EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB White Review
I am taking a look at the EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB white edition in this content. This cooler is available in 240mm and 360mm sizes in white and black. There is also a dark edition, which is a non-RGB edition that suits a black/neutral-themed build.
This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA1851/1700 and AMD AM5 sockets in addition to other listed sockets. The salient highlights include the EK-Omnilink that provides a clean look with simplified cable management, positioning of tubes compared to the previous generation, rotatable pump top, simple tool for thumb screws removal/installation, etc.
This cooler is available for USD 163.99 at the time of this review.
Specifications
Packaging and Unboxing
The cooler is shipped inside a cardboard box that has a white color theme. You can see a picture of the cooler along with its name and socket support.
EK has used a black, thick Styrofoam pad as a container for the cooler, fans, and accessories.
A substantial amount of paper is provided along with the illustrative user manual.
The accessory box is orange. It is a container with an inlay that can be pulled using a pull strap on one side.
EK Water Blocks has provided:
- 1x Intel Mounting bracket
- 1x AMD Mounting bracket
- 1x Intel LGA1700 backplate
- 1x Intel other sockets backplate
- 4x Thumb Nuts with Springs
- 4x Intel LGA20xx thumb screws
- 4x Intel/AMD thumb screws
- 12x Philips UNC 6-32x30mm Fan Screws
- 12x Philips UNC 6-32x34mm Fan Screws
- 12x Philips UNC 6-32x6mm Radiator Screws
- 4x Philips Head M3x4mm Mounting Bracket Screws
- 1x ECO-TIM Thermal Paste Tube
- 1x Tool
EK has provided a white cable with a micro-fit 8-pin connector on one end and 4-pin PWM and standard 3-pin D-RGB connectors on the other end. This extension cable connects the daisy-chained fans to the motherboard.
Closer Look
It is time to take a look at the unit, starting with the radiator.
The cooler comes equipped with an aluminum radiator measuring 400x124x27mm, where 27mm is the height of the radiator. This height would be 54mm with EK-Loop FPT fans, which stand at 27mm thickness.
This unit has 12 channels for the coolant flow and packs 20 FPI. The mounting holes on opposite ends have a standard gap of 105mm. EK has done a nice job in overall quality, as I did not find any broken or bent fins.
The tube connection side of the radiator has a different design. You can see a housing that hides the tube connection, and it has a height of 27mm, so that when the fans are installed, it provides a unified look. A simple attention to the details has given a clean look to the unit.
The near head has no branding or serial number sticker. The EK branding is on the side of the housing.
The sides of the radiator have diamond-cut brushed aluminum plating. This adds a nice touch to the overall look and feel of this unit. This unit uses Ultra-Low evaporation rubber tubes with fine threading and nylon braided mesh. This tube runs to approximately 400mm. This length should have been 420mm in my opinion.
Block
This cooler has a different block design. It is not circular and has a dimension of 82.3×69.2×61.6mm. The edges are rounded, adding a subtle touch to the overall feel. The housing is made of ABS material. The pump top is made of ABS material as well.
The pump top is removable and rotatable. You can lift the cover using the EK logo corner. Each corner of the main housing has 3 contact pads that are aligned with the 3-pin connector on each corner of the top cover. The top features include a funnel-looking digital RGB lighting effect.
Looking at the backside, you can spot two tube connections at a 90° angle. These are using rotary fittings, and EK has narrowed the gap between the connections. According to EK, this would help install this unit in space-constrained areas. There are two flat cables coming out under the tube connection.
The pump is PWM regulated using a 4-pin PWM connector. The LEDs are regulated via standard 3-pin, 5V connectors. The PWM range of the pump is 20~100% and it has a speed range of 3100 RPM ±10%.
The unit has a copper base measuring 38x38mm. The copper cold plate of this unit has dense microfins for efficient heat transfer. There are 4x golden color holes on the ABS housing above the copper base. The mounting bracket is installed on these holes. It comes pre-applied with the thermal paste, and to make it even better, EK has bundled a thermal paste tube as well.
Fans
EKWB has provided EK-Loop FPT fans with this cooler. FPT stands for Full Pressure Technology. These fans feature full-frame design that does not allow air to escape and helps maintain the pressure. Each fan has 7 blades with enlarged center that houses LEDs. The insets between the corners and the inner ring have a solid base from the rear.
