Introduction
Liquid coolers are all the rage at the moment in the CPU cooling space. With prices at an all-time low on some of the most popular options, now is an excellent time to pick up a powerful cooler for your next PC build. However, with so many popular and high performing options on the market right now, this can be quite confusing for the average consumer just looking for the best value option.
This raises a multitude of questions for those looking to pick up a 360mm option for their build. Is it worth picking up the most powerful option for the sake of longevity? Or are there cheaper options for consumers on a more restrictive budget?
In this article we’ll be exploring these very questions with a GeekaWhat roundup of the best 360mm liquid cooling options to buy right now. We’ve covered a range of coolers from varying brands, with different price points suiting a variety of budgets.
Suggested Article: Best 240mm AIO Coolers to Buy in 2023
Our Recommendations
1. Cooler Master PL360 Flux
👑 The best budget 360mm cooler.
Introduction
First up in our roundup is Cooler Master‘s PL360 Flux. We’ve recommended this cooler a number of times in varying pieces of content on the website and on the YouTube front, because it is awesome. This cheaper cooler has three RGB fans, and an RGB pump which can be plugged into the included ARGB header, and configured using Cooler Master’s MasterPlus+ software, allowing you to sync up all of your components.
Performance wise, the PL360 Flux offers strong metrics and is ideal for top-end coolers from both AMD or Intel. Noise levels remain relatively low, with a max of 32 decibels, which is pretty quiet even under intense workloads. The PL-Flux fans offer solid airflow and pressure, keeping thermals nice and low, whilst offering up some additional flair too.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL360 Flux |
|---|---|
| Max Fan Speed | 2300RPM |
| Connector Type | 4-pin PWM |
| RGB | Yes |
| Heat Pipes | N/A |
| Socket Compatibility | Intel – LGA 1700, 1200, 115x, 2011, 2066 / AMD- AM5, AM4 |
Things We Like
Awesome RGB lighting: Cooler Master are renowned for manufacturing awesome components with plenty of RGB lighting, and the PL360 Flux is no exception. The RGB fans and pump can all be synced up too using the ARGB controller, allowing you to easily customise any lighting effects and colours.
Pretty cheap: 360mm coolers as a general rule are quite expensive, but Cooler Master keeps costs at a reasonable price with the PL360 Flux. This cooler comes in just below the $200 mark, which I’d argue is a pretty fair price considering performance and value.
Things We Don’t Like
Not the best performing option: Although the PL360 Flux is a pretty strong contender in the liquid cooling space, there are many better alternatives out there geared towards high-end systems that offer better performance.
AMD mounting is more complicated: AMD‘s mounting system is somewhat archaic and uses tension instead more support with screws. If you’re a first-time builder, the AMD mounting might be a little bit confusing to get installed.
Summary
Cooler Master’s PL360 Flux is an awesome 360mm options that offers a robust and great looking design, whilst keeping costs relatively low, making this AIO perfect for consumers on a more restrictive budget. Definitely worth a consideration if you’re looking to build a cheaper system with a 360mm cooler.
Features: 4.2/5
Design: 4.4/5
Performance: 4.1/5
Value for Money: 4.1/5
Pros
- Awesome RGB design.
- Comes with an included RGB controller.
- Reasonable price point.
Cons
- AMD mounting can be confusing.
- There are stronger options on the market.
Where to Buy
Buy the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pl360 Flux on:
2. Deepcool LT720
👑 The best minimalist cooler.
Introduction
Next up is Deepcool‘s LT720, an AIO with a more minimalist style that offers well-rounded performance overall. The LT720 sports three FK120 black fans that strike a fine balance between performance and efficiency, providing strong airflow and pressure alongside a robust frame that ensures long-term reliability. This is further aided by the 4th generation high-performance pump that maximises coolant flow with high RPMs.
