Reviews & awards

After installation, I put the NL-LC1-36 to the test. Loading up Furmark 2 with a stress test on the CPU and GPU over 30 minutes should really put it to the test and push the coolant to the thermal limit. I also compared it to the previous AIO I had inside, the ROG RYUJIN III 360 with the NF-A12x25 G2 chromax.black on it, while also testing the various modes and the NL-ACF1 fan.In those tests, there is a clear difference across the two AIOs and the various settings on the NL-LC1-36, as well as when using the auxiliary fan. As seen in the comparison below, the Noctua AIO does bring down the temperatures more than the other, plus the surrounding components also get more cooling.

By default, the pump is set to Quiet mode, where, without the auxiliary fan, the CPU runs 13°C cooler. Enabling the NL-ACF1 auxiliary fan lowers CPU temperatures by a further 3°C, while the chipset temperatures drop by 2.7°C and 1.8°C respectively. The drive also runs 3°C cooler, MOS temperatures are reduced by 3.5°C, and overall motherboard system temperatures are down by 2.5°C.

I then switched the pump to Balanced mode, although doing so was a little awkward with everything installed, as I had to reach between the hoses. Compared to Quiet mode, CPU temperatures dropped by a further 1°C, with the auxiliary fan reducing them by another 2°C. The chipset temperatures didn’t change much, with both remaining within 1°C of each other. Likewise, the drive, MOS, and overall system temperatures stayed very similar.

While in use, the Noctua AIO was definitely quieter than the ROG cooler. More of the noise came from air moving through the radiator rather than the harsher sounds of the pump or other electronics. The ability to fine-tune both the pump and fan speeds also makes it easy to find a balance between cooling performance and noise that suits your system.