Asus Rog Ryujin 360 Review

When it comes to PC Components, AsusTek is among one of the best names we have in the market. It was founded in 1989 in Taiwan. Ever since its foundation, Asus has seen a phenomenal growth and diversity in its business line. When it comes to Asus, the first associated name that comes to mind is ROG or Republic of Gamers.

ROG brand was introduced in 2006 and it focuses on mainstream gamers/enthusiasts with products ranging from Motherboard, Graphics Cards to Peripherals. ROG is now the pinnacle of the Asus products lineup. Strix has been a new addition in ROG lineup and here is what Asus is saying about it: “ROG Strix is the newest recruit into the Republic of Gamers. If you are curious, how this cooler is useful, an example is that we labeled ASUS ROG Yuijin as Best 360mm Liquid Cooler For Ryzen 9 5900x.

A series of specialized gaming gear designed for the rebel in all of us, Strix exemplifies ROG’s premier performance, innovative technology, and leading quality, but with its own confident and dynamic attitude. Featuring bold designs and bright colors, this exciting new series possesses a spirit of fierce individualism that charges every gaming experience with thrilling energy. ROG Strix equips players with the necessary speed and agility to dominate their game. A new generation of force has arrived. Join the Republic and experience the power of ROG Strix.”

Computex 2018 has been full of surprises and Asus booth was not behind this surprise Pandora box. Asus showcased their ROG branded CPU Liquid Coolers, Power Supply, and concept chassis designs, all there to further expand into their ROG Ecosystem. They definitely took the audience by surprise. But this was expected given the recent trends in the industry where companies like Gigabyte are releasing their branded coolers, RAMs and what not. ROG being the elitist of all could not lag behind and has made a superb, stylish, and bold entry into a complete ROG branded build concept – coming at more premium pricing.

Asus Rog Ryujin 360 Review

Asus has sent us their ROG Ryujin and Ryuo CPU Coolers for the review and man was I not thrilled for them! Indeed I was and that is I made a request to Asus for the review samples at earliest to give these bad boys a spin and see that hold for the enthusiasts/gamers. Today, I will be taking a look at their flagship thermal solution aka Asus ROG Ryujin 360 Review.

Asus has partnered with Asetek fruiting their idea of seeding the CPU cooling. What is this naming all about? Well, RYUO is a dragon king in Japanese mythology that symbolizes the power of the ocean and is known as a water deity associated with controlling the water tides with magical tide jewels. Ryujin is the premium cooling solution from the Asus under ROG brand with a reliable foundation and unique enhancements like Aura Sync lighting, 60mm fan in the pump housing for near CPU socket area cooling, and a full-color LiveDash OLED, this liquid cooler brings ROG engineering to a vital part of your PC. This segment has two variants at the moment; 240mm and 360mm.

I will be testing a 360mm version. This cooler features Noctua iPPC 2000 PWM fans with airflow of up to 121.8 CFM at 3.94 mmH₂O static pressure while spinning at 2000 RPM. At the core of the cooling is the Asetek 6th generation pump harnessing the cooling potential of the Asus ROG Coolers with the splendid mix of the 1.77” full-color OLED display which is embedded on the top of the block. The housing of the block is made of aluminum and looks that good in person. This is not all as the block also features the addressable RGB lighting as well as a 60mm fan for VRM and M.2 cooling. And as expected this lighting is fully compatible with the AURA Sync lighting.

Asus has provided a simple yet robust software called LiveDash to control and customize the output on the OLED display. The user can set it to display the frequency, temperature voltage of the CPU (limited to Asus motherboards only). The user can also set it to display an animation on the screen or pre-defined set of images and banners. As long as the resolution size is 160×128 pixels, with less than 1 MB size in JPEG and GIF, the opportunities are endless. This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA 115x, 1366, 20xx, and AMD’s AM4 and TR4. Please, note that you would need to buy a kit for the TR4. Asus is offering 3 years of warranty on these coolers.

• Item:                    Asus Rog Ryujin 360 Review
• Manufacturer:        Asus
• Category:             CPU Liquid Cooler
• Price:                  

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Asus Rog 360mm

Specifications:

Please, note that correct airflow rating is 71.74CFM.

