Deep Dive! Does your cooler size REALLY matter?!

This is a video I have wanted to make for a while! Here are the TRUE comparisons between AIO size and whether or not a larger AIO is really worth it. There is more data than we usually show but it also shows some nuances that we didn't really expect! Enjoy!

Sponsored Links:

○○○○○○ Items featured in this video available at Amazon ○○○○○○

••• Follow me on your favorite Social Media! •••

[Jayztwocents]

Hey everyone, minor correction. The radiator is 38mm thick, not 45.... Wouldnt be a Jay video if I didnt get something wrong...

Also, the reason I didnt use noise levels is because I lack a good db meter, however its something I plan to add to the future. It wont be SUPER accurate since we dont have a sound chamber but it should still give us some sort of data. Our recording room is fairly sound isolated from the environment so we should be able to minimize sound pollution. Its something I plan to start including in some way.

[ARCTIChannel]

Thank you so much for the incredible review! We’re thrilled to hear that our Liquid Freezer III impressed you and that it even exceeded your expectations. Your detailed analysis and insights are invaluable, and we’re excited that you highlighted the aspects we worked hard on. Your feedback means a lot to us, and it’s great to see our work being recognized by someone as knowledgeable as you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!! ❄

[Heapfael]

The cooling area of a 280 is about 91% of a 360, which people always underestimate. Width matters :-)

[retrosean]

I'd say the fact that Jay bought these and was pleasantly surprised makes this an even better review.

[markmcguire]

Been watching your videos for a while Jay. I am noticing a much higher overall production value and care and effort going back to your videos. I know you had the bad health spill and everything that was going on, and i kept watching because you are very entertaining, but recently it seems with your energy coming back, so has the overall quality of your videos. I wanted to let you know its noticeable, and its great to see you getting back into this. Thank you for the years of entertainment.

[TheCaRud]

Arctic MUST be included in every comparison, they have the best price/performance ratio you can get and have been for YEARS! Simply WORLD CLASS!

[pb]

I've had the 420 AIO for over 3 years, AMAZING product.
There is one thing that you need to keep in mind, this AIO is HUGE, it does not fit in most cases.
One thing missing from the review is noise... with the 420, I can game with the fans at such low speed that they are whisper quiet. You literally cannot hear the fans at all.

[Valenzx]

went from a 360 to a 420 (same case) and was happy to see a 5 degree temp drop for my 7950x3d.

[thebkg]

This has honestly been, IMO, one of the most informative videos you've done in a while! Artic has never been on my radar, and I don't think I've ever considered a 420 before. Great discovery, and great idea on doing the size comparisons!!

[Fnalspace]

i had a 360 freezer II aio with my ryzen 7950X but it was impossible to get the temp below 90 degrees on heavy load - except it limit the power by eco mode or something. Now i have a 420 freezer iii and it never exceeds 80 degrees, even under extremely heavy load. Really shows what you showed you us today. Bigger is better ;-)

[MuckyxD]

Hey Jay, Nick and Phil, congratulations for the video, a simple subject but very well explained, executed and edited, mainly the graphs, very easy to maintain track of what is being said. I love Arctic as a brand for how they operate and also by the absolute dominance of their products on the enthusiast market. Keep up the good work

[SparkyB]

If you calculate the rad areas, the 280 and 360 are pretty close, the 420 is over double the 240, which explains the massive improvement in temps. Using a polynomial trendline from rad area vs Delta T seems to imply you aren't going to get much more return beyond the 420 (maybe 69-70 ish degC with a 560).

[phoenix]

13:30 It's funny you mention diminishing returns on AIOs larger than a 420 because it wasn't too long ago that having anything larger than a 360 was considered just taboo because of diminishing returns. I really appreciate your breakdown and how it shows just how much things have changed... and shows how much power really is being put into these newer cpus

[dustyjones]

I got a 240mm frozen prism for $45 on Amazon. Looks nice and clean and keeps my overclocked 5600x below 63° under heavy load

[baskhd]

I've recently gotten a 280mm LFIII and I love it. CPU temps have never been so low and cooling has never been so quiet. Even when the pump's running full speed you question if it's on.

[dhoop]

Love these types of videos Topics like this, out of the blue for components (like an AIO for this one) that is informative and VERY useful for us that do builds every 1-2 years. Thank you for doing this and glad you think out of the box. Please do these kinds of videos as often as you can. Great Job!!!!

[thorinoakenshield]

Great comparison mate! I recently purchased the Liquid Freezer III and am more than happy with the performance! Here in Germany I got the AIO even cheaper. I bought the 360 ARGB Radiator for €85. That's about $92.
My processor is a Ryzen 7 5700 X3D and it doesn't get warmer than 67 degrees Celsius in the multi-core test in Cinebench R23.
Artic simply has the best price-performance ratio!
One of the best AIOs on the market in my opinion😁

[jankees]

Jayz last sentence makes this the best computer video of the year. Give this man a sizeable applause!

[georgioszampoukis]

I have bought many AIOs over the years including coolermaster, corsair and nzxt, and I can tell you with confidence, Arctic Liquid II was by far the best one I ever bought. The fans are also amazing too. I would confidently give Arctic my money any time. Seriously, if anyone is looking for a great AIO, look no further.

[kr]

So glad you used these AIO’s! These came out right before I upgraded my computer so I snagged a 360 for $100and I couldn’t be happier. The price to performance on these are unmatched and it keeps my 12000KF in the mid 50’s to lower 60’s during long gaming sessions. Seeing these results though makes me wish I would have pulled the trigger on the 420. Also worth nothing that for AM4/AM5 they have an offset mount so that the cooling plate covers the CCD’s.