EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB Review

EKWB (Edvard König Water Blocks) is a computer hardware company that specializes in water cooling gear and custom water cooling in general. They are based in Slovenia, Europe, and have a really stellar reputation among hardcore PC enthusiasts due to their premium water cooling components. While EK is not an old hardware company by any means, they still have a wealth of experience in their field as they were established in 1999. EK has also won many esteemed hardware awards for their excellent custom water cooling gear. We also awarded EK AIO 360, as the Best 360mm CPU Cooler For I5-12600k.

While EK is primarily focused on custom water cooling components like water blocks, pumps, fittings, reservoirs, and radiators – they are also looking into newer opportunities for mainstream gamers. As custom water cooling is a niche market (not to mention expensive), EK is finally turning towards the mid-range market with its brand new series of All-in-one liquid coolers. Read the new EK AIO 240 D-RGB Review.

EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB Review

EK offers its existing Ek Aio 360 D RGB Review of liquid coolers in 120mm, 240mm, and 360mm radiator versions. These 3 versions are the most popular versions in conventional AiO cooling, and EK offers all of them at somewhat premium prices as compared to other brands. However, now EK is launching the new EK-AiO “ELITE” 360mm Liquid cooler to add to its lineup. This new variant is only currently available in size, the 360mm, and has a launch. Make sure to also read our Best 360mm AIO article as well.

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EK’s major advantage in their new AiO series is that their CPU pump blocks are expertly engineered using what EK claims is their own technology.  Furthermore, EK is also heavily pushing the beautiful addressable RGB features of their new AiO coolers by marketing them as “D-RGB coolers”, which is the branding for the ARGB compatibility of their pump blocks and fans.

In this content piece, we will be taking a look at their Ek Aio 360 D RGB Review. This cooler is the most high-end and most expensive AiO variant produced by EK. The Salient Features of this AiO cooler include:

• Large Diameter Copper-plate Water Block
• Beautiful ARGB Lighting compatible with most motherboards
• All-Aluminum 360mm Radiator with impressive fin density
• Premium 120mm EK Vardar S Fans optimized for Static Pressure
• Pre-applied thermal paste
• Pre-filled low evaporation coolant
• Compatibility with Intel Sockets LGA: 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 2011, 2011-3, 2066
• Compatibility with AMD Sockets AM4

The EK-AiO Elite 360mm Liquid Cooler has an expected launch date of November 23^rd, 2020.

EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB Specification:

Following are the technical specifications of the EK-AiO Elite D-RGB 360mm Liquid Cooler:

• Radiator Dimensions: 395 x 120 x 27 mm
• Radiator Material: Aluminum
• Fan Compatibility: 120 mm
• Pump Unit Dimensions: 88 x 70 x 64 mm
• Pump Unit Material: Black Nickel Housing, Copper Cold plate, Steel Mounting Pump
• Pump Speed Range: 1000 – 3300 RPM ± 10%
• Pump PWM Range: 25 – 100%
• Pump Cable Length: 50 mm
• Pump Unit RGB Type: 5V Digital (Addressable)
• Pinout: 5V, D, Empty, Ground Pump RGB Cable Length: 50 mm
• Tubing Material: Ultra-Low Evaporation Rubber with Nylon Braided Sleeve
• Tubing Length: 400 mm
• Fan Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25mm
• Fan Speed Range: 550 – 2200 ± 10%
• Fan Noise Level: 36,4dBA (at maximum speed)
• Fan Static Pressure: 2,89 mm H20 = 28,9 Pa (at maximum speed)
• Fan Air Flow: 66,04 CFM = 112,20 m³/h (at maximum speed)
• Fan Cable Length: 500 mm
• Fan RGB Type: 5V Digital (Addressable) Pinout: 5V, D, Empty, Ground
• Fan RGB Cable Length: 50 mm

System Requirements:

• 4-Pin PWM Header for pump and fan operation
• 3-Pin Addressable 5V D-RGB header

CPU Socket Support:

• Intel Sockets LGA: 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 2011, 2011-3, 2066, 1200
• AMD Sockets: AM4

5 Years Limited International Warranty

Packaging

The EK-AiO Elite D-RGB comes in a hefty white cuboidal cardboard box that has a quite premium feel to it. The box is fairly well-designed as far as AiO packaging goes. The front of the box has a big colorful picture of the EK AiO 360mm Radiator and Pump. This gives the user a fair idea of what the cooler is supposed to look like when it has the EK Vardar S fans installed and the ARGB aspect configured. In our testing, we found that it actually looks much better in real life than the graphical depictions.

