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)
• Cold Plate Material: Micro Skived Copper
• Pump Connector: 4-Pin PWM
• Tubing Material: EPDM with braided sleeving
• Tubing Length: 410mm
• Fan Dimensions: 120 x120 x25mm
• Fan Speed: 0 – 1800 rpm
• Air flow: 63.15 CFM
• Air Pressure: 3.14 mm H₂O
• Fan Noise: 22.5 dB(A) (Per Fan)
• Fan Connector: 4 – Pin PWM
• Warranty: 6 years

Test System Specifications:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
• Motherboard: ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi
• Memory: 32GB G.SKILLTrident Z5 RGB DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: MSI Radeon RX 6600 XT Gaming X
• Storage: 1TB Corsair MP600 Elite PCIe Gen4x4 NVME M.2 SSD
• Power Supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1600
• Chassis: Open Test Bench
• Thermal Compound: Arctic MX-6
• O/S: Windows 11 Version 24H2

The post Noctua NL-LC1-360 360mm AIO CPU Cooler Review first appeared on KitGuru.

The most exciting part of reviewing PC hardware is looking at brand new products from a fresh new company. Levelplay debuted its cooling line at Computex 2024, so its products are very new to the market. Today we get our first look at one of the company's AIO coolers, the Combat Liquid 360 HUD, equipped with a 360mm radiator, RGB fans, and an LCD screen, or you could say… a Heads-Up Display! 

Features:

• Integrated 2.6″ circular display: Combat Liquid 360 HUD is equipped with a built-in HUD, providing real-time system info like CPU temperature, power draw, usage rate, and clock speeds directly on the pump cap mounted LCD.
• Jet impingement pump technology: Levelplay AIOs use a high-velocity coolant flow pumped directly onto the cold plate to improve thermal transfer from the CPU.
• Rigid All-in-one fan design: Three 120mm ARGB fans are encased in a unified frame design, pre-installed to the cooler for less cable clutter and maximum airflow.
• Engineering designed to last: Durable metal brackets support installation on AMD and Intel desktop platforms while reinforced rubber tubing with braided sleeving allows for maximum flexibility, leak protection and a clean look.

Specifications:

• CPU Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA1851 / LGA1700, AMD AM5 / AM4
• Radiator Material: Aluminium
• Radiator Dimensions: 397 x 120 x 27mm
• CPU Block/Pump Dimensions: 89 × 80 × 64 mm
• Pump Speed: 800 ~ 3000 RPM ± 10%
• Cold Plate Material: Micro-Skived Copper
• Pump Connector: 4-Pin PWM / 9-Pin USB (LCD)
• Fan Dimensions: 360 × 120 × 25.5 mm
• Fan Speed (PWM): 800 ~ 2000 RPM ± 10%
• Fan Static Pressure: 2.1mm H20 (max)
• Fan Airflow: 71 CFM (Max)
• Fan Noise: 6 ~ 36 dBA
• Fan Connector: 4-Pin PWM / 3 Pin 5V ARGB
• LCD Screen: 2.6-Inch Segmen LED screen
• Warranty: 3 Years

Levelplay ships the Combat Liquid 360 HUD in a cardboard box with an image of the cooler and Combat logos on the front. On the back, some key features are listed with images. Inside the box, the contents are packed into a cardboard crate for protection during shipping. The cooler is wrapped in plastic, and the accessories are included separately in a smaller box.

The included fans are mounted in a single-frame design to reduce cable clutter and feature a PWM speed range of 800-2000 RPM. The opaque fan blades illuminate with ARGB lighting once the cooler is powered on, and a single cable connects from the centre, featuring standard 4-pin PWM and 3-pin ARGB connections.

The Combat 360 HUD uses a standard 27mm thick aluminium radiator with 12 waterways and a dense fin pitch with fixed position tubing at the radiator tank. The radiator is coated with a slightly textured, satin black finish that appears high-quality. The tubing is fitted with premium-looking braided sleeving.

For an LCD-equipped pump, the Levelplay Combat Liquid 360 HUD is a compact unit, with dimensions of 89 x 80 x 64 mm with the screen housing installed. The screen housing is attached to the pump body magnetically and can be easily removed and rotated so that the display can always be mounted in the correct orientation.

Tubing is flexible EPDM rubber connected to the CPU block on 90-degree rotary fittings. At the base of the CPU block, the cold plate is manufactured from micro-skived copper. Wiring to the pump is standard 4-pin PWM, and the LCD connects to the PC motherboard via a 9-pin USB header connection.

In terms of included accessories, all installation hardware for current AMD and Intel platforms is shipped with the cooler. There is also a small tube of thermal compound, as there isn't any pre-applied to the cold plate and a thermal paste spreading tool. A physical copy of the installation guide is included too, which I prefer to digital versions that seem to be more common these days.

The post Levelplay Combat Liquid 360 HUD AIO CPU Cooler Review first appeared on KitGuru.