Best AIO according to most reviewers and Reddit with RGB now. Do know that there are 3 versions of the Arctic Liquid Freezer II - Normal black, RGB and A-RGB. Pay attention to the size as well, the Arctic AIO radiator tend to be thicker than most.
Added the specifications below for easy measurement of your case height clearance. All dimensions inclusive of fan size
Height = 6.3cm
Width = 12cm
Length= 27.7cm
https://www.arctic.de/media/20/33/30/1621502498/Spec_Sheet_L…
Just in case the product is Rev 3 or below, this Arctic post describes the issues and possible solutions
If your AM4 motherboard manufacturer does not meet AMD backplate specifications, Arctic also provides a backplate that complies with official AMD specifications free of charge.
https://blog.arctic.ac/?s=revision
I also had this lacking clearance issue with AMD A520 ITX and DeepCool Gammaxx L120 AIO.
I bought this a few months ago for a 3900x and it barely needs to ramp up even with PBO and a constant high load, was so useful when doing a tonne a rendering for a week for an assignment
I got this exact cpu and very much dislike the prism noise, I'll get it!
Can you hear the impeller noise? I tried a Corsair H115i and when not under load (fans working) the pump had a really annoying whine. Probably fine in any other environment than a quiet room but I like a quiet room. I have a Noctua aircooler but they have a huge case requirement. Very quiet however.
i binned my inwin aio for the same reason. the pump had a weird whining/clicking noise that drove me insane. it wasnt loud but in a quiet room it was like a chinese water drop torture.
then it was most likely installed incorrectly. pipes to radiator should always be on the lowest point to ground when the radiator is mounted vertically and the pump should be lower than the top most part of the radiator (whether vertical or horizontal).
@gizmomelb: Not true, this clicking noise has nothing to do with radiator placement, it's made by the crap AIO's with the Asetek pump, which is nearly all of them. Arctic don't use it, hence it being one of the best on the market
@cille745: if the pump were crap, then the majority of AIO manufacturers wouldn't use it due to expected high rates of return and failure..
@gizmomelb: You're correct, the best AIO's (EK, Arctic and Gallahad) don't use the Gen 7 Asetek pump because it's rubbish. It's not that the failure rate is high, it's that they're objectively worse, include rubbish fans and have a loud pump.
No I don't, but my case is generally on the floor. I haven't noticed the noise when having a look it at but also wasn't really hunting for the sound. I did notice the RGB arctic fans whine less than the P12's they're based on, it's a newer design where all the outer blades are connected.
No doubt a great cooler but most reviewers are referring to the 280mm version….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPaSEGe6ML0&ab_channel=Gamer…
https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/9412/arctic-liquid-freezer…
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/arctic-liquid-freezer-i…
https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/arctic-liquid-freezer-…
etc etc
In terms of performance, they are pretty much the same when comparing the 240mm standard vs RGB vs ARGB. Just that the lighting options differ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brArANjFhes
Yep I understand that all the 240mm versions perform the same.
My point was the version most reviewers are claiming to be the 'Best AIO out there' is the 280mm version. It has a bigger radiator and 2x 140mm fans.
This is the 240mm version with 2x 120mm fans so its cooling potential is reduced in comparison.
As I said, no doubt still a great cooler and incredible value (I upvoted it).
Its just not the one with the cult following. Thats this one: https://www.pccasegear.com/products/53200/arctic-liquid-free…
240mm vs 280mm has a 36% difference in cooling area.
Yep, exactly my point
@mfazackerley: Do you reckon at this price it’s worth it? Considering it’s 31% cheaper while on sale.
@mfazackerley: As long as its being compared with other 280mm's, you can generally infer the relative performance. Ie if it beats out another 280mm in the tests then the 240mm version should best the others 240mm
It was for this reason when I got mine, I erred towards the 280.All the raving reviews were indeed referring to the 280 (or 360).
Delivery around $16
I have a corsair 4000D and i want to mount an AIO up top. Should I buy this version or the 280mm one ? And which one is more quiet than ?
280mm
Your case supports 240mm or 280mm so it entirely depends on how much you want to spend. 280mm is generally better as it is larger and more specifically the 280mm version of this AIO is definitely better. But with that being said if your CPU isn't necessarily top of the line and you're not doing extreme OC the 240mm will suit you just fine and for $109 it is definitely worth it. If you don't care about cost just get the 280mm, but this is definitely a good deal and will still work very well.
Edit: I bought the 240mm one for my 3900x
I m having 5600x and a RTX 3080 so yeah, im thinking about upgrading my cooling. I used to do 360 from EVGA but that only fits the front so i ditched that and swtiched to NH-D15. Seeing this now makes me want to pull the plug but others also rec the 280mm.
So, should i go for the 280mm, what do you think ?
Unless you really want an AIO I don't think either of these CPU coolers will offer an immense amount of value over your current NH-D15. I don't think you need the 280mm variant especially with the 5600x and when the 240mm one is at $109, however, if it goes back up to normal price then definitely don't get the 240mm variant as the 280mm variant is only marginally more expensive at full price.
So yeah unless you really want a water cooler for your build visually I would stick with what you've already got because it's a great cooler performance wise. If you want one more for the looks then go the 240mm and if you've got money to burn you can get the 280mm. Just know that you likely won't really see much of a performance increase if any.
Edit: Okay so I did some more research and found this video which has some performance stats comparing the 240mm AIO and the NH-D15. The 240mm actually did run at slightly lower temps. Unfortunately they don't have any noise tests. This leads me to think if you do a lot of overclocking the AIO could be worth it, but if it was me I'd rather put the $109 to more ram or storage :)
@Castcore: Thanks man, appreciate it. Yeah, the jump is not that much and no noise test as well. Guess I will stick with NH-D15 then
@bebi1506: I wouldn't upgrade over it, the NH-D15 is still great. I've had both and I noticed a bigger difference in GPU temps, then CPU temps with the Arctic, as the 3080 already dumps 350+W into the case
would this fit an LGA1700 cpu?
https://www.xda-developers.com/cpu-coolers-socket-lga-1700/
Hope this helps mate, they are in the progress of releasing a mount to enable it to work on the 12th gen intels
What about longevity? I have only been using air coolers and they all still running well 5-10 years in different builds. Will this AIO water cooler able to run well for over 5 years? I guess you won't be able to maintain it by topping up the fluid which is likely to evaporate over the years like in those custom build water coolers.
I have a Corsair H55 which is easily 6 years old and still going fine.
Run well over five years - sure, most likely, but don't expect to get 10 years like some air coolers that never die.
They have a 6 year warranty.
I bought the 240mm version and it is good enough for a 5800x running PBO. All core 100% load @ 4.7GHz (140W) saw temps around 70C to 75C with a 20c ambient.
I think this is actually neck and neck with the EK AIO as far as performance, although usually the EK costs more and has … questionable looks.
Personally I like the non-RGB Artic coolers better.
I had the same idea. Was considering to pre-order the new Ek Nucleus 240mm but it was hard to get. Saw this deal and went with this instead.
I had massive issues with mounting a 5600 with an itx Asus mobile, goodluck its worth it. New revs should sorted it out. Can O/c easily.
how do i check what rev i received? can’t find it anywhere on the box
It's suppose to be next to the bar code on the box, witht the words "Rev X"
If you have an AMD board (B550/etc.) be sure that the version you get is 'Revision 4' (or newer, if there is one).
The original revisions had mountings that people were struggling to fit to many AMD boards, lacking clearance.
That said, I got mine from PCCG (this post's store) back in late Aug / early Sep and it was Rev 4 stock. So I doubt they've gone backward there.