Asus Rog 360mm

Packaging and Unboxing:

The cooler is shipped in a standard ROG styling packing box made of cardboard. The front side has black color background with the Asus Republic of Gamers brand logo and name printed in the red color on the top left. ROG RYUJIN 360 is printed in silver color. There is a picture of the unit showing the RGB lighting and OLED display on the block. Asus AURA Sync compatible info label is printed at the bottom right.

The backside of the box has Asus ROG brand name and logo printed on the top left in the red color followed by silver color printing of the Asus Rog Ryujin 360 Review. There are four pictures of the unit highlighting the special features of the cooler. Specifications are printed below the pictures. Compliance labels to the various regulations are printed at the bottom.

The left and the right sides are identical. They have a black color background and has ROG RYUJIN 360 printed in the silver color. Liquid CPU Cooler is printed in the red color below.

The top side solid has red color background with ROG Eye printed in the black color in the center.

The bottom side has salient features printed in 10 different languages. There is a white color sticker pasted at the bottom right having information like UPC, EAN, Serial no, and Part No of the unit.

Opening the box will show standard ROG styling inside on the underside of the top cover. There is an Asus ROG brand name and logo printed in the center. The egged carton can be seen which adds rigidity and further protection to the contents.

Asus Rog Ryujin 360 Box

Contents:

Following are included:

• 1x Radiator
• 3x 120mm Noctua iPPC 2000 PWM fans
• 1x Intel Backplate
• 1x Intel Mounting Bracket
• 1x AMD Mounting Bracket
• 4x Thumbscrew caps
• 24x Washers
• 12x UNC 6-32x30mm Fan Screws
• 4x Intel LGA 115x/1366 Standoffs
• 4x Intel LGA 20xx Standoffs
• 4x AM4 Standoffs
• 12x UNC 6-32x8mm Radiator Screws
• 1x Micro USB cable
• User Manual

Asus 3600mm

Closer Look:

Asus has made an entry into the paraphernalia of the PC components with the launch of their ROG CPU Coolers named RYUJIN and RYUO followed by the Thor PSU and Chassis. They have expanded further into the ROG ecosystem which may have roots in the industry norm at the moment; nevertheless, it is a pleasing moment for the ROG lovers.

They seemed to have come out of the focusing mainly on the graphics cards and the motherboards which are highly popular for their functionality, and styling. Maybe for ROG users, the price is of secondary concern and if that is not the case then the prices of these coolers may surprise and shock them. Coming back to the main objective of this content, here is what Asus is saying about the RYUJIN coolers, “ROG RYUJIN is a flagship all0in0one cooler for high-end builds designed to deliver the best thermal performance.

Featuring Noctua industrialPPC fans for cooler and quieter operation, plus an embedded fan in the pump housing for additional cooling to the VRM and M.2, ROG RYUJIN keeps your system running its absolute best. Coupled with a color OLED that display system stats or custom graphics and Aura Sync RGB lighting, ROG RYUJIN is the ultimate thermal solution designed to become a vital part of your gaming rig.”

Asus Rog 360mm

Radiator:

It is time to look into the design of this cooler followed by our testing to see what it offers to the users. The dimension of the radiator is 394x121x27mm where 27mm is the thickness or height of the radiator. It is a slim radiator. With 25mm fans, the total height would be 52mm. The total thickness of the unit when assembled was 55.35mm as measured with the digital caliper. This is due to the thick heads of the fan screws.

The radiator is made of aluminum hence it is lightweight. FPI count is 20 on this radiator and fans with high airflow and air pressure make sense here. There are 13 channels in the radiator. The edges of the radiator are angular.

The far chamber is relatively thinner which is what we see on almost all AIO coolers. There is 105mm of spacing between any two mounting holes on the radiator housing. The total length of the fins area is 360mm approximately. The width of the radiator is 121mm.

 

The total thickness of the fin stack is roughly 24.16mm approximately. There is no protective plating under the mounting holes on this radiator so take care while installing the fans on it as long screws could easily damage the fins that would least impact the performance or worst leakage from the radiator.

 

There is a sticker pasted on the tubes chamber showing the serial no. The far chamber has a sticker pasted on it as well which is standard in all the AIO where Asetek is the OEM. This cooler is using flexible rubber tubing with sleeves on for better aesthetics. The length of the tube is 380mm. The tubes have OD of 10.82mm as measured with the digital caliper.

