Introduction
SilverStone Technology was founded in 2003 on the principle of recognition that merely having innovative expertise within the industry is not enough. Their objective is to ensure that their expertise is delivered to all products with consistency, in response to user’s needs, and with maximum user satisfaction. SilverStone Technology thrives on the challenges of rapid technological advancements and creating an aesthetic standard for the industry. Their products are of high quality. Their product lines include PC Chassis, PSU, Cooling Solution, Storage devices, accessories, etc.
We have something new from SilverStone and this something has been done by a very few of the brands. SilverStone has released new series of coolers with full-size blocks for the Ryzen Threadripper sockets meaning the base of these coolers will fully cover the IHS of AMD ThreadRipper chips. At the same time, these coolers are compatible with other Intel and AMD sockets. Instead of releasing a TR4 dedicated version, these coolers will support almost all leading sockets from both camps out of the box. How good is that! Since we have a large size block on the coolers, SilverStone has presented an altogether different design. The block has a scintillating diamond-cut design with SilverStone logo plating which looks dope in person and in my personal opinion, these would go hand-in-hand with the G.Skill TridentZ Royal kits. These coolers are and will be available in 240mm, 280mm, and 360mm versions. We have earlier reviewed their iCEGEM 240P cooler. This time we will take a look at iCEGEM 360. This cooler comes with a 28mm thick radiator having a dense fins count and three high-performance and high air pressure fans with killer A-RGB lighting.
Here are the features of the cooler:
- Pressure optimized fans with brighter ARGB effects can effectively dissipate heat from the radiator
- Scintillating diamond-cut design with SilverStone logo plating.
- Integrated addressable RGB lighting for water block and fans
- Includes addressable RGB controller with 10 lighting modes and ability to adjust brightness and color changing speeds.
- The pump motor utilizes three phase, six pole design for smoother, quieter operation compared to most single phase, four pole design. Energy efficiency also improves as well.
- Compatible with Intel LGA 115X/1366/1200/2011/2066 and AMD sTRX4/TR4/AM4/AM3/AM2/FM2/FM1 sockets
- Full block coverage to entirely cover the IHS of Ryzen Threadripper processor
Item: iCEGEM 360
Manufacturer: SilverStone
Price: MSRP $159.99
Specifications
Packaging and Unboxing
The cooler is shipped inside a cardboard packing box with a SilverStone theme.
The lighting on the cooler is compatible with:
- ASUS AURA SYNC
- ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
- MSI MYSTIC LIGHT SYNC
- GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
- BIOSTAR RGB SYNC
Salient features are printed in 11 languages.
The specifications of the cooler are printed in tabular format. The cooler comes with a dedicated lighting controller as well.
Opening the box will show the nicely packed contents in the egged carton. There is a white color Styrofoam pad on the top.
Contents
Let’s take a look at what SilverStone has provided in the accessory box.
We have:
- 1x Intel/AMD backplate
- 1x AMD SP3/xTR4/TR4 mounting bracket
- 1x AMD other sockets bracket
The Intel mounting bracket comes pre-installed on the block.
We have:
- 5x Black color Washers
- 4x Black color spacers/holders
- 4x Spring-loaded thumb nuts
- 4x Intel/AMD long screws
- 4x Intel LGA20xx standoffs
- 4x AMD SP3/XTR4/TR4 standoffs
One thing that you would notice is relatively large size standoffs particularly their threaded portions. This is mainly due to the large size and heavyweight of the block.
We have:
- 1x Thermal Paste
- 12x Long Screws for the Fans
- 12x Small Screws for the Radiator
- Spacer for Intel/AMD sockets
SilverStone has provided a dedicated controller in the box. This would help users who do not have a compatible motherboard. There are a plethora of supporting cables for connectivity and synchronization.
The controller is a slim design with three control buttons on it. The M button switches between the modes. The + and – buttons control the speed of the dynamic effect and brightness. There is an LED indicator on the controller. It has the following effects:
- If the LED indicator is green, press + or – to adjust lighting effects.
- If the LED indicator is red, press + or – to adjust speed.
- If the LED indicator is blue, press + or – to adjust brightness.
