ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 Review [Impressive 360mm AIO]

What comes to mind when you hear the words MX-4, MX-5, and MX-6? Obviously, one-word ARCTIC. They have been in this business for over a couple of decades now, and their products are cost-effective yet high-performance ones.

The Liquid Freezer series of liquid coolers is easily one out there with a truly distinctive design, and it packs a performance punch, which is why this series is highly popular among PC enthusiasts and users alike. Well, today, we are testing the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 liquid cooler. ARCTIC sent us the latest (7th) revision of the series, which makes it compatible with both Intel LGA1700 and AMD AM5 sockets out of the box.

Key Takeaways

• The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 is perfect for those who want a top-notch 360mm AIO that is as efficient with its performance as it is with the pricing.
• The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 is not for those who prefer RGB lighting and are building a flashy gaming PC.
• The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 provides efficient cooling, maintaining a temperature of 90°C on an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X at an ambient of 30°C.

Specifications

ARCTIC has provided MX-5 thermal paste with this cooler. Seems like specifications are not yet updated after the last revision. Another possible reason is that previous versions are coming with MX-4, so ARCTIC would want to avoid any confusion.

Packing Box

ARCTIC is using a blue color cardboard box for the main packing box. The overall size of this packing box is different compared the how the other brands are using relatively large size boxes to ship their stuff.

Unboxing

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ARCTIC is not using an egged carton for these coolers. In fact, the radiator assembly is placed at the bottom, covered by a cardboard cover. The block is covered in a cardboard box. Similarly, accessories are placed in a separate cardboard box – this is as simple as it could get.

Accessories

Let’s take a look at what is provided in the box.

Accessories

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Design

The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 has a very simple yet beautiful design. It has a clean black finish with no RGB on the pump. The main reason behind the lack of RGB is the VRM fan, which is a very useful feature – especially for overclocking.

Let’s take a closer look at the cooler:

Radiator And Fans

The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 features a thick 65.5mm radiator with three P12 PWM fans, notably larger than the standard 27mm. Ensure case compatibility due to this size. These fans, in a sleek black finish, are known for their cost-effectiveness and performance, with a focus on quiet operation. Despite using FDB bearings, there’s no anti-vibration padding.

The radiator has a 14 fin-per-inch design. Use the included screws, as there’s no protection under the mounting holes, but the pre-attached fans minimize issues. Its look is simple with minimal ARCTIC branding. A highlight is its integrated cable management, with all fan wires hidden along one tube.

Pump And Water Block

ARCTIC’s pump housing boasts a distinctive spaceship design that doesn’t impede DIMM slots, and although unbranded at the back, the sides highlight the ARCTIC logo. Its smart pump, using a PWM 4-pin connector, modulates power based on load, balancing efficiency, and noise between 800 to 2000 RPM.

This unit’s 40mm VRM fan, reminiscent of the ASUS ROG RYUJIN 360, offers quieter operation. However, a design flaw is its singular cable system, making VRM fan adjustments cumbersome. This fan operates at 1000 to 3000 RPM.

The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 showcases a 39x43mm copper base plate with Micro-Skived fins for optimal heat transfer. Ensure the protective cover is removed before installation.

Tubing And PWM Connector

Tubing And PWM Connector

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Installation

Lately, we have been testing CPU coolers on the following platforms:

• AMD AM5 using GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER with Ryzen 7 7700X
• Intel Z690 using GIGABYTE AERO G with Core i7-12700K
• Intel Z790 using GIGABYTE AORUS ELITE AX with Core i7-13700K

The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 is tested using the AMD AM5 platform. You would need to remove the AMD stock mounting brackets from the motherboard.

Installation guide

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One must follow the precise instructions for a proper mount.

The installation over the AMD AM5 platform goes as follows:

1. Remove the stock AMD brackets from the motherboard.
2. Place the 4x spacers from AMD labeled container in the accessory box.
3. Place mounting brackets over these spacers, as shown in the above picture.
4. Secure these brackets using 4x Philips screws from the AMD container in the accessory box.
5. Apply the thermal paste on the CPU IHS.
6. Remove the protective cover from the base of the unit.
7. Place the block over the mounting brackets using the holes mentioned in the manual.
8. Use 4x thumb nuts to secure this installation.
9. Install the radiator in the case or as per requirement.
10. Connect the 4-pin PWM connector to a 4-pin PWM fan header on the motherboard.
11. This would complete the installation.

