The Gigabyte Gaming Division has used all its experience with the previous RL generation to launch its new Aorus Waterforce X 360 and 280 and 240 mm version.An All in One system designed for high -end processors, even Threadripper or Core X, which receives important improvements in the power and durability of water pump and fans.

Its color circular LCD screen is substantially improved to give us more effects and monitoring modes, managed from software.We can even store videos and images through a microSD card.All this with a sublime aesthetic of ARGB fans and even compatibility with the future LGA 1700 Low Astetek assembly kit.

We start without giving Gigabyte's confidence for benefits this RL for analysis.

Aorus waterforce x 360 technical characteristics

Unboxing

The Aorus Waterforce X 360 is presented to us in the best possible way thanks to a striking case cardboard box with photos and technical information about the product.After opening, we find all the components placed separately between a high density polyethylene foam mold.Likewise, each element will come inside its own bag so as not to take dirt.

The Bundle will compose the following elements:

Design and system characteristics

In this Aorus Waterforce X 360 an incredible work of aesthetic and performance improvement has been done, with the aim of improving in all aspects what the previous generation had been offering.It will be a high -performance RL system both in this version and in 240 and 280 mm, to adapt to any CPU.

On this occasion the LCD screen in some way ceases to be a mere ornament, as its functionality and monitoring capacity are drastically increased, at least in brand plates.Similarly, we have improvements in the engine of fans with nano graphene lubricant to expand its useful life, and ceramic axis for the pump that will do exactly the same.

A good face washing of the system has been made surrounding part of the cables through the fluid tubes, which in turn increase in diameter to increase the water flow in the system.Everything is finished off with an Asetek assembly in which the kit 1700 is also supplied by the Intel Alder Lake.

360 mm aluminum radiator and larger diameter tubes

We begin the detail analysis of components of the AORUS WATERFORCE X 360 Pading ourselves in the dissipator and tubes, which have undergone modification for improving their performance.In this case we analyze the 360 mm version, whose radiator will occupy a physical space of 394 mm in length, 120 mm wide and 27 mm without the fans, or 54 mm counting them.

As always, its construction is based on aluminum, thus avoiding corrosion due to the liquid.A total of 12 longitudinal ducts make up this radiator, joined together by fins in a dense undoubted pattern for the heat of them.The return chambers at each end have been covered with a metal frame as well as the radiator's sides, thus offering a purely rectangular finish quite robust.

The pipes of the tubes are performed through aluminum males soldiers to the radiator with the pressure tubes.An internal clamp will prevent the separation of them.Next to them an access to the fluid for purge and future maintenance has been placed, which will also control the pressure of the fluid when dilated by temperature.

These unions of the pipes will be added that of a nylon mallaged coating, which in turn routed the 5VDG cable for the lighting and the header of 4 pwm pins for fans.This mesh has been fixed to the shot by another plastic clamp with a design that we sincerely see improvable.We have verified that with relatively easily we can take out the hose coating mesh, somehow compromising the integrity of the same.

As for the tubes, they will be made of anti-evaporation rubber with a remarkable increase in useful diameter from 5.1 mm to 7.8 mm.This will substantially expand the water flow, specifically 37%, and thus more heat will be exchanged in the radiator.The length will continue to be 400 mm, quite standard for this type of cooling system.

CPU head with more lasting pump and LCD screen

We will leave the analysis of the screen for an independent section, thus we will focus on the construction of this block and pump of the aorus waterforce x 360, which again improve its capacity.Unlike ASUS or MSI that opt for a square format, Aorus maintains its essence in a more compact cylindrical design with measures of 82 mm in diameter and 74 mm high.

The block is based on an aluminum and plastic construction in matte black with serigraph details around it. Pero el detalle técnico más importante será la posibilidad de girar el cilindro que contiene la pantalla un máximo de 330^o.This will be able to modify the orientation of the screen manually with total freedom based on our assembly.In this housing there is also a microSD card slot that we can fill in buying it apart.Its function will be to expand internal memory to store videos, GIF and images and then show them on the screen through the control software.

The still cylinder section integrates the micro USB connection for the cable that we will connect to one of the USB 2 headwaters.0 front of the plate.The pipes of the tubes are performed through plastic elbows that allow a wide turn of rotation, and pressure shackle for rubber and nylon mesh.The truth is that the pump SATA food connection could also have taken to the radiator just like RGB and PWM connections, it would be more comfortable to use and leave the cleanest cable plate area.

As for the characteristics of this pump, through the sample illustrations the manufacturer seems to pump the water from the base of the Cold Plate to the shot that goes to the radiator.From it we only know that it implements a new ceramic axis for the engine that increases the useful route to 376.715 hours, an incredibly accurate figure that the manufacturer gives after doing its tests.The truth is that it will turn out to be a bit louder than the others until the water flow is stabilized, but it is also normal to be more powerful and with greater flow.

Finally we find a cold plate built in copper with circular format when based on an asetek assembly.The heat exchange area will be the standard for these systems, and in this case it does not have applied thermal paste when arriving in a separate syringe.

PWM Argb fans

We continue to analyze the fans of the Aorus Waterforce X 360, being three units that are properly updated with RGB Fusion 2 lighting.0 through 8 directors placed on the rotation axis.To perfectly expand the light, the propeller system will be translucent plastic.The rotation center will also show the hawk logo illuminated.

The technical characteristics of each unit will consist of giving a regime between 800 and 2300 rpm compatible with PWM control.A high figure that safe.Obviously the noise at maximum regime will be elevated, 37.6 dba.

