Silverstone PF360 ARGB White AIO Liquid Cooler Review

SilverStone Technology has been in the business for over 20 years. They are popular in the Asian market. Needless to say, they are also present in North America and other regions’ markets. Their philosophy is in consistency, responding to users’ requirements, and achieving customer satisfaction. They carry a wide range of products, including PC Power Supplies, PC Cases in all form factors, cooling solutions, storage solutions in terms of accessories, etc. Their products have industrious designs most of the time as the manufacturer is focused on function primarily and then form.

PermaFrost or PF series liquid coolers are not new from SilverStone, but they have released V2 of PF360W A-RGB edition, primarily addressing the compatibility of these coolers for Intel LGA1700 and AMD AM5 sockets. These coolers are available in 240mm and 360mm sizes in black and white colors. The only difference between the first version and the second version is that V2 is out-of-the-box compatible with Intel’s latest LGA1700 socket. Since these coolers use clip-style mounting on the AMD platform, where they use stock AMD mounting brackets, they are compatible with AM5 sockets as well.

This cooler has digital RGB lighting on the pump housing and fans. The pump features a dual-chamber design, and the cold plate has 0.2mm micro channels for effective heat dissipation. We are taking a look at the SST PF360W ARGB V2 edition. This is a white version of the cooler. Some of the salient features of this cooler include:

• Pure white-colored radiator, fans, and cables to help achieve the ultimate full white system build of your dream
• Integrated addressable RGB lighting for water block and fan
• Rubber pads included on the fan for lower vibration and noise
• Includes an addressable RGB controller with 10 lighting modes and the ability to adjust brightness and color-changing speeds.
• Compatible with Intel LGA775/115X/1200/1366/2011/2066 and AMD AM2/AM3/AM4/AM5/FM1/FM2 sockets
• Compatible with Intel LGA115x/1200/1700/2011/2066 and AMD AM2/AM3/AM4/AM5/FM1/FM2 sockets (V2)

Let’s start.

Specifications

As we can see from the specifications, the V2 edition has support for the Intel LGA1700 socket out of the box. There is no other difference, as the design is the same.

Packaging Box

The cooler is shipped inside a cardboard box finished in SilverStone brand theme.

There is a picture of a cooler in a white finish with digital RGB lighting, emphasizing that this cooler has digital lighting. The lighting is compatible with lighting solutions from major motherboard manufacturers. LGA1700 is printed as well, showing the compatibility of this cooler with that socket.

SilverStone has listed the specifications of this cooler over a blue color background. We can spot a manually pasted V2 sticker after the name of the cooler up top. There are symbolic diagrams of the unit showing the dimension. SilverStone has included a dedicated RGB Controller in the box.

Opening the box showed that the contents were placed inside an egged carton, safe and secure. This helps in preventing damage to the unit during shipping.

Accessories

Let’s take a look at what SilverStone has included with this cooler.

Mounting Hardware is placed inside a transparent container.

SilverStone has provided two user manuals. One is for the cooler’s installation, whereas the other is for the RGB Controller’s functions.

SilverStone has provided:

• 1x Intel LGA1700 Backplate
• 1x Intel Other Sockets Backplate
• 1x Intel Mounting Bracket
• 1x AMD Mounting Bracket

SilverStone has provided 4x thumb Nuts.

SilverStone has provided:

• 4x Intel LGA20XX Thumb Screws
• 4x Intel LGA115x Thumb Screws
• 4x Intel LGA1700 Thumb Screws

SilverStone has provided 2x AMD Clips or Buckles; however you name them.

SilverStone has provided:

• 1x Thermal Paste Tube
• 1x Digital RGB Cable
• 1x 3-way PWM Splitter Cable for the fans
• 1x 4-pin Peripheral Adapter Cable [To connect Pump or daisy-chained fans directly with the PSU]

SilverStone has provided a slim-designed RGB Controller with this cooler. It is finished in matte black. We can see three buttons to control the RGB lighting. These are:

• + button
• – button
• M button

The M button is used to switch the RGB lighting modes. The + and – buttons control the brightness adjustment and peed of lighting. The default mode programmed by SilverStone is Rainbow mode. There are a few more functions of the M button:

• Pressing it for 3 seconds will turn the lighting off
• Pressing it again one time will load the last lighting effect or mode

Similarly, pressing the – button for 3 seconds will load the default lighting mode on this controller. There is also an LED integrated into the main housing. It has Blue, Green, and Red colors. Each of these colors represents different meanings. For more details, please refer to the user guide on the RGB Controller.

