Xilence LiQuRizer 360 ARGB Review

Introduction

After Xilence managed to set a new record for price-to-performance within the AIO market, they now are looking to take over the RGB market too. With the new XC980 / LQ360 ARGB, Xilence tries to set another milestone. Let's find out if they managed it again.

What's in the Box?

The new Xilence LQ360 ARGB, or XC980, comes in the usual Xilence AIO package covered in a bit of product imagery, specs, and additional information.

Once every single object is removed from the box, we will be left with the following items:

• Xilence LiQuRizer 360 ARGB
• 3x RedWing ARGB Fans
• 1-3 PWM Splitter
• 3-Pin to SATA Power adapter
• 1-4 ARGB Splitter
• Installation Hardware AMD/Intel
• Thermal Paste

Down below you will find a short spec summary:

Compatibility

With the newest XC980 being released quite recently, we will not only find installation hardware for older sockets but also the newer ones including Intel's latest 12th gen Chips.

Down below you will find a full compatibility list:

Individual Components

Fans

Although there is no specific product name or references mentioned anywhere on the box, manual, or website, there is quite a lot of information to be found about the fans used on the XC980.

Powered by a 4-pin PWM & 3-pin ARGB plug, those supposedly Redwing ARGB fans are spinning at up to 1800RPM while pushing 70 CFM. Unfortunately, a specific Static Pressure amount, the most important information, was not provided.

The RGB of these fans is being produced inside of the central Fan area. From there the light effects are being carried by the semi-transparent (milky) fan wings until the light reaches the outer borders. Although not particularly bright, there the RGB implementation is acceptable for today's standards as no LED is abnormally visible to the naked eye.

Radiator & Tubes

The radiator used on the XC980 resembles the original non-RGB LiQuRizer to 100%. With its 27mm thickness, we are unable to see any difference between the two.

For the tubes, however, they decided to include 10cm shorter tubes at 465mm, a change that should not have happened for our taste.

Pump/Waterblock

Although the pump used inside the X908's water block seems to be identical one as on the older model, the 2100RPM of the new one does not produce the same amount of static pressure. Lifting water at only 1.87mm, the newer one seems to be slightly weaker.

Even if weaker, there's some RGB now. With a translucent ring and Xilence Logo covering the Waterblock cover, the new Waterblock/pump cover is able to illuminate your system from within.

Appearance

Comparing the new LiQuRizer XC980 ARGB to the original non-RGB counterpart, it's a night and day situation.

Gone are the iconic Red Fans, and here are the usual RGB Fans and illuminated RGB logo cutout on the water block like the hundreds of ARGB AIOs we have seen before.

Although the Red and Black color scheme created by the original LiQuRizer, or any Xilence product for that matter, is gone, it will always be a choice. If you are into the RGB Game, and you do not particularly enjoy the rigid/industrial style that the old one created, rest assured that the new RGB model was created with equal care and you do not have to fear any downgrade in quality.

Benchmark

We tested on our usual benchmark setup using a 3900x.

While letting the Fans of the XC980 spin at 100%, the new LiQuRizer 360 ARGB managed to keep the 3900x at 48°C, 2°C behind the original non-RGB version.

While looking at the Noise-to-Performance graph of the new ARGB version, we can see that, although it is maintaining a very good noise-to-performance ratio across the whole board (even outperforming the NH-D15) it is not able to keep up with the original Non-RGB version.

Being always either 1-2°C hotter or a bit louder, the old saying seems to be true. RGB does come at a cost.

Conclusion

Taking every other 360mm AIO into consideration, the XIlence's XC980 did manage to perform very well. 

It manages to compete with the upper class of 360mm AIOs while outperforming high-end air coolers as expected from a cooling machine of this size.

That being said, RGB does come at a cost. Although the performance can be described as very good, it is not as good as the original one. Being always a -tick behind the non-RGB version, we cannot say that the new XC980 is the superior model.

However, we also need to realize that we have two high-end 360mm AIOs competing at a level so high that close-to nobody will even be able to observe a difference between the two.

Therefore, are absolutely able to recommend the new XC980 under the condition that you prefer the ARGB version to the Red version from a design point of view.

In the end, the actual choice for the consumer is: Do you want RGB, or do you want minimally better performance. If you're okay with losing 1°C, we can recommend going for the XC980.