Nothing beats a 360mm radiator when it comes to CPU AIO liquid coolers. One with a 420mm radiator and three 140mm fans would offer slightly better performance, but every 360 AIO should perform largely the same. This is especially so when numerous available coolers use the same Asetek pumps and specs. The Asus ROG Strix LC III ARGB is a solid performer with a fancy LCD on the CPU block, RGB-enabled fans on the radiator, and two color options for various PC builds.

Choice is abundant for cooling a CPU and while a 360mm radiator-touting AIO could be overkill, it's warranted for today's chips and overclocking. An addressable LCD on the CPU block allows for just about anything to be displayed within the PC case. RGB lighting through the fans can be controlled through the motherboard RGB headers so everything can be synchronized across multiple components. The most important part of any CPU cooler is not the screen or fancy fans, but the thermal performance.

Thankfully, Asus knows a thing or two about keeping components cool and the ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB would be a great addition to any PC build.

About this review: Asus provided XDA with a ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB sample but had no input before publication.

Price, specs, and availability

The most important consideration for any CPU cooler is the price. Even budget-friendly and value solutions can keep capable chips from overheating. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is one of my favorite coolers costing just $30. So how does a $250 AIO liquid cooler stack up against one that costs a fraction? It all depends on how you plan to use the CPU and the PC.

An AIO such as the Asus ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB is an expensive cooler but has considerably more headroom for additional heat.

A cheaper CPU cooler is great for lower loads and small bursts, but running a high-end CPU such as the Intel Core i9-14900K or AMD Ryzen 9 9950X for longer periods will fully saturate the heatsink on the air cooler and you'll hit the thermal limit. An AIO such as the Asus ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB is an expensive cooler but has considerably more headroom for additional heat.

The loudest the fans will get is 36 dBA, according to Asus. The three blowers can hit speeds of up to 2,200 RPM if needed, though since it has a massive radiator, you won't notice them spin up too high often. Supporting LGA 1700, 1200, and 115x for Intel, as well as AM5 and AM4 for AMD, you won't have any trouble installing the CPU cooler on most modern motherboards.

Design and features

We received our Asus ROG Strix LC III ARGB sample in all-white and it looks stunning. Everything is finished to a high standard and packaged securely during transit. Inside the box is the preassembled AIO kit, although the fans are detached. These are your standard blowers, each with a three-pin of their own for operation. This is a drop from what other brands are offering. In our recent review of Corsair's iCUE Link Titan 360 RX RGB AIO, not only are the fans already installed on the radiator but they interlock, cutting down cable management.

A bag of goodies is included with the kit, which has all the necessary brackets and screws for mounting the cooler to an AMD or Intel CPU. Various sockets are supported, including the latest from both platforms. The three fans in question are the ROG Strix AF-125 ARGB and they're pretty good, rated to hit 2,200 RPM. These should provide ample airflow without causing too much noise. Some neat subtle design elements are on the fan frames, which is a nice extra Asus didn't have to go to great lengths to do. Anti-vibration pads are present on all edges too.

The LCD screen is the star of the show and the primary reason why this kit is priced the way it is. This thing is gorgeous and can display anything of your choosing. Asus allows it to be swapped for a simple LED pump cover, but the LCD can really set your PC build apart from the rest.

Cooling performance

Being a 7th-gen Asetek AIO kit, I had high hopes for the Asus ROG Strix LC III ARGB and it largely delivered. Using two test systems to check how this AIO kit handled Intel and AMD processors and motherboards, I found the cooler to perform well under the heaviest of loads. Installation was simple but long, especially after coming from the excellent Corsair AIO that's preassembled with the fans already attached to the radiator. Still, putting this thing inside a PC is a non-issue and the manual is great to follow if required.

Our two systems consisted of an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Core i5-12600K. 32GB of DDR5 RAM was present on both systems and they used high-end motherboards. The same Thermal Hero Quantum thermal paste was used to ensure we have comparable results.

Running the latest games saw no problems for this CPU cooler, even with more demanding titles such as X4: Foundations. At max load through stress testing, the Asus ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB had no trouble keeping the Intel and AMD processors within optimal operating temperature ranges. It's an excellent cooler that does the primary job admirably and only causes a little noise at a higher fan and pump RPM. When configured with a smooth fan curve, you'll have a pleasant gaming experience.

Should you buy the Asus ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB?

You should buy the Asus ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB if:

• You have a powerful CPU to keep cool under heavy loads.
• You have a PC case with support for a 360mm radiator.

You shouldn't buy the Asus ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB if:

• You don't have a high-power processor.
• You don't care about RGB cooling or the LCD.
• You don't want to spend more than $200 on a CPU cooler.

The Asus ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB is a capable CPU cooler that ticks most boxes. It's powerful, has ample thermal headroom for even the more advanced processors, and cool features such as an addressable LCD and RGB lighting. Although it costs a considerable amount of money for one component, it can positively impact overall system performance. Installation is fairly straightforward and you could leave the kit running at default settings for great results. Making the AIO your own through customizations is where the ROG Strix LC III 360 ARGB sets itself apart.

It's powerful, has ample thermal headroom for even the more advanced processors, and cool features such as an addressable LCD and RGB lighting.

Whether you install the AIO on an Intel or AMD motherboard, you can enjoy excellent thermal performance and maintain high clock speeds for heavier workloads. The CPU cooler is a good option for mid-tier and flagship processors from either brand, including the mighty AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. It's slightly pricey for the performance available, but it has the specs to handle higher heat loads. If you don't mind paying more than $200 for an AIO cooler when a $100 cooler will largely do the same thing, this is a solid pick.