Thermalright Frozen Edge 360
Type
AIO Liquid Cooler
Price
$60
Thermalright is one of the hottest players in the CPU cooling market, they’ve been dominating the market in both performance and value with recently released air coolers like the Phantom Spirit 120 EVO. Today we’ll be looking at one of Thermalright’s AIOs, the Frozen Edge 360. It is powered by 3 of Thermalright’s TL-B12 120mm fans which have seen decent reviews online, paired with a 3300RPM liquid pump, and features a solid black design with minor ARGB accents for the CPU block.
However, none of these features are what grabs our attention – the price is what really makes Thermalright’s Frozen Edge 360 stand out from the competition, as it is available for less than $60 USD. This is the cheapest 360mm AIO I’ve ever tested, and so I didn’t have high expectations for it when I began testing. With such a low price, can Thermalright’s Frozen Edge 360 compete with more expensive AIOs on the market which are typically twice as expensive or more?
Pros
- Strong thermal performance
- Insanely cheap price of $60 USD
- Moderate noise levels in common scenarios
Cons
Thermal domination for $60 USD
The liquid cooling market has become much more competitive over the past two years, but most of the best performing AIOs are still $120 or more. Thermalright somehow managed to price the Frozen Edge 360 at half that price, only $60 USD on Amazon.com! I don’t know how they’re making any profit on these things with such a low price!
Full RAM compatibility, Black Etched Metal CPU block with ARGB accent
Like most other AIOs on the market, the Frozen Edge 360 doesn’t interfere or overhang DIMM slots – making it compatible with RAM of any height! The CPU block is black, with an etched metal top that showcases Thermalright’s branding. On the sides of the block is a single ARGB lighting strip, giving it a subtle – you might call it “minimalist” – illumination.
Cable Management Clips
Included with the unit are 3x cable management clips for the tubing of the AIO.
Small tube of TF7 thermal paste
Included is a small tube of thermal paste suitable for a few applications.
Pre-installed Fans
Most manufacturers don’t secure the fans to the radiator of the device, leaving it up to the user to install. Thermalright has opted to pre-install the fans to save users a few moments of their time.
Large Copper CPU plate, Rotatable braided tubing
The CPU block is comprised of a large copper plate, bigger than some competitors on the market. The tubing is braided and is rotatable for ease of installation and routing.
53mm height (fans installed)
With the fans installed to the radiator, the Frozen Edge 360 measures 53mm in height. This should fit well with most standard cases on the market.
Packaging and included contents
The cooler is protected during shipment by molded cardboard, plastic coverings, and a foam top covering. Included with the cooler is:
- 360mm radiator with fans pre-installed and CPU block
- Mounting for Intel and AMD platforms
- 3x Tube Clips
- 1x fan hub
- Thermal Paste
- User Manual
Test Platform Configuration and Testing Methodology
I’ve tested with Intel’s i7-13700K to show how this cooler performs. The system system is tested with a full strength workload, two reduced wattage loads, and at noise normalized settings.
Observant readers may notice that the noise graphs start at 35 instead of zero. This is because my sound meter cannot measure sound levels lower than 35 dBA. This makes it the “zero” for testing purposes. For those concerned that this might distort results – there’s no worry. If anything, the graphs above will minimize the differences in noise levels because dBA measurements are logarithmic.
Intel LGA 1700 Installation
The installation of the liquid cooler is straightforward and easy. I advise securing the radiator to your computer case before proceeding for easiest installation.
- Assemble the backplate and place it against the rear of your motherboard
- Place the blue standoffs against the motherboard, set the mounting bar on top, and then secure them with the included thumbscrews.
- Apply thermal paste
- Place the CPU block against the mounting bars and secure it with a screwdriver.
- Connect the fans to the fan hub, and the fan hub to a PWM connector. If you desire illumination, you’ll also want to connect the ARGB cord to a motherboard header.
Intel i7-13700K Cooling and Acoustic Results
Maximum Cooling Power
Most coolers reach TJ Max, the maximum temperature of the CPU of 100 degrees Celsius, when power limits are removed with Intel’s i7-13700K. However, the strongest AIOs are able to keep this CPU under its peak temperature, even in stressful conditions. Thermalright’s Frozen Edge 360’s performance matches the best AIOs on the market, delivering thermal domination for $60 – sustaining an average temperature of 90C during testing.
Maximum Noise Levels
Performance is only one part of the picture, noise levels are equally important. At 47.7 dBA, this cooler is a bit noisy – at the edge of my comfort level. However, it is cooler than many other AIOs on the market.
If you’re particular about noise levels, our next results will show you how it performs when it runs quietly.
Noise Normalized Performance
For noise normalized testing, I’ve set the fans to a low 38.2 dBA. This is a slightly audible noise level, but won’t bother most users. Thermalright’s Frozen Edge performs excellently here cooling an average of 234W, outperforming competing 360mm AIOs from both DeepCool and MSI. This sort of thermal domination for $60 is unheard of!
175W Results
While maximum performance is important, most of the time you won’t be pushing the CPU to its limits. It’s good to see how a cooler performs in more typical situations, and most users won’t use more than 175W in common usage.
Thermalright’s Frozen Edge 360 continues to perform excellently when limited to 175W, matching the performance of DeepCool and TeamGroup’s competing products and outperforming MSI’s S360 by a hair. With noise levels of 41.9 dBA, the cooler is audible but not loud – most users won’t mind this noise level.
125W Results
125W is the lowest level of power I test, and it’s similar to what users will consume with this CPU in demanding games. While I’ve tested and show thermal results, they’re really not a concern because even Intel’s stock cooler will keep the CPU cool enough in a workload like this.
Noise levels, more than anything else, matter in a lighter load like this. At 38.2 dBA, Thermalright’s Frozen Edge 360 matches the quietest competing AIOs I’ve tested for this review. This is a low noise level that shouldn’t bother anyone.
Conclusion
Thermalright’s Frozen Edge 360 provides thermal domination for only $60, with performance comparable to the best liquid coolers on the market. I’m honestly left wondering how Thermalright is able to price this product at such an affordable price. It is currently available on Amazon.com for only $58.90 as of this writing for the black version, and only $53.90 for the white model!
This is a strong 360mm AIO for only $60 USD!
Pros
- Top Tier Performance
- Budget Price Tag
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