFast 2.0, and microSD/SD cards, all at high speeds. Bus-powered, plug-and-play with no drivers needed – it couldn’t be easier.

Superfast CFexpress and CFast: High-bandwidth cameras require high-performance, reliable memory cards in the CFexpress Type B and CFast 2.0 formats. The USB-C Multi-Card Reader can handle both at up to 950MBps and 460MBps, respectively. Transfer your videos and other high-quality media without burdensome downtime.

Fast microSD/SD: microSD and SD cards are everywhere and used in everything including most popular Android and Apple smartphones, tablets, portable gaming systems, laptops, and more. This reader supports up to UHS-II memory cards at a blazing 312MBps to help transfer your memories faster.

Portable And Rugged: The USB-C Multi-Card Reader can handle all four card types beneath a cool, aluminum main body via a convenient, integrated USB-C cable. It’s lightweight and easy to use with a clear status LED. Grab it, take it on the go, plug it in, then swap your cards as needed for high-speed access.

This attractive, aluminum USB-C hub connects at up to 10Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2×1) to your MacBook, laptop, or other portable device through its integrated cable with up to 90W bypass charging power delivery (PD3.0). The hub expands out into three USB Type-A ports: two 5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1×1) with 5V/900mA for more power-hungry peripherals and a single 480Mbps (USB 2.0) port that’s ideal for keyboards, mice, and legacy accessories. Simply plug the hub into your device, and an LED will let you know you’re good to go – simple and easy.

That covers the basics, but there’s much more. Broaden your experience with mirror and extend display modes using an external display at up to 4K@60Hz through the HDMI 2.0 output port. This functionality is great on laptops, tablets, and more, including the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally. If you’re on the go and want to avoid slow, unreliable Wi-Fi, plug into the Gigabit Ethernet port for up to 1000Mbps (1GbE) for quick and consistent connectivity. You can also stop relying on easy-to-lose microSD/SD cards as this hub has a built-in M.2 slot for portable, fast storage. This slot accepts both M.2 SATA and NVMe SSDs in the 2242 / 2260 / 2280 form factors and utilizes the hub’s aluminum material and integrated thermal padding to keep your storage cool during operation for maximum reliability.

Note: Display output requires DisplayPort Alternate (DP Alt) Mode support.

Connect & Charge:

The hub connects through an integrated USB-C cable at 10Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2×1) with up to 90W bypass charging power delivery (PD3.0). Included are three USB Type-A ports – two 5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1×1) ports for faster peripherals and an additional 480Mbps (USB 2.0) port for keyboards and mice.

USB-C Travel Hub:

Your essential USB-C travel hub is here. The Sabrent USB-C 6-Port Hub with M.2 SSD Slot (HB-6PNV) has everything you need beneath its sleek but rugged aluminum exterior. This includes USB ports, power delivery, fast networking, and even an M.2 slot for more storage on the go! Perfect for your MacBook or laptop.

Now With An M.2:

To make this hub particularly special, it includes an internal M.2 slot with thermal pad cooling for either an M.2 SATA or NVMe SSD. The SSD connects at up to 5Gbps and can be easily installed, with the slot supporting the M.2 2242 / 2260 / 2280 form factors. You can take storage with you and keep it cool.

Network & Display:

The HB-6PNV comes with an HDMI 2.0 port for extended or mirror mode to an external display at up to 4K@60Hz. This works for any DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt Mode) compliant device, including the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and more. It also conveniently has Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) for the very best connectivity.

It’s Sabrent: Designed for use with Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. This includes MacBooks, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and portable devices like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally.

The SABRENT USB-C Hub, 6-Port Dock with M.2 SSD Slot, 90W PD3.0, 1 USB 2.0 & 2 USB 3.0 Type-A Ports, HDMI 2.0 4K@60Hz, RJ45 1GbE Port (HB-6PNV)  is on sale now at Amazon.

SHOP NOW ON AMAZON

FIND MORE PRODUCTS on Sabrent Website.

I thought that AMD AM5’s thermal behavior has been put to rest but I was wrong it is still in debate and many brands have released some sort of their solutions trying to tackle the 95°C temperature regardless of cooling solution. AMD has emphasized again and again that it is by design but people are not comfortable running their CPUs at such high temperatures. Believe it or not, Intel’s 13th generation is actually performing similarly due to high PL1, PL2, and Tau values. As soon as CPU hits that PL2 the temperature would easily peak into the upper 80s and lower 90s or even thermally throttling depending on the SKU. This is largely dependent on the type of load, thermal paste application, BIOS settings, Voltages, and ambient temperatures. I have seen many people complaining their 240mm AIOs not able to handle i5 13600k on default behavior. I always ask them to tell me about their room temperature first followed by BIOS configuration and type of loads. Anyhow, the majority are living in Intel’s golden era where the i7 was a four-core design, and on stock settings, it would still operate at a decent temperature level depending on the load. Things have changed and one needs to adjust accordingly.

Anyhow, AMD has employed a thick heat spreader on Ryzen 7000 series SKUs which has been mainly attributed towards contributing to the high thermals under use. Thermal Grizzly in collaboration with der8auer has released a delid tool for this platform along with many other products including a lapping tool, adapter and offset mounting kits, Direct Die Frame, and Heat spreader to name a few. Noctua has also released its offset mounting brackets for this platform. They have released a direct die-mounting kit in collaboration with der8auer. We are taking a look at these offset mounting brackets in this article.

We have received the following brackets:

• NM-AMB12
• NM-AMB13
• NM-AMB14
• NM-AMB15

All these brackets support different Noctua coolers so you better do good homework before pulling the trigger.

The above picture is taken from Noctua website. It shows the compatibility of these offset brackets with Noctua coolers. You would need NM-AMB12 for the king of the ring NH-D15/S. NM-AMB15 would be required for NH-U12A and NM-AMB13 would be needed for NH-U12/S coolers. These are among the most favorite coolers from Noctua hence I have mentioned the compatible offset mounting brackets.

What’s different in stock and offset brackets?

Why would you need an offset mounting bracket for Noctua coolers on the AM5 platform? Let’s take a look at the picture below to understand the concept.

We have taken the above picture from Noctua website. The hot spot on these SKUs is not directly in the center rather it is a bit below the center. Noctua has referred this to as “located towards the south side of the CPU”. As can be seen in the second and third diagrams above, the cooler traditionally is placed on CPU hoping to cover the center portion as it has been a trend that the die usually resides in the center. While this is true for Intel, it is not the same for AMD. As we can see those CCDs which are more heat-generating areas under the IHS, so the hot spot is not in the center of the PCB but lower than the center. Noctua’s AM5 offset mounting brackets provide a displacement of -7mm compared to the stock mounting bracket. This offset lowers the cooler’s base towards the south side of the CPU.

We have shown the North, South, East, and West sides near the CPU socket so that you can better understand it. North and South ends are of particular importance because literally every offset bracket from Noctua will move the cooler towards the south from the north. This way, we would get better coverage on the CCDs under the IHS. The -7mm offset is coming from North side towards South side regardless.

The above picture shows two main categories of these brackets. The NM-AMB12 and NM-AMB14 cover those coolers from Noctua that have 83mm and 78mm mounting pitch respectively and their mounting brackets are installed on top (North side only) and bottom (South side only). The NM-AMB13 and NM-AMB15 cover those coolers that have 83mm and 78mm mounting pitch but their bracket have a long length on the East and West sides of the socket area.

The above picture shows a stock mounting bracket from Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black. We can see that this bracket is placed on the north side and south side.

The above picture is for illustration purposes only. It shows the stock mounting bracket for NH-U12A installed on AM4 socket. For this type of coolers from Noctua, NM-AM13 and NM-AMB15 would be needed.

The above picture shows the NM-AMB12 mounting bracket. We are using NH-D15 chromax.black for this testing hence we will be focusing on this offset bracket only. The result from this bracket and cooler would give an idea of what to expect from other brackets. Each bracket is clearly labeled and you can’t go wrong with the installation of these brackets no matter what. The bracket shown on the top has SOUTH clearly labeled meaning this bracket will be installed on the bottom of the socket (SOUTH end). It has two types of mounting holes. One set is labeled 0 whereas the second set is labeled -7mm. the 0 labeled holes conform to the stock mounting bracket size. I think it is wise of Noctua to provide support for stock location or mounting as well as offset mounting holes labeled -7mm. There is an arrow indicator right after CPU label showing the direction in which this bracket must be placed on the socket. The lower bracket has two arms with mounting holes. This bracket is also labeled. This time it is NORTH meaning this bracket will be placed on top of the socket (North). In case you are wondering where the rest of the stuff is, there is not any because these brackets use spacers and screws from the cooler. Noctua has been clear and precise in the design. NM-AMB14 has the same design but it is compatible with different sets of coolers from Noctua.

Now we are showing NM-ABM13 offset mounting brackets. As we can see each bracket has an arm and the center has a standoff. WEST and EAST are clearly labeled on the brackets along with the arrow markers. These markers should face the CPU. That is why; I have mentioned that one can’t go wrong with the installation of these brackets. Noctua has made it easy. Each mounting arm has two holes labeled -7mm and 0. 0 marked holes conform to the size of stock mounting bracket whereas -7mm is the offset from the North side towards the South side providing better coverage of CCDs.

Thermal Testing

We have used the below-mentioned configuration for this testing:

• AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
• GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC [For Display]
• Sabrent Rocket 32GB DDR5 kit 4800MHz CAS 40
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 1TB Gen4 NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black
• Be quiet! Straight Power 11 1000W Platinum PSU
• Open-air Testing

Here is the settings table:

Motherboard was updated to the latest BIOS before this testing along with the chipset software. We did not use ECO Mode from GIGABYTE as they were not serving the purpose of this testing. These Eco modes are based on thermal limits and CPU will operate on the set limit anyway.

The above picture shows the available Eco Modes. There are 5 levels in each of thermal limit (70°C, 80°C, and 90°C). I tried 80°C with Level 5 and the system hung up. Then 80°C with Level 1 was tried and the CPU was operating at 80°C. There is no power target or power-based mode available. ASRock has done a fine job in this regard.

