Conclusion
We tested the SilverStone PF360-RGB using our AIO test platform that sports an Intel 10980XE processor. When we started our adventure, we wanted to push this cooler to its absolute limits and our test bench certainly delivered that when its 18 cores were clocked to 4.7GHz. We’ll recap the performance below and see how the PF360-RGB stood up to the heat in our kitchen!
Summary of Temperatures
The SilverStone PF360-RGB was able to operate at its quietest configuration and maintain a temperature of 78 degrees Celsius with our test bench running at stock clocks. As we increased the overclock, we had to increase fan speed to prevent the CPU from thermally throttling. Ultimately, we were not able to keep our Intel 10980XE in check at 4.7GHz at Max RPM and 100% Pump as the PF360-RGB let the CPU hit the magic number of 98 degrees Celsius and lit up the thermal throttling light.
Summary of Sound Levels
At its slowest and quietest settings, the SilverStone PF360-RGB easily blended in with the ambient room sound levels and we could not hear a thing. Moving up to 1500 RPM it became a bit more audible, but not obnoxious. At its maximum fan speed, 2200 RPM, it made a defined contribution to our testing environment while doing its job.
Final Points
We first adjusted our cooling testing methodology to test the claim of the Enermax LIQTECH II 360 since it said it could dissipate 500W+ of heat; a bold claim for sure. Afterward, we thought for a moment and realized why not make this our threshold for testing all of our cooling solutions? We would have a good standard that is going to let us have as close to an apples to apples comparison as we were going to be able to get while not going “easy” on even the beefiest of coolers.
So here we are today with another entrant; the SilverStone PF-360. After putting it through our gauntlet, we believe that in the most extreme edge case it falls a bit short of the raw performance we saw with both the Enermax LIQTECH II 360 and Corsair H115i Platinum when faced with a 500W+ heat load or when operating at low 600 RPM fan speeds. However, in every other case, the PF360-RGB was very competitive when looking at its performance and sound levels, especially at the 1000 RPM and 1500 RPM fan speeds. With the 1000-1500 RPM range being the one that most real-world users will set their fan curves, the PF-360 nails the sweet spot of its performance.
As a bonus, it is available for $129.99 in e-tail. So, if you are in the market for a 360mm AIO solution that will handle just about everything thing you throw at it (save for the most edge case of scenarios) and sound matters to you, the SilverStone PF360-RGB is a worthy contender.
Discussion
