GIGABYTE AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE Liquid Cooler Review

TweakTown's Rating: 95%

The Bottom Line

It is pricy and noisy, but the AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE has what it takes to turn the market upside down while becoming our new thermal leader in CPU cooling.

Pros

• Performance
• Compatibility
• Wire management
• High-end feel

Cons

• Needs software control
• Noise
• Cost

Should you buy it?

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Buy at Newegg for $268.99 USD

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

It doesn't seem all that long ago that we were always testing newer and better CPU coolers, where the charts changed leader's week to week, but those days have passed. No matter where you look, silence and fancy bells and whistles have satisfied the market without the push to be the best of the bunch. A few sleepers here and there have done very well in their class, some best of their class, but they still needed to be more to shake up the industry.

Motherboards, PCs, GPUs, laptops, monitors, sure, GIGABYTE has some killer products across many facets of the PC market, but when it comes to CPU coolers, the last time we saw anything from them was with the XTREME GAMING XTC700 CPU cooler, some seven years ago now. However, over that period, AORUS arrived and moved into liquid coolers, which have now been updated for current socket support. It has also added many of those bells and whistles we discussed earlier. However, AORUS holds an ace up its sleeve, as they have zero qualms with noise if there are benefits.

While the AORUS name has taken over the GIGABYTE name on many products, and while you may have seen reviews of this cooler, something is amiss because we are not seeing mention of this AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE. We have seen that the AORUS name needs to be in your head regarding your next CPU liquid cooling solution. You will be satisfied if you have the cash to afford it.

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The specifications chart above comes from the box and the AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE product page. Socket support is first, where we find LGA115x, 1200, and 1700 support for Intel users. Not only do you get AM4 and AM5 support, but we also get hardware for TR4 and sTR5 on the AMD side. Another thing, before we get too far, there are black versions without the ICE naming, which is specific to our white model.

The aluminum radiator is 394mm long, 119mm wide, and 27mm thick and uses a high FPI count design. The head unit is mainly made of plastic with a copper cold plate and a pump buried inside kept within an 87.6mm diameter, 77.7mm tall design. We do not get information on the pump bearing, but we see that it spins at 2500 to 3000 RPM. The head unit also offers an LCD on the top, offering a full range of colors on its 60 x 60mm display. You will need GIGABYTE Control Center software for full control, but it does provide customizable options with text, GIF, JPEG, or MP4 formats.

There is a trio of Fan EZ-Chain Mag 120mm fans to cool the system. As the name suggests, the fans are magnetically attached, and connectivity is handled with a magnetic 6-pin connection, eliminating much of the wiring nightmare. These fans can spin up to 2400 RPM, delivering 72 CFM of flow, backed by 3.15 mmH2O of pressure. Using a fluid dynamic bearing for support, these fans are rated as very noisy with that 37.5 dB(A) figure attached.

If the feature set does not have you wanting to investigate this cooler further, the cost might stop you right in your tracks. Even with a decent timeframe with those six years of warranty coverage, the $269.99 we see at Newegg and Amazon makes this pill much tougher to swallow. The current chart leader released their product at $189.99 but with fewer features. However, for those with the funds to make this cooler part of your build, the AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE is a beast of a CPU cooler, and while not widely discussed, it should be.

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Packaging

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One glance at the packaging, and you can tell a fair chunk of change was spent on the foil upgrade to present most of the text. On the left is the cooler's full name, while much of the panel is used for the image of the AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE, with the AORUS name and logo to the right. There are also indications for the socket support and warranty term, which the five seen here conflict with the six years seen on site.

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More foil is used for the text at this smaller end of the box, where the top overlaps the sides, opening like a high-end motherboard box. The bottom-right corner displays information on a sticker, including the model and serial numbers.

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One of the longer panels mimics what we have seen a couple of times already, more of that reflective prismatic foil, but it shows us what we have already seen.

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While the orientation of what is shown has been changed, we find the same thing again on the second smaller panel, lacking a sticker.

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The top of the second long panel starts like the rest but is smaller to leave room for the multilingual display of features. The list covers the new pump, the circular LCD, the fans, and the GCC support. The last thing to note is that the boxes are sealed from the factory, ensuring no tampering has happened since they were made.

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The back begins like all the rest, but the panel offers a look at many things. We can see the Edge View on the bottom of the head unit. It has Aurora Aesthetics, AORUS ARGB fans inside, and magnetic quick-connect fans. The bottom is used for legal information and codes to get you on-site, while the right is used to deliver specifications to potential customers.

