KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
If you are currently in the market for a 420mm AIO liquid cooler to cool a high-end CPU and you are budget-conscious, then look no further as the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 420 offers the best thermal performance to price ratio for a 420mm AIO as far as we can see. But for a touch under £100, do not expect all the bells and whistles of more premium options. However if you want great flat-out cooling or quiet operation without compromising too much on thermal performance, you won't be disappointed.
There are some caveats to consider if you are thinking of making the purchase, the Liquid Freezer III Pro has some compatibility issues and they are not just limited to the 420mm unit. Due to the CPU block and tubing design even the 360/280 and 240mm versions all suffer with potential interference issues with tall M.2 slot 1 heatsinks and in some chassis the Liquid Freezer III Pro (and even the non-Pro for that matter) will not be compatible with vertically mounted GPUs, and that includes Arctic’s own recently launched Xtender chassis.
Other things to consider are that the thicker 38mm radiator increases the overall size of the cooler, so in some chassis with tight space at the top there might be a problem with clearance compared with AIOs that use standard 27mm thickness radiators. The only other very minor negative is the RGB lighting on the fans, it's nice and bright, and easy to control – but there is some minor light bleed from the individual LEDs, so it's not perfectly diffused, but this really is nitpicking.
Other than those minor concerns, this really is a great value cooler. It outperforms almost every other cooler we have tested when noise is normalised and it performs exceptionally well in our max fan speed and PBO tests. The installation is quick and easy thanks to the simple mounting system and preinstalled fans, cable management is no problem with daisy-chained cables on the fans as well as hidden wiring in the tube sleeving and it's great value for money, plus it comes with a whopping 6-year warranty for peace of mind.
We found it listed for £100 on Scan HERE.
Update: Arctic have confirmed to us they are aware of the potential compatibility issues with M.2 slots, and they are currently offering a free M2 Pro cooler for anyone affected – just get in touch with Arctic support.
Pros:
- Excellent value for money,
- Great thermal performance across the board,
- Easy installation and no hub or software needed to run.
- Great 6-year warranty.
Cons:
- Compatibility issues with M.2 heatsinks and vertical graphics cards.
- Some light bleed from the individual LEDs on the fans – not diffused perfectly.
- The overall thickness of the radiator and fans may cause interference issues in some cases.
KitGuru says: If you are pondering whether to buy the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 and are unsure, just go for it – I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