Unboxing

The unboxing experience of the Ek Aio 360 D RGB Review is fairly straightforward and quite a pleasant experience. First, let’s analyze the box itself and see what the box depicts. On the front of the box, there is a big picture of the AiO front and center, depicting what the AiO is supposed to look like. The front of the box also mentions the socket support of the AiO, which is basically all modern Intel and AMD sockets, as well as the support for D-RGB (EK’s branding for the Addressable 5V 3pin ARGB standard).

If we turn the box on its side, we find an aggressive branding mainly targeting gamers. “BOOST YOUR PC, IN STYLE!” is written in big, bold words. We do not mind such branding by brands, as the packaging is a fairly open surface and a little bit of flair like this shows that the company actually holds some personality.

On the flip side of the box, we find some technical specifications in several languages, as well as a small minimalist diagram of the “Liquid cooling circle” by EK. We’re not sure as to why this diagram was included as it is more geared towards the custom water cooling scene that EK excels in, but nevertheless. We also find the complete list of compatible sockets listed once again.

The top of the box is blank, understandably. The bottom lists some features of the AiO such as maintenance-free and silent operation in several different languages. Even EK, a company with a pedigree in water cooling products is running out of things to put on huge AiO boxes.

The backside or the underside of the box holds the most information, as it provides the maximum surface area. This side lists some of the salient features of the AiO that will contribute to the cooling itself. We see the pictures and short descriptions of the three important components of an AiO, the pump, the fans, and the radiator. We can also see diagrams of the components with their dimensions clearly labeled. We will be taking a look at the big claims that EK is making here later on in the review.

Unboxing is pretty straightforward. Cut the seals and lift the top flap of the box to reveal the contents inside. Immediately you’ll be presented with a user’s manual sitting atop a thin plank of foam.

Lifting the foam reveals the contents of the AiO inside. All of the parts are sitting inside tightly-fit cutouts with large foam padding to protect them from impact during shipping. Overall, the packaging and protection we see here are really impressive and we don’t think that any component will be damaged easily during regular shipping unless someone wanted to damage it.

EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB Contents:

Lifting the aforementioned foam piece reveals an array of tightly packed components wrapped in plastic packaging. On the very bottom, we have the 360mm long aluminum radiator itself, with tubes curving along the left and the top to attach to the pump block on the top right of the box.

On the right of the pump block, we find the 3 included EK Vardar S 120mm fans which are optimized for static pressure. Ek Aio 360 D RGB Review increases the number of included fans to 6 to allow for push-pull configurations. The remaining 3 fans are packed to the left of the pump block. Further to the left, we find the big bag of included accessories which contains smaller zip-lock bags containing the mounting accessories. EK has also included their EK Fan Hub inside the box, which can handle aRGB and PWM inputs from up to 7 fans.

Closer Look At EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB

Let’s take a closer look at the design and functionality of each of the components. For each, we will be taking a look at the build quality, design features, cables, and other functional components of the particular part.

360D Radiator

EK has used a 360mm long radiator in this AiO which is made from Aluminum. The build quality is solid as the aluminum gives the radiator strength while also keeping it light. In fact, the EK 360mm radiator is lighter than the CPU pump block! The radiator has a thickness of 27mm and it is 120mm wide. The radiator has mounting holes cut out for 3 120mm fans, and the holes are spaced in a way that the fans sit flush with each other without any spaces between them, which is crucial for good static pressure.

The bottom and sides of the radiator are blank while the top just has a standard barcode. There is no visible branding on any part of the radiator, which is a consumer-friendly choice but also may seem a bit odd from a marketing perspective. The tubes exit and enter the radiator at the top (or bottom if that’s how you choose to orient it) and there is also a fill port on this part of the radiator. The port is covered by a “warranty void if removed” sticker which is understandable. The port will allow users to top up the pre-filled liquid if they feel that a lot of the liquid inside has evaporated.

Fin density is a really impressive aspect of the EK radiator. The fins are stacked very close to each other and show intense curvatures, giving a large surface area for heat dissipation. Liquid moves through the fins and is cooled by the fans that are blowing air across the fins, so a larger surface area really helps a lot in cooling.

EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB Pump/ CPU Block

The EK CPU block is one of the most interesting parts of the EK AiO. EK has not opted for any Asatek standards, rather they have developed their own solution to the pump block problem. Asatek has recently been really aggressive about their patent infringement, and thus companies like EK (with heritage in water-cooling) are choosing to develop their own solutions rather than risking infringement on Asatek’s patents.