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As we opened the top of the packaging, we saw a note on the front of the box. There is a tree growing from the globe with a warning below, while the right delivers the message that GIGABYTE is worried about global warming and packs this cooler responsibly.

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Speaking of how it's packed, there is a lot of folded cardboard inside, keeping the components apart. In addition to the packaging design, there is a cardboard sleeve on the radiator and plastic covering the tubes and head unit. The fans can be seen in the middle, whereas the hardware is in the left box.

AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE CPU Cooler

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We tried our best with our light, but seeing the details in the matte white plastic used for the cover is tough. While round, the top has a squared-off shape with lines cut on two sides and a message indented into the plastic. All that surrounds a 60mm diameter round LCD, which allows for customizations and comes with fantastic default modes to choose from.

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On the side of the head unit, we find the swivel fittings connected to white-sleeved tubing, with wires routed under one of the sleeves to get to the radiator. We see two cables between the fittings, which is pretty much all your wiring.

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The copper cold plate appears to have been machined first but was run across some abrasive afterward. We are still determining if this is a lapping job for samples or if it is how all retail samples are delivered. Either way, the copper surface is convex, and GIGABYTE opted to use screws to help keep you from looking inside.

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We have the leads from the head unit here. At the top is the SATA power lead, which is nearly fifteen inches long, whereas the USB 2.0 cable below is twice as long.

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Following the white sleeves to the radiator, we first see sixteen inches between them, which is a good start. Beyond that, we can see a 4-pin PWM fan connection and an ARGB connector and cover just above the fill port. On this side of the radiator, the #TEAM UP. FIGHT ON gets painted onto it, matching the tiny text on the head unit.

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We decided to show this end of the radiator, not just to show the 27mm thickness and how well all the white parts match, but along with that serial number is a serious warning. The "no turning" refers to the fittings. Since wires are captured with them, and the fans get powered a specific way, turning the fitting could be bad juju.

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If your build decisions have you installing the radiator with the tubes at the left end or the top, you will get to view the AORUS name that has been painted on this side, very close to the end. However, most installations will require you to bury this logo if it is installed at the top of the chassis.

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Seeing the radiator from this angle shows that the radiator is standard otherwise and uses twenty-four fins per inch. Matching the proper fans to this high of an FPI is crucial to the system's performance.

Accessories and Documentation

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Inside a large bag, we found tons of bits and bobs to use with the WATERFORCE liquid cooler, but first of the bunch is the mounting hardware. At the top left is the mainstream Intel backplate with the universal Intel head unit bracket to its right. The bottom two are the top brackets for AM4 and AM5 users, whereas the one to its right is for ThreadRipper motherboards.

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Screws, standoffs, and nuts come next. Across the top are the TR4/sTR5 screws, AM4 standoffs, and AM5 standoffs. The bottom row has the LGA115x standoffs, the LGA1700 standoffs, and the thumbscrews to secure any of the head unit brackets to the motherboard.

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We left the following hardware in their bags. All parts are shipped like this in individually labeled bags. In this instance, we have twelve long fan screws, a set of twenty-four shorter screws, and a set of twelve washers.

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Along with a tiny tube of thermal paste, worth an application attempt or two, we also get the magnetic fan power connector. This adapter connects to the connectors near the radiator and simply clips to the side of the fan.

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The fans we see are new to AORUS products and are designed with nine blades, each with five notches, working airflow to maximize its thermal performance. These fans show the model number of SAB4H2U, and in the ICE version, everything is white to go with the theme.

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The guide is one large sheet of paper folded to fit in the box. It describes parts, as we see here, but each socket has a set of instructions. There is also a wiring guide and instructions for getting help.

Installation and Finished Product

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The guide says we should pick the appropriate head unit bracket and install it. To do so, you align the bracket off-center, press the bracket upwards, twist it, and lock the tabs into the keys on the head unit.

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We are then told to remove the screws and plastic bits from the top of the motherboard, leaving the backplate in place. Once done, grab the correct set of standoffs for your build and send them finger-tight.

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After that, the guide says to mount the head unit to the rest of the hardware, clip the fans together, connect the cables, and mount it to the chassis. We love the contrast of the ICE model; from this angle, we see very little of the wiring.

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Since the fans lock together with magnets and use six pins to connect each to the next, one clip powers the entire setup. As you can see, the connector is built specifically to the space left, and turning the fitting will cause connectivity issues.

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Adding power brings a flood of color from the fans at the top, and while there is a ring of light just above the socket, it is much tougher to see in this orientation. The head unit displays its default mode, where we get a white backdrop on the LCD with the AORUS logo and the CPU temperature displayed.