Rog 360mm

Water Block:

Let’s take a look at the main showcase of this cooler which is the CPU block. Asus Rog Ryujin 360 Review is equipped with the latest cooling-plate design featuring micro-channels that provide more thermal dissipation area for processor heat. According to Asus, the Ryujin’s cold plate has 30% lower thermal resistance standing at 0.12 °C/W.

This innovative feature enhances the performance efficiency and better cooler temps much thanks to the 6th generation of Asetek pumps with Asus customized PCB for added functionality. The pump housing seems to be made of plastic and measures 100x100x70mm.

It is finished in black color tone and it looks damn impressive in person. There is a top cover which is removable. Underneath, we can see that block has two portions design with the top portion having the full-color OLED display and addressable RGB lighting solution.

The underside of the PCB can be seen on the top part. There is a gap between the top and the lower portion. A 60mm fan can be seen in the housing. This is another feature of the Ryujin where the embedded fan can be used to lower the temperatures of the VRM/M.2 located nearby the CPU socket area.

Indeed the idea is good as I have measured the temperature difference which can be seen in the Test section. The top side of the upper portion has a frosted white color diffuser in a line design located on the right side of the 1.77” full-color OLED screen. It features the industry’s first ever embedded all colors 1.77” OLED display which can display almost anything as long as the requirements of 160×128 pixels in JPEG/GIF and less than 1MB size are met.

Asus has provided a comprehensive software called LiveDash to control the OLED Display and it has been optimized for Asus motherboards for hardware monitoring like CPU frequency, temperature, voltage, fan speeds etc. The user has the option of flipping the display 180° so there is no need to worry about deciding upon the layout of the block when installing.

Notice the two rounded cutouts on the top and at the bottom. These have powerful magnets (silver shining can be seen in the picture). Why I am saying that they are powerful because during my testing, I passed a Noctua screwdriver nearby one of these holes and it catches the screwdriver quickly and grasp was quite powerful that one can easily feel. They are there to catch the metallic screws located on the inner side of the top cover so that top cover can be secured on the pump housing. The upper portion measures 87x74mm.

Let’s take a look at the top cover before looking at the rest of the pump housing. The cover is made of plastic. It measures 100x94x46mm (LxDxH). Here 94 is the maximum depth of the cover taken from its edges. As the central portion is recessed, it measures 81mm from the center. There are cutouts on all four sides of the cover (even they are done in style!). This is a must-have design part to provide enough room for the 60mm fan to intake fresh air otherwise the fan would have been choked to the point of no benefit.

 

The top view of the cover shows the NCVM coating covering the entire length of the OLED screen side. There is a vented portion between the NCVM coated area and the opposite side. These vents are facing the addressable RGB diffuser. The addressable RGB lighting comes through these vents. Republic of Gamers is printed on the right side area which has plain surface finished in brushed aluminum styling.

The inner side of the cover shows two black color metallic screw heads. These make contact with the magnetic cutouts on the upper portion of the pump housing as mentioned above.

The pump housing is not a circular design. In fact, it is hard to explain its resemblance with any geometrical shape for its front side has a pointy tip if we look at it from the sides. Looking at the back side of the housing, we can see the 90° barb fittings with both tubes at the same level.  Tubes can be rotated easily as per the requirement.

There are four cables coming out from the backside:

• 1x SATA cable measuring 298mm approximately
• 1x 4-pin connector cable measuring 305mm approximately
• 1x 3 way-splitter cable for fans measuring 282+50+50mm approximately
• 1x Micro USB cable measuring 935mm approximately

The ROG Ryuo coolers have a detachable micro-USB cable whereas the ROG Ryujin coolers have this cable permanently attached to the block. This does add in the overall cable management challenge and if the user is not good at it, the bulk of cables could ruin the impressive OLED display and RGB lighting. Notice how these cables are coming out of the block. They are not combined at a single point but at three points. The front side of the housing has Republic of Gamers branding at the bottom. The left and the right sides are plain surfaces. The overall design of the pump housing is quite bold and impressive with lining style, particularly on the front side.

 

The top portion is attached to the lower portion using four arms on the frame of the housing. It is done in style as well to complement the overall looks though it will be hidden inside the top cover most of the time. As mentioned above, there is a 60mm fan installed inside the pump housing to cool the VRM/M.2 drive located near the CPU socket. Here are some specifications of this fan:

Variable
Value

Speed (RPM)
4800 ± 10%

Static Pressure (mmH₂O)
3.23

Air Flow (CFM)
19.41

Noise
31 dB(A)

 

This fan is quite noisy and it can only be controlled from the AiSuite software. The user is rather forced to install AiSuite to control the speed of this fan to bring the noise level down.