We left the PBO Enhancement disabled.

You can find PBO settings in Advanced CPU Settings in the BIOS. We have selected Advanced mode for manual customization.

We have set all cores to negative offset with a value of 30 on the curve optimizer. This is why we have the VCore on auto as well.

The PPT or socket power was set to 95W and the thermal limit was set to 85°C (shown 80°C in the picture).

Now, that we have given a run of the settings and BIOS configuration, let’s proceed with the testing. We needed to establish the baseline for reference. This was easy to do using stock mounting brackets from NH-D15 chromax.black. We ran a multi-core stress test using CINEBENCH R23.2 and recorded temperature using HWInfo64. We have finally managed controlled temperature for our thermal testing. The room temperature was 24.3°C to 24.6°C hence we are reporting absolute temperature in the graphs.

Next, we installed the NM-AMB12 using 0 labeled mounting holes, and the test was repeated.

In our next run of the test, the NM-AMB12 was installed in -7mm offset from North. Doing this may affect the graphics card clearance or even the bulky NVMe SSD covers. You would need to keep an eye on that.

We have enough clearance for the mounting bracket to be installed in an -7mm offset.

Using stock mounting bracket, there is no clearance issue from NVMe SSD cover and the Graphics Card. Yes, we had to adjust the height of the front fan which is not the topic at the moment since offset is between the North and South ends.

The above picture shows a relatively small area left for the graphics card after installing the bracket in -7mm offset.

Here we can see that there is still a space between the cooler and the graphics card even after using a -7mm offset.

Result

So, what is the outcome? We saw no difference in idle temperatures using either of these mounting brackets. Similarly, there was no difference in temperature using the stock brackets and NM-ABM12 with 0 offset. However, we saw an improvement of 1.6°C when the NM-AMB12 was installed in -7mm offset. According to Noctua from their internal testing, one can expect a difference between 1°C to 3°C. Our test result is sitting right in the middle of their numbers. During this test the socket power was 97W and clocks were operating in the range of 5250MHz to 5275MHz. We did not see a performance drop. When we ran the test on Stock and Auto settings in BIOS with PBO the CPU was operating at 5.1GHz with temperature sitting at 95°C. Using advanced PBO is beneficial as is evident from our testing and this can be further improved using Noctua NM-AMB12 bracket.

Conclusion

Where everyone is throwing ideas and products to lower the temperature on the new AMD AM5 platform, Noctua has provided an accessory called AM5 offset mounting brackets. These brackets are available on AMAZON and Noctua stores at USD/EURO 4.90 and 3.90 pricing respectively. Explaining in simple words, these brackets would lower the cooler’s base an exact measurement of -7mm from top (North) to the bottom (South). Why lower the cooler where we may run into graphics card and NVMe SSD bulky heatsink clearance issues? It is simple, unlike Intel platform where the die is located in the center of the PCB, Ryzen 7000 SKUs have CCDs located towards the lower side (South end). These CCDs are the main hot spot areas. Installing a cooler in a traditional manner would not fully cover these CCDs. A simple solution is offset mounting. We have seen ARCTIC doing it already with their latest version of Liquid Freezer II series of liquid coolers.

Noctua has presented the offset mounting brackets to enable the Noctua coolers’ installation in an offset manner to fully or properly cover the CCDs for efficient heat transfer. The available brackets include:

• NM-AMB12 83mm Mounting Pitch
• NM-AMB13 83mm Mounting Pitch
• NM-AMB14 78mm Mounting Pitch
• NM-AMB15 78mm Mounting Pitch

The NM-AMB12 and NM-AMB15 are also available in chromax.black versions. Each of these brackets supports different Noctua coolers. Click here to check this compatibility on the Noctua website. Each bracket has clear labeling showing the direction (North and South) for NM-AMB12 and NM-AMB14 & (East and West) for NM-AMB13 and NM-ABM15. There are arrow markings showing the direction that the bracket should face toward the CPU. Each bracket has two sets of mounting holes. One set is labeled 0 and it conforms to stock mounting bracket location. The other set has a label of -7mm. This set provides offset. These brackets are also compatible with AM4 sockets.

We have tested NM-AMB12 with NH-D15 chromax.black on GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER motherboard with 7700X. There was no clearance issue using -7mm offset mounting. We have used Advanced PBO settings for this testing and locked the socket power at 95W with a thermal limit of 85°C. This offset mounting has provided a 1.6°C improvement compared to the stock mounting. Nothing wrong in spending a few bucks for a thermal improvement but I am leaving this to the user to decide if 1.6°C (not guaranteed as it would depend on a range of factors like CPU itself, thermal paste application, ambient temperature etc) improvement is sufficient enough for this expense.

Nauman signing out.

GAMDIAS is a manufacturer of PC hardware. Their product lines include PSU, PC Cases, PC Cooling, Thermal Pastes, Controllers, gaming peripherals, gaming desks, and gaming chairs. They also carry products for streaming users. They have been in the industry for 11 years now. They have showcased their new liquid cooler at Computex 23 named CHOINE P3 – 360U and we are testing this cooler this time around. The CHIONE P3 – 360U has some interesting set of features that we will list below (taken from their website). This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA1700, AMD AM5, and AMD TR4 sockets out of the box and GAMDIAS has provided mounting hardware for all the supported sockets including TR4. This is the first cooler that I have experienced using same standoff screws or studs for all Intel Sockets excluding LGA20xx. Other manufacturers are providing different standoff screws for Intel LGA1700 socket. This cooler is joining the ranks of a few solutions in the AIO market that offer an integrated display screen and an embedded fan for VRM cooling. Besides, there is a USB-based AEOLUS control box and AEOLUS M3 fans included in the box. It is mentioned on GAMDIAS website that this cooler is rated for 290W ±10% TDP.

Below are salient highlights of this cooler. We have taken these from GAMDAIS website.

• IPS LCD Screen
• Customize LCD Background (png / gif / jpg)
• Micro-embedded Fan for Motherboard Cooling
• CHIONE CAST Software
• LCD Screen Orientation
• Control Lighting Effects / Brightness / Speed / Direction
• Show System Information (with customized image)
• Motherboard sync ARGB
• Durable Teflon Tube with Aesthetic Nylon-braided Tube Sleeve
• High Static Pressure Hydraulic PWM fan
• USB AEOLUS Box
• Support LGA 1700 / AM5 / TR4

Product:               GAMDIAS CHOINE P3-360U

Price:                    $239.9 USD [Price from GAMDIAS Marketing]

Specifications

Packaging and Unboxing

The cooler is shipped inside a cardboard made packing box. Oh, and I did not know that cat has a CPU inside. Pun Intended. There is not much information provided over the front. There is a picture of a complete unit and the focus is on LCD screen with its customization plus an embedded fan.

This cooler’s RGB lighting is compatible with:

• ASUS AURA SYNC
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• MSI MYSTIC SYNC
• ASROCK POLYCHROME
• BIOSTAR LED DJ

Interestingly, a comparison is shown here between a Cooler Master AIO and this unit from some internal testing showing P360U performing better. Personally, I don’t like this approach from any brand.

All contents are nicely placed inside an egged carton or in another cardboard made container. This prevents damage during shipping where possible.

Accessories

It is time to take a look at what is included in the box.

There is a printed user guide showing illustrations about installing this cooler on the sockets.

There is a universal backplate that has yellow color lockers on the arms. Intel socket numbers are printed on the arms making it easy to prepare the backplate accordingly.

There are:

• 2x Intel Mounting Brackets
• 4x Screws to install these brackets
• 4x Intel 115x Standoff screws
• 4x Intel 20xx Standoff screws

GAMDIAS has provided washer-type spacers for Intel sockets. These have a thickness of approximately 3.46mm. I am wondering if these spacers are to be used for all Intel sockets then what is different for the Intel LGA1700 socket?

There are:

• 2x AMD Mounting Brackets
• 4x Silver color Standoff Screws

There is a label on the TR4 hardware container. This tells us that the 240mm version of this cooler has a maximum of 200W TDP whereas the 360 is mentioned to have 290W TDP. This delta is rather large.

There are:

• 2x TR4 Mounting Brackets
• 4x Pillar Screws
• 4x Springs

There are 4x thumb nuts and 1x thermal paste tube.

There are:

• 4x Fan Screws
• 4x Radiator Screws

There is a white color accessory box in which the AEOLUS Control Box and cables are provided.

GAMDIAS has provided a USB-based AEOLUS control box with this cooler. Housing of this controller is made of plastic material and it has a dimension of 83x59x14mm. The USB name is enough to tell us that we are talking about LCD Screen and its customization using a USB 2.0 (9-pin) header on the motherboard. Taking a look at the above picture we can see a 4-pin 12V RGB port to which a user can connect a LED strip. Then there are three 8-pin ports to which the AEOLUS M3 fans are connected. This means fans are using proprietary connectors and are dependent on this control box.

There is a 5-pin USB port over. This is where the bundled USB cable is connected to. Next is a 4-pin SATA port. This controller is SATA powered. Then there is a 3-pin PWM port. GAMDIAS has provided a PWM cable as well. There is a two pin port on the left of the USB port. I think this is for front panel’s 2-pin connector that is optional though I am not sure and I did not investigate it.

There is an 8-pin port to which the LCD cable coming from the pump housing is connected. Then there is a LED Out port which is used to daisy-chain this control box with another AEOLUS control box. The provided A-RGB cable is connected to LED In port.

The backside of this housing has two magnets that make it easier to install this control box in the PC Case.

The bundled cables include:

• 1x Fan PWM Cable
• 1x Cable to daisy-chain two control boxes
• 1x A-RGB cable having a standard female connector using a 3-pin interface on 5VDC
• 1x USB Cable

As mentioned above, this controller is SATA powered for which a SATA cable is provided as well.

 Closer Look

Here is what GAMDIAS has to say about their cooler. “The CHIONE P3 high-performance liquid cooler is a 360mm radiator AIO fine-tuned for next-generation cooling and equipped with a personalized LCD display. The AIO features a highly customizable IPS LCD display, a motor pump with a high-performance three-phase drive, an optimized cold-plate design, a micro-embedded fan within the pump head, and three fine-tuned AEOLUS M3 PWM fans to offer top-notch cooling power on any setup.”