- If the LED indicator is yellow, the lighting effect is on auto-mode, thus + and – are non-functional.
We have a 2-pin port here which is used to power the controller using a SATA connector.
We have a 4-pin port here. SilverStone is not using standard A-RGB connectors on the block and the fans out of the box and the user would have to rely on the provided cables for the connectivity with the motherboard or the controller. Please note that none of the bundled cables would connect to this port as the 4-pin proprietary connectors are on the block and the fans.
We have a 3-pin ARGB standard connector cable which allows to connect and sync two A-RGB devices.
We have a 2-pin SATA powered connector cable on the left to power the controller. We have SATA powered connector cable which allows the user to connect the A-RGB devices to the motherboard. Anyway, the user is required to daisy-chain the block and fans for single control and connectivity.
We have:
- 4-pin PWM Y splitter cable
- Molex powered 2-pin socket. The user can connect the pump directly to this socket and have it powered directly by the PSU. This would save one fan header on the motherboard for other use. The user can also connect fans to this socket using the Y cable though one would not be able to control the speed of the fans.
Closer Look
It is time to take a closer look at the components. The cooler is compatible with Intel LGA 115X/1366/1200/2011/2066 and AMD sTRX4/TR4/AM4/AM3/AM2/FM2/FM1 sockets.
RADIATOR
The SilverStone iCEGEM 360 is a 360mm CLC cooling solution. It has a 360mm radiator with 3x high static pressure A-RGB fans with some killer looks on the block.
The dimension of the radiator is 394 x 120 x 28mm. The thickness of the radiator is 28mm. With 25mm fans, the overall thickness would be roughly 54mm with the heads of the screws. The radiator has a 20 fins per inch one (FPI). There is a gap of 105mm between any two fan mounting holes on the radiator. The whole assembly is in black color with a neat finishing.
The radiator is made of aluminum hence it is lightweight. The blocks on both ends of the radiator are rounded. The fin stack is dense and taking into account the left and right side channels, it has a total of 12 aluminum-made channels for the coolant flow.
There is no protective plating under the mounting holes on the radiator assembly much like what we have seen on the majority of AIO solutions in the market with a few exceptions.
Both sides of the radiator housing have a black color plating which seems to be riveted to the housing.
The far head has a rounded design with a slim outlook.
SilverStone is using straight barb fittings on the radiator. The fittings and the connected tubes are covered in a stylish cap. These caps are also in the black color finish. There is what seems to be a fill port on the radiator. Though there is no warranty void sticker pasted on it, it is likely to be reserved only for factory use. Don’t attempt to open the port as you may lose the vacuumed pressure of the loop.
There are two stickers pasted on the near head/block of the radiator. One is showing the model no of the cooler and the other is probably showing the part no of the unit.
The SilverStone iCEGEM 360 is using reinforced 400mm leak-proof rubber tubes with enhanced flexibility without kinking. These tubes are in nylon braided sleeves finished in the black color.
PUMP/BLOCK
Let’s take a look at the block of the cooler which is a marvelous design.
The block has a dimension of 76x66x76mm (LxWxH). The housing of the block is made of ABS material. The top section of the block is where the magic is done. We have a scintillating diamond-cut design with a SilverStone logo plate in the center hence the name iCEGEM. Diamonds or crystals give one heck of a dope look when light up. This diamond-cut design is not obstructed as it runs on the entire length of the block.
The above picture shows the lighting effect on the diamond-cut design.
Looking at the backside of the block, the tubes are installed on rotary barb fittings with the same covers that we saw on the radiator. The tubes are at 90° for easy rotation. There are two flat cables coming out of the mid-section of the housing.
We have a 3-pin power cable for the pump motor. It has a length of approximately 500mm. The other cable has a 4-pin proprietary connector and a 3-pin ARGB socket on the same cable. This cable has an approximate length of 510+310mm. the length of the cables is sufficient enough to daisy chain and reach the controller or the motherboard 5V header.
This is the front side of the block. Look at the curve on the top frame giving more exposure to the lighting of the diamond-cut design.