Looking at the backside of the fan, you can see four arms in X shape. EK-FPT FAN – 120ER D-RGB is the model of the fan. Power ratings of the fan are also mentioned. These fans use FDB bearings.
EK has used a cut-to-length power cable on each fan, making the cable management easier.
EK has used EK-Omnilink via 8-pin micro-PEG connector and socket on each fan. You can see daisy-chained fans using these connectors.
| Dimension | 120x120x27mm |
| Speed Range | 550 – 2300 RPM ±10% |
| Noise Level | 36 dB(A) |
| Air Flow | 72 CFM |
| Static Pressure | 2.7mmH₂O |
| Bearing | Fluid Dynamic Bearings |
Installation
I am not covering the installation steps and details. Use the user manual for that. I did not see any observation installing this cooler over the AM5 socket.
Clearance
This cooler has a dimension of 400x124x54mm. Make sure your case has clearance for this size.
D-RGB Lighting
This unit uses standard 3-pin, 5V connectors for D-RGB lighting, making it compatible with RGB sync technologies from all major motherboard manufacturers. I have tested the cooler on ASRock X870E NOVA WiFi, and the lighting was working well with the PolyChrome app.
Testing
The following configuration is used for thermal testing:
- AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
- ASRock X870E NOVA WiFi
- GSkill TridentZ NEO RGB 32GB 6400MHz CL30 DDR5 kit
- ASRock Phantom Gaming RX 7600 Graphics Card for Display
- Biwin Black Opal X570 Pro 4TB NVMe SSD
- Fractal Design ION+ 2P 860W Platinum PSU
- Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout
Here is the settings table for testing:
| Settings | PBO Enabled [243W] |
| Clock (MHz) | Auto |
| Voltage (V) | Auto |
| Thermal Paste | Noctua NT-H2 |
| Thermal Paste Application | Dots Method |
| Test Run Time | 30 minutes |
| Idling Time | 10 minutes |
| All Fans Speed | 100% PWM Duty Cycle |
| Pump Speed | |
| Stress Software | CINEBENCH R23.2 |
| Monitoring Software | HWINFO64 |
I am reporting absolute temperature in the graph because the room temperature was at 22°C throughout the day. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.
Result
EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB is a capable liquid cooler that has performed quite well on the AM5 platform. The overall noise output is also decent, adding to the value of this cooler.
Conclusion
I have tested the EK Nucleus AIO series coolers earlier at the time of their release. This is a take on this cooler but on latest platform in an effort to see if this cooler can deliver the same solid punch that it delivered on other CPUs in our testing.
The EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB White has an aluminum radiator measuring 400x124x27mm. Installing 27mm EK-Loop FPT fans would make the overall height of this cooler 54mm. The unit is compatible with Intel LGA 115x/1200/1700/1851/20xx and AMD AM4/AM5 sockets. The cooler comes with nylon braided sleeved rubber tubes have a length of 400mm.
The pump top features a rotatable cover that can be installed in either orientation depending on the block’s installation, so that the EK logo remains upright. The A-RGB LEDs provide a funnel effect up top. They are regulated via standard 3-pin, 5V connectors. The pump has a rated speed of 3100 RPM ±10% with a PWM range of 20 to 100%.
EK has provided three EK-Loop FPT ARGB fans with this cooler. These fans use an EK-Omnilink connection in which the cut-to-length on each fan has a micro 8-pin connector and socket, allowing daisy chaining. This provides a clean outlook and simplified cable management using an extension cable. These fans are rated for up to 2300 RPM ±10% generating 72 CFM airflow with a 36 dBA noise level. These use FDB bearings.
Installation of this cooler on AM5 requires 18 items. Clearly, EK needs to work on a more streamlined kit, reducing the number of items and consequently the number of steps to install the block. EK-Tool is a handy item that can be used to remove or install the thumb screws. EK led the charge with this and other follow.
This cooler retails at USD 163.99 and comes with a 5+1-year warranty. This cooler retains the power punch, though the competition is now still, and EK might need a new generation of liquid cooler soon.
Pros:
- Thermal Performance
- Rotatable Pump Top
- Funnel Style Lighting Effect onthe pump top
- EK-FPT 120mm Fans
- Easy Cable Management using EK-OmniLink
- Compatible with Intel LGA1851/1700
- Compatible with AMD AM4/AM5
- Easy Installation
- 5+1-year Warranty
- Noise
Cons:
- A bit pricey given the competition
The EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB can be purchased directly from the EK website.