One end of the controller has a 4-pin header to which a dedicated digital RGB cable is connected. This way, the controller can be connected to the motherboard’s lighting solution using a standard 3-pin, 5V RGB connector.

The opposite end of the controller’s housing has a 2-pin header. This is where the SATA cable is connected to power the controller.

SilverStone has provided cables for this controller. Starting from the left side, there is a SATA cable having a 2-pin connector on one end. This cable provides power to the unit. The cable shown in the center of the above picture is a motherboard sync cable that allows all RGB elements to be connected and controlled from the motherboard. The last cable is a dedicated digital RGB cable.

Design

PermaFrost, or PF, is liquid cooler series from SilverStone. It is not a new generation, as the iCEGEM series was launched after this PF series, but SilverStone is keeping this series alive in a mainstream market segment, and they have launched the V2 of the PF series, giving these coolers a new life with the support of LGA1700 socket. We are testing the SST PF360W ARGB V2. Let’s start.

SilverStone is using an aluminum-made radiator in this cooler, having a dimension of 394x120x28mm, where 28mm is the thickness or height of the radiator. This is the regular height of the radiator. The overall height or thickness of this unit with installed fans would be around 54mm to 55mm, including the heads of the screws. The complete assembly is white color coated.

SilverStone has done a good job with fin stacking. The FPI count is 20 on this radiator. It has 12 channels for coolant flow. Edges on both ends are rounded. There is 105mm spacing between the mounting holes, with 15mm spacing between the two adjacent mountings. SilverStone has mentioned that they are using an automotive-grade radiator that has excellent anti-corrosive properties and can easily survive harsh elements that include vapor, liquid, grease, and solvent.

The far block has no branding or sticker on it. It has rounded shape edges.

Looking at the side of this radiator, the housing is riveted. There is no SST branding over here. SilverStone seems to be keeping it simple.

There is no protection under the mounting holes on this radiator. As long as you are using SilverStone’s provided screws on this radiator, you will be fine. Protection prevents damage to the fins from excessive torquing of the long screws.

SilverStone is using barb fittings to connect tubes with the radiator. This is a regular or standard approach. There are white color covers concealing the connection. There are two stickers over this block. One shows the model of this cooler, whereas the other is probably showing a part number of the unit. In case you are wondering, APALTEK is an OEM of this cooler. There is another cover, possibly on a refill port. This port is reserved for factory use only, so don’t try to tamper with it, as you may lose the vacuum pressure of the unit. There is no Warranty Void sticker over this cover.

The length of the tube on SilverStone SST-PPF360W-ARGB-V2 is approximately 400mm which should suffice for all scenarios. These tubes are somewhat flexible, and obviously, they don’t kink, which is a plus. SilverStone is using rubber tubes with nice nylon-based white color sleeves for pure aesthetics.

SilverStone has used a slim design for the pump housing. It has a dimension of 61x61x50mm (LxWxH). 50mm is the overall height which is even 3mm lower than what we saw on ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 cooler. This housing is made of ABS material. Looking at the top, we can see a stepped-out design in 4 steps which looks cool in person. Each intersection of these 4 steps is digital RGB backlit.

The top lid has the SilverStone brand logo, which is digital RGB backlit. This lid is not removable, and given the design of this logo, it will always remain in the right position regardless of the installation orientation of this cooler.

The above picture shows what we are trying to mention. This is a brilliant digital RGB display.

All sides of this housing have the same layout and design. There is no branding or design on these sides. The overall design is well laid out and coherent. The housing is white color coated.

The tubes are installed on the rear end of this housing in a 90. We can rotate these tubes in either direction to make room or bring a better positioning of the tubes. Two cables are coming out from the base of this unit. There is an inset on three ends of the black color frame towards the frame. This is where the mounting brackets are slid in the unit.

There is a power cable having a flat design. It has a 3-pin connector to power the motor of the pump.

The other cable has two connectors on it. One is a standard 5V, 3-pin RGB female connector, and the other is a male connector. This allows daisy-chaining of the RGB elements on this cooler. It is good to see that SilverStone has used standard RGB connectors.

the base plate is made of copper material. It has a dimension of 55x55mm. It is secured with the main housing using 8 screws. There is a protective cover on the base, cautioning the user to remove it before the installation. This cover protects the base from any scratch damage. SilverStone has mentioned that they are using 0.2mm micro liquid channels on the cold plate to evenly distribute liquid flow for improved heat dissipation.