Coming to the block itself, we find a really heavy pump-block combo which is pretty standard in AiOs nowadays. EK says that the pump is “SPC Style” with a dense fin structure and upgraded for higher RPMS, which we find to be true. The top of the block features a metallic finish on a black nickel housing, with a small EK logo on the bottom right. This combination gives a beautiful look when the aRGB LEDs inside the EK logo are lit up.

The block itself is really heavy, and measures in at 88 x 70 x 64 mm. This means that the pump block is among the bigger ones when it comes to AiO CPU blocks. On the sides, we find some styling in this pattern.

On the bottom of the block, we find the pre-applied thermal compound which is being covered by a plastic lid so that it isn’t accidentally touched or damaged. The plastic cover features a small EK sticker with the words “LEAK TESTED, QC PASSED” on it.

Under the cover, we can observe the pre-applied thermal paste. EK has opted for a “small-dot” approach, which means that the thermal compound application is made up of a lot of small dots, which upon compression by the CPU integrated heat spreader, will spread and form a flat layer, filling in any small gaps between the CPU IHS and the cooler cold-plate.

On the right side of the block (if viewed from above) we find the two tubes which are fitted via rotating fittings. The user can easily rotate those fittings to get the tubes in whatever orientation they prefer.

The other side of the block houses the exit point of the cables of the pump and the aRGB cable. We will discuss the cabling of the AiO in another segment of the review.

The tubing is fairly high-quality, which is expected since EK is targeting the premium AiO market with this product. EK says that the tubing is made up of “Ultra-Low Evaporation Rubber with Nylon Braided Sleeve” and we are inclined to agree. There is a visible criss-cross pattern that can be seen upon closer inspection that gives the tubing the required strength while also keeping it flexible enough so that the user can bend it to their will. The tubing length is 400mm and that makes it long enough to install at the front of most cases with even the tubes entering at the bottom of the radiator.

RGB Fans:

EK has included 6x EK Vardar S 120mm fans with their 360mm radiator which are actually really high-performing and premium fans. The extra included fans over the normal Ek Aio 360 D RGB Review allow for the possibility of a push-pull configuration. The fans feature the same style of aRGB lighting as the pump and have white translucent blades to efficiently diffuse the lighting to give beautiful effects.

The build quality of the fans is top-notch, with EK opting for a square shape which is optimized for static pressure. The fans are 25mm thick, which is standard for most 120mm fans. The sides of the fans bear small EK logos stamped into the plastic housing.

The front of the Vardar S fans shows off the beautiful aRGB implementation in the 7 blades of the fan. The motor in the front is covered by a sticker bearing a minimalistic EK log which does not look bad at all. Overall, we are impressed with the looks of the included Vardar S fans.

Performance wise, the fans offer quiet operation under the stock configuration while also delivering impressive performance. A 360mm radiator is frankly overkill for most CPUs in the market today, and the fans do not have to work really hard to keep the temperatures in check for most scenarios. The fans have an RPM range of 550-2200 RPM with a tolerance of 10%. This means that the fans have the potential to become really loud if the user configures them to run at 100% all the time. EK lists the max sound level to be 36.4 dBA at the max speed.

Included Fan Hub:

EK has also included a pretty useful fan hub in its AiO packaging. The EK Hub can handle up to 7 fans, with inputs for both the PWM signals and the ARGB 3-pin 5V signals. This can be connected with your motherboard aRGB header to allow software control from the motherboard’s RGB software such as ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light, etc. EK has also used SATA power for this thankfully, as using Molex in 2020 is considered equal to a sin by PC enthusiasts. The fan hub overall is quite nice and it is a good inclusion by EK.

The build quality of the fan hub is unexceptional, but that is not a serious problem since this will be hidden behind the motherboard tray in most instances. The Hub itself is metallic, which is ideal since it is magnetic and can easily stick to the backside of the motherboard tray to allow for easier cable management.

The inputs for fans and RGB as well as SATA power are lined along the sides and the rear of the hub. The hub is covered by a plastic shroud, which allows the user to see the PCB inside. An EK logo is also visible on the PCB. The EK Hub measures in at 2.5” diagonally just like a standard SATA SSD. It can be screwed into a 2.5” bracket to clean up the clutter on the backside of your case.