The left and right sides of the block are identical in layout. They also have curves on the top frame. There is no branding on the housing. There is a gap between the base and the top chamber. This is where the mounting bracket slides in the block.
The pump motor utilizes a three-phase, six-pole design for smoother, quieter operation compared to most single-phase, four-pole design. Energy efficiency also improves. Following are the specifications of the pump:
| Speed | 3000 ±10% RPM |
| Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| Rated Current | 0.42A |
| Connector | 2510 – 3 pin and 3 pin A-RGB 5V LED |
We have a copper base measuring 70x53mm. The copper base is almost covering the entire ABS housing. There is a protective sheet on the base. Don’t forget to peel it off before the installation. We have a large size base because this cooler covers the entire IHS of Ryzen Threadripper CPUs as it is fully compatible with those sockets. The above picture is also showing the pre-installed Intel mounting bracket.
FAN
SilverStone has provided high-performance A-RGB fans with their cooler. Each fan has 11 translucent blades designed to maximize the airflow. The center has a black color sticker with SilverStone branding. We have a black color rigid frame with each mounting corner having a cut-to-size anti-vibration pad.
The side of the frame has a lined design running on the entire border of the frame. Looking closely – not in the focus, you can spot the A-RGB LEDs in the center housing.
The backside of the fan shows the 4-arms assembly on the mainframe with one arm carrying the cables out of the fan. There is a black color sticker in the center showing the power rating of the fan and rated speed. The arm carrying the wires has catchers to avoid wires falling down and coming in the blades’ path of spin.
There are two flat cables coming out of each fan. One is the 4-pin PWM connector cable to power the fan’s motor. It has an approximate length of 500mm. The other cable has 800mm+290 length and has a 4-pin proprietary connector and a 3-pin A-RGB socket.
The specification of the fans are:
| Dimension | 120x120x25mm |
| Speed | 600 ~ 2200 RPM |
| Airflow | 93.4 CFM |
| Air Pressure | 3.18 mmH₂O |
| Noise | 7.3 ~ 36.6 dB(A) |
| Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| ARGB Connector | 4-pin PWM and 3-pin 5V LED |
Installation
The cooler is tested on the AMD AM4 socket using X570 AORUS PRO WIFI. Here are the steps needed for the installation of this socket.
Remove the stock retention brackets and the backplate on the motherboard. Prepare the provided backplate by passing the long screws on the AM4 designated holes as shown in the picture. Use the washers to securely hold the screws in their place.
Paste the protective spacer on the backplate or the socket area behind the motherboard.
Place the assembled backplate on the motherboard. Securely hold the backplate by using the black color spacers. One end of the spacers has a wider opening as compared to the other end with catchers inside. Put the catcher side on the screws to hold the backplate on its own.
Remove the Intel mounting bracket/rail from the block and install the AMD bracket/rail as shown in the picture.
Apply the thermal paste on the CPU and peel off the protective sheet from the base of the cooler. Place the block on the CPU by aligning the holes on the mounting bracket with the threaded portion of the long screws of the backplate. Use the spring-loaded thumbscrews to secure the block on the socket.
Install the fans on the radiator. You can do this step in the first go.
Connect the fans’ 4-pin PWM connectors to the CPU Fan Header using the Y cable. Connect the pump’s 3-pin connector to the Pump_Header or to the PSU using the Molex cable. Daisy chain the A-RGB cables of the block and the fans and connect them directly to the controller or using the sync cable to the 5V header on the motherboard. You are good to go.
Clearance
We have no clearance issue with respect to the DIMM slots or the PCIe slot. Just make sure your chassis supports a 360mm radiator.
RGB Lighting
Here are some mesmerizing pictures:
Testing Methodology
The Testbed configuration is:
- X570 AORUS PRO WIFI
- AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
- ADATA XPG Spectrix D41
- Colorful iGame GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4G [For Display]
- HyperX 120GB SSD
- Cooler Master MWE 650W Gold PSU
- Custom Open-air Test Bench
The following software was used for testing and monitoring.
