INTRODUCTION

   With every single one of the recently released mid-towers featuring enough interior space to fit at least a single 240mm radiator inside (there are even quite a few Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX models with enough space for 240mm ones) it's really not strange that most hardware component manufacturers have started to focus most of their resources in the development and release of AIO liquid CPU cooling solutions. Now as some of you may already be aware there are just 7 manufacturers of AIO liquid coolers currently in the market some of which release their solutions under their very own brand names (such as Alphacool, Swiftech, DeepCool and Cooler Master) and others which act as OEM suppliers and release them under other brand names (this includes Asetek, CoolIT and Apaltek). The second group as expected "owns" a much larger percentage of the market compared to the first and that's really not a bad thing since these manufacturers adjust their AIO liquid solutions based on the requirements of each company (bottom line they are not identical). Thermaltake recently released the latest member in their Water 3.0 line the Riing RGB Edition and with us today we have the top of the line 360mm model.

   The beginning of every myth and legend is about dreams and desire: the challenging, creative and combative features of Thermaltake Group create an exciting and fascinating user experience to share with everyone, while allowing users to enter a selfless state in terms of function and potential. Thermaltake Group's 3 main brands: Thermaltake, Tt eSPORTS and LUXA2 have been merchandising throughout the world, and have successfully established 6 business footholds in areas such as Europe, America, Oceania, Japan and China, with 95 regional distributors and over 4000 premium retailers. All product planning is orientated by observation of global PC peripheral market and understanding of consumer demands. Thermaltake creates direct contact opportunities with resellers and consumers by participating major global ICT exhibitions and trade shows every year, and develop innovative marketing strategies for the promotions of new products. Meanwhile, Thermaltake incorporates the composite marketing system by making branch offices and regional distributors both the distribution channel and technical support or service center to provide instant support; by maintaining close contact with end users, we manage to strengthen corporate competitiveness and create the momentum for the growth of accomplishments. With its outstanding wisdom and strength Thermaltake Group is recruiting creative talents to build a cultural brand for the enjoyment of entertainment, e-Sports, technology and lifestyle!

   Just like with all the other members of the Water 3.0 line the Riing RGB edition (currently available in 240/280/360mm) is actually manufactured by Asetek on behalf of Thermaltake and since the first is considered by many to be at the top of the liquid cooling industry that's not a coincidence. In terms of specifications the Riing RGB 360 Edition model seems to share the same radiator (392mm long, 120 wide and 27mm thick), tubes (326mm long - although this time over they are sleeved) and pump/waterblock combo (3600RPM +-150RPM) as the Water 3.0 Ultimate which we reviewed a couple of years back. The main difference is the three 120mm Riing RGB fans which may look many times better but are actually quite slower compared to the ones used in the Water 3.0 Ultimate (1500RPM/2000RPM) so not only do they produce lower airflow levels (40.6CFM/99CFM) but don't seem to do much better in terms of noise (26.4dBA/20dBA). Last but not least Thermaltake bundles a smart fan controller with the Water 3.0 Riing RGB Edition which can be used to control both the speed and color (5 LED modes) of the three bundled fans (unfortunately no control software once again).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A large picture of the Water 3.0 Riing RGB Edition is placed at the front of the long box right beneath the Thermaltake logo.

I was surprised to find a more detailed specifications table on the base of the box than on the Thermaltake product page.

The features list is placed at the rear of the box along with many product pictures.

Typically the cooler and its bundle are all placed inside a piece of cardboard that has several compartments.

Contained inside the box is the radiator/tubes/pump/waterblock combo, three Riing RGB PWM 120mm fans, smart fan controller, piece of Velcro tape (to mount the mart fan controller with), 12 fan mounting screws, installation guide, warranty information paper and all the necessary mounting hardware for Intel LGA1150/1151/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-3 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1/FM2 mainboards.

THE WATER 3.0 RIING RGB 360 EDITION

The 392mm long radiator is identical to that of the Water 3.0 Ultimate AIO model.

I was hoping to see a thicker model than last time but again the radiator used is just 27mm thick.

For some strange reason this radiator has an FPI count of 21 instead of 24 (perhaps our tool needed calibration).

We were surprised to see that the 326mm long tubes are now sleeved and thus more durable without sacrificing flexibility.

Just like with the Water 3.0 Ultimate the rather thin pump/waterblock combo doesn't have a LED at the top.

Again both tubes can rotate up to 100+ degrees to further simplify installation.

The all-copper base features a thin pre-applied layer of thermal conductive material.

The three 120mm Riing RGB fans can spin up to 1500RPM to produce up to 40.6CFM of airflow with 2.01mmH2O of static pressure and 26.4dBA of noise.

They also feature anti-vibration pads on all four corners (these fans took their name because of the LED ring place on their interior).

With the fans installed the radiator becomes roughly 53mm thick.

The smart fan controller is not very small but it allows you to connect all three fans onto it and control their speed and 5 LED modes.

With all three fans plugged into the smart fan controller we're now good to go.

As always prior to actually mounting the AIO liquid cooler onto our system we turned it on to check for possible leaks or problems and as expected it looks great (looks even better live).

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. When testing complete water cooling kits we use the Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste. 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 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 the 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 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

   After wrapping up all our tests it’s quite evident that the brand new Water 3.0 Riing RGB 360 Edition AIO Liquid CPU Cooler by Thermaltake falls back in terms of cooling efficiency when compared to its predecessor the excellent Water 3.0 Ultimate. Of course with a difference of 2 degrees Celsius at load this is by no means a game changer but had Thermaltake used slightly faster fans this wouldn’t be the case. The good news however is that the 120mm Riing RGB fans are not only immensely better compared to the regular ones Thermaltake used with the Water 3.0 Ultimate but they are also much less audible. As a matter of fact the Water 3.0 Riing RGB 360 Edition is the most silent AIO liquid CPU cooler to ever pass from our test bench and I think that’s one of its strong selling points right after the looks of the Riing RGB fans. We also liked the sleeved tubes since flexibility seems to be unaffected and at the same time endurance has jumped to a whole different level (not that we’ve encountered any problems without them). The smart fan controller is also a nice touch although personally I think that using control software just like with the DPS G power supply units would be a better choice overall (still this is more direct and thus faster). We were also hoping to see an RGB illuminated base since this entire product was released with that in mind but unfortunately that wasn’t the case (hopefully Thermaltake will do so in the near future).

With a current price tag set at USD168.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 166Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) you really can’t go wrong with the Water 3.0 Riing RGB 360 Edition by Thermaltake. There are certainly higher cooling efficiency models currently in the market like the Water 3.0 Ultimate or the Eisbaer 360 but on one hand we’re not talking about massive gaps in performance and on the other the Water 3.0 Riing RGB 360 Edition is not only better looking but it’s also almost inaudible even at load. Once again you will need to weigh the pros and the cons solely based on your needs, as for us we think that the Water 3.0 Riing RGB 360 Edition is a one way for people who like RGB illumination (especially for all of you who already own at least one peripheral with RGB LEDs) and that’s why it gets our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Very Good Cooling Efficiency
- Almost Inaudible At Load
- 120mm Riing RGB Fans
- Thin Radiator (27mm)
- Up To Six 120mm Fans In Push & Pull
- Smart Fan Controller
- Sleeved Tubes
- Easy Installation

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- No Control Software
- Long Radiator