Now that we have taken a look at the block, it is time to take a peek at the bottom. We have a 54mm diameter circular base made of copper and come with pre-applied thermal paste. It seems like Asetek has upped their game in the thermal paste as I have tested the cooler with stock paste and the Noctua NT-H1 and performance difference coming from the thermal paste is not large by any means. Intel mounting bracket comes pre-installed. It can easily be taken off to install AMD mounting bracket. Unfortunately, I could not get much information about the pump but it is rated at 12VDC using 3.9W giving us the hint on the current rating of 0.325Amps. The maximum RPM on the pump as reported in the BIOS was 2783 RPM and I have found it to be silent even running at full speed.

Asus Rog Ryujin 360

Fans:

Asus has done what I had been doing for quite some time on my own. That is, buy an AIO cooler of Asetek OEM and instead of using the stock fans, use the Noctua iPPC fans. The expensive ordeal for sure but worth it. Asus seems to have taken the aggressive approach on their premium flagship cooling solution as they have collaborated with Noctua to provide the users with ultimate cooling power using the Noctua’s industrialPPC fans. Let’s take a look at their specifications:

Variable
Value

Dimension (mm)
125x125x25

Speed (RPM)
2000 ± 10%

Static Pressure (mmH₂O)
3.94 at 12V

Air Flow (CFM)
71.74

Noise
29.7 dB(A)

Control
4-pin PWM

Voltage (VDC)
12

Current (Amp)
0.1

Power (W)
1.2

MTTF
>150,000 hrs

Cable Length (mm)
316 (approx)

 

Asus is showing the airflow of these fans as 121.8 CFM whereas Noctua website is showing this reading to be at 121.8 m³/h. If we take the correct unit to be m³/h then the actual CFM comes out to be 71.74 by multiplying the 121.8 m³/h by 0.589. I have run it with Asus and Noctua. The correct airflow on these NF-F12 is indeed 71.74 CFM as confirmed by the Noctua.

The Noctua NF-F12 iPPC (Protected Performance Cooling) 2000 PWM fan is a ruggedized high-speed version of the award-winning retail model. Thanks to the outstanding aerodynamic efficiency of the NF-F12 design and the use of a novel three-phase motor, the industrialPPC version provides superior airflow and pressure capacity while keeping noise levels and power consumption moderate as against comparable high-speed fans.

While its fiberglass reinforced polyamide construction and certified water and dust protection (IP52) make the NF-F12 industrialPPC suitable for operation in challenging environments, the renowned SSO2 bearing technology guarantees an MTTF of over 150.000hrs. The NF-F12 industrialPPC is an ideal choice for highly demanding applications that require superior flow rates and ultimate dependability. We have reviewed the NF-F12 iPPC 3000 PWM earlier. You can check the review of the iPPC fans by clicking here.

These fans have 7 impellers designed to work in tandem with the focused flow frame that features eleven stator guide vanes to straighten, channel and focus the airflow hence making these fans ideal for highly resistant surfaces like radiators. The NF-F12’s stator guide vanes are set out in Varying Angular Distance and feature Vortex-Control Notches. Both measures help to spread the noise emission over a broader frequency spectrum and thus make the fan’s sound pattern more agreeable to the human ear.

Noctua’s AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation) frames feature integrated anti-vibration pads as well as Noctua’s proprietary Stepped Inlet Design and Inner Surface Microstructures, both of which further refine the fan’s performance/noise efficiency. These fans are using Noctua’s legendary SSO2 bearings to provide even better stabilization, precision, and durability. In order to guarantee the highest possible degree of manufacturing precision, minimum tolerance and excellent long-term stability, the NF-F12 industrialPPC sports a CNC milled bearing shell made entirely from brass. Custom-designed PWM IC with SCD Supporting fully automatic PWM speed control, the NF-F12 industrialPPC uses Noctua’s custom-designed NE-FD2 PWM IC for three-phase motors.

