ASUS ROG Strix SLC IV 360 ARGB LCD CPU Cooler Review

Conclusion

I wanted to love this cooler, but its mounts are a real problem

There’s a lot to like about this cooler, but testing it was a pain. ASUS ROG is a premium brand, so we expect a premium product; while that’s true for the most part with the ROG Strix SLC IV ARGB LCD, it falls short in one area.

This cooler’s mounting system is poor, so much so that it delivered subpar cooling performance when we first mounted it. It has what we will call the “three hands” problem. Ideally, you will use one hand to hold your screwdriver and the other to hold this CPU cooler’s waterblock/pump unit. This cooler requires a third hand to hold the CPU cooler’s socket backplate in place. As you know, humans only have two hands, and that’s a problem.

Typically, a CPU cooler’s backplate is held in place by standoff screws or tight plastic standoffs. This cooler uses the latter method. Sadly, our unit has loose standoffs, which makes them ineffective. Once we applied pressure, the backplate would shift out of place, making installation a pain. The tolerances on these standoffs are poor, and this needs to be fixed. Other ASUS products do this correctly, and the same standards should apply here. Our solution was to lay our PC vertically and use a box to hold the backplate in place while we mounted the cooler. Alternatively, ask a friend or partner to hold it in place while you install the cooler.

Rant over

Outside of this CPU cooler’s mounting solution, the product is solid. Its 5.08-inch screen is larger than what most liquid cooling solutions offer, giving the ROG Strix SLC VI 360 ARGB LCD a certain WOW factor. ASUS “cable-free” Q-Connector support makes it a great option for modern ASUS-based PCs. Its short tubing runs also add extra visual appeal. That said, this orientation does limit PC case compatibility. However, a standard non-SLC version is available with a more traditional liquid-cooler radiator setup.

Another nice touch is this cooler’s RGB lighting, with its single-frame fan unit offering a distinct visual aesthetic unmatched by most competing liquid-cooling solutions. If you’re building a PC with ASUS ROG hardware, this is a cooler that you should be looking at.

(TinyTomLogan is using this cooler in his personal office PC)

As an ROG Strix product, the ROG Strix SLC IV 360 ARGB LCD doesn’t sit on top of ASUS’ ROG cooling lineup. That said, at £199.99, this cooler retains many of the features that make ASUS’ higher-end coolers special. For starters, it offers Q-Connect support for “cable-free” cooling and a larger-than-normal LCD screen. Yes, this isn’t the larger, curved screen of the ROG RYUO IV 360 ARGB series, but this cooler gets most of the way there with a much lower price.

While this isn’t the best-performing CPU cooler we have tested, it delivers solid cooling results (when you take care to mount it correctly). It looks good, performs well and integrates well into modern ROG PC setups. That all makes this a compelling CPU cooler, especially for ROG fans.

We like it, but this cooler is hard to recommend

The OC3D team has very mixed feelings about this CPU cooler. We agree that the mounting system is sub-par, but we like the look of its LCD screen and the aesthetic of its SLC hoses. Its performance was also solid: at least when mounted correctly. That said, the fact that we can mount this cooler incorrectly is concerning.

If this cooler had a less problematic mounting system, we would love it. It is rare for a product to launch today with such a flaw. We’ve reviewed CPU liquid-cooling solutions for over a decade, and we thought tricky CPU cooler mounting solutions were a solved problem. There are so many examples of good mounting solutions that a poor mounting solution is something that is worth mentioning, especially when it impacts a premium brand. It mars what is otherwise a great product. This isn’t even an “ASUS” problem. We are currently testing their ROG Ryuo IV 360 RGB, which uses a similar backplate/mount design with tighter-fitting parts that avoid this problem entirely.

If you are willing to look past this cooler’s problematic mounting solution and mount it correctly, this is a solid product. This is especially true if you have, or plan on getting, an ASUS AIO Q-Connect-compatible motherboard. For its price, this product is solid. Honestly, given its ROG branding, we expected it to cost more.

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