Final Score: 95 out 100
We must admit that we typically do not consider, let alone use, the 3x120mm class of AIOs when doing up a system build’s B.O.M. To be perfectly candid we consider(ed) them the PC equivalent of one’s coccyx. Sure at one point our ancestors not only had but needed a tail, but these days that vestigial organ is easy to ignore… unless you fall on it and bruise it. Then you notice it. The same is true of 3×120 AIOs. They are a hold hover from the ‘bad old days’ where 140mm fans were terrible and 120mm fans were about as big as one could go and still get decent real-world performance when they were attached to a radiator. Those days are long in the past. While it is true that there are a ton of cases that can accommodate a 360 but not a 420mm AIO the increase in cooling performance over a 2x140mm rarely make up for the increases in installation hassle factor, up-front cost, noise levels, and generally speaking a PITA factor that is not much lower than a 420. Put simply, they are “neither fish, nor fowl, nor good red meat”. Instead they live(d) in the borderlands, the edge cases where a) air cooling is out b) a custom loop is a no go and c) a 280-class AIO is not “good enough” and yet going 420 is just not worth the tradeoffs… which works out to about 1 maybe 2 percent of our builds.
The ALF III 360 is the exception to this personal rule of thumb.
Yes. For the first time in recent memory one can basically get 420-class performance without 420-class cost, 420-class noise… or even 420-class installation ‘issues’. Instead, when one plunks down less than what many of our beloved 280 options cost, buyers get an insanely good performance that does not cost an arm and a leg. Does not have a mile long list of ‘quirks’ one has to overcome… and as an added bonus is also a drop dead gorgeous device that (thanks to white and black options) can work with a ton of different custom builds. Yes. The ALF 3 360 is a wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing. You can literally expect it to perform darn near like a good chunk of older generation 420-class AIOs. All for just $110 USD.
That… that is insane.
So insane we had to retest to make sure the numbers we were getting were correct. They were. The ALF 3 360 and its overpowered (for a 360class AIO) pump, oversized radiator, and generally speaking over-engineered work of art is a power house that we sincerely doubt the competition will be able to match. Instead to find its equal in 360 class water cooling devices you will have to go the full custom loop with a “double thick” radiator. Mix in bonus features like excellent ARGB enabled fans that few will want to swap out for aftermarket options… or the free Intel mounting frame and we could wax poetic on what a phenomenally great deal the ALF 3 360 ARGB is.
We could. But we will not. Instead we will simply say that anyone interested in an excellent AIO that does not cost a fortune and yet acts and looks like a million bucks must have the ALF 3 360 on their short list. As long as your case can handle a beefy 38mm thick, 360mm long radiator (but not 420) it pretty much is the AIO to beat right now. Even if you do need to phone a friend to help with the Intel frame installation. Buy it. Use it. Love it. It is just that good.
The Review
Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360
The ALF 3 360 defies the usual drawbacks of 3x120mm AIOs by delivering near 420-class performance without the associated cost, noise, or installation hassles, all for an incredible $110 USD. With its over-engineered design, powerful pump, oversized radiator, and stylish aesthetics, it outshines competitors and rivals even custom-loop solutions. For anyone seeking top-tier cooling performance in this class, the ALF 3 360 is a must-have.
