Final Score: 95 out 100
If we were to condense our opinions into just a single word, it would be: evolution. Not revolution. However, as with the bigger 3x140mm “420-class” version, that is not necessarily a bad thing. The underlying core philosophy may not be perfect but it is about as good as one can find outside of custom loops; or to rob from Winston Churchill “…many forms have been tried, and will be tried. No one pretends that {Arctic} is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that {the ALF III} is the worst… except for all those other {AIO} designs that have been tried from time to time”.
As such, making the already best AIO design tangibly better is not a bad thing. Rather, having notable improvements in cooling (fan) performance, backstopped by thoughtful refinements, is the very definition of a Good Thing™. Bluntly stated, the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 represents a highly evolved iteration of the ALF III design. One that not just pushes the “known” performance boundaries between the various form factors, but out and out blurs the underlying lines of delineation between them. Better still, it does all that while also maintaining Arctic’s core philosophy of offering sensible, value-oriented options.
Put another way, when compared side-by-side, the Pro model is the obvious… blatantly superior iteration of the ALF III blueprint. One that is equal parts fan and mounting innovation, which cumulates in an even larger single generational improvement than what we found with the ‘420’. Simply put, this highly advanced powerhouse is a model that can equally appeal to the (nearly) Silent PC crowd and the Performance Is Everything buyer. All it takes it a bit of TLC with the fan profile.
Make no mistake, we out and out love this new Pro 360. It will be the de facto model we build most of our custom builds around. It just is not going to be optimal for every build… as Arctic still has not perfected the installation. Yes. There are notable improvements – especially for Intel Core 200 (and future generations of Core) buyers. Yes. We think the included Intel mounting bracket is about the only sane solution to the continuing “issues” with the stock RP-ILM. It just comes with a steep learning curve. One where failure vs. success can actually be measured in tenths of a Newton Meter… and failure means the potential nuking of your expensive CPU (and possibly motherboard).
Mix in the same complaints over the outright disrespect Arctic continues to show towards high-performance M.2 devices on all but LGA1800-based motherboards, and the Pro is a massive leap forward for the “ALF” design. One that is even more than up to the task of converting hot water into hot air like few outside of custom rads can match… It just still has a lot of room for improvement. As such, if you can work around the minor to moderate underlying issues that have yet to be resolved, there is no serious second-place alternative. It simply is just too good at cooling and comes with such a reasonable asking price to have actual non-ALF 3 competition. There are only “also-rans” that merely exist to satisfy the edge cases where the ALF III Pro is not a great fit. Congratulations, Arctic, for not only raising the performance bar higher than where you left it but once again setting the pace for the entire marketplace.
The Review
Arctic Liquid Freezer III PRO 360
The Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 is a refined evolution of an already excellent AIO, delivering noticeably better cooling, fan performance, and value. Despite lingering installation and compatibility quirks, its performance clearly outpaces competitors. For most builds, it sets the benchmark in its class.