Cabling:

Like with any aRGB AiO, the cabling of the EK-AIO Elite D-RGB 360mm Liquid Cooler can be a bit of a challenge for new builders. Not only does the pump block have two separate cables for PWM and aRGB, but each of the 6 fans has 2 separate cables coming out of them as well. The fan cables include a PWM cable and a 3-pin aRGB cable just like the pump.

The fans can, however, be daisy-chained together when it comes to the aRGB cables. There are male and female aRGB connectors found with each fan, and they can be daisy-chained together for a bit of a cleaner look. The fans and the pump can be connected to the provided EK Hub, so that allows for a somewhat easier installation as compared to using splitters on the actual motherboard headers itself.

Bundled Accessories:

Let’s quickly go over the bundled accessories which will be used to install the AiO into your system. The accessories come in a big zip-lock bag labeled “EK-AiO 360 D-RGB Mounting” which is a clear indicator as to what we can expect inside the bag.

In no particular order, the contents inside are:

• EK-TIM Ectotherm thermal paste
• EK Backplate for Intel Systems
• Intel Bracket 2pcs
• AMD Bracket 2pcs
• Screws for Brackets (4+1 pcs)
• 115X/AMD Screws (4 pcs). These are the actual mounting posts.
• AiO 2011 Screws (4 pcs)
• An assortment of long and short screws used for fan and radiator mounting
• Springs and Cap Screws (4 pcs each)

We were impressed with the attention to detail that EK offered in this regard. Each of the smaller zip-lock bags was clearly labeled as you can see in the pictures. There was also consistency between the language used in the labels and the manual itself.

The manual, combined with the labels on the bags, made installation much easier when compared with other AiOs that use confusing and often contradicting labels on their accessory packets and in their manuals. The included thermal compound is also a nice touch.

Lighting

Of course, a big marketing point of the EK-AiO Elite “D-RGB” line of liquid coolers is their implementation of beautiful aRGB lighting inside not only the fans but also the EK logo on the pump block itself. This feature is clearly in big demand in 2021 where the aesthetics of the system are a big deal. It is also commendable that EK has opted for the 5V 3-pin aRGB standard rather than the older 12V 4-pin RGB standard. The aRGB standard gives a wider range of control over the effects and the colors that can be displayed by the LEDs.

The installation of the aRGB is tedious, with each component giving off separate aRGB 3-pin cables, but the included EK Hub and the daisy-chaining feature of the EK Vardar S fans make the process somewhat bearable.

EK’s aRGB implementation looks fantastic to us but that is a subjective thing and will vary from person to person. Still, the aRGB can be configured to your liking using the motherboard sync feature, as the EK-AiO series can by controlled via motherboard software of your brand such as ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, and so on.

EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB Installation & Benchmarks

EK’s Elite 360mm AiO was not the easiest AiO we have ever worked with in terms of installation, but it is far from the worse. The installation process has some simple steps that any new builder can easily follow using the manual. The manual is well-written and explains the installation process very well. The manual explains the process separately for Intel and AMD sockets and it does so in multiple languages. The aforementioned labels on then small packets of accessories also help in this regard.

Our test system was based on AMD’s AM4 platform. The installation process was straightforward:

First, remove the standard mounting posts that come pre-installed on AMD motherboards. EK does not use the standard clip-on solution, rather opting for a spring-loaded screw system. After removing the pre-installed clip-on posts, insert the 4 mounting posts that have been provided by EK and clearly labeled “115X/AMD Screws (4 pcs)”. This is what the system would look like after the installation of those posts.

After inserting the posts, mount the AMD mounting brackets on the underside of the pump block using the screws provided. Then, place the EK pump block over the CPU, making sure that the 4 posts are inserted in the holes of the mounting bracket. Finally, insert the 4 springs over the mounting posts and screw on the 4 cap screws over the springs.

The springs provide an optimal tightening force so that the user does not have to worry about over-tightening the screws. No tools are required in this process, except a screwdriver to screw in the bracket to the underside of the pump block. The spring-loaded thumbscrew system also provides consistency in the clamping force provided by the block.

Test System

Our test system comprised of the AMD’s Ryzen 5 3600XT processor running 2 different overclocking profiles, combined with a solid B450 board in the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX. The system was running 16GB of GSkill TridentZ RGB memory on the DOCP profile of 3200Mhz with 16-18-18-38 on the timings. The complete specs are listed below:

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT (Stock, 4.4Ghz All Core, 4.6Ghz All Core OC)
• MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX
• 16GB (8×2) GSkill TridentZ RGB RAM 3200Mhz C16
• Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
• Windows 10 running off of an Adata XPG SX6000 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD
• Thermaltake DPS G 650W 80+ Gold PSU
• Open Test Bench Configuration with direct airflow over the VRMs
• EK-AiO Elite D-RGB 360mm Liquid Cooler with 3x EK Vardar S 120mm fans installed in a Pull Configuration.

