ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 420 - Multi-compatible All-in-One CPU AIO Water Cooler, Efficient PWM Controlled Pump, Fan speed: 200-1700 rpm (Controlled via PWM), LGA1700 compatible - Black

Product Information

This not only leads to significantly lower noise levels at low and typical loads, but also a much lower power consumption for all components of the AiO.

We wanted to look at it with our new testing methodology that we’ve spent six months revising to see how the Liquid Freezer performs against incumbents, including the NZXT Kraken X62 (similar to the X63 we reviewed), the Noctua NH-D15, and a growing list of others. For reference, this overlay will show the baseline numbers with radiator fan measurements in the top-center spot. With a 360 rad (or any 120mm based rad) on top, you will have the option to mount the radiator either flush with low profile memory or 20mm offset away from the memory. We’re taking VRM measurements at points that will work better for testing cooler impact, since we don’t care about comparative VRM performance from one board to the next.The Liquid Freezer II 420 A-RGB model is the last one released by ARCTIC (the liquid freezer II A-RGB line includes 240/280/360/420mm models) and as expected it features an 38mm thick fan (as with all the other members of that line) and three 140mm P14 fans (PWM fluid-dynamic bearing with A-RGB lighting) with integrated cable management (routing). For both custom and AiO water coolers, there are illuminated RGB and A-RGB models like the Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB. The northwest corner of the cooler, measured at the top-left screw of the mount, measured at about 197FPM toward the VRM. The front I/O cables are tidily taught through a hole which they pass around to the back of the case. Most liquid coolers actually come from only a few companies: Asetek (the largest), CoolIT (growing in the consumer space), Apaltek, Dynatron, and any number of other smaller suppliers.

The 52-degree load result has the Liquid Freezer II about 2 degrees cooler than the X62 at the same noise level.

Based on your amazing battle with the 420mm, may I ask if I still have to stick to low profile ram such as the one you using or it does not really matter?

To get it flush, I removed the GPU, unscrewed the motherboard, unplugged a few critical cables and moved it out just enough so I could access screws on the back of the motherboard. Because all mechanical dimensions remain identical, we are able to guarantee the compatibility of ARCTIC coolers with AMD's new processors. Shifting the rear exhaust fan down helped a bit but I pulled the front of the case off to move the cables around enough so the radiator would set in place.

That’s how we tested all the liquid coolers so far, as it is more similar to a top-mounted radiator in a case. Coolers purchased from resellers, however, may still have been shipped without the corresponding accessories.

AIOs do not work inside a vacuum, the rest of the system has to be taken into your equations before you opt for ‘go big or go home’ type answers. To still allow for optimal heat dissipation, we have developed a special mounting kit for the Liquid Freezer II that allows the cold plate to be placed directly over the hotspot of the CPU.

We need to see how it does long-term, as Enermax has scared us away from firm recommendations on thermals alone.