But the biggest difference with the previous generation will be durability, which rises until 73.500 hours thanks to a nano graphene lubricating rolling system.It will be the same as the one used in the fans equipped in the Gigabyte graphics cards, which have proven to work very well and be silent to a regime around 1300 rpm.

A detail that does not convince us about them is the large number of cables that generate in the system, as each unit has 3, one of PWM food and control and two others with a male and female 5VDG header for lighting.These last two could have been merged in just one, and we would have a little less mess.Another successful solution would be to have small connections designed only for fans, with entry and exit at the ends.

ASEETK assembly system

The Aorus Waterforce X 360 continues to be based on the Asetek assembly system, which ensures broad current and even future CPUS compatibility.In this case they will be the following:

As we see, the installation kit for the LGA 1700 platform has already been included that will be released in the next generation of CPU Intel.It seems that for the alleged AM5 socket of AMD we will have to wait more.Another good news is that the installation frame for AMD Threadripper has been directly included, an element never usually comes with the RL by directly including the processor kit.

The system is based on circular brackets that are easily placed in the head by means of rotation.Allow virtually any way to guide the pump block.In addition to this, there are no more curiosities to point out, because it is a simple system and more than used in cooling systems.

The connections to operate the system will be enough and with many cables hindering, one of the small disadvantages of so much RGB.We must make sure we have the USB port and the connected SATA connection, in this way we can interact with the system from Windows.On the other hand, we will connect the fans to the PWM extension that leaves the radiator, and in the same way, the RGB headers in Margarita mode starting from the radiator.

LCD screen and control software

The Aorus Waterforce X 360 receives an important update for its screen located in the pump head.For this, a 60 x 60 mm color LCD panel has been used that increases its functions and the ability to show information.This will be controlled from the RGB Fusion 2 software.0 of the brand.

The software interface is extremely simple, detecting all gigabyte elements connected to the system to access each of them individually.In the refrigeration system panel we will see, on the one hand, the state of the pumping head, and on the other the lighting of the fans in real time.Just right we will have the list of lighting and customization effects for them.Individual direction by zones is not yet allowed, so the effects will be applicable to all elements at the same time.

We access the characteristics of the screen from LCD Display Setting, opening a small screen where we will have all available modes.In broad strokes: enthusiastic mode with 6 sub-models that show temperature, rpm, frequencies and CPU model, function mode that shows a carousel of information screens, custom mode for image or text, and Chibi time that is basically aGIF.

The volume of information shown is very high, as it recognizes the type and name of CPU, nuclei, clock frequency or temperature of the same.Similarly, record the RPM of the RL fans, the liquid temperature and the operation profile.In gigabytes plates it also detects the temperature of the VRM.To load videos and images a memory card is required, or at least it has been in our case.Admits personalized text with a maximum characters limit.

With the Aorus Engine software we can manage the system's operation profile, that is, the RPM graphics of the pump and that of the fans.The truth is that the brand is already missing an application that has all this unified, just like other brands such as MSI, Asus, Nzxt or Corsair, with more or less success, but at least facilitating the work to the user.

We have tested on an ASUS plate to verify that this RL is also compatible with it, at least with all the CPU parameters, although the VRM temperature will depend on the type of plate and if it has a sensor, of course it is.

Test of performance

We proceed to perform the temperature tests with the aorus waterforce x 360 installed on an AMD Ryzen 9 5900X to also test the motherboard, and then with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700x that we always use.The test will be carried out with Prime95 in Blend mode a total of 24 h, monitoring temperatures with Hwinfo. La temperatura ambiente del recinto será de 23^oC aproximadamente.

For both ancient and 5900X CPU we obtain quite good average temperatures. Con una especificación tan potente como es el Ryzen 5000 podremos estar seguros de que el sistema va a rendir perfectamente con las variantes TOP de cada fabricante obteniendo unas temperaturas de: 41^oC en reposo, 58^oC de media bajo estrés y 79^oC de pico en esta CPU.The tests are also carried out with the balanced performance profile, so there is still a margin of improvement of at least 30% for bomb and fans.

Final words and conclusion about the aorus waterforce x 360

Well, we conclude this analysis of one of the best 360 mm cooling systems plagued with improvements with respect to the previous generation and that really notice the difference.The truth is that it is lately we are testing incredible systems, see the creations of Asus Ryujin II and MSI Coreliquid, direct rivals practically in everything.

Gigabyte has maintained a stylized cylindrical format with a large LCD screen that increases its functions largely.It is possibly one of the most complete as regards information, also compatible with images, videos or GIF, and expandable with memory card.It also seems to be with other plates that are not a gigabyte/aorus brand only at the software level stays a little behind its rivals by not yet having suite with everything integrated.

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Among other improvements that are noticeable will be significantly the increase in pump flow and tubes by increasing its section, and the improvement of durability in the fans with the nano graphene lubricant.All this offering great performance in front of CPU of range, with Asetek anchoring system in which adapters for LGA 1700 and the bracket for Threadripper are already included.

The design improvement also reaches cable management, as some of them are enrupted by fluid hoses, although even with improvement margin.And is that the amount of cables generated by fans is too much, and there are other methods to improve this.Finally the price of this aorus waterforce x 360 will be 225 euros, being therefore cheaper than its rivals.Aorus has done an excellent job in its new systems, and deserves a good recommended for the good quality/price offered.

The Review Professional Team We award the Platinum Medal and Recommended Product:

AORUS WATERFORCE X 360

DISEÑO - 96%

COMPONENTES - 92%

REFRIGERACIÓN - 97%

COMPATIBILIDAD - 96%

PRECIO - 90%

94%