Testing Methodology

Since the EK 360mm AiO is a pretty expensive and a pretty premium cooling solution, we wanted to test it in situations where it makes the most buying sense. This cooler is overkill for any sort of stock operation of any current CPU on the market. For this reason, our main focus in testing was overclocking.

We chose 2 different overclocking scenarios for our golden sample Ryzen 5 3600XT, as well as stock operation to give us some sort of baseline. The testing included running an all-core load such as Cinebench R20 to gauge an idea of short loads that leverage the higher boost clocks.

Then, we ran extended stress tests in Prime95 to gauge the cooling potential of the EK AiO 360mm liquid cooler in long 100% utilization workloads. The Prime95 stress test was run for an hour. Ambient temperature was recorded, and the results were then recorded in a systemized manner. The following overclocking profiles were used:

• 4.4Ghz All-Core OC, LLC Level 3, 1.25V to simulate a mild 24/7 OC
• 4.6Ghz All-Core OC, LLC Level 3, 1.35V to simulate a high OC going well beyond the TDP

The ambient temperature was recorded and kept constant at 23 Degrees Celcius. The results are recorded as absolute temperatures and not “DeltaT over Ambient” since that can add confusion for unsuspecting new readers. We chose to go with a Pull configuration of 3 fans to standardize testing, but the user can opt for a push-pull configuration too using the included fans.

EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB Temperature Results

Well, if you were in the market for a high-performing premium AiO cooler with a 360mm radiator, we are happy to report that the EK-AiO Elite 360mm Liquid Cooler delivers industry-leading performance in many categories. The EK Vardar S fans were not configured in any way so that we can depict an out-of-the-box scenario for the performance results. Bear in mind that our testing was done on an open-air test bench, so the temperatures inside a PC case will be a few degrees higher. The results we got were impressive:

• Ambient Temp: 23 Degrees Celsius
• Ryzen 5 3600XT Stock :
  Idle: 36-38C
  100% sustained load for one hour: 54C
• Ryzen 5 3600XT 4.4Ghz All-Core OC @1.25V:
  Idle: 30-35C
  100% sustained load for one hour: 57C
• Ryzen 5 3600XT 4.6Ghz All-Core OC @1.35V:
  Idle: 32-37C
  100% sustained load for one hour: 63C

These numbers are frankly ridiculous when we compare it to a “normal” AiO like the CM ML240R. Granted the ML240R is a 240mm radiator compared to the 360mm on the EK, but the scaling we see going from the temps of a normal 240mm radiator to the temps of the EK 360 is still incredible. The EK cooler is among the very best performing coolers we have tested when it comes to noise-normalized testing. The cooler design is extremely efficient at dissipating heat.

These results make the EK-AIO Elite D-RGB 360mm Liquid Cooler perfect choice when it comes to overclocked systems running CPUs like the AMD Ryzen 5950X or 5900X hitting all-core overclocks north of 4.7Ghz. The cooler is also perfectly suited to Intel’s flagship Core i9 10900K for hitting ridiculous all-core overclocks north of 5Ghz.

The EK-Elite AiO delivers industry-leading performance and is thus a very solid choice for extremely high-end systems running 24/7 overclocks. This cooling performance does come at a premium, however, as EK is not exactly price-competitive with similar offerings from the likes of CoolerMaster, Arctic, Corsair, or NZXT. If we compare the 360mm EK cooler with a popular value-oriented radiator like the CoolerMaster ML240R, these are the results we get:

Here we see that the EK-AiO Elite shows impressive scaling with its large 360mm radiator when compared to a regular 240mm radiator. This means that EK is making efficient use of the extra size by complementing it with a powerful pump and strong fans optimized for high static pressure. Whether or not the extra cooling performance is worth nearly $100 more than the ML240R, we will explore later on in the review.

Acoustic Results

The acoustic results of the EK-Elite 360mm AiO were interesting to look at, since we wanted to measure the impact of increasing the pump max speed to 3300RPM. EK has kept the same Vardar S fans with the Elite, so the impact of the fans on the noise levels was more or less the same.

In its stock out-of-the-box configuration with 3 EK Vardar S fans, the noise level was measured at 35dBA while the fans were spinning at 1120RPM under a 1-hour stress test. These results are very impressive as this noise level is completely fine for a cooler of its size. This ensures that the cooler will perform impressively in a thermal sense while also maintaining a quiet profile.