- AIDA64 6.20 Extreme
Here is the settings table for testing:
| AMD | OC Voltage (V) | 1.350 |
| OC Clock (MHz) | 4200 | |
| Turbo Boost | Disabled | |
| Thermal Paste | Noctua NT-H1 | |
| Test Run Time | 60 minutes | |
| Idling Time | 15 minutes | |
| Fan Speed | Manually set to run at 100% PWM cycle. | |
We are using Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste for coolers testing. Using the same thermal paste for all coolers would ensure standardization. Delta temperatures are reported on the graphs. 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.
Not every run of the stress test may yield the same result. This could well be due to many factors like mounting pressure, thermal paste application, varying ambient temperature, the temperature sensor of the die. Not to mention the silicon differences even among the same category of the chips. Hence, it is pertinent to mention the testing methodology along with the specifics.
Let’s take a look at the results.
100% PWM Cycle
The SilverStone iCEGEM 360 has performed better than the high-end air coolers. We measured roughly 55 dBA on the sound meter at an ambient sound level of 32 dBA. I would suggest using the custom fan curve for these fans. The maximum speed on any fan as recorded in the UEFI/BIOS was 1987 RPM. They did not reach the rated 2200 RPM mark. The pump was at the 2780 RPM mark which is within the rated speed of the pump.
Conclusion
SilverStone has announced and released their new iCEGEM series liquid coolers. These coolers will be available in 240, 280, and 360mm configurations. The 240 and 280mm are already listed on AMAZON and SCAN UK. The 360mm version is expected soon. SilverStone has provided high-performance A-RGB fans. The iCEGEM 360 is compatible with – Intel LGA: 1366/1200/115x/20xx sockets and AMD SP3/xTR4/TR4/AM4/AM3/AM2/FM2/FM1 sockets. The most highlighted feature of these coolers is their full coverage for Ryzen Threadripper. The block of these coolers fully covered the IHS of Threadripper chips. One can reap the full potential of the Threadripper chips with this 360mm cooler thanks to its full coverage of the block and large surface area backed by three high-performance fans. Another striking feature is the scintillating diamond-cut design on the block which is A-RGB backlit. This is new from the manufacturer and looks that good in person.
The iCEGEM 360 has an aluminum radiator measuring 394 x 120 x 28mm. The thickness of the radiator is 28mm. The overall thickness would be roughly 54mm after installing the fans. The radiator has 20 FPI. The complete assembly is in black color. The SilverStone is using leak-proof, high flexible rubber tubes with nylon braided sleeves running to approximately 400mm in length. The tubes are installed on straight barb fittings on the radiator with clamps/covers which are in black finish as well. The sides of the housing have plain plates without any branding.
The most killer element on the unit is definitely the block itself. The housing is made of ABS plastic and copper having a dimension of 76x66x76mm (WxHxD). The top of the block has A-RGB backlit scintillating diamond-cut design with SilverStone branded faceplate. The overall looks and feel are very good and the build quality is top-notch as well. The copper base has a dimension of 70x53mm. The block has two flat cables coming out of it. One is the 3-pin cable to power the pump and the other is a proprietary 4-pin connector for the controller and a 3-pin A-RGB socket.
The iCEGEM coolers come with high-performance ARGB fans. These fans are rated for up to 2200 speed with a maximum airflow rating of 93.4 CFM at an air pressure rating of 3.18 mmH₂O. These fans feature translucent 11 blades to ensure high airflow. The fans have A-RGB LEDs housed inside the center. Each fan has two flat cables. One is the 4-pin PWM cable and the other has a proprietary 4-pin A-RGB connector and 3-pin A-RGB socket. SilverStone has provided a dedicated controller to control the lighting of the fans and the block. The user can connect the cables to the supported motherboard digital headers (5V) as well. The lighting solution is compatible with ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, ASRock motherboards. The installation is easier as well.
The SilverStone iCEGEM 360 has an MSRP of $159.99. SilverStone is giving 3 years warranty with select regions having up to 5 years warranty. We have a good performance from the SilverStone iCEGEM 360 on our AMD test bench which makes the overall proposition to be a solid offer with the features set and warranty period. We are thankful to SilverStone for giving us the opportunity to review their iCEGEM 360 liquid cooler.
