Today we're taking a look at something that has been a very long time coming – the NL-LC1-36, Noctua's first-ever all-in-one liquid CPU cooler. It's built around Asetek's EMMA V2 platform, paired with several Noctua-specific enhancements including NF-A12x25 G2 fans, a dedicated pump noise absorber, SecuFirm2+ mounting hardware and an optional auxiliary fan designed to improve airflow around nearby motherboard components. As expected, Noctua is aiming the focus on acoustics, reliability and attention to detail that made its air coolers so popular over the years, but now implementing that into liquid cooling. In this review, we'll be testing installation, build quality, acoustics and, of course, thermal performance to see how the NL-LC1-36 compares against the best 360mm AIO coolers currently on the market.
Timestamps:
00:00 Start
01:11 Versions and pricing
02:06 Product information
03:56 The Mode Switch / Sound Tests
04:56 Top Cover and fan accessory
06:12 Coldplate and fitment
06:50 James thoughts so far
07:12 The Fans / kit
09:07 Accessories
10:27 Setting up the test system
12:33 Noise Output
13:20 CPU Temperature – Manual OC, 100% fans
13:58 CPU Temperature – Manual OC, 40dBA
14:37 CPU Temp and Clocks – PBO
15:21 James Closing Thoughts
Features:
Based on Asetek’s Emma V2 Platform – Asetek’s flagship pump that uses a closed impeller design for improved efficiency and performance. Compared with its predecessor Emma V2 provides 58% higher flow rate, and 124% higher head pressure as well as offering a 40% reduction in energy consumption.
Equipped with Noctua NL-PNA1 Pump Noise Absorber – Improved pump acoustics by reducing SPL and shifting the pump's sound signature towards lower, less distracting noise frequency.
High Purity Copper Cold Plate – Manufactured from 99.95% CU110 copper with a large 32.5 x 22.5mm micro-skived fin array.
Noctua NF-A12/A14x25 G2 Fans Included – All Noctua NL-LC1 series AIO’s include Noctua NF-A12 or A14 X25 G2 fans
Specifications:
CPU Socket Compatibility: AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1700/LGA1851
Radiator Material: Aluminium
Radiator Dimensions: 400x120x30mm
CPU Block/Pump Dimensions:
Pump Speed: 750~3400 RPM (±10 %) Max (Manual Mode)
Today we’re going big on AIO coolers – seven of them in fact! We’ve got new hardware from ASRock, Cooler Master, CPS PCCOOLER, DeepCool, Enermax and Sudokoo to look at, all featuring integrated pump-mounted displays and targeting a wide range of price points. In this multi-review, we’ll be looking at thermals, noise, build quality and value for money to find out which ones are genuinely impressive, and which ones are just flashy-looking screens with a pump attached.
ASROCK Challenger 360 Digital – CCL £88.99 black HERE – £95.99 White HERE.
Features
3-inch digital display with real-time monitoring — Challenger 360 Digital features an integrated pump-top display showing key system stats like CPU temperature, frequency and pump speed.
Next-gen pump design — With 3-phase, 6-slot, 4-pole motor and a dual-side inlet design and a precision copper cold plate for optimal coolant and efficient heat dissipation.
Streamlined installation — Pre-mounted fans, hidden cable routing and a universal mounting system, alongside features like ring-frame fan blades and 0dB fan stop support to balance airflow performance with quieter operation.
Specification:
CPU Socket Compatibility: AMD AM5, AM4 | Intel LGA1851, LGA1700
Radiator Material: Aluminium
Radiator Dimensions: 394 x 119.6 x 27 mm
CPU Block/Pump Dimensions: 85 x 84.1 x 53.5 mm
Pump Speed: 1200–3200 ±10% RPM
Cold Plate Material: Mico-Skived Copper
Pump Connector: 4-pin PWM
Fan Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25.4 mm
Fan Speed: 0–2100 ±10% RPM
Air flow: 6 CFM
Air Pressure: 77 mmH₂O
Fan Noise: 31 dB(A)
Fan Connector: 4-pin PWM
LCD Screen: 3-inch segment LED display
Warranty: 6 years (AIO cooler module)
Pros:
The digital display is bright and easy to read data.
Reasonable noise at max fan speed.
Daisy-chained fans reduce cable clutter.
Cons:
Light bleed from the LEDs on the fans is not well diffused.
4-inch full-colour LCD — Equipped with a full-coverage display that shows real-time system stats, images or animations, all configurable through ASRock’s Polychrome Display software.
Next-gen cooling system with dual-inlet design — 3-phase, 6-slot, 4-pole pump, paired with a dual-side inlet cooling path for improved thermal efficiency and more consistent temperatures under load.
