INTRODUCTION

    AIO liquid cooling or air cooling? This is probably the very first thing that comes to mind when building a brand new system (or upgrading your old one) and well at least for me it's a rather simple one. So, go with air cooling if you never want to worry about a pump failing on you (and if your case has plenty of airflow) or with AIO liquid cooling if you want optimal cooling efficiency and zero clearance issues with motherboard components and hardware (also if case airflow is not that great). Personally, i prefer AIO liquid CPU cooling solutions mainly because i don't have to worry about interior airflow as much (ease of installation is also a factor for me) and today on my test bench i have yet another such model, the Dragonfang 360 ARGB by Valkyrie.

    Valkyrie is a leading provider of performance-driven PC cooling solutions, components and gaming peripherals. Our team, a blend of seasoned PC industry veterans, is united by a shared passion for making gaming accessible to everyone. Guided by our '7 Pillars of Valkyrie', we advocate inclusivity and put gamers at the heart of everything we do. By delivering the necessary performance for a smooth gaming experience at reasonable pricing, we aren't just providing products but opening up a world of stylish, accessible gaming for all to enjoy. Our mission is to redefine the journey of gaming enthusiasts all over the world. We believe in empowering each gamer to carve their own path, fostering individuality and exploration. Our product lineup reflects this ethos, featuring a wide range of top-tier offerings from all-in-one liquid coolers, air coolers, chassis and gaming peripherals. We stand firm in our conviction that gaming isn't a luxury - it's your right. So, stand by us, as we champion your right to play and bring your gaming dreams to life.

    Just like with the SYN line of AIO liquid Cooling Systems by Valkyrie the Dragonfang is also available in both black and white colors and as expected follows the typical combination of a tri-fan 360 aluminum radiator (397mm in length), FEP braided tubes and a copper waterblock and pump combo. Valkyrie has once again used three 120mm X12 fans with the Dragonfang 360 (2150RPM/80CFM/3.14mmH2O/29dBA) (so just like with the SYN 360 you can expect partial ARGB lighting from them) and as for the top of the waterblock/pump logo this time it comes ready with several ARGB LEDs (ARGB lighting for both the fans and the pump can be controlled via the bundled hub and the Myth Cool PC software). Finally, and also just like the SYN 360 the Dragonfang 360 ARGB AIO is also covered with a very generous 5-year limited warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Valkyrie uses the same long black box to ship the Dragonfang 360 ARGB like with their SYN 360 model.

A free keychain is attached on the main tray located on the left side of the box.

The main product features along with a drawing of the top of the pump are placed on top of the box.

Moving at the rear we find 4 drawings used to showcase the size of the Dragonfang 360 ARGB, product description in 6 languages and the technical details of all parts.

The interior of the box slides out to reveal the Dragonfang 360 ARGB (fans are once again located inside a smaller tray underneath the main one).

Along with the main body of the Dragonfang 360 ARGB (radiator/tubes/pump/waterblock) inside the box you will also find the three 120mm X12E fans with their detachable cables, fan hub, ARGB extension cable, backplate, thermal paste tube, 2 cable straps, Valkyrie case badge, 6 cable holders, quick start guide, warranty information paper and all the necessary screws and mounts for installation on Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1700/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM4/AM5 motherboards.

THE DRAGONFANG 360 ARGB

AIO liquid CPU coolers all follow the same basic design so the Dragonfang 360 ARGB doesn’t really stand out (and certainly not as much as the SYN 360).

The 397mm long aluminum radiator is as expected almost 27mm thick.

In terms of FPI (fins per inch) count the Dragonfang 360 ARGB radiator sports 20.

Valkyrie has once again used long fittings on the side of the radiator as seen above.

Just like with the SYN 360 the Dragonfang 360 ARGB comes with 425mm long FEP braided tubes.

The top of the waterblock/pump combo has the company logo and name beneath which lie several ARGB LEDs (quick clip will soon be up in both TikTok and YouTube).

As expected, the tubings rotate up to around 100 degrees from the waterblock/pump to simplify installation.

Even though there's a thermal paste tube bundled with the Dragonfang 360 ARGB there's a thin layer already applied on the coldplate.

Removing the layer reveals no machine markings.

The three X12E 120mm fans can reach speeds of up to 2150RPM to produce up to 80CFM of airflow with 3.14mmH2O of air pressure at just 29dBA of noise.

Aside featuring RGB LEDs these fans also have rubber coated corners.

With all three fans attached the thickness of the Dragonfang 360 ARGB increases to almost 53mm.

So, time to see just how good the Dragonfang 360 ARGB really is.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

    Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since i want all of you to be able to compare similar products, i created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of the test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside that said room. Finally, much like when testing CPU Coolers, it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with my test rig (when i test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

    To successfully record the load temperatures, I’ll be using the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded, I’ll wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can i deliver real world results to all of you based on real CPUs but i can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here, we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

    When I reviewed the SYN 360 AIO by Valkyrie a while back I was honestly surprised by both its cooling efficiency and its IPS LCD display which is not something we’ve seen a lot to date (especially from a new company like Valkyrie). On the other hand, the Dragonfang 360 ARGB might not be as impressive as the SYN 360 and it’s not quite what I’d call award winning material but it does well both in terms of performance and looks and due to a more relaxed fan curve the three X12 fans were not quite as loud as the ones of the SYN 360 (still not exactly quiet at load). Build quality is very good and as for having the choice between black and white is certainly something we don’t see a lot with AIO even from the large manufacturers so I do expect this to score extra points with some consumers.

    Wide availability is once again the Achilles heel of new players in the market and their products like Valkyrie so even though currently the Dragonfang 360 AIO retails for around 165Euros inside the EU it’s almost impossible to come by (sure hope Valkyrie fixes availability issues inside 2024). All said and done however if you do manage to track the Dragonfang 360 ARGB AIO by Valkyrie down at a good price then I strongly recommend giving it a chance, it might just surprise you.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Cooling Efficiency
- ARGB Lighting
- Available In Black & White Colors
- 425mm Long Sleeved Tubes
- Easy Installation

CONS

- Noise Levels
- Availability