As is the case with other AIOs, this unit also comes with an aluminum-made radiator that has a dimension of 394x119x27mm. After installing 25mm thick fans, the overall height would be 53mm approximately. This radiator has an FPI count of 18 and has 12 channels for coolant flow. Our digital caliper told us that this radiator has a 119.97mm width. Well, seems like it is still within the margin of error and tolerances.

This radiator has a rectangular layout on the far block. There is no branding over there.

Overall fin stacking job is satisfactory.

Looking at the side frame of this radiator, there is no branding over here. The near block is thicker than the far block which is understandable since tubes are installed on the near end.

Well, I was not expecting this. A heat shrink! Why would you use a heat shrink to conceal the connections between fittings and tubes and charge USD 240? There is another cover probably on a factory use-only port. Don’t tamper with this cover or you may lose the vacuum pressure of the loop. There is what seems like a serial number sticker.

We have been showing this in almost all AIO contents that we have done. The thickness of the actual fin stack is less than 27mm of the radiator’s thickness. There is no protective plating under the mounting holes of the frame. As long as you are using GAMDIAS-provided screws, there should not be any issue. Plus this gap would also provide clearance for the threaded portion of the screw.

GAMDIAS is using Teflon made tubes on these coolers. These tubes run to approximately 400mm. they are somewhat flexible without kinking and have mesh sleeves for aesthetics.

The pump housing is made of plastic material. GAMDIAS has not mentioned the dimension of this housing. As per our measurement using a digital caliper, the diameter is 69mm and the height is 69mm as well. Looking at the top is where your bucks are actually going for. There is an IPS LCD screen on the top in the center. We don’t the resolution of this screen. GAMDIAS has provided CHIONE CAST software to customize the display and control the A-RGB lighting effects. We can see a glimpse of an integrated diffuser running inside this housing. This has A-RGB LEDs underneath which light up to cover the embedded fan or in other words sit between the LCD and the fan.

We can also see the impeller of the micro-embedded fan below the LCD screen. There is no specification provided for this fan by GAMDIAS. There is no control over this fan either not even their software provides any control. Given the height of this housing and where this fan is located, we doubt it would contribute significantly to lowering the VRM temperature. The only way to know that is to disable this fan and record the thermals of the VRM fan. Repeat this process with fan enabled. Then we would know if there is actually any difference. From the design alone, this does not seem to make any difference. I think the opening on the top is left there so that this fan can draw in fresh air but not sure.

Looking at the side of this housing, we can see a bunch of cables coming out from this end. Also, take note of the cutouts or vents. These are there so that the fan can throw air out of the housing.

There is a sleeved cable coming out of the housing that has a proprietary 8-pin connector. This connector goes into the AEOLUS control box in the port labeled LCD.

There is a 4-pin housing on the second cable. Don’t let it distract you. The housing is for the 4-pin PWM connector but they are using 3 wires which would mean this is still a DC-based control for the pump. There is a mention on GAMDIAS website that this pump is rated for 2800 RPM speed at 12VDC. Other than that, there is no specification provided for this pump.

The above picture shows another side of this housing. This is an average look on this pump housing and I would expect a better outlook when paying such a steep price.

There is an area above the base which has mounting holes on the corners. This is where the mounting brackets are installed.

GAMDIAS has used right-angled adapter fittings on the pump housing. The tube connections are covered using heat shrinks. These fittings are not in the center as we are used to seeing in the majority of AIOs.

GAMDIAS is using a copper base on this cooler. This base has a size of 59x49mm approximately. A friendly reminder to take off the protective cover from this base before installing this cooler.

This cooler comes with three AEOLUS M3 1204R fans. One salient design of these fans is a chamfered design for air intake. The blades are in an alternate manner as well. Each fan has 11 blades. The blades are a bit protruding from the down-slope frame. GAMDIAS refers to A-RGB lighting on these fans as low-profile concentric lighting. There is a ring design diffuser running inside the main frame at the center which has a low profile outlook. Each mounting corner has an anti-vibration pad to reduce the vibrational acoustic.

These fans have a close design. The frame looks sturdy as well. There is no arrow marking that shows directions.

The backside of the blades has a layered design that we usually see on be quiet! fans. There is a 4-arms assembly with one arm having an inset. The wires are routed to this inset area.

GAMDIAS is using a proprietary 8-pin connector on these fans. This means we are totally dependent on the provided control box. In case of any issue or defect in that control box would make the complete unit useless though this design sites good in GAMDIAS ecosystem. I hope their customer service is good otherwise spending USD $ 240 on such a design is unwise in my opinion.

Specifications of these fans are:

Installation

We are not covering the installation part. You can refer to the user manual for that. We only mention the issues that we observe during the installation and removal of the cooler. And we have made quite a few observations about this cooler. We have tested this cooler on an Intel LGA1700 socket using GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX and Intel i7 13700k. Before that, we installed this cooler on a GIGABYTE Z690 AERO motherboard. The pictures are taken from that build. However, thermal testing is done on i7 13700k. the installation of block is not a difficult job. It requires 15 items for this installation.

The printed user guide does not tell about the spacers for the stud bolts. However, they have included 3.46m thick (as per our measurement) spacers that sit between the standoffs and standoff screws. These spacers are also required to be used on Intel LGA1200 and 115x sockets.

Sorry for the crap picture. As we can see there are metallic spacers pasted on the thumb nuts. Why would you paste something like this anyway? While we were removing this cooler, this is what comes off.

Again sorry for the crap pictures. This residue is what becomes of those metallic spacers. The chirping if left unattended and dropped on the motherboard, can easily short the PCB.

Both magnets came off the AEOLUS Control Box housing. Since there are 8 cables coming in or going out of this housing, their pressure easily pulls the box down. Magnets are so tightly attached to the PC Case that they would rather come off than slide down with the housing.

We are not done. The embedded fan and the A-RGB LEDs are taking power from the USB cable. We tested that by disconnecting the SATA cable from the control box. The fan and LEDs were still working. This is fine but here is the observation. This fan would start spinning and A-RGB LEDs would light up even if the PC is not powered on but PSU has an active power source. This should not be happening in reality. We tried to convey these observations to the brand. I am only quoting their reply on the VRM fan issue which even does not cover the A-RGB LEDs getting lit up. Here is the reply,

“The VRM fan can spill with minimal current. Even if the computer is shut down, there is still a small amount of current flowing to operate the fan. To completely cut off the power, you need to enter the PSU Settings in the BIOS and change the Erp option to Enable.”

I have only one question. Why this is not covered in the user manual and why it is designed like that?

Another observation is that you would be dealing with a plethora of cables to operate this cooler. By design, everything is controlled from AEOLUS control box so any defect in that box would make the complete unit useless unless the issue is sorted out. I would not drop my bucks on such a design. Oh, and you would need a spare USB 2.0 header on your motherboard as well without which you will not be able to customize the LCD screen display. This unit has a dimension of 394x119x53mm with fans installed. Keep that in mind for the PC Case clearance. The tubes don’t obstruct the DIMM slot and PCIe slot.

LCD Screen Customization via CHIONE CAST

GAMDIAS has provided a utility named CAST to customize the LCD Screen display and A-RGB lighting effects. You can download this software from their website. Let’s explore this software.

The Homepage shows some key system stats like CPU temperature, clocks, power etc. The pump was operating at 2538 RPM on full speed or technically speaking 12VDC. This is lower than the 2800 RPM rating.  The fans were operating at 1968 RPM. This is a single fan report. We can see some coding against key parameters like Rainbow – 1, Brightness – 8, etc. This is easier for the coding team for the reference point but not for the users.

Now we are in the Lighting section of this software. Rainbow is the default mode for the fans and pump housing. Rainbow – 1 is listed under the Color. 1 here refers to the first Rainbow listed customized mode.

Static colors are also coded from 1 to 4. There is no color palette available for the user to select from the 16M color combinations. I would expect this from a USD240 cooler.

Similarly, we have many patterns under the Flow mode and each is coded in number. Click on Sync Motherboard and the A-RGB control will transfer to the motherboard. For that, the A-RGB cable should be connecting AEOLUS Control Box with the RGB header on the motherboard.

Now, we are in the Screen Setup. LCD Screen Setup options have brightness control. Now we know that Brightness – 8 was showing the brightness level and 8 here means fully bright. We can control the orientation of the display screen which would come in handy during the installation of the cooler as one can easily adjust the display with regard to the orientation of the pump housing.

By default, there is an inverted triangle showing the GAMDIAS logo on the screen in yellow color.

Now we have rotated the screen display to the left side.

Now the display is upward.

The display is rightward.

By default, None is selected in the System information section. You can choose to display listed sensors like CPU speed, CPU Temperature, CPU Power, etc. The drive’s statistics can also be displayed. But keep in mind that this screen can only output one sensor at a time. There is no provision to report multiple sensors at a time.

Here we are showing the CPU Clock speeds.

Here we are showing the power draw of the CPU.

Now, we are showing the CPU temperature.

Here we are showing the drive’s temperature.

We are showing GPU clocks.

Now are showing GPU temperature.

We can change the color of the display text as well. You can also display a picture and a system sensor.

There are three backgrounds listed in this section. The default is the GAMDIAS inverted triangle logo. You can change it to the other two as well.

The above picture shows the second background selected and displayed.

The above picture shows the third background displayed.

You can also set it to display no picture at all.

You can upload an image in PNG, JPG, and GIF format with a maximum size of 20MB.

The settings menu shows the software and firmware version. You can change the temperature unit from here as well.

D-RGB Lighting

You can control the A-RGB lighting effects either using CHIONE CAST software on the AEOLUS control box or use the standard A-RGB header on your motherboard. Here are a few pictures:

Thermal Testing

The below-mentioned configuration is used for this testing:

• Intel Core i7 13700k
• GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX
• Kingston Fury DDR5 32GB @ 6400MHz CAS 32
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• Be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

Test table for Intel core i7 13700k is:

We have seen AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs taking more power and this time both sides have aimed at reaching the maximum clocks regardless of thermal limit. In fact, the AM5 SKUs will run into thermal limit right away depending on the cooling solution and the clocks being used. This has made testing of CPU coolers challenging because viewers/readers are not used to a new nomenclature which is what clocks are sustained under a given load using a particular cooler. That is if the cooler is capable of providing enough cooling head to sustain the high frequencies at high package power. Among other reasons is the high thermal density of these new CPUs. Traditionally we are used to going the other way around that is which cooler is better in terms of thermal capacity. Despite this, we are using temperatures as a base for measuring this unit.