In terms of design, the LT720 offers an all-black fan design, with a matte black finish across the radiator too. The CPU block offers a nice twist on the overall aesthetic with a white housing and an infinity mirror. I’m a big fan of the infinity mirror design as it offers an interesting spectacle to look at within your build. The RGB lighting can of course be customised and configured with a variety of different RGB software, such as MSI‘s MysticLight, or Gigabyte‘s RGB Fusion.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Deepcool LT720 |
|---|---|
| Pump Speed | 3100RPM |
| Max Fan Speed | 2250RPM |
| Connector Type | 4-Pin PWM |
| RGB | Yes |
| Socket Compatibility | Intel – LGA 1700, 1200, 1151, 1150, 1155, 2011, 2066 / AMD – AM5, AM4 |
Things We Like
Reasonably priced: As a general rule of thumb, 360mm coolers tend to be pretty expensive due to the size and manufacturing costs. However, the LT720 is a cheaper option coming in under the $200 mark, making it a solid option for consumers a budget.
Minimalist design looks great: The all-black design and infinity mirror design looks excellent. Deepcool have struck a great balance between form and function, offering great performance whilst still providing some RGB lighting for those that like to add some flair to their build.
Things We Don’t Like
May restrict case choices: The LT720 is one of the larger 360mm options that we’ve had in the office, which might be a bit of a problem if you’ve picked out a smaller case option for your build.
No RGB fan options: The one caveat to the design is that, there are no RGB fan options. If you’re the kind of consumer looking for an all-out RGB approach, this cooler won’t be a great option, which is a little bit disappointing to see.
Summary
Deepcool‘s LT720 is an awesome minimalist cooler that offers a unique aesthetic alongside strong performance metrics. This AIO sits at a pretty reasonable price overall, making it great for consumers that are being a bit more restrictive with their budgeting. Overall, we’d recommend this cooler if you’re looking for a minimalist style liquid cooler that performs well even under intense workloads.
Features: 4/5
Design: 4.1/5
Performance: 4/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- Great minimalist design.
- Lighting is easy to configure.
- Solid price point.
Cons
- Doesn’t offer any RGB options.
- Size may cause installation issues in smaller cases.
Where to Buy
Buy the Deepcool LT720 on:
3. Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix
👑 The best RGB cooler.
Introduction
Our third recommendation is Corsair‘s iCUE H150i Elite Capellix, an AIO that we’ve recommended a number of times in a variety of different content pieces. This cooler is one of the best options on the market when it comes to both performance and aesthetic. The H150i Elite Capellix utilises Corsair’s renowned magnetic levitation fans which bring low noise levels and high air pressure, all while maintaining an awesome RGB design that Corsair fans will be all to familiar with.
Design wise, the iCUE H150i is one of the best looking coolers you can find, sporting an all-white radiator and set of 120mm fans. Each of the fans offers vibrant and iCUE compatible RGB, which can all be plugged into the Corsair iCUE Commander for ease of control and setup. The CPU pump block also provides some awesome RGB too in the form of Corsair’s Capellix lighting, definitely a winner for those that love RGB.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix |
|---|---|
| Pump Speed | 2400RPM |
| Max Fan Speed | 2400RPM |
| Connector Type | 4-Pin PWM |
| RGB | Yes |
| Socket Compatibility | Intel – LGA 1700, 1200, 1151, 1150, 1155, 2011, 2066 / AMD – AM5, AM4, sTRX4, TR4 |
Things We Like
The king of RGB lighting: Corsair is the king when it comes to RGB lighting, and their Capellix LEDs are nothing short of brilliant. If you’re looking for ‘all of the lights’, this is the cooler to pick up.
Top-end performance: The iCUE H150i Elite Capellix offers excellent thermal capability, whilst maintaining low noise levels too. This AIO is perfect for consumers looking to build a top-end PC, that pushes your CPU to the limits!
Things We Don’t Like
Very expensive: As you can probably expect, this CPU cooler isn’t likely to be cheap, and you’d be correct. The H150i is one of the most expensive options on the market besides 420mm options, so you’ll need to shell out a fair amount to secure this AIO.