This block has a dual chamber design on the pump. This is done to separate the channels for inward and outward coolant. This helps in preventing heat bleed and effectively taking the heat away from the unit. The above picture is taken from the SilverStone website.

The pump motor on this unit is using a three-phase, six-pole design for smoother, quieter operation compared to most single-phase, four-pole designs. This improves energy efficiency. An automotive-grade sine wave generator is used to drive the pump motor. This ensures electrical noise and vibration are kept to a minimum. It is also AEC-Q100 certified according to Automotive Electronics Council’s standard making it more durable. This motor is rated to spin at 3400 RPM ±10% using 12VDC and 0.39A current. The above picture is taken from the SilverStone website.

SilverStone has provided three of its high-performance Air Blazer series fans with this white cooler. These fans are AB or Air Blazer 120RW. RW here means digital RGB and White. These are white edition fans and feature digital RGB LEDs under the hub. Each fan has nine frosted blades. The hub is also frosted for the even diffusion of light. There is a SilverStone branding on the hub as well. The frame is white in color. The frame is neither circular nor square in design.

Each fan has a 4-arms assembly on the backside. One of these arms has an inset on which the wires are routed. Each fan draws 0.38A at 12VDC. These blades have a unique ribbed edge design that suppresses air turbulent noise with geometry optimized for both air flow and pressure. This ensures maximum performance with the lowest possible noise.

Each mounting corner has a cut-to-size anti-vibration pad in white color.

The frame of these fans is quite sturdy and durable. There are no arrow markings that help users identify the direction of airflow through the fan and the blades’ spin direction.

There is a flat white color cable having a 4-pin PWM connector to power the fan’s motor.

The second cable has two connectors. These are standard 5V, 3-pin RGB female and male connectors allowing the fans to daisy chain with each other.

Some key specifications of these fans include:

Installation

We have tested SilverStone SST PF360W ARGB V2 liquid cooler on the AMD AM5 platform using GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER and AMD Ryzen 7 7700X. Installation is simple and convenient. This cooler uses an AMD stock mounting bracket on the motherboard. Here are some key steps:

• If the cooler has an Intel mounting bracket pre-installed, remove it.
• Install AMD Mounting Bracket on the base.
• Insert two AMD clips or buckles and use two thumb nuts to loosely secure on mounting brackets.
• Apply the thermal paste on the CPU IHS after cleaning the surface.
• Peel the protective cover off the base of this cooler.
• Place the block on the CPU by aligning catchers on the AMD clips or buckles with the raised portion on the AMD mounting bracket.
• Insert one side in full.
• Apply pressure on the opposite side till the catcher snuggles the mounting bracket.
• Tighten the thumb nuts to securely install the block on the CPU.
• Install fans on the radiator.
• Install the radiator in the case as per requirement.
• Set up the cables and connect them to their power source.
• This would complete the installation.

Clearance

The SilverStone SST PF360W ARGB V2 is a liquid cooler having a dimension of 394x120x55mm, including fans. Make sure your PC Case has clearance for this size radiator. The block does not hinder the DIMM slots and PCIe slots.

RGB Lighting

As we have mentioned above that SilverStone SST PF360W ARGB V2 has 3x A-RGB fans and A-RGB lighting on the pump housing. SilverStone has provided vivid and stylish lighting on this cooler which looks dope on this white color cooler. The lighting solution is compatible with:

• ASUS AURA SYNC
• ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• MSI MYSTIC LIGHTING SYNC
• BIOSTAR RACING

Here are some of the cool pictures:

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Thermal Test

Below mentioned configuration is used: –

• AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
• GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER
• Sabrent Rocket DDR5 32GB Kit @ 4800MHz
• Colorful GeForce GTX 1050 Ti iGame 4G [For Display]
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU

Here is the settings table for testing:

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different; hence no two same SKUs are likely to take the same voltage to yield the same performance at the same thermals per se, but the margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result, which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, the mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Variables not mentioned are on the Auto setting.

Result

For those who know the new AM5 platform and its thermal behavior, it is a known fact now that these SKUs will be right away hit 95°C. However, using an all core based same clock, we can see a somewhat lower temperature. The SilverStone SST-PF36W-ARGB-V2 managed 91°C which is 2°C above the EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 LUX D-RGB cooler and 1°C above the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360. Don’t get it wrong. This cooler was put to the test against the EK Water Block’s new cooler and a high-performance cooler from ARCTIC. It has held quite well on its own.