The ambient temperature was in the range of 24°C to 25°C. We are reporting absolute temperatures in the graph. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two same SKUs are likely to take the same voltage to yield same performance at same thermals per se but margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Let’s take a look at the results.

Result

There is a massive difference of 7°C between the two 360mm size AIOs. The thermal testing was repeated just in case to make sure that we did not miss anything during installation. The results were similar. The package power draw was 221W.

Noise

This cooler was roughly making 53 dB(A) sound output at an ambient of 32 dB(A).

Conclusion

We are back on testing 360mm size AIO coolers in preparation for our upcoming project. This time we have taken a spin at GAMDIAS CHIONE P3 – 360U liquid cooler.  This is their new cooler presented during Computex 2023. This series of coolers will be or are available subject to regions in 240mm and 360mm sizes. The 360mm version is mentioned to handle a TDP of 290W ± 10% and their mounting hardware labeling tells us that the 240mm size cooler is rated for 200W TDP or similar range. This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA1700, 1200, 115x, 1366, and 20xx sockets. It is compatible with AMD AM5, AM4, AM3 series, AM2 series, FM series, and TR4 sockets.

The key differentiation is coming from IPS LCD Screen and an embedded fan for VRM cooling. Other than this, there is a USB-based AEOLUS Control Box and AEOLUS M3 1204R fans. The radiator of this unit has a dimension of 394x119x27mm. It has 12 channels for coolant flow and has a 20 FPI count. I was a bit surprised to see that GAMDIAS has actually used heat shrinks on the connection points between the tube and fittings. They could have used good-looking clamps or covers for that matter after all one would be paying a hefty USD $240 price for this cooler. GAMDIAS has used Teflon tubes that run to 400mm in length.

All the GAMDIAS magic is in the pump housing that has a height of 69mm and a diameter of 69mm. This housing is made of plastic material and has a rounded design. Unfortunately, this housing has a dull outlook. I was expecting something bold, aggressive, and good-looking at this price point and particularly given the fact that it has an LCD screen. Anyhow, I digress. There is a screen over the top of this housing, right in the middle. The left and right sides are left open which I think is done to provide air intake for the micro-embedded fan in this housing. This fan is to provide airflow on the VRM area. No specification of this fan is provided by GAMDIAS and we can’t control the speed of this fan either. There is no way to know if it actually provides some sort of cooling to the VRM area. This air exhaust comes through the vents or cutouts on the main housing. There is a diffuser right below the screen and it is integrated into the housing. The A-RGB LEDs do pretty neat work to hide the fan when powered. This housing has a copper base measuring 59x49mm. There is an 8-pin proprietary connector cable coming out from this housing. This connector goes to the AEOLUS control box. The pump is DC powered despite using 3 wires. GAMDIAS has strangely opted for a 4-pin housing on the pump’s power cable which anyone can take for granted for a 4-pin PWM connector.

This cooler comes with three AEOLUS M3 1204R fans. These fans have a closed design frame and they have chamfered and alternate blades design. The A-RGB LEDs are housed inside the main frame and there is a diffuser running on the inside of this frame. GAMDIAS describe this as low-profile concentric lighting. Each fan has an 8-pin proprietary connector. These fans can only be used with an AEOLUS control box. This would work seamlessly within GAMDIAS ecosystem but this dependency in my opinion is not good for the end user. Should the control box develop some fault, the complete unit would come to a halt and we are not sure of the GAMDIAS customer service so far. These fans are rated for a maximum speed of 2000 RPM. The airflow rating is 69.01 CFM. The static pressure rating is 2.37 mmH₂O. The noise output is rated at 31 dB(A) sound output. These fans are using Hydraulic Bearings.

GAMDIAS has provided a USB-based controller named AEOLUS Control Box. Except for the pump’s power cable, all other cables are required to be connected to this SATA-powered control box. You will also need a USB 2.0 header on your motherboard. The embedded fan and A-RGB lighting take power from this USB port even when power is disconnected from the main controller. In addition to the 3x fans cables and a pump housing cable, there are four more cables that need to be connected to this port. We have got quite some challenges in the cable management department with this cooler. This box has magnets for convenient installation.

CHIONE CAST is a name of the software that GAMDIAS has provided to customize the LCD screen display. Overall, it is satisfactory but we have found some limitations like there are only four static colors whereas it should have been a full color palette. Whenever any change is applied, the status bar counts from 1 to 160 which is really strange and the change should have happened just like a finger snap. I am not sure how to update the firmware or software as there is no button to check for updates or maybe it is designed in a way where updates will be pushed towards the client. This screen can only display one sensor at a time. I wish it could have been multiple sensor reporting. This could well be due to the small screen size, speaking of which, we don’t know the resolution of this screen and its refresh rate.

Installation of this unit is easy and requires 15 items to install block over CPU on LGA1700 socket. GAMDIAS has used metallic washers on the thumb nuts. These don’t come off in their original form instead there was what I would call residue or crushed state. This residue could fall on the motherboard if not properly removed. So, pay attention otherwise they could short the PCB. The magnets came off from the controller’s housing during testing which is something that should not be happening.

GAMDIAS has informed us that this cooler will retail at USD S239.99. This is a hefty price tag. On top of that, they are only offering a 2-year warranty. I am not sure how would one justify buying an expensive cooler with such a low warranty period. This is further aggravated because this cooler has an average performance. We have used Thermalright Frozen Magic 360 Scenic V2 cooler (USD $100) for the comparison and used same thermal paste for this testing which is ALPHACOOL Subzero. We are seeing a drastic difference of 7°C between both coolers with Thermalright cooler having an upper hand. The fans are loud but a custom fan curve would cover for it. Then we have some quality issues mentioned above.

I have been testing 360mm AIOs in recent times a lot, obviously for our next project. I am taking a break this time but am still on another AIO. Welp, what can I say? This time I am taking a look at my first ever darkFlash product in the form of a Radiant DC240-ARGB cooler. As the name suggests, it is a 240mm size liquid cooler. This unit is compatible with INTEL：LGA 20xx(v3) / 1200 / 115x / 17xx sockets and AMD：AM5 /AM4 / AM3(+) / AM2(+) / FM2(+) sockets.

Key features include:

• Elegantly rhombus diverges infinitely outward design
• Redesign water pump to make perfect and stable performance
• High-strength cooling pipes
• Supports both Intel and AMD
• TDP: 270W

Item:                     Radiant DC240 A-RGB

Price:                    USD 55 [It was difficult finding the price. We are reporting the AliExpress pricing]

Specifications

Packaging and Unboxing

This unit comes inside a cardboard box. Two key mentions here are compatibility info for Intel LGA1700 and AMD AM5 sockets. Other than that, this cooler is compatible with the RGB sync technologies of various motherboard manufacturers.

The key features of this cooler are mentioned on the backside of a main packing box.

Looking inside the box, the contents are placed inside an egged carton.

Accessories

It is time to see what is provided.

There is a printed user guide and a container of mounting hardware. This container is labeled 240.

There is a backplate for Intel and AMD sockets. This is an old design where there was a single bracket for both platforms prior to the launch of AM5 platform. The black color covers are for AMD mounting arms.

There are:

• 1x set of Intel Mounting Brackets
• 1x set of AMD Mounting Brackets
• 1x Thermal Paste
• 4x Thumb Screws
• 4x Intel LGA20xx Standoff Screws
• 4x Intel LGA1700 Standoff Screws
• 4x Intel LGA115x/AMD Standoff Screws
• 4x AMD AM5 Standoff Screws
• 8x Radiator Screws
• 4x Mounting Bracket Screws
• 4x O-rings or rubber washers

In case you are wondering about the fan screws, the fans come pre-installed on the radiator. There are those fan screws.

There is a 3-port fan hub included as well. This port has 3x 4-pin PWM ports.

There is a cable coming out of the hub having a 4-pin PWM connector.

Closer Look

Let’s take a look at the unit starting with the radiator.

This unit comes with pre-installed fans. This is a nice touch by the manufacturer. Thermalright Frozen Magic 360 Scenic V2 also came with pre-installed fans. Because we have to see the radiator, we removed these fans.

The radiator assembly is black color coated. This unit has FPI of 20 with a total of 12 channels for coolant flow. The dimension of this radiator is 274x120x27mm. Here 27mm is a height. Adding 120x25mm fans, the overall height would be 53mm or so. There is a standard gap of 105mm between two opposing mounting holes and 15mm between two adjacent mounting holes. The fins are in an E shape and darkFlash has done a good job with fin stacking. There is no bend or broken fin.

The far end of this radiator has a slim size and it has no sticker or label.

Looking at the tube side of the radiator, we can see a serial number label. The tube and fitting connections are covered using metallic black color clamps. There is a warranty void sticker over another port cover. Possibly this port is reserved for factory use and tampering with it may lose the vacuum pressure of the loop.

There is a darkFlash text in a white color on side frame. This frame is riveted to the main housing.

There is a gap between side frame and actual fin stack implying that thickness of fin stack is less than 27mm.

darkFlash is using rubber tubes. These have nylon braided mesh sleeves over them. These tubes have a length of 400mm. These tubes are not that flexible.

The pump housing is made of plastic material and it is in a ring design. It has a dimension of 71×66.5x45mm. We can see a styling over the top featuring darkFlash branding in the center. This is what darkFlash refers to Rhombus Diverge Infinity Design. This area is ARGB backlit and looks good in person when powered.

Looking at the front of this housing, we can see a thicker flat cable coming out from the lower end.

There is no branding or styling on any side of this housing.

The backside of this housing has 90° right-angled fittings on which the tubes are connected. They can be moved towards right and left depending on the requirement. darkFlash has used metallic clamps to conceal the connection.