360° Halo ARGB fan system — Integrated halo lighting with a single-cable fan design, combining high airflow FDB fans with streamlined cable management for cleaner installs and synchronised lighting.
Specification:
CPU Socket Compatibility: AMD AM5, AM4 | Intel LGA1851, LGA1700
Warranty: 6 Years (AIO Cooler Module), 2 years (Display Module)
Pros:
Decent-looking screen with plenty of customisation options.
Solid cooling performance.
Single-frame fan looks neat with minimal wiring.
Cons:
CPU block is very tall.
Quite loud at max fan speed.
Requires several software apps to operate the screen, RGB and fan speed.
Rating: 7.5.
Cooler Master MasterLiquid Core Nex Digital 360 Black ARGB – OcUK £89.99 HERE.
Features
Hexagonal digital display with real-time system monitoring — MasterLiquid Core NEX Digital 360 features an integrated top-mounted screen capable of displaying CPU/GPU temperatures, usage, fan speeds and pump RPM via Cooler Master’s MasterCTRL software.
Refined dual chamber pump architecture — Featuring Cooler Master’s updated G9R dual chamber design with improved water pressure and optimised coolant flow for enhanced heat transfer efficiency.
Simplified all-in-one installation — Pre-installed fans, streamlined cabling, pre-applied thermal paste and pre-mounted brackets help reduce installation complexity while maintaining a cleaner overall system build.
LCD Screen: LED Digital Display, 50.1 x 54.4 mm, 120 cd/m²
Screen Connector: USB 2.0 9-Pin
Warranty: 5 Years
Pros:
Daisy-chained fans reduce wiring.
Quick and easy.
Clear and easy to read display.
Cons:
Very loud at max fan speed.
Average 40 dba thermal performance.
Some Cable clutter at the CPU block.
Rating: 7.
CPS PCCOOLER GT360M ARGB Display – £85.99 Amazon in black or white HERE.
Features
5-inch high-resolution LCD display — GT360M ARGB Display features a customisable IPS screen capable of showing real-time system monitoring data, animations, wallpapers and video playback through CPS control software support.
Next-generation ceramic bearing pump design — Equipped with a second-generation large chamber pump, ultra-fine micro water channels and an all-ceramic bearing structure designed to improve coolant flow, reduce operational noise and extend long-term durability.
Streamlined cable management and installation — Factory pre-installed fans, integrated hidden wiring and a quick-release mounting system help simplify the build process while maintaining a cleaner overall system appearance.
4-inch IPS LCD with modular customisation — SPARTACUS 360 features a 480×480 IPS display with 16.7 million colours, supports system monitoring layouts, GIFs, video playback and dynamic graph modes through DeepCreative software integration.
6th-generation pump with AI-tuned cooling control — Equipped with a 3-phase, 6-slot, 4-pole Gen 6 pump and DeepCreative AI algorithms that dynamically tune pump and fan speeds for quieter operation and up to 320W of heat dissipation performance.
Semi-integral blade fans with streamlined connectivity — High-performance 120mm fans use a reinforced semi-integral blade design for improved airflow stability and lower noise, while DeepCool’s single 10-pin connection design dramatically cuts cable clutter during installation.
Magnetic rotatable digital display with real-time monitoring — LIQMAX IV 360 features a magnetic pump-top status display that can be manually rotated for cleaner orientation while providing live CPU temperatures, fan speeds and system monitoring data.
Patented dual-chamber pump with Gen.2 Xtreme technology — ENERMAX pairs a larger 35% expanded copper base with its Gen.2 Xtreme Pump design, delivering a claimed 31% increase in coolant flow rate and cooling capacity rated up to 390W TDP.
Quiet high-performance cooling setup — PWM-controlled radiator fans and pump operation are tuned to balance airflow and acoustics, with 500–1800RPM fan speeds and low-noise operation designed to keep high-end systems under control.
Segmented pump display with real-time system monitoring — ENERGLO 360 features a pump top-mounted modular segmented screen on the that displays CPU temperature and system status in real time, without requiring external software.
High-performance PWM pump with wide speed control range — Equipped with a high-performance pump with a speed range of 2500–3400 RPM, designed for efficient thermal transfer while maintaining quiet operation.
360mm triple-fan cooling array with high airflow performance — Includes three 120mm PWM fans delivering up to 73.41 CFM airflow with strong static pressure, optimised for high-efficiency cooling at high-demand workloads.
We are primarily focusing on the performance of each cooler at 100% fan speed and also when locked to 40dBA noise output. We will focus on cooling performance using a manual overclock with all-core frequency and VCORE locked to 5.2GHz/1.3V (AMD) and 5.5GHz/1.3V (Intel) and Precision Boost Overdrive performance.