Noise

Summer is up, and the room fan is on, which is why I could not measure the noise level of the unit.

Conclusion

SilverStone has recently released a V2 of their popular PermaFrost or PF series liquid coolers. There is only one difference between the first release and V2 of these coolers, and that is socket support out of the box. We have tested the SilverStone SST PF360W ARGB V2. This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA1200 and 1700 sockets as well as AMD AM5 sockets. If you are thinking that is quite a long of this cooler, what does Alphacool Eisbaer Pro AURORA – HPE 360 Digital CPU Cooler and EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 LUX D-RGB sound like? Anyway, coming back to the main article, the PF series coolers are not new, as they have been available for quite some time now.

This is a white edition cooler with white color digital RGB fans. This cooler (V2) is compatible with Compatible with Intel LGA115x/1200/1700/2011/2066 and AMD AM2/AM3/AM4/AM5/FM1/FM2 sockets. This cooler has a white color-coated aluminum-made radiator having a dimension of 394x120x28mm. Here 28mm is the height of this radiator. Adding 25mm thick 120mm size fans over this radiator would make the total height to be 55mm approximately. This radiator has a 20 FPI count and 12 channels for coolant flow. SilverStone uses using an automotive-grade radiator that has excellent anti-corrosive properties and can easily survive harsh elements that include vapor, liquid, grease, and solvent.

SilverStone is using rubber tubes that are wrapped inside stylish nylon-based mesh sleeves in white color to make this cooler white from head to toe. These tubes run to approximately 400m, which is plentiful in length. The pump housing is quite stylish and has a dimension of 61x61x50mm, where 50mm is the overall height of this housing. The top of this housing has a SilverStone brand logo that is RGB backlit. The top lid has a hexagonal design with 4 steps branching out. Every intersection of these steps is RGB backlit.

SilverStone has mentioned that this pump uses using dual chamber design in which the cold coolant has a different channel or path than the hot coolant, which increases the heat dissipation capacity. This pump has a 3-phase, 6-pole design with quieter operations. An automotive-grade sine wave generator is used to drive the pump motor. This ensures electrical noise and vibration are kept to a minimum. It is also AEC-Q100 certified according to Automotive Electronics Council’s standards, so it has great quality and durability. SilverStone is using a copper base that has an area of 55x55mm. The cold plate has 0.2mm microchannels. All this is done to ensure maximum heat transfer. This motor is rated to spin at 3400 RPM ±10% using 12VDC and 0.39A current.

SilverStone is using Air Blazer series AB 120RW fans with this cooler. RW means these fans are white in color and feature digital RGB lighting. These have a dimension of 120x120x25mm. The blades of these fans use a unique ribbed edge to generate more airflow and pressure with an optimized geometrical shape. These fans are rated for 600~2200 RPM speed with a noise level rating of 7.4~35.6 dBA. The rated voltage is 12VDC with a current rating of 0.32A. The maximum airflow rating is 94 CFM. The static pressure rating is 3.53mmH2O.

Coming towards the digital RGB lighting, the bundle fans and pump top have vivid and dynamic RGB lighting. SilverStone has provided a dedicated RGB controller with this cooler. This controller is SATA powered. There is also a Molex adapter cable that one can use to have the pump rotates at its full speed using 12VDC directly from the PSU. Optionally, the bundled fans can also be connected to this adapter cable, but one would lose the speed regulation in that configuration. The lighting solution is compatible with:

• ASUS AURA SYNC,
• ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
• MSI MYSTIC LIGHTING
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• BIOSTAR RACING

There are many other RGB cables as well. We would suggest consulting a user guide if using the controller. Since SilverStone is using standard–pin, 5V RGB connectors on the fans and pump housing, these can be used directly with a supported motherboard. We have used GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER and RGB FUSION 2.0 app to control the lighting. It was working fine. Coming to the installation, it is an easy job, particularly on the AMD platform. All in all, we would need 5 items to install the block on the CPU socket, which is a plus. However, on the Intel platform, this count is double. We did not observe any issues during installation.

The SilverStone SST PF360W ARGB V2 is listed at USD160 on Amazon at the time of this writing. However, it is out of stock there. I am hoping this is an accurate price since price plays a significant role in the overall evaluation of any product under review. We have used this cooler on AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, where it managed 91°C under heavy load at an ambient of 30°C. The noise output, based on my hearing, is a bit loud, so use a custom fan curve or Auto PWM settings. SilverStone is giving 1-year warranty on this cooler subject to the region. This should have been 4 to 5 years, in my opinion.