Clearance

There is no clearance issue with respect to the DIMM slots and first PCIe slot with ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 liquid cooler. However, this cooler has a height or thickness of 65.5mm with fans installed. Besides, it has a dimension of 398x120x38mm. Make sure your chassis has clearance for this 398x120x65.5mm.

Here are a few pictures of the installed cooler.

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Thermal Test

The mentioned configuration is used:

• AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
• GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER
• Sabrent Rocket DDR5 32GB Kit @ 4800MHz
• Colorful GeForce GTX 1050Ti iGame 4G [For Display]
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU

Here is the settings table for testing:

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different; hence no two same 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 very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Variables not mentioned are on the Auto setting.

Result

For those who know the new AM5 platform and its thermal behavior, it is a known fact now that these SKUs will hit right away 95°C. However, using an all-core-based same clock, we can see a somewhat lower score. So, how did this cooler fair? It managed 90°C, which is 2°C above the EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 LUX D-RGB cooler. Don’t get it wrong. This is EK’s new cooler, and one would expect it to perform better. ARCTIC cooler does have a better noise output at its advantage.

Noise

Summer is up, and the room’s fan is on, which is why I could not measure the noise level of the unit.

Should You Buy It?

With all the details and tests out of the way, let’s quickly go over who this cooler is for and who it’s not for.

You Should Buy It If:

• If you’re looking for versatile compatibility: This cooler supports a wide range of Intel and AMD sockets, including the latest LGA 1700 and AM5, making it suitable for various systems.
• If you’re seeking efficient cooling with minimal noise: the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 offers excellent cooling performance while maintaining a quiet operation.
• If you appreciate cost-effective solutions: This cooler comes at a reasonable price point and is backed by an exceptional 6-year warranty, providing a reliable and budget-friendly cooling option.

You Shouldn’t Buy It If:

• You Are An RGB Enthusiast: For those who desire customizable lighting effects for their cooler, this version might be lacking RGB elements and, thus, may not be the right choice.

Final Words

We have tested the Liquid Freezer II 360 cooler in this article and received Revision 7 of this cooler, compatible with Intel LGA 1700/1200/115x/2066/2011(-3) Square ILM sockets and AM4, AM5 sockets for AMD. It’s essential to check if it includes the required mounting hardware for LGA1700 and AM5 sockets.

Here is the pump’s power consumption with PWM control:

Some key points from testing:

• A single PWM cable controls the 3x P12 fans, pump, and VRM fan.
• It reports fan speed by default, and you can’t check the pump and VRM fan speed without modification.
• Maximum speed reported in the BIOS was 1770 RPM.
• To run the pump at full speed while the fans operate at Auto PWM setting, you’d need to disconnect the fan from the integrated cable connection and connect them to a 4-pin PWM fan header on the motherboard using an extension cable (not included).

The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 is priced at USD 140 on AMAZON with a generous 6-year warranty. It performed impressively, maintaining 90°C on an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X at an ambient temperature of 30°C. While it’s slightly behind the EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 LUX D-RGB, costing USD 204, its low noise operation, competitive pricing, and extended warranty make it a must-have.

Awards Received By The Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360

Here are the Tech4Gamers awards received by the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 after thorough testing.

1. Best Overall CPU Cooler For i7-14700K
2. Best Overall CPU Cooler For i7-14700KF
3. Best Overall CPU Cooler For i9-14900K
4. Best Overall CPU Cooler For i5-14600K
5. Best Overall CPU Cooler For i9-14900KF
6. Best Overall CPU Cooler For i5-14600KF
7. Best Overall 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler
8. Best 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler For Ryzen 5 5600X3D
9. Best Overall CPU Cooler For Ryzen 7 7800X3D
10. Best Overall CPU Cooler For Ryzen 7 7900X3D
11. Best Overall CPU Cooler For Ryzen 7 7950X3D
12. Best 360mm AIO For i9-13900KF
13. Best 360mm AIO For Ryzen 7 7700X
14. Best 360mm AIO For Ryzen 7 7900X
15. Best 360mm Liquid Cooler For Ryzen 9 3950X
16. Best Overall CPU Cooler For i9-13900KS
17. Best 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X
18. Best 360mm AIO LGA 1700 CPU Cooler

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Awais Khan

[Hardware Reviewer]

Awais Khan is a Tech Geek, conscientious, reliable, and hardworking individual who pays attention to detail with excellent time management skills. Alongside that, he is an expert in PC Hardware; dealing with Benchmarks, Analysis, and testing before sharing information with readers. Whenever free, Awais occasionally shares Gaming Videos on his YouTube Channel.

Get In Touch: [email protected]