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Looking at the AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE from a slightly better angle, we can see how brilliant the fans are, as the hubs illuminate the translucent blades. The only issue we have with the ARGB is the color shifting, as it is clunky and not smooth in any color transitions in any mode.

Test System Setup, Thermal Tests, and Noise Results

Chad's Chad's CPU Cooler Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII HERO [Wi-Fi] (AMD X570) - Buy from Amazon
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X - Buy from Amazon
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 4000MHz 4X8GB
• Graphics Card: ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 6GB OC - Buy from Amazon
• Storage: Galax HOF Pro M.2 1TB SSD
• Case: Hydra Bench Standard
• Power Supply: ASUS ROG Thor 850W - Buy from Amazon
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit - Buy from Amazon
• Software: AMD Ryzen Master, AIDA64 Engineer 6.25.5400, and CPU-z 1.92.0 x64

To see our testing methodology and to find out what goes into making our charts, please refer to our 2020 CPU Cooler Testing and Methodology article for more information.

Thermal Results

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We felt the result was low as we ran the stock test, but we still needed to cross-check. Once we made this chart, we realized how badly the AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE kicked Corsairs Elite Capellix in its teeth. At 52.5°C, they didn't just slide past Corsair; they beat them beyond the margin of error, and this cooler should get the market to see others are still aiming to be the best of the best.

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Not only does the WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE handle its business with stock setting, but with added speed and heat, this AORUS cooler still stands at the top of the heap. Again, not just eking by with the smallest of margins, that 58.2°C result will be hard to beat.

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While many companies will leave two to five degrees in the tank, the WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE is near maximum capability without the need to force the fans to full speed. All told, we had left to try to utilize an extra eight-tenths of a degree.

Noise Level Results

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With the fans topping out at 1666 RPM for the stock test, we were taken back a bit to hear that the fans were already creeping past the audible bar and delivered 35 dB into the office while testing.

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Many would endure stock noise levels for that level of performance, but staying on top of the charts while overclocking takes much more noise. Even though the fans only increased to 1888 RPM for this run, the noise level shot up to 51 dB.

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If you thought 51 dB was loud, let these fans eat and spin at 2912 RPM. The noise skyrockets to 72 dB, and given the lack of performance associated with such a thing, we are glad we do not have to deal with this noise intrusion.

Final Thoughts

The AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE may seem like lipstick on a pig, with GIGABYTE attempting to doll up their older models. While we did not have the pleasure of reviewing the original WATERFORCE X coolers, if they were awesome, we would have heard about it. Their return feels like a completely different attack in the redesign and release of the WATERFORCE X II coolers. GIGABYTE did everything right in our book when it came to matching parts with the proper fans for the best thermals possible, and on top of that, this is as feature-rich as a CPU cooler gets these days while also simplifying the installation process with their proprietary fan connectivity. Being white is not a choice that everyone wants, but as said, there is a black variant that will go much better with the typical build.

You will need to download and install GCC to gain complete functionality of the WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE. On top of that, GIGABYTE also hosts a firmware file to update the head unit. We were in business after a few minutes of waiting for software and roughly ten minutes for the firmware update. However, remember that with this cooler, you must disable CPU fan monitoring or face the beep code warnings. By default, the fans do not connect to the motherboard, nor is there an RPM sense cable to help alleviate this small issue. GCC is also where you can opt for one of the six default LCD presentations or add your image, GIF, video, or text. It is also where you can set the lighting for the fans, choose one of the twelve modes, and control all fan and pump speeds here. Remember, if you want to see pump or fan speeds, you need to either have GCC open or set the head unit to display them; they will not show up in other software suites.

Beyond the amazing fact that the AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE takes top honors in our stock and overclocked charts, the one thing left to discuss before we leave you comes down to noise. We fully appreciate the movement to silence, as PCs are in rooms where noise is an issue. However, if you are like us and want the latest and greatest, you will deal with some noise to get the best the market offers. At least we will. While we cannot agree with some of the literature about the fans being silent, we appreciate the default setting for the fans, allowing the cooler to give us everything it has without needing to go near that 71 dB level they deliver at full whack.

We are not here to tell you that the AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE is cheap because it isn't in any way. You are paying for the high-end packaging. But we feel the means justified the ends here. Even though this solution will set you back $269.99, you are getting the best the market has to offer currently, and many other LCD-equipped models teeter on that $300 mark while not delivering the thermals that this AORUS WATERFORCE X II 360 ICE has.