The NE-FD2 integrates Noctua’s proprietary Smooth Commutation Drive (SCD) technology, which suppresses PWM switching noises and thus makes the fan quieter at lower speeds. All these features are supported by a 3-phase motor design. There are black color anti-vibration pads on each mounting corner which can be replaced with their Chomrax series of anti-vibration pads available in 6 colors.

The backside of the fan has a different design as compared to the standard 4-arms assembly design. We have 1 stator guide vanes holding and securing the motor hub with the frame. There is a sticker pasted on the center with Noctua brand logo printed on its top. NF-F12 industrial-2000 PWM is printed in the center. These fans are drawing much less power as compared to the Asus ROG Model 12 fans introduced with the Asus Rog Ryujin 360 Review.

OLED Display and RGB Lighting:

Before moving on to the installation and testing sections, let’s take a look at the Vortex software to control the OLED display and AURA Sync lighting on this cooler. All Asus ROG coolers are AURA Sync compatible which helps the users to synchronize their complete lighting solution based on Asus hardware.

AURA SDK is also available for the other manufacturers and developers. LiveDash can be downloaded from the Asus website and they work with the Asus ROG coolers. This software has simplified interface which is appreciated and provides the users with the options to show hardware monitoring stats (only for Asus motherboards), animations, logos, pictures, texts, banners, you name it.

The main interface will show the Hardware Monitor as the default menu. The interface has ROG eye printed on the top left side. There is an option to turn the OLED display off/on. There is an option to rotate the display 180° under the OLED display. I really appreciate the Asus design team to take care of this minute detail as it will free the users from the orientation of the block while installing it. Also, as I have tested the cooler on the PrimoChill Praxis WetBench which is an open-air test bench chassis, this feature came handy when I was monitoring the hardware stats while sitting in my chair.

 

Please, note that you would need AiSuite to control and monitor the fans connected with the cooler. AiSuite can be downloaded from the Asus website. Under the Fan Xpert, there will be two entries with the name ROG RYUJIN Fan and Fan 1 showing the custom fan curve which the user can set as per the requirement.

The Fan 1 option is for the 60mm embedded fan in the pump housing whereas the second option is for the three connected fans to the 3-way splitter cable of the block. I did not use the AiSuite software for monitoring the temperatures as it is not a standard thermal monitoring software on my test bench. It was only used to check and control the speed of the fans and to show to our readers about it. Please, read the testing methodology for better understanding of our testing scheme.

Next, the menu is Image or Animation. The user can use this menu to display any image or animation on the OLED screen as long as the following requirements are met:

• Resolution of the image is 160×128 pixels.
• Type of the image is JPEG/GIF.
• Size of the image is limited to a maximum of 1MB.

Click on Custom Image/animation option to enable the Browse button. Browse and select the desired image and click on the Apply button at the bottom to get it displayed on the screen. Else, the user can use the predefined logos and animation available in the list at the bottom for the display. Red ROG eye is my personal favorite.

Next, the menu is Custom Banner. Here Asus has provided three predefined templates for the image. The user can type the text in the text box located at the bottom and clicking on the Apply button will load the custom banner on the screen.

Next is the lighting control. 6 Modes are available for the addressable RGB lighting on these coolers. These are:

• Static
• Breathing
• Strobing
• Rainbow
• Color Cycle
• Flash and Dash

The user can set the direction of the lighting flow as well as control the speed of the dynamic effects. There is one caveat to it. Selecting any lighting mode will change the lighting mode of the Asus motherboard as well and if you would want to select the different lighting on the motherboard then the one on the cooler then AURA Sync software for the motherboard needs to be used for this purpose. This would make the total no of software needed to be 3 which in my opinion is cumbersome and LiveDash should have all the options in it for the users’ convenience.

 

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The lighting effects are right on the money and I love the colors. It is not overly done and has even lighting for smooth and better visuals. OLED display is something out of this world on this cooler as we have yet to see such option on any cooler. The ability to sync and coordinate the Aura Sync lighting enabled devices is a big plus. I would like to say that it is brilliantly done!

