Introduction
Lian Li has been in business since 1983 and has been renowned for its work in the high-quality PC case and accessories business. Their product stack includes cases, desks, power supplies, cooling, and accessories. A few years back, they got into the CPU water cooling business with the introduction of the GALAHAD AIO. At Computex 2024, they introduced us to the Hydroshift LCD AIO series, of which we have a Lian Li Hydroshift LCD 360R on the test bench today.
Of note, the Hydroshift LCD AIO series comes in four different flavors, each available in black and white finishes. The main difference between the flavors is the fan that is included – here’s how it breaks down:
- Lian Li Hydroshift LCD AIO 360S – Includes standard fans.
- Lian Li Hydroshift LCD AIO 360R – Includes ARGB fans.
- Lian Li Hydroshift LCD AIO 360TL – Includes modular TL fans and a side infinity mirror.
- Lian Li Hydroshift LCD AIO 360N – Does not include any fans.
We will again be using our second-generation AIO test platform that is capable of putting out enough heat to make even the devil sweat. We do this to test AIO liquid cooling solutions that are likely to be used with some of today’s most demanding CPUs.
Lian Li Hydroshift LCD 360R
The Lian Li Hydroshift LCD 360R is an all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooler that is designed to work on the AM4, AM5, and LGA1700 sockets. Interestingly missing from the product information is LGA1851, but that may also be due to it being released before Arrow Lake. Overall, the Lian Li Hydroshift LCD 360R has the basics of a new build you’re likely doing today and does not include legacy support. A 6-year warranty is also included.
The Lian Li Hydroshift LCD 360 AIO series is only available with 360mm radiators – a smaller 240mm flavor is not on the market here.
We’re seeing an MSRP at the $199.99 price point for the 360R variant that we’re testing today. Please take a look at our shopping widgets for current pricing.
Water Block & Pump
The cold plate on the Lian Li Hydroshift LCD 360R is made out of copper and is topped with a rectangular 2.88” IPS LCD screen that sports a 480×480 resolution at 500 nits of brightness. The LCD is very vibrant and bright compared to many of the others that we’ve seen on AIOs over the years.
There is no ARGB bling to go along with the LCD screen, however, the waterblock has wiring to the fans to transmit RGB signals to prevent the need to run a second wire.
The pump is PWM controlled with an approximate 3200 RPM speed at a 100% duty cycle. It pushes the water through 475mm of cooling hose to and from the radiator. Lian Li states the pump performs as well as its GA II Performance pump, but while being significantly smaller through the removal of the water isolation chamber.
Radiator
The liquid CPU cooler radiator is designed to hold three 120mm fans and measures 403×124.5x31mm. By our count, the aluminum radiator sports a density of 22 fins per inch and is attached to 475mm of tubing.
The longer tubing allows it to be routed under a shroud along the side of the AIO, conveniently popping out in the middle where a CPU socket is usually found. This is a great way to hide the AIO tubing and cables which allow for a much cleaner build.
Fans
The three included fans are 120mm fans. They feature fluid dynamic bearings and RGB LEDs that can be controlled through Lian Li’s L-CONNECT 3 software. Lian Li does not list an expected lifespan for the fans, however, they indicate a fan maximum speed of 2,400 RPM, with a minimum fan speed of 300 RPM.
Lian Li lists 30 dB(A) of noise and the stated maximum airflow is 79.9 CFM with a static pressure of 3.26mm H2O. The fans are connected using Lian Li’s daisy chain technology which makes it so wires are not needed. The fans are powered and RGB blinged by the cables that pass through the radiator tubes which keeps the aesthetic clean.
Lian Li L-CONNECT 3 Software
The Lian Li L-CONNECT 3 software is required to do any of the knob adjusting on your AIO cooler. The utility allows for adjusting the RGB-bling factor on the fans, what gets displayed on the AIO LCD screen as well as the performance profile for the pump and fans.
Test Setup
We will use our second generation AIO test rig which we will publish further details on in the coming weeks. It is based on the Intel i9 13900K CPU running on an ASUS Z690-based motherboard. We will set up each cooler in the same manner with the radiator attached to the case and the fans blowing into the radiator. The water blocks will be mounted per the manufacturer’s instructions except that we will use Arctic Cooling MX-4 thermal paste. We will utilize ASUS FanXpert to control fan speeds, setting the fans at a fixed RPM for each test. We will also compare it to the other coolers we have tested thus far.
Installation
Installation of the Lian Li Hydroshift LCD 360R was straight forward event and had us up and running fairly quickly. We were also able to switch the orientation of our tubing with a single reading of the manual, which let us get it wired up in our test rig.