INTRODUCTION

    As someone who reviewed some of the very first AIO liquid CPU coolers well over 15 years ago I can't help but to compare not only the number of models available today as opposed to back then but also the cooling efficiency gains over the years. Yes, as I've pointed out many times in past reviews AIO liquid CPU coolers have hit a bottleneck in cooling efficiency (one which manufacturers will not be able to overcome just with faster pumps and fans) but they still offer high-end performance for those who need it. After their very good SYN and Dragonfang AIO liquid CPU coolers Valkyrie is back with more and the V360 ARGB Lite Black is what I'll be testing today.

    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.

    As with their past models the latest V360 Lite AIO by Valkyrie is available in both black and white colors and in 240/360mm sizes. The combination also remains the same and so the V360 Lite consists by an 379mm long, 120mm wide and 27mm thick aluminum radiator, three B12 A-RGB FDB (fluid-dynamic bearing) 120mm fans (2150RPM / 81.68CFM / 4mmH2O / 30.5dBA), 450mm long braided tubes, high-speed 2800RPM pump with ARGB illuminated rotatable top and a copper coldplate. As always, the ARGB LEDs located on both the pump top and the three B12 fans are compatible with all the leading 3-pin motherboard sync technologies (ASUS Aura Sync, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light and ASRock Polychrome Sync), you can control aspects of the AIO via the myth.cool software and as for warranty Valkyrie offers a 5-year limited one.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Valkyrie this time has used a black and red box that just has their logo and the main product features at the front.

Four product drawings are located at the rear of the box right next to the product specifications.

The entire bundle is placed inside a formed piece of foam.

Along with the V360 Lite (B12 fans come pre-mounted) inside the box you'll also find a small thermal paste tube, 4 cable straps, backplate, warranty information paper, installation guide and mounting pieces for Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1700/1851 and AMD AM4/AM5 motherboards.

THE V360 ARGB LITE BLACK

Design-wise the V360 Lite doesn't really stand out from the countless AIO models in the market.

The aluminum radiator is roughly 27mm thick whereas with the B12 fans mounted jumps to 55mm.

All three fans are connected to each other so you will just need to use a single 4pin motherboard header to provide them with power.

Thanks to their blade design the B12 fans are very capable producing 81.68CFM of airflow and 4mmH2O air pressure.

FPI (fins per inch) number for this radiator is 19.

The 450mm long tubes should suffice for every build out there.

The top of the pump features a mirror like cover under which Valkyrie has placed ARGB LEDs.

Both tubes can rotate from the base up to 90 degrees.

There's a pre-applied layer of thermal conductive material on the copper waterblock for faster mounting.

Beneath that layer there are no machine marks whatsoever.

INSTALLATION

After mounting the radiator with the fans on top of the open air case (forgot to take a picture) next step was to place the backplate and mount the 4 standoffs.

The two brackets with their screws (have the Valkyrie logo on them) came next.

Mounting the pump/waterblock combo was very easy.

Last step was to attach the ARGB LEDs and the top cover.

When the AIO is not on you can see the "industrial" components in the cover, however when it is on that's not the case and so only the ARGB illuminated Valkyrie logo is visible (short video is available in both YouTube and TikTok).

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since we want all of you to be able to compare similar products, we 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 our 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 the room and as for thermal paste I’m using the NT-H2 by Noctua. Finally, much like when testing CPU Coolers, it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit (or an AIO) outperforms another when tested with our test rig (when we 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, we use 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, we 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 we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs, but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using the latest version of AIDA64 while 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).

* Since some manufacturers have ceased support for the Intel LGA 2011-3 platform, for such coolers, I’ll be using the Ryzen 7900X / ASRock X670E test rig.
** After high demand since September 2024 I’ll be including average temperatures in my AMD Ryzen 9 7900Χ/Χ670Ε charts (under light load such as Internet browsing and Office use).
*** Since November 2024 I swapped test systems with the Intel Core Ultra 285K (same methodology as with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

    The V360 ARGB Lite Black AIO by Valkyrie may not feature the best looking pump top in the market (unlike their SYN line) but it makes up for that with its very good cooling efficiency and well that will probably be more than enough for most consumers out there. This also covers component temperatures even though there’s no fan on the pump/waterblock (airflow levels of the fans could be responsible for that - tests are performed at the same room temperature so I really can’t think of another reason). Noise levels are also well within acceptable levels even at 100% load so that too is obviously a plus as is the 5-year limited warranty.

    The V360 ARGB Lite Black AIO by Valkyrie currently retails for USD119.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for around 120Euros inside the EU so it’s priced relatively well. For all of you who may care about looks Valkyrie should make their top-end V line available soon (comes with a 3.5” IPS display on the pump/waterblock) but for those who care mostly about cooling efficiency the V360 ARGB Lite Black is a fine choice worthy of our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Near Excellent Cooling Efficiency
- ARGB (Pump Top / Fans)
- Up to Six 120mm Fans in Push & Pull
- 5 Year Limited Warranty
- Available In Black & White
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Pump / Waterblock Top (Looks)
- General Availability