Asus Rog 360mm

Installation:

Here are the Installation guides for the Intel LGA-20XX and 115X sockets:

LGA-20XX

• Install the LGA-20XX standoffs screws on the mounting holes around the CPU Socket.
• Install the fans on the radiator using the supplied fan screws and washers.
• Place the water block on the CPU by aligning the mounting holes on the mounting bracket with the LGA 20XX standoff screws.
• Secure the block using the thumbscrew caps. Use a screwdriver for this job and go diagonally for even pressure.
• Connect the 4-pin PWM cable to the CPU fan header or any of your desire fan header.
• Connect the SATA connector to the PSU.
• Connect the fans power cables to the Y-Splitter cable coming from the block or use Y-Splitter of your own and connect them on your desire fan header on the motherboard.
• Connect the micro USB cable to the 9-pin USB 2.0 header.
• Place the top cover on the pump housing making sure that its indent side is facing the tubes.
• This would complete the installation.

LGA-115X

• Set the pushpins on the Intel backplate according to the socket. Slide them down for the Intel LGA-115X.
• Place the backplate on the backside of the motherboard by aligning the push pins with the pre-drilled holes around the CPU socket.
• Use the Intel LGA1115X/1366 standoff screws and secure the backplate with the motherboard. There will be a flex in the backplate giving the impression that it is not mounted correctly. Ignore that it will be secured once the block is installed.
• Place the water block on the CPU by aligning the mounting holes on the bracket with the standoff screws.
• Secure the block using the thumbscrew caps. Use a screwdriver for this job and go diagonally for even pressure.
• Connect the 4-pin PWM cable to the CPU fan header or any of your desire fan header.
• Connect the SATA connector to the PSU.
• Connect the fans power cables to the Y-Splitter cable coming from the block or use Y-Splitter of your own and connect them on your desire fan header on the motherboard.
• Connect the micro USB cable to the 9-pin USB 2.0 header.
• Place the top cover on the pump housing making sure that its indent side is facing the tubes.
• This would complete the installation.

 

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Clearance and Installation Notes:

The best thing about AIOs is the maximum clearance and compatibility with respect to the chassis, DIMM slots, PCIe slot. This cooler has no such clearance issue. The tubes are not blocking any DIMM slot and RAM modules of any height can be used. Similarly, the block is not obstructing the first PCIe x16 3.0 slot. Make sure that chassis has provision for a 240mm radiator mounting and you are good to go.

Testing and Methodology:

Following test bench is used for testing this cooler: –

• Asus Rampage V Edition 10
• Intel i7 6850k
• Crucial Ballistics Elite 4x4GB @ 3000MHz
• Nvidia GTX 1080 FE
• Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
• Seagate Barracuda 2TB
• Corsair AX1200i
• PrimoChill Praxis WetBench

Following software were used for the testing and monitoring.

• Asus Real Bench v 2.44
• Real Temp GT v 3.70

The thermal paste being used on the test bench is the Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste. Since Asus asked us to test the coolers using the stock paste, so I have tested the cooler using the stock paste and then the Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste as well.

The use of a same thermal paste for all coolers will ensure the standardization and mitigate any performance benefit that may come using the supplied thermal paste. Delta temperatures are reported on the graphs. The cooler is tested on stock clocks i.e 3.6GHz using 1.136V manual VCore. The Asus RealBench 2.44 is used to stress test the cooler’s performance.

Each run of the test was of 60 minutes followed by 15 minutes idle time to let the system cool down. The fans and pump were set to run at their 100% RPM. CPU is overclocked to 4.3GHz with 1.350V manual Vcore. The max temps on each core is summed up and divided by the core count to give the average figure. Delta temperatures are calculated by subtracting the ambient temperature from the average temperature. 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.

Let’s take a look at the results. On stock clocks, i.e 3.6GHz at 1.13V the chip was idling at 1.5°C using stock paste. Under stress test, the cooler was doing a delta of 19.50°C on stock paste.

Using the Noctua NT-H1, the under load temperature was 18.5.0°C a marginal 1.0°C difference from the stock paste. It is clear the stock paste is good enough to give you the better thermal performance. This cooler has definitely taken a top slot even on a stock paste but with a minimum difference range of 1.5°C even on the stock paste. Asus clearly means business with these coolers.

With overclocked chip at 4.3GHz using 1.350V, the chip was doing 36.87°C under load using stock thermal paste. This is 0.42°C higher than the Alphacool Eisbaer 360 LT and 1.67°C higher than the Alphacool Eisbaer 360. With Noctua NT-H1 it was doing 34.7°C winning the top slot on the graph though it is a marginal victory by 0.5°C.