The test data is logged using HWINFO and the final 10 minutes of the data is calculated to find the average CPU temperature and CPU clock multiplier (AMD PBO Test) and then plotted in the charts.
For testing, we use a 30-minute looped run of Cinebench R23 and record the steady-state CPU temperature at the end of the test. This ensures that the CPU has had ample time to warm up and reach a steady state under all of the coolers.
The ambient is maintained at 19-21 degrees Celsius. Where there is variation beyond this temperature range, we add extra repeated tests to ensure consistency. However, this is well controlled now with A/C.
We also test each cooler with at least two fresh installs (typically three) to mitigate the likelihood of poor mounting spoiling results.
Ambient temperature and humidity are controlled via a mini split air conditioning system inside the test room. Ambient temperature is maintained between 19-20°C; temperature delta figures are shown in the charts (ambient temperature is deducted from the measured component temperature).
Test Results:
Acoustics
We will start by looking at noise output which gives us a good indication of thermal performance based on noise.
When looking at noise output with the fans and pump operating at max speed, there’s quite a wide spread between the coolers on test. The quietest is the ASRock Challenger 360 Digital at 47dBA, which puts it among the quieter coolers in our database overall. The Enermax Liqmax IV 360 also performs well at 48dBA, while the CPS PCCOOLER GT360M ARGB Display sits in the middle at 51dBA.
At the louder end of the chart are the ASRock Phantom Gaming 360 LCD and Cooler Master MasterLiquid Core Nex 360 ARGB both at 52dBA, which is noticeable but still quite typical for 360mm liquid coolers running flat out. The Sudokoo Energlo 360 comes in slightly higher at 53dBA, while the loudest cooler of this group is the DeepCool Spartacus 360 at 55dBA. That’s definitely getting loud enough to be quite distracting.
Thermal Performance: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
With fans and pumps still running at max speed, thermal performance from the coolers on test is competitive, with only 2°C separating the best and worst results in this test. Leading the pack are the CPS PCCOOLER GT360M ARGB Display, DeepCool Spartacus 360 and Sudokoo Energlo 360, all at 59°C CPU over ambient under steady-state load, which places them among the top performing AIOs in our chart overall.
Just behind are the ASRock Challenger 360 Digital and Phantom Gaming 360 LCD, alongside the Cooler Master ML Core Nex 360 ARGB, with all three producing a 60°C delta result. While not chart-topping, the difference in real-world terms is small and well within the range you would expect from good 360mm liquid coolers. The Enermax Liqmax IV 360 Display trails slightly at 61°C, though again the margin is minimal.
At a noise-normalised level of 40dBA, the thermal results provide a clearer indication of efficiency once acoustics are taken into account. At the top we see the ASRock Challenger 360 Digital and Phantom Gaming 360 LCD, both with a 63°C delta, placing them in the top end of the chart. Just behind them is the Sudokoo Energlo 360 at 64°C over ambient, followed by the CPS PCCOOLER GT360M ARGB Display and the DeepCool Spartacus 360 at 65°C. suggesting similar efficiency once acoustics are equalised.
Further back is the Enermax Liqmax IV 360 at 66°C over ambient, while the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Core Nex 360 ARGB trails slightly further at 67°C. These results indicate both models lose efficiency when limited to a 40dBA noise target, relying more heavily on higher fan speeds to maintain thermal performance.
Switching to AMD PBO testing, the results reflect a more real-world scenario where we see how effectively coolers can maintain boost clocks under sustained load. The strongest results come from the ASRock Phantom Gaming 360 LCD, which posts a 52.5x clock multiplier and 63°C delta, placing it among the top-performing units in the PBO test. The ASRock Challenger 360 Digital follows with the same clock multiplier but just 1°C higher delta so basically producing the same CPU performance.
Just below is the Deepcool Spartacus with the same 52.5x clock multiplier at 65°C and the Sudokoo Energlo at 66°C delta, again with a 52.5 x multiplier. Further back with a clock multiplier of 52.4x are the Cooler Master ML Coer Nex Digital at 64°C delta, the CPS PCCOOLER GT360M at 64°C and the Enermax trails at 66 °C over ambient. While these results place them behind the best coolers, the clock multipliers are narrow enough that, under AMD PBO conditions, all of the tested 360mm AIOs deliver similar sustained boost behaviour.
KitGuru says: In terms of real-world performance, all of these coolers are quite closely matched. However, in terms of best value for money, I'd go with the ASRock Challenger 360 Digital as it combines good thermals, low max fan speed noise and a decent-looking screen at a reasonable price.
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