Turning the fans up to 100% saw the noise level spike up to 51.4dBA which is certainly very loud, but you will most likely never need to run this cooler at this fan speed in a real-world scenario. This scenario saw the 3 fans running at 2140RPM. It is also interesting to note that the pump was not as loud as could be first suspected given its max speed rating of 3300RPM. The pump could not be heard from a reasonable distance during normal operation.

The noise was measured with a sensor placed 20 inches away from the test bench, pointing towards the radiator, with a noise floor level of 26dB.

Comparison with other Premium Coolers

At $199.99 the EK-AIO Elite D-RGB 360mm Liquid Cooler is certainly not winning any value awards, as it is directly charging a premium for its extraordinary performance. This price point is one of the more unforgiving ones in the AiO market, as this puts it directly in contention with some of the most premium coolers available. Coolers like the NZXT Kraken X73, Fractal Design Celcius S36, EVGA CLC 360, and Corsair H150i are all extremely solid performers and are competing in more-or-less the same price category.

EK tries to make up some of its price delta by adding 6 EK Vardar S fans instead of the conventional 3, which will be ideal for users looking to establish a push-pull configuration.

Moreover, users can also use the extra 3 fans as case fans, and still enjoy stellar performance from the EK-AiO Elite by adding just 3 fans in a push or pull configuration. EK has also gone ahead and added the EK Fan Hub inside the box so that users with several aRGB fans can have an easier time connecting and cable-managing them inside the case. These additions do improve the overall value offered by the EK AiO Elite 360mm Liquid Cooler.

Still, it is important to look at the market for 360mm radiators in an objective sense. Users in this market are looking for no compromises, and EK certainly delivers in that regard. Competitive options to the EK-Elite AiO include:

• NZXT Kraken X72
• Corsair H150i
• Swiftech H360X3
• Fractal Celcius S36
• Arctic Liquid Freezer II (280mm radiator)
• Corsair H115i Platinum (280mm radiator)
• EVGA CLC 360

Out of these coolers, only the Corsair H150i comes close to the EK Elite AiO in out-of-the-box thermals. The difference with the others is not significant, and the user may look towards those options when making their buying decision.

Potential buyers might also be interested in saving some money and opting for the 280mm coolers listed here as they perform fairly closely to the premium EK option while providing a higher monetary value. EK is certainly not price-competitive here, however, we do not feel like their asking price is blatantly unfair considering the whole package.

Recommendation

In an objective sense, the EK-AIO Elite D-RGB 360mm Liquid Cooler is a fantastic product, delivering industry-leading performance in several categories. The design is impressive, and it checks all the boxes of what a user might want from a liquid cooler. There are no concerns from our side when it comes to performance, as it performs admirably while staying silent under the stock configuration.

The only problem with the recommendation is the price of the product. At $199.99, EK is getting dangerously close to custom loop territory where entry-level custom loop configurations can be established by investing a bit more time and money. Also, potential buyers have a variety of very compelling options at similar or less prices, which are offered by companies already established in the AiO scene.

Nevertheless, for someone who wants the absolute best performance offered by AiOs of today, the EK-Elite AiO 360mm D-RGB Liquid Cooler has our recommendation. If money is not an issue, this AiO from EK offers chart-topping performance, silent operation, and a range of features that can take any rig to the next level. EK also offers a 5-year warranty with the EK-AiO Elite cooler, so that you can be at ease regarding your purchase for a long time.

Final Words:

EK entered the market of AiO liquid coolers in the first quarter of 2020 with the Ek Aio 360 D RGB Review series of closed-loop coolers. Those coolers received an extremely positive response from the community as EK is already a gigantic name when it comes to water-cooling. Now, EK is further strengthening its foothold into the AiO market by releasing a premium AiO known as the EK-AiO Elite D-RGB 360mm Liquid Cooler.

In our testing, the EK-AiO Elite cooler performed tremendously well, delivering unprecedented performance in several categories. EK has also improved some of the core design aspects of the previous AiO series such as the pump block and its acrylic top. The overall package is very premium and should appeal to users with extremely high-end builds looking to add a bit of flair to their rigs while aiming for cool and quiet operation.

It does not deliver excellent monetary value, however, if money is not an issue, the EK-AIO Elite D-RGB 360mm Liquid Cooler has our recommendation.

Thanks to EK for sending out their brand new for Ek Aio 360 D RGB Review.