Loud at 100%: Although the magnetic levitation fans are pretty solid at the low-end, we have noticed that fan noise does tend to ramp up a fair bit when load reaches 100%.
Summary
Corsair’s iCUE H150i Elite Capellix is one of the best coolers on the market for enthusiasts, or consumers looking for plenty of RGB lighting. This is an expensive option, but you won’t be disappointed with the strong performance and excellent design that Corsair have to offer.
Features: 4.2/5
Design: 4.7/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- Awesome RGB and aesthetic.
- Comes with an included fan and RGB hub.
- Brilliant top-end performance.
Cons
- Very expensive overall.
- Can be quite loud under higher load.
Where to Buy
Buy the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix on:
4. MSI MEG CoreLiquid S360
👑 The best 360mm cooler for overclocking.
Introduction
For our fourth and final recommendation, we’ve picked out MSI‘s MEG CoreLiquid S360, a top-end design perfect for all of your overclocking needs. When it comes to performance, the CoreLiquid S360 is one of the best options money can buy for high intensity workloads. This cooler is likely the closest that you’ll get to a custom loop, but at a fraction of the cost. Performance wise, the S360 sports MSI’s MEG Silent Gale P12 fans, keeping noise levels nice and low, whilst offering excellent airflow and pressure across the board.
The 7th-Gen Asetek pump is designed to efficiency disperse heat as quickly as possible, which is also aided by a 60mm fan that is placed inside the water block, further dissipating heat around essential components. To top it all off, the S360 comes with a fully customisable 2.4-inch display that can show off thermals, GIFs, live weather and more.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | MSI MEG LiquidCore S360 |
|---|---|
| Pump Speed | 2800RPM |
| Max Fan Speed | 2000RPM |
| Connector Type | 4-Pin PWM |
| RGB | No |
| Socket Compatibility | Intel – LGA 1700, 1200, 1151, 1150, 1155, 2011, 2066 / AMD – AM5, AM4, sTRX4, TR4 |
Things We Like
Perfect for overclocking: The CoreLiquid S360 is one of the best performing options on the market, dispersing heat efficiently around essential components, and keeping CPU thermals nice and low. If you plan on pushing your CPU even further with some overclocking, this cooler is a worthwhile consideration.
Unique LCD display: The LCD display offers a variety of unique customisation options that adds some nice flair to your build. Although this does drive up the price a bit, I feel the display adds a bit of a ‘wow factor’ to your build that’s worth showing off.
Things We Don’t Like
Very very expensive: The CoreLiquid S360 sits almost on par in terms of price, when compared to Corsair’s iCUE H150i Elite Capellix. Due to the nature of the design, and the strong performance, this is a rather pricey cooler geared towards enthusiast level PC builds.
May cause clearance issues: Both the CPU block and the radiator on this cooler are quite large, which could potentially result in clearance issues. Make sure you check clearance in your case and with other components before picking up an AIO of this magnitude.
Summary
MSI’s MEG CoreLiquid S360 is a perfect cooler for consumers looking to overclock their system, or for those that are looking for the most thermally efficient design. Whilst this cooler doesn’t offer a whole lot on the design front, the LCD display does provide some nice flair, and utility too which makes the high price point a little bit easier to swallow.
Features: 4.5/5
Design: 4/5
Performance: 5/5
Value for Money: 4.1/5
Pros
- LCD display is awesome.
- Perfect for overclocking.
- Near-silent performance.
Cons
- Extremely expensive.
- May cause clearance problems.
Where to Buy
Buy the MSI MEG CoreLiquid S360 on:
Is A 360mm Cooler Overkill?
Honestly, this entirely depends. 360mm AIOs are widely sought after due to the heat dissipation efficiency that can be found with larger radiators. Effectively, the bigger the radiator, the more heat can be dispersed and moved away from your CPU, resulting in better thermals. However, if you’ve picked up a budget, or a mid-range CPU, such as the Core i5 13600K, or an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, it is highly likely you won’t need this kind of capability from your cooler.