Embedded Fan Thermal Results:

As mentioned above this cooler features a 60mm fan installed inside the pump housing. Its main function is to provide fresh air to the near-socket components like VRM/M.2 to keep them cool. Asus in-house testing is showing a difference of up to 20°C using this fan. T

o test this fan, I set up three thermal probes around the CPU socket, particularly on the VRM/MOSFETs. Monitoring was done through Reeven Polariz fan controller which also allows reading the thermal sensors. Testing was done with the CPU overclocked to the 4.3GHz using 1.350V.

A stress test of 1 hour was run with this fan powered off followed by a 1 hour of idle time and last stress test with this fan ramped up to its full speed. Average of the three readings was used for each test. This fan brought the temperatures down by 14.5°C which is impressive. The actual temperature reduction would vary depending upon the CPU, motherboard etc.

Acoustic Performance:

I could not measure the sound level of the unit due to certain environmental noises that would invalidate the actual sound level reading from the sound meter. Based on my experience with the fans and coolers testing so far, the embedded 60mm fan in the pump housing is very noisy at full speed and definitely warrants a custom fan curve.

I am a sort of guy who wants silent or near silent operations and these fans are not falling in this category. The Noctua NF-F12 iPPC-2000 PWM, on the other hand, were audible though not teasing as compared to the 60mm embedded fan.

Conclusion:

The Computex 2018 was full of innovation and new ideas. This was seen at Asus booth as well where they showcased further expansion into the ROG ecosystem with ROG branded CPU Coolers, Power Supplies, and PC Chassis. This definitely gained attraction and ROG lovers have been waiting and wanting the new stuff from the Asus’s premium ROG brand.

Well, finally the wait is coming to an end with the launch of the Asus ROG Ryujin and Ryuo CPU coolers along with the Thor PSUs. The Asus has partnered with the Asetek to bring in fruition their new breed of All-In-One coolers. These coolers are using the Asetek’ sixth generation pumps with presumably Asus modified PCB for added functionality. The Asus ROG Ryujin is their flagship thermal cooling solution.

We are expecting their cooler for mainstream somewhere during 2019. The Asus ROG Ryujin has the industry’s first 1.77” full colors OLED display screen with customization through software called LiveDash. It also features an addressable RGB lighting solution on the block as well as an embedded 60mm fan in the block to keep the surrounding area of the CPU socket particularly VRMs and M.2 drive cool. Its cooling potential has been harnessed using the 6th generation of the Asetek pump and Noctua’s NF-F12 iPPC-2000 PWM fans.

The dimension of the radiator is 394x121x27mm where 27mm is the thickness or height of the radiator. It is a slim radiator. With 25mm fans, the total height would be 52mm. The total thickness of the unit when assembled was 55.35mm as measured with the digital caliper. This is due to the thick heads of the fan screws.

There is 105mm of spacing between any two mounting holes on the radiator housing. The total length of the fins area is 360mm approximately. The width of the radiator is 121mm. The total thickness of the fin stack is roughly 24.16mm approximately. There is no protective plating under the mounting holes on this radiator so take care while installing the fans on it as long screws could easily damage the fins that would least impact the performance or worst leakage from the radiator. Asus is using the sleeved rubber tubing measuring 380mm with OD of 10.82mm.

The ROG Ryujin is equipped with the latest cooling-plate design featuring micro-channels that provide more thermal dissipation area for processor heat. According to Asus, the Ryujin’s cold plate has 30% lower thermal resistance standing at 0.12 °C/W. The pump housing measures 100x100x70mm. It is finished in black color tone and it looks damn impressive in person. The block has dual chamber design with top chamber hosting the industry’s first 1.77” OLED display screen and addressable RGB lighting solution.

This chamber has a plastic top cover which is removable. There are vents on all the sides of this cover to provide ample fresh air for the embedded 60mm fan on the lower chamber. The top side of the cover has NCVM coating and this is where most of the magic is coming from. The OLED display can display almost anything as long as the requirements of 160×128 pixels in JPEG/GIF and less than 1MB size are met. Four cables are coming out of the block.

These are all flat cables except that of the micro USB cable. One is 298mm long SATA cable to power the OLED Display and addressable RGB LEDs. The second one is pump’s power cable measuring 305mm, the third is a 2 way-splitter cable measuring 282+50+50mm to connect three fans on the radiator with the unit to be controlled using the software and the fourth one is the micro USB cable measuring 935mm. On Asus Ryuo coolers, the micro USB cable is detachable.