There is a SATA cable coming out of the pump housing. This would be needed if ARGB LEDs will be controlled using PC Case’ Reset cable for which an active power source is required.

Pump on this unit is powered by a 3-pin power cable. The pump is rated for 3200 ± 10% RPM. It is rated for 12VDC with starting voltage of 6VDC. It takes 0.60A maximum consuming a maximum of 7.20W.

darkFlash is using standard RGB connectors to power and control the ARGB lighting effects. There is another connector as can be seen. In case your motherboard does not have RGB header, you can connect a 2-pin connector (Reset) from front panel to connect with the flat header coming out of the pump housing and this way you can control the ARGB lighting using the Reset button of the PC Case. Don’t forget to connect the SATA connector the PSU in this configuration.

There is a copper base on this unit measuring 53x53mm. The mounting brackets are installed on the housing using 4x screws.

There are two 120mm A-RGB fans that come pre-installed on radiator. Each fan has 9 blades. There is a darkFlash branding on the hub. Hub has a large size diameter because it has A-RGB LEDs. There is a slop-down design on each mounting side of the frame. There are cut-to-size anti-vibration pads on the mounting corners.

The frame is black in color and it is sturdy. We can see two arrow markings that shows the direction of airflow and direction in which the blades spin for novice users.

There is a 4-arms assembly on the backside. One arm has an inset on which the wires are routed. These fans are made in China. There is no information about the bearings that these fans are using.

darkFlash is using standard RGB connectors which is a wise move.

The fan’s power cable has a 4-pin PWM connector.

Salient specifications are:

Installation

We are not covering the details of installation. Please refer to the online user guide for detailed instructions about installing this cooler. We did not notice any particular issue with the installation.

RGB Lighting

Since darkFlash is using standard RGB connectors, the A-RGB lighting is compatible with RGB sync technologies of motherboard manufacturers. We have tested on GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G motherboard using RGB FUSION 2.0 app and it was found working fine. The lighting solution is compatible with:

• ASUS AURA SYNC
• ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• MSI MYSTIC LIGHTING SYNC

Here are a few pictures:

While the A-RGB lighting on the fans is nothing spectacular, the block lighting looks good.

Testing

We have used following configurations for testing:

• Intel core i7 12700k
• GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G D5
• Sabrent Rocket 32GB DDR5 Kit @ 4800MHz CAS 40
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• Sabrent Rocket Q 500GB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

Test table is:

A bit of note about the new platforms. We have seen AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs taking more power and this time both sides have aimed at reaching the maximum clocks regardless of thermal limit. In fact, the AM5 SKUs will run into thermal limits right away depending on the cooling solution and the clocks being used. This has made testing of CPU coolers challenging because viewers/readers are not used to a new nomenclature which is what clocks are sustained under given load using a particular cooler. That is if the cooler is capable of providing enough cooling head to sustain the high frequencies. Traditionally we are used to going the other way around that is which cooler is better in terms of thermal capacity. Despite this, we are using temperatures as a base for measuring this unit. Among other reasons is the high thermal density of these new CPUs.

The ambient temperature was in the range of 25°C to 25.5°C. Since the variation in the ambient temperature is within 1°C, we are reporting absolute temperatures in the graph. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two same SKUs are likely to take same voltage to yield same performance at same thermals per se but margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Let’s take a look at the results.

Result

This is a good performance from darkFlash Radiant DC240 ARGB cooler compared to other 360mm AIOs in the graph. This cooler sits where we usually range the 240mm and 360mm AIOs.

Noise

Our sound meter shows this unit making a sound output of 50 dB(A) at an ambient of 32 dB(A). This is a good performance as well.

Conclusion

I have taken a break from continuous testing of 360mm AIOs but did not realize that break would still be with a 240mm size AIO. Pun intended. In this article we have tested darkFlash Radiant DC240 ARGB cooler. This is a budget cooling solution from the manufacturing but it has more to it than meets the eye. This unit is compatible with INTEL：LGA 20xx(v3) / 1200 / 115x / 17xx sockets and AMD：AM5 /AM4 / AM3(+) / AM2(+) / FM2(+) sockets.

The radiator of this unit has a dimension of 274x120x27mm. It is made of aluminum material like the majority of other AIOs in the market. It has FPI count of 20 and 12 channels for coolant flow. The complete assembly is black color coated. The fin stacking job is done nicely. The connections are well concealed though this would only serve the aesthetic requirement. darkFlash is using rubber tubes having black color nylon braided mesh sleeves. These tubes run to 400mm in length.

The pump housing has a ring design and there is a Rhombus Diverge Infinity Outward design on the top. The top is ARGB backlit. The housing has a dimension of 71×66.5x45mm. We can see a plethora of cables coming out of this housing including a SATA cable. This is coming from the design that darkFlash has taken. I don’t agree with it but it is their way of still staying in a pocket-friendly solution. There is a header cable coming out of this housing. In case your motherboard does not have an RGB header, you can connect your PC Case’ Reset button’s cable to this header. You will need power going this route hence they have provided a SATA cable as well. This way you can control the RGB lighting of the unit. If your motherboard has an RGB header then this SATA cable and other header cables are not required. The pump is powered by a 3-pin connector cable. The pump is rated for 3200 ± 10% RPM. It is rated for 12VDC with starting voltage of 6VDC. It takes 0.60A maximum consuming a maximum of 7.20W. Pump is using ceramic bearings.

There are 2x 120mm A-RGB fans that come pre-installed on the radiator. This is a nice touch. Each fan has 9 blades. There is no information about the bearings. These fans are powered by a 4-pin PWM connector cables. RGB connectors are standard and there is a provision of daisy-chaining. These fans have a dimension of 120x120x25mm. They have a maximum speed of 800 to 2000 ± 10% RPM with a maximum of 84.2 CFM airflow at 2.54mmH₂O static pressure. The noise level is rated between 16 and 30.15 dBA. darkFlash has provided a 3-port PWM fan hub as well.

Installation on LGA1700 socket is simple and it requires 15 items to complete the block’s installation on the CPU. However, cable management would be challenging. Since the top is not rotatable, we are forced to install the cooler in particular orientation so that darkFlash logo remains upright.

This cooler is listed on AliExpress at roughly USD 55 and Pakistan pricing is Rs.14000/- This is a budget-friendly pricing. Warranty information is not known as was the case of AIGO AT360 cooler. The performance of this cooler is good which is augmented by its decent sound output and A-RGB lighting. Overall this is a best budget 240mm AIO we are looking at provided darkFlash is providing a minimum of a 3-year warranty on it.

Pros:

• Good Thermal Performance
• Rhombus Diverge Infinity Outward design
• A-RGB Lighting Effects
• PWM Fan Hub
• Standard RGB Connectors
• Price

Cons:

• Pump Housing Top is not Rotatable
• No response from Customer Support

Intel Alder Lake platform or 12th gen as most commonly pronounced provides high-performance SKUs for gamers, enthusiasts, content creators, etc. However, there were reports of CPU warping that could result in uneven contact with the cooler. Then a few reports surfaced in which a broken substrate was shown as part of this issue and sometimes later motherboard backplate bending possibility surfaced as well. This issue stems from the very design of ILM (Independent Loading Mechanism) that Intel is using on these platforms. Typically speaking, the ILM on Intel 12th generation is using a two-point pressure much like how they have been implementing in the past except for the X99 and X299. Now, the issue is these latest CPUs have more length compared to the previous generation, and using a two-point mount might not be sufficient. This warping that we mentioned above typically manifests with top and bottom edges coming up pressing the midsection inward. This happens because the uneven pressure causes the IHS (Integrated Heatspreader) to somewhat have a concave curve that could further make uneven or improper contact with the cooler. The result would be the center portion of the CPU not being covered properly and resulting in high temperatures. Plus this uneven pressure from the cooler’s contact could also result in bending.

One simple solution would be to implement X99 ILM on this platform. That particular ILM uses a four-point pressure contact with the socket and CPU using two latches. However, Intel – after a long silence – stated that these CPUs and ILM are operating within the specifications and using third-party ILM or any other mod could be out of warranty terms. Anyhow, cutting it short, the issue is there and it needed a resolution. Many users suggested using 1mm rubber washers between the ILM and motherboard. It was followed by a few brands releasing their solution in the form of new ILM or contact frames. Keep in mind that installing these frames using washers would void the warranty of these CPUs which is clear from their statement.

Thermal Grizzly in collaboration with der8auer come up with a CPU Contact Frame for Intel 12th Gen CPUs. We are testing this product this time. According to Thermal Grizzly, “The Intel 12th Gen CPU Contact Frame has a special inner contour to shift the contact pressure from the center of the CPU to the edges during assembly. This avoids the concave curvature of the IHS. This means that the CPU cooler rests better on the processor and a larger contact surface is created to dissipate the waste heat of the CPU.”

CPU Contact Contact Frame Specifications

Pack Contents

The above picture shows what is provided in the pouch.

Closer Look

The contact frame is shipped inside a pouch container that is black in color.

There is a multi-lingual description of the product along with its benefits printed here.

Thermal Grizzly has provided an Allen Key, a Hex Wrench tool (T20 wrench), and 4x screws. These screws are actually intended for Intel 13th generation platform where there is more distance between the ILM and the backplate depending on the motherboard model. It is not applicable to all motherboards. How to tell if you need these screws or the standard ILM screws? It is simple. Try ILM screws first. If they don’t snuggle then use the black screws. The provided tools are right-angled making it easy to use a single hand for the screws installation.

The frame is made of aluminum material (EN-AW 7075). It is anodized making it safe to use directly on the PCB. Thermal Grizzly has emphasized that this product is 100% made in Germany. This and anodized aluminum with lower production are the main factors behind steep prices. The contact frame is black in color. It is 6mm thick and has a length of 71mm. The width is 51mm. We can see Thermal Grizzly branding in white color on top. CPU Contact Frame for Intel 12th Gen is printed at the bottom in white color. More importantly, there are markings on each mounting corner which are there for the specific purpose of providing aid to the user during the installation. Because installation is a bit tricky and Thermal Grizzly’s way of mentioning to tighten these screws to 0.3 to 0.6 Nm (Newton meter) is something that not all users can do because they don’t have specialized tools for that. They could have made it simple than that! Anyhow, coming back to the markings, these are your reference guide when installing this contact frame.