Lower-end processors don’t put out that much heat even during an all-core workload, which means your 240mm cooler, or even a solid air cooler can easily cope with the thermal demand of these less powerful CPUs. So in this instance, yes a 360mm liquid cooler would likely be overkill for your Intel Core i3 13100F. However, when it comes to higher-end options from either the Intel or AMD side, I’d argue that the vast majority of consumers will opt for a 360mm AIO to ensure strong thermals at a mostly reasonable price point.
These 360mm options also tend to come with fancier features, such as ARGB hubs, LCD screens, or even high-end RGB fans. To summarise, most of the PC components on the market right now will have a dedicated usage, geared towards a certain demographic. At the end of the day, this entirely depends on your use-case. 360mm coolers will be overkill for most mid-range and all budget builds, but for top-end and enthusiast level systems, these types of coolers are the go-to option for many.
Do I Need to Worry About Mounting?
Mounting is a major point of contention in the PC building space, because you can run into huge problems without doing some research into the supported sockets of your cooler. To explain this in layman’s terms, every motherboard and CPU comes with a certain type of socket. Around five years ago, Intel was using the LGA 1151 socket, and AMD was using AM3+ for their old Bulldozer chips. Because Intel have since brought out numerous different generations of CPUs since then, they’ve faced socket changes that determine a multitude of different factors.
The biggest one is CPU cooler compatibility. Because the shape of the CPU socket will be different compared to other generations, manufacturers have to change the mounting hardware that you use to install your cooler. However, not all manufacturers will update their hardware straight away, which can result in installation problems or mismatched components.
To bring this point to a close, mounting is a very important consideration that you should think about. All CPU cooler manufacturers will detail what sockets their cooler is supported on, and you’ll need to make sure that your current motherboard socket is supported. Just keep in mind that if you decide to upgrade you’ll want to double check this again to ensure there aren’t any problems.
Why You Can Trust Us
After delving into our recommendations, you’re probably wondering why you should trust our takes on the best 360mm CPU coolers? Allow us to elaborate. As soon as we get new products and components in the GeekaWhat office, our team of PC hardware enthusiasts gets to work straight away on benchmarking and testing, which includes gaming and productivity benchmarks. We use this to solidify a general overview of each product for consumers to read in various articles or through YouTube videos. If you’re wanting to learn more about our editorial team, check out the About Us section.
How We Tested the Best 360mm CPU Coolers
In order to test and evaluate the best 360mm CPU coolers there are a number of factors that we take into account, these are:
- Performance
- Features
- Compatibility
- Aesthetic
- Value for Money
Conclusion
Best 360mm CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix
Finishing off this roundup, we’ve picked Corsair‘s iCUE H150i Elite Capellix as the best 360mm cooler. Corsair often strikes a fine balance between form and function with the vast majority of their components and this cooler is no exception. The H150i offers solid thermal capability, relatively quiet performance, and an awesome aesthetic. If you’re willing to swallow the price of this beast, you’ll be met with plenty of RGB lighting, and low temperatures across the board!
Read our full Corsair component coverage, or Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need to Worry About Case Clearance?
As we’ve alluded to briefly, yes! Case clearance is very important for larger coolers, as smaller form factor designs often won’t support big coolers, so make sure to check your case manufacturers website beforehand.
Is a 360mm Liquid Cooler Good for Overclocking?
Yes! 360mm coolers can disperse heat much more effectively than other options. Although a 360mm AIO isn’t a requirement for overclocking, you may have much better luck out of the box contrasting to smaller AIOs or air coolers.
Will My Old Cooler Work in My New Build?
This entirely depends. If you’ve recently upgrade, but you’re keeping your cooler, make sure to check our the CPU cooler manufacturer’s website to ensure that the mounting hardware supports the new socket.
Is a 360mm Liquid Cooler Good for Workstation Systems?
Yes they are. Workstation systems often utilise all-core workloads, which means heat needs to be moved away from CPU as quickly as possible. Other than fitting out a custom loop, a 360mm liquid cooler is the next best and most reasonably priced option.