The block has a copper base with 54mm diameter and comes with pre-applied thermal paste. There is a gap between the top chamber and the lower one and this is where the top of the embedded 60mm fan could be seen. The gap is there to ensure the proper air intake for this fan.

I am in love how Asus has taken the cooling potential of their flagship coolers to the maximum level. They have bundled Noctua’s NF-F12 iPPC-2000 PWM fans with their Ryujin segment of the coolers. This is what I have been doing for some time i.e using the iPPC fans on the coolers in my personal build.

Finally, Asus has come out with this win-win combination of the Asetek, Noctua, and ROG. The Noctua NF-F12 has rated speed of 2000±10%. They have rated airflow of 71.74 CFM. This is where Asus has made a mistake by confusing m³/h unit with the CFM. Asus is marketing these fans as having 121.8 CFM whereas these are actually 121.8 m³/h. To calculate the correct CFM unit from m³/h, multiply its value with 0.589. 121.8 m³/h X 0.589 = 71.74 CFM. I am hoping that Asus would address this mistake. The static pressure rating of these fans is 3.94 mmH₂O. The sound level is rated at 29.7 dB(A).

The maximum input current is 0.10A with power consumption of 1.2W at 12VDC. They carry impressive MTTF value of minimum 150,000 hrs. These fans are using Noctua’s legendary SSO2 bearings with the three-phase motor. They are using Noctua’s FocusedFlow frame technology with Heptaperf blade geometry. The fans are made of fiberglass reinforced polyamide and carry IP5522 certification. The fans have anti-vibration rubber pads on each mounting hole. There is a gap of 105mm between any two mounting holes. We have reviewed the 3000 RPM version of these fans which can be checked by clicking here.

Asus has provided an easy to use software called LiveDash to control the OLED Display and AURA lighting. The plus point of the design is that this is fully AURA Sync compatible and can be used to sync overall lighting zones on the Asus motherboards and graphics cards.

The requirement to out a display on the screen is to use an image/animation of 160×128 pixels with a maximum size of 1MB using the JPEG/GIF only extensions. The LiveDash is optimized to display the hardware monitoring stats on the screen like CPU temperature, voltage, speed etc. This can only be done on the Asus motherboards, keep that in mind. To control the fans’ speed, you would need to download and install the AiSuite software. This functionality is not available in the LiveDash.

As such we are dealing here with three software which to some or many, may sound cumbersome. OLED screen display is a killer aspect of the design and man, am I not loving it! It is absolutely fun and addressable RGB lighting creates stunning effects around the CPU socket.

For quite some time the Alphacool Eisbaers have rocked my graphs but seems like we have a new champion aka Asus ROG Ryujin 360. The thermal performance of this cooler is very good and it has taken a sweet top slot even on the stock paste at stock clocks.

The quality of the stock paste is better as there is a 1-2°C difference between it and the Noctua NT-H1. On stock clocks and with overclocking, the cooler emerges as a winner though the margin of win is narrow on the higher clocks. Unfortunately, this performance is coming at the expense of noisy 60mm fan for which I would suggest setting up a custom fan curve. The Noctua fans were near silent but audible. They were not teasing as compared to the embedded 60mm fan in the pump housing. The embedded fan at its full speed was able to reduce the temperature of the surrounding components i.e VRM/MOSFET in my testing scenario by 14.5°C.

Asus is offering 3 years of limited warranty on these coolers which is nice though, in this price range, 5 years warranty should have been provided. Corsair’s new Hydro series coolers also based on the Asetek’s 6th generation pumps but are costing much less and come with 5 years of warranty. Of course, they lack the OLED Display, embedded fan, and Noctua’s premium fans after all.

Update: I am testing Intel i5 9600k on Asus Strix Z390E Gaming motherboard and while running blender benchmark, I made an observation that CPU temperature as reported by LiveDash on the block is incorrect. I checked the same in AiSuite and it was also reporting incorrect temperature reading. Reported CPU temperature is way low than it really is. To counter check it, I have used RealTemp for monitoring and there was a difference of approximately 12C between both. Same was tested with HWInfo 64 and again the same difference was observed confirming that AiSuite and LiveDash reporting is not accurate.

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