Looking at the backside of the contact frame, we can see a fine and précised CNC machining job. There are contours that would shift the pressure from the center to the edges.

Installation

Now coming to the tricky part of installation itself, place the motherboard on an even and anti-static surface. Leave the CPU on the socket and open the ILM lock.

Use bundled T20 wrench to remove the Intel ILM screws.

Take off the two parts ILM from the motherboard. Make sure the backplate is intact. That is why we mentioned placing the motherboard on a hard and even surface. Clean the thermal paste and its residue.

Place the Thermal Grizzly CPU Contact frame on the socket. It can only be placed in one direction as shown in the picture.

I tried the der8auer method first. You need to mark the ILM screws using some marker. This mark and the markers on the mounting corners of the contact frame are now your reference points. Start giving these screws torques in a diagonal method. Stop as soon as you feel resistance. After that, you need to give each screw a quarter rotation and you are good to go. If this sounds difficult, you can try this. Tighten these screws without over-tightening them. Once done, give each screw a 90-degree anti-clockwise rotation. I have used both methods and both are working with the same result.

Optionally, you can put thermal paste over the CPU for an even spread. I have used Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme for testing.

Testing

The following configurations were used:

• Intel i7 13700k
• EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB
• GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• Kingston Fury Renegade DDR5 32GB @ 6400MT/s CAS 32 kit
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plsu 2TB NVMe SSD
• Be quiet! Straight Power 11 1000W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

• Intel core i7 12700k
• EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB
• GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G D5
• Sabrent Rocket 32GB DDR5 Kit @ 4800MHz CAS 40
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• Sabrent Rocket Q 500GB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Be quiet! Straight Power 11 1000W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

Test table for Intel core i7 13700k is:

Test table for Intel core i7 12700k is:

A bit of note about the new platforms. We have seen AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs taking more power and this time both sides have aimed at reaching the maximum clocks regardless of thermal limit. In fact, the AM5 SKUs will run into thermal limits right away depending on the cooling solution and the clocks being used. This has made testing of CPU coolers challenging because viewers/readers are not used to a new nomenclature which is what clocks are sustained under a given load using a particular cooler. That is if the cooler is capable of providing enough cooling head to sustain the high frequencies. Traditionally we are used to going the other way around that is which cooler is better in terms of thermal capacity. Despite this, we are using temperatures as a base for measuring this unit. Among other reasons is the high thermal density of these new CPUs.

The ambient temperature was in the range of 25°C to 25.5°C. Since the variation in the ambient temperature is within 1°C, we are reporting absolute temperatures in the graph. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two same SKUs are likely to take same voltage to yield same performance at same thermals per se but margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Let’s take a look at the results.

Result

In our testing, we only saw a thermal improvement of 1°C. We then decided to use this contact frame on Z690 platform. Earlier it was not a part of this testing but since we did not see any fruitful result except adding stability to the CPU on Z790.

When tested on Z690, we saw a drop of 2°C in idle temperature and 4°C under load.

Conclusion

The market is continuously being flooded with third-party alternatives for Intel stock ILM on 12th and 13th-gen platforms due to the mounting issues as mentioned in the introduction of this article. Thermal Grizzly in collaboration with der8auer released their solution called CPU Contact Frame for Intel 12th Gen. This contact frame is made of aluminum material (EN-AW 7075). It is anodized making it safe for use on PCB. This contact frame replaces the Intel stock ILM but still uses the stock backplate. It has a dimension of 71x51x6mm (LxWxH). Its overall height is 6mm. Each mounting corner has markings that are important during the installation.

Thermal Grizzly in their user guide has mentioned torquing the ILM screws during the installation of this contact frame using 0.3 to 0.6 Nm force (Newton meter). Not all users have specialized tools to follow this guideline. Even I don’t have a tool to ensure this precise application. Thermal Grizzly should consider making it more convenient in their user guide. They have provided 4x screws, 1x Allen key, and 1x T20 wrench as well. These screws are intended for use on Intel 13th generation depending on the motherboard. Not all motherboards would need these screws. These are not needed on Intel 12th generation. The overall build quality of this contact frame is up to the mark of Thermal Grizzly and speaking of this, we have to mention the pricing of this contact frame as well. It is listed as USD 35.45 on AMAZON at the time of this writing. This is a steep price for sure. Thermal Grizzly has mentioned that this product is designed and manufactured in Germany, not in China. This along with specialized milling and cutting of aluminum and anodizing are the main reason behind the high price.

We are not going into this debate since the internet is filled with it. People are debating about Thermalright solution when compared with Thermal Grizzly solution. We would rather leave it to the users to decide. Thermal Grizzly has mentioned some benefits of using this contact frame:

• Lower CPU temperatures
• Easy construction
• High compatibility
• Anodized aluminum
• Compatible with Intel 13th Generation

In my naked eye, I am more interested in providing my CPUs stability for more than anything and this is where these contact frames come in handy. The installation of this contact frame is somewhat tricky but not difficult. You can watch der8auer video about the installation. We have tested the CPU Contact Frame on Z690 and Z790 motherboards. Both motherboards are from GIGABYTE. We wanted to use at least one different brand in this testing but it was not possible. We have seen a temperature reduction of up to 4°C on Z690 platform and only a 1°C on Z790 platform. One thing that I have observed is that this contact frame is easy to install on Z690 but on Z790 there was more resistance to it. I am not sure if it is tolerance playing its role or something else. Anyhow, this CPU Contact Frame provides stability to your CPU and motherboard and can bring the temperature down as well.

We were asked what could go wrong with these contact frames when we informed our readers that we are testing this contact frame. The worst that could go wrong is voiding your warranty. But there is no knowing if ILM was removed ;). You have been hinted. The worst that could go is that your PC may not boot or your RAM may not work as intended. This is because if the frame is too tightened, it would press on those memory channel paths. In fact, we have tried producing that effect. Though PC booted, the XMP could not be loaded and on next start, PC engaged in boot loop during POST with debug LEDs continuously switching between RAM and CPU. No, this contact from Thermal Grizzly will not damage your hardware in a nutshell.

In this article, we are taking a spin of the AIGO AT360 Black liquid cooler. As the name suggests this is a 360mm size AIO from AIGO. We got this cooler from a local seller who also sent DarkFlash DC240 Radiant for testing.

Key features include:

• Independent Pump Desing
• Micro Water Channel Design
• FDB Bearing Fans
• Ceramic Bearing Pump
• A-RGB Lighting Effects
• Compatible for Intel:LGA 115X/1200/20XX,AMD:TR4/AM4/AM3+/AM3

Item:                     AIGO AT360 Black

Price:                    USD 160 [AIGO Website price at the time of this writing]

Specifications

Packaging and Unboxing

This unit comes inside a cardboard box. Nothing particular is mentioned here on the packing box except the compatibility with the RGB sync technologies of various motherboard manufacturers.

Specifications are printed over the backside of the packing box. Specifications and other information about this model are hard to find and even understand on the AIGO website.

Looking inside the box, the contents are placed inside an egged carton.

Accessories

It is time to see what is provided.

There is a printed user guide and a white color accessory box.

There are:

• Backplate for Intel Sockets
• Bracket for Intel Platform
• Bracket for AMD Platform

There are:

• 4x AMD AM4 Spring-Loaded Screws
• 4x Intel LGA20xx Spring-Loaded Screws
• 4x Intel LGA1200/15xx Spring-Loaded Screws
• 4x AMD TR4 Spring-Loaded Screws

There are:

• 12x Fan Screws
• 12x Radiator Screws
• 1x Thermal Paste

There is a 3-way PWM Splitter cable.

AIGO has provided a dedicated A-RGB controller with this cooler. There is a single button labeled MODE to change the lighting modes. There are four ports and they are labeled in numbers. There is another port labeled SW.

We are showing A-RGB ports labeled 1 and 2.

There is a 2-pin port labeled as SW. I think the user can connect the system panel’s 2-pin connector to this port and control the lighting using the Reset button of the PC Case.

This controller is SATA powered and there is a standard RGB connector that can be connected to the motherboard to hand over the lighting control to the motherboard’s header and software.

Closer Look

Let’s take a look at the unit starting with the radiator.

The radiator of this unit is black color coated and it has 12 channels for coolant flow which AIGO refers to micro water channel. There is nothing special about it as it is just a fancy name from the manufacturer. The radiator has a dimension of 397x120x27mm. Adding 120x25mm fans would increase the overall height of this unit to 53mm approximately. FPI count of fins density is 20. There is a standard gap of 105mm between two opposing mounting holes and 15mm between two adjacent mounting holes.

Far end of this radiator has a rectangular layout and no branding is on it.

Looking at the tube side of the radiator, we can see a serial number label. The tube and fitting connections are covered using metallic black color clamps. There is a cable visible in the picture. We will come to it shortly.

There is no branding on the side frame of this radiator.

The fins are in a traditional v shape design and AIGO has done a nice job in fin stacking since there is no bend or broken fin.

There is a gap between the side frame and the actual fin stack. This would mean the actual thickness of the fin stack is less than 27mm. Only CORSAIR AIOs provide full thickness as per specifications in our experience.

AIGO is using rubber tubes having nylon braided mesh sleeves in black color for aesthetics. These tubes have a length of 400mm. These tubes are not that flexible.

There is a housing integrated into the tubes of this unit. The pump is provided in this housing. This is the same design that we saw on the be quiet! Pure Loop series coolers and Thermalright Frozen Magic 360 Scenic V2 cooler. Possibly, this is to bypass the soon ending ASETEK patent in US region by removing the pump from the block.

Pump is powered by a 3-pin connector cable. It is not PWM controlled. The power consumption of this pump is mentioned as less than 2.5W at 12VDC. Its maximum speed is 5200 ±10% RPM. The current rating is 0.2A ±20%. Starting voltage is mentioned as a minimum of 5V. Flow rate is mentioned as <1000ml/min with a pump head rating of 1.4M. Noise rating is mentioned as <30 dBA.

The block housing has a dimension of 75*53.5mm. Despite removing the pump from this block, it has relatively a large size block. The top section of this housing has an aluminum cover. There is a stylish top cover with an infinity mirror effect along with a geometrical design that looks good in person. However, there is a catch. This cover is not rotatable which would mean we are limited in terms of the AIGO logo’s orientation inside this housing. The lower half material of this housing is made of plastic.

None of this housing’s sides has any branding. We can see a flat cable coming out from this end.

The above-mentioned cable has standard RGB connectors.

The backside of this housing has 90° right-angled fittings on which the tubes are connected. They can be moved towards the right and left depending on the requirement.

The above picture is as confusing as it can be since they have mixed up some terminologies. Anyhow, according to AIGO removing the pump from the block will improve efficiency as it makes thermal conductivity fast compared to integrated pumps in the housing. This is not necessarily true, AIGO.

There is a copper base on this unit measuring 54x54mm. The above picture also shows surrounding black color housing near the copper base. The mounting brackets are clamped inside the protruded notches. Refer to user manual for more details.

AIGO has provided 3x fans with this unit that is A-RGB enabled. Each fan has a 5-blade design that resembles ARCTIC P12 fans. The hub has A-RGB LEDs. There is an AIGO branded sticker on the hub as well. Each mounting corner has an anti-vibration pad that actually runs to both ends from inside the frame. There is a ribbed design on the surface facing the blades.

The black color frame is sturdy and it has line pattern for aesthetics. We could not see any arrow marking that shows the direction of airflow and direction in which the blades spin for novice users.

There is a 4-arms assembly on the backside and a quick look at the center tells us that AIGO is using a metal-reinforced bearing shell which is a nice touch as it provides longevity. There is a sticker on the center as well though it does not tell much about these fans. These fans are using Fluid Dynamic Bearings.

Each fan has two flat cables in white color. One cable has a 4-pin PWM connector to power the fan’s motor. The other cable has standard RGB connectors.

Salient specifications are:

Installation

We are not covering the details of installation. Please refer to the online user guide for detailed instructions about installing this cooler. Installation can be a bit tricky since we have to hold the block on CPU and use other hand to pass the spring-loaded screws for the installation. We did not notice any particular issue with the installation. We have used retrofit mounting from the CORSAIR iCUE H100i CAPELLIX XT cooler to install this cooler on the Intel LGA1700 socket and it was a proper fit with even pressured contact.

RGB Lighting

Since AIGO is using standard RGB connectors, the A-RGB lighting is compatible with the RGB sync technologies of motherboard manufacturers. We have tested on GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G motherboard using RGB FUSION 2.0 app and it was found working fine. The lighting solution is compatible with:

• ASUS AURA SYNC
• ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• MSI MYSTIC LIGHTING SYNC

Here are a few pictures:

Testing

We have used following configurations for testing:

• Intel core i7 12700k
• GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G D5
• Sabrent Rocket 32GB DDR5 Kit @ 4800MHz CAS 40
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• Sabrent Rocket Q 500GB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

Test table is:

A bit of note about the new platforms. We have seen AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs taking more power and this time both sides have aimed at reaching the maximum clocks regardless of thermal limit. In fact, the AM5 SKUs will run into thermal limits right away depending on the cooling solution and the clocks being used. This has made testing of CPU coolers challenging because viewers/readers are not used to a new nomenclature which is what clocks are sustained under a given load using a particular cooler. That is if the cooler is capable of providing enough cooling head to sustain the high frequencies. Traditionally we are used to going the other way around that is which cooler is better in terms of thermal capacity. Despite this, we are using temperatures as a base for measuring this unit. Among other reasons is the high thermal density of these new CPUs.

The ambient temperature was in the range of 25°C to 25.5°C. Since the variation in the ambient temperature is within 1°C, we are reporting absolute temperatures in the graph. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two same SKUs are likely to take same voltage to yield same performance at same thermals per se but margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Let’s take a look at the results.

Result

The results are self-explanatory. The AIGO AT360 sits at the lowest of tested 360mm AIOs in this graph. This is still a nice performance from this cooler as it has thermal headroom for overclocking requirements and it can handle high-end SKUs.

Noise

Our sound meter shows this unit making a sound output of 52 dB(A) at an ambient of 32 dB(A).

Conclusion

We have tested AIGO AT360 liquid cooler. I am sure I am taking a break after this content as I have been doing 360mm AIO testing and writing in recent times in preparation for our 360mm AIO round-up content. The AIOG AT360 was probably released in 2020 or so but I am not sure and their own website is not that helpful to gain some useful information or data either. This unit is compatible with Intel: LGA 115X/1200/20XX, and AMD: TR4/AM4/AM3+/AM3 sockets. This unit is not  compatible with Intel LGA1700 socket and AIGO did not reply to our message asking about LGA1700 socket’s mounting hardware or V2 of this version. Anyhow, based on our testing, you can use retrofitting mounting from CORSAIR’s supported coolers on LGA1700 or DarkFlash DC series coolers.

The radiator of this unit has a dimension of 397x120x27mm. It is made of aluminum material like majority of other AIOs in the market. It has an FPI count of 20 and 12 channels for coolant flow. Don’t fall for marketing taglines used by AIGO on this unit. The complete assembly is black color coated. The fin stacking job is done nicely. The connections are well concealed though this would only serve the aesthetic requirement. AIGO is using rubber tubes having black color nylon braided mesh sleeves. These tubes run to 400mm in length.

The pump is integrated on the tubes. This is the same design we saw on Thermalright Frozen Magic 360 Scenic V2 and be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 coolers. In my opinion, this is done to bypass the soon ending ASETEK patent in US region though brands have been emphasizing that this is done to remove vibration from the CPU socket. Call it whatever, it is what it is. The pump is powered by a 3-pin connector cable. We have found following performance metrics about this pump:

Despite removing the pump from the block housing, that housing stands at 75*53.5mm. The top of this housing features a stunning geometrical design with AIGO branding along with an infinity mirror design. The upper part of this housing is using aluminum material whereas the lower portion is made of plastic material. The copper base has a dimension of 54x54mm.

AIGO has provided 3x 120mm A-RGB fans. These fans have same blade design that we saw on ARCTIC P12 fans. Despite that, these fans are loud! These fans have Fluid Dynamic Bearing. These fans also use metal-reinforced bearing shell. These are powered by 4-pin PWM connectors. The A-RGB LEDs are powered by standard RGB connectors. These fans have a dimension of 120x120x25mm. They have a maximum speed of 2000 ± 10% RPM with a maximum of 61.5 CFM airflow at 2.80mmH₂O static pressure. The noise level is rated at <31 dBA.

AIGO has provided a SATA powered A-RGB controller. Users can connect up to 4x A-RGB devices to this controller. There is also a provision of connecting PC Case’ reset cable to this controller and control RGB lighting using Reset switch. Alternatively, this controller can be connected to the motherboard’s RGB header (5V) and switch control to the motherboard for RGB lighting control. AIGO is using standard RGB connectors which makes this unit compatible with RGB sync technologies of various motherboard manufacturers.

Speaking of the installation, you will have to hold the block on CPU and at the same time use the other hand to pass the spring-loaded screws through the mounting bracket toward the socket’s standoffs. This might be nothing for experienced users but novice users may find it somewhat challenging. Installation on Intel platform would require a total of 7 items.

The online listed price of AIGO AT360 Black on the manufacturer’s website is USD 160.99/- We are not sure about the warranty of this unit. This unit has performed quite well in our testing and comes closer to the be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 cooler. The fans are loud and you can use a custom fan curve to adjust the speed as per the load which would lower the noise. The build quality is fine as well. We contacted customer support online and guess what, there has been no reply yet. If this is so, then I have a big question mark about their warranty claim process. It is not the product but the customer service that makes or breaks the brand. That is simple and so far this Chinese brand is disappointing from this perspective.

Pros:

• Decent Thermal Performance
• Infinity Mirror Design
• A-RGB Lighting Effects
• Dedicated A-RGB Controller
• Standard RGB Connectors
• Metal-Reinforced Bearing Shell
• Price

Cons:

• Block Top is not Rotatable
• No response from Customer Support

In our streak of testing 360mm AIO coolers, we are now taking a look at the SilverStone PF360W ARGB V2 cooler. As the name suggests, this is version 2 of the cooler with only one difference which is the LGA1700 socket compatibility. SilverStone has sent us a white edition cooler which looks really cool in person. This unit has a same design as is on the original cooler. Key features include:

• Pure white colored radiator, fans and cables to help achieve the ultimate full white system build of your dream
• Integrated addressable RGB lighting for water block and fan
• Rubber pads included on fan for lower vibration and noise
• Includes addressable RGB controller with 10 lighting modes and ability to adjust brightness and color changing speeds.
• Compatible with Intel LGA775/115X/1200/1366/2011/2066 and AMD AM2/AM3/AM4/AM5/FM1/FM2 sockets
• Compatible with Intel LGA115x/1200/1700/2011/2066 and AMD AM2/AM3/AM4/AM5/FM1/FM2 sockets (V2)

Item:                     SilverStone PF360W-ARGB-V2

Price:                    £99.98 [SCAN UK price at the time of this writing]

SilverStone SST-PF360W-ARGB-V2 Cooler Specifications

Packaging and Unboxing

This unit comes inside a cardboard box. The model of this unit is printed over here along with compatibility with RGB sync technologies of various motherboard manufacturers. We can see LGA1700 compatible label.

SilverStone has printed specifications and diagrams with dimensions over here.

There is an egged carton onto which the cooler and accessories are nicely tucked.

Accessories

It is time to see what is provided.

SilverStone has provided a user manual with instructions about installing this cooler on supported sockets. There is also a manual for the A-RGB controller.

There are:

• Backplate for Intel LGA1700 Socket
• Backplate for Intel other Sockets
• Bracket for Intel Platform
• Bracket for AMD Platform

There are:

• 4x Spring-loaded Thumb Screws
• 4x Intel LGA1700 Bolts or Thumb Nuts
• 4x Intel LGA20xx Bolts or Thumb Nuts
• 4x Intel Other Sockets Bolts or Thumb Nuts
• 2x AMD Clips or Buckles

There are:

• 1x 3-way PWM Splitter Cable
• 1x Thermal Paste Tube

SilverStone has provided:

• 1x Digital RGB Splitter Cable
• 1x 4-pin Peripheral Adapter Cable for pump

There is a dedicated A-RGB controller provided with this cooler. It has three buttons to control the lighting effects. The M button can be used to toggle between the RGB modes. The + and – buttons can be used to increase/decrease the brightness and or speed of dynamic lighting modes. Pressing M button for 3 seconds will turn the lights off and pressing it again will load the last lighting effect.

There is a 4-pin header or port on one end of this controller to which you can connect the A-RGB cable.

The other end has a 2-pin port. This is where SATA cable is connected to power the unit.

There are a few other cables as well. One is the SATA cable to power the controller. Other is an A-RGB cable having a 4-pin port at one end that goes into the controller housing. There is also a motherboard RGB sync cable.

Closer Look

SilverStone releasing a Version 2 or V2 of PerfaFrost series coolers indicate that they intend to carry this series further ahead. Well, nothing wrong with that as these coolers are still good. Let’s start.

Since we are taking a look at the white color unit, we can see that the radiator housing is white color paint coated including the fin stack. This radiator is made of aluminum alloy and it has a size of 394x120x28mm. This radiator has a thickness of 28mm which is 1mm above what the majority of AIOs have. Adding 120x25mm fans would increase the overall height to be 54mm or so including the screws’ heads. This unit has a FPI count of 20 and there are 12 channels for coolant flow. SilverStone has stated that they are using an automotive-grade radiator that has excellent anti-corrosive properties and can easily survive harsh elements that include vapor, liquid, grease, and solvent.

SilverStone has done a good job with fin stacking since we did not observe any broken fins.

The far end has a slim design to it and there is no branding of any sort over here.

Looking at the tube side of the radiator, we can see a serial number label and a part or model number label. There are white clamps hiding the connection between tubes and fittings. There is what seems to be a refill port cover. It seems to be a factory use reserve. Don’t temper with it as it might lose the vacuum pressure of the loop.

The sides of the housing are riveted to the main housing and there is no branding of any sort on these frames.

SilverStone is using rubber tubes having nylon braided mesh sleeves in white color for aesthetics. These tubes have a length of 400mm. These tubes are not that flexible.

The pump housing is quite a distinctive design on this unit. This housing has a size of 61x61x50mm (LxWxH). Here 50mm refers to height of this housing. There is a step design on top that blends in quite well with the rest of the design flow. There are A-RGB backlit 4 intersections. All sides of this housing have the same layout. The housing is white color coated. Oh, and this housing is made of plastic material.

Looking at the top of this housing we can see a SilverStone logo that is backlit. Since this logo would look the same from all angles, there is no consideration with respect to the installation orientation of this unit. Also, we can see that there is a certain gap between the housing and the tubes.

Looking at the backside, we can see that there are 90° right-angled fittings on which the tubes are connected. They can be moved towards right and left depending on the requirement. The inset in the black color body is where the mounting brackets are installed.

There is a flat cable with a 3-pin connector to power the pump.

The other flat cable has standard 3-pin, 5V interfaced connectors for A-RGB LEDs.

This unit has a copper base measuring 55x55mm. SilverStone is using 0.2mm micro channels on the cold plate for better heat transfer. The pump on this unit has a dual-chamber design to separate the coolant’s inflow and outflow areas. SilverStone has used a 6-pole, 3-phase design for the motor. This is to improve energy efficiency. An automotive-grade sine wave generator is used to drive the pump motor. This is AEC-Q100 certified according to Automotive Electronics Council’s standard making it more durable. This motor is rated to spin at 3400 RPM ±10% using 12VDC and 0.39A current.

There are three white color high-performance fans with this cooler. These are AB 120RW. These fans have A-RGB LEDs. LEDs are housed inside the hub. Each fan has 9 blades. These are frosted blades. There is a sticker on the hub having a SilverStone brand logo. Each mounting corner has an anti-vibration pad.

The frame of these fans is also in white color. It is quite sturdy. We could not see any arrow marking that shows the direction of airflow and the direction in which the blades spin for novice users.

Looking at the backside of the fan, we can see a 4-arms assembly. Wires are routed on an inset on one arm. We can take a glimpse at a green color PCB. The power rating of these fans is printed over here. We can see a ribbed design on the blades. According to SilverStone, these suppress air turbulence and its noise.

Each fan has two flat cables in white color. One cable has a 4-pin PWM connector to power the fan’s motor. The other cable has standard RGB connectors.

Salient specifications are:

Installation

We are not covering the details of installation. Please refer to the online user guide for detailed instructions about installing this cooler. We did not notice any particular issue with the installation. One thing that we somehow noticed during the removal of this cooler is that the thumb nuts were stuck on thumb screws or bolts and removing thumb nuts actually removed the thumb screws from the socket of the backplate. This is something SilverStone should look into. Also, it is not easy installing a top left thumb screw on the socket since that particular hole sits closer to the capacitors. I wish SilverStone take note of EK Water Blocks’s idea of using a tool to install/remove screws.

RGB Lighting

Since SilverStone is using standard RGB connectors, the A-RGB lighting is compatible with RGB sync technologies of motherboard manufacturers. The lighting solution is compatible with:

• ASUS AURA SYNC
• ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• MSI MYSTIC LIGHTING SYNC
• BIOSTAR RACING

Here are a few pictures:

Testing

We have used below-mentioned configuration: –

• Intel i7 10700k
• MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHWAK
• XPG D41 16GB @ 2666MHz DDR4 Kit
• GGIABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• addlink S70 256GB NVMe SSD
• bequiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

Here is the settings table for testing:

We are reporting the absolute temperature on the graph. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis. Not every run of the stress test may yield the same result. This could well be due to many factors like mounting pressure, thermal paste application, and varying ambient temperature. Not to mention the silicon differences even among the same category of chips. Hence, it is pertinent to mention the testing methodology along with the specifics.

Results

This is not a bad result as we can see a difference of 1°C between both coolers.

Noise

These fans were making a noise output of 53~54 dB(A) at an ambient sound level of 32 dB(A).

Conclusion

In our continued testing of 360mm coolers, we have taken a look at SilverStone PF360W-ARGB-V2 cooler. This is a V2 of an original cooler with only one difference. The V2 is compatible with Intel LGA1700. This is due to the fact that when PF360 was released, LGA1700 was not released by Intel. The release of V2 also shows that SilverStone intends to continue this cooler in the coming time. We have tested a white edition cooler. This unit is compatible with Intel LGA115x/1200/1700/2011/2066 and AMD AM2/AM3/AM4/AM5/FM1/FM2 sockets.

As is the case with majority of the AIOs, this unit has an aluminum-made radiator having a size of 394x120x28mm. However, this unit has a tad bit more thickness by only 1mm. After installing 120x25mm fans, the overall thickness would be 54mm or so including the heads of the screws. It has 12 channels for coolant flow and fin density is 20 (FPI). SilverStone has mentioned that these coolers are using an automotive-grade radiator that has excellent anti-corrosive properties and can easily survive harsh elements that include vapor, liquid, grease, and solvent. This cooler has rubber tubes that run to 400mm in length and they have nylon braided mesh sleeves for aesthetics.

The pump housing is made of plastic material and it has a copper base. The top of the pump has a SilverStone logo that is A-RGB backlit. In addition, there are intersections in the housing in step design and each is A-RGB backlit. This creates some vivid visuals. This housing has a dimension of 61x61x50mm where 50mm is the overall height of this housing. SilverStone has mentioned that this pump is using dual chamber design. The pump of this unit has a 3-phase, 6-pole design for quieter operations. An automotive-grade sine wave generator is used to drive the pump motor. This ensures electrical noise and vibration are kept to a minimum. It is also AEC-Q100 certified according to Automotive Electronics Council’s standard so it has great quality and durability. The copper base measures 55x55mm. The cold plate has 0.2mm microchannels. All this is done to ensure maximum heat transfer. This motor is rated to spin at 3400 RPM ±10% using 12VDC and 0.39A current.

PF360 series of coolers come with Air Blazer series fans. These are high-performance fans generating 94 CFM at 12VDC with a static pressure of 3.53mmH₂O. The maximum noise level is 35.6 dB(A). Their speed range is 600 to 2200 RPM using a PWM connection. The blades of these fans are using a unique ribbed edge to generate more airflow and pressure with an optimized geometrical shape. These fans have A-RGB LEDs for lighting effects. SilverStone has used standard RGB connectors making this solution compatible with the RGB sync technologies of various motherboard manufacturers. SilverStone has mentioned that the lighting solution is compatible with:

• ASUS AURA SYNC,
• ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
• MSI MYSTIC LIGHTING
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• BIOSTAR RACING

We have used MSI Z490 TOMAHAWK motherboard and Mystic Sync App to control the lighting. It was working fine. SilverStone has also provided a dedicated A-RGB controller that would come in handy where motherboard does not have RGB solution.

Now addressing the installation part, this cooler has a convenient installation for AMD platform. However, for Intel platform, we would need 10 items to install a block on the CPU. Installation is simple and we did not notice any issues during installation. However, when removing this cooler, the thumb nuts and thumb screws were jammed with each other and taking the thumb nuts off actually removed the three thumb screws from the backplate’s socket.

This cooler is listed on SCAN UK at £99.98. This is a good price point for this cooler. SilverStone is offering a 2-year warranty on this cooler. This is a low warranty period and it should have at least been a 3-year and preferably a 5-year warranty. This cooler has performed quite well going against the mighty Liquid Freezer – II 360 but this performance comes at a high noise output from the fans. I would suggest using a custom fan curve and you are good.

Pros:

• Thermal Performance
• White Edition AB-120RW Fans
• Digital RGB Lighting
• Dedicated RGB Controller
• Supports Intel LGA1700
• Supports AMD AM5
• Price

Cons:

• Low Warranty Period
• Loud Fans