In my last article, I took a spin on the V360 Lite ARGB Black from Valkyrie. That cooler offers a fantastic performance giving true value for your bucks as it is a highly cost-effective solution as well. This time around, I am taking a look at pocket-friendly offer from Valkyrie in the form of an A360.
The Valkyrie A360 is also available in a 240mm size. Both options are available in black and white. The A360 ARGB White has an MSRP of €75 and Valkyrie offers a 3-year warranty on this cooler. Although the warranty period sounds short, it makes sense for a budget-oriented cooling solution.
This cooler features their new in-house designed pump for efficient cooling. The block has a traditional circular design but the cooler thing is a rotatable lid so that the Valkyrie branding remains upright regardless of the cooler’s orientation. This cooler comes with 3x A12 fans having an airflow rating of 69 CFM and a static pressure rating of 2.02mmH₂O.
This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA115x/1200/1700/20XX and AMD AM4/AM5 sockets.
A360 ARGB Specifications
| Cold Plate Material | Copper |
| Radiator Material | Aluminum |
| Radiator Dimension | 120x397x27mm |
| Radiator Size | 360mm |
| Pump Block Dimension | 84.5×78.5x53mm |
| Pump Voltage | 12VDC |
| Block Pump Lighting | A-RGB |
| Tube Length | 425mm |
| Tubing Material | Corrugated Braided Sleeve |
| TDP | 280W |
| Warranty | 3-Years |
| Socket Support | Intel LGA115x/1200/1700/20XX AMD AM4/AM5 |
Packaging and Unboxing
The outer box is made of cardboard and is finished in white. This packaging is minimalistic compared to the packaging of SYN360 but it is effective. The contents are nicely tucked inside the white color Styrofoam pad like the V360 Lite ARGB Black.
Let’s see what is provided in the box.
- 1x Cooler with preinstalled fans
- 1x Intel Backplate
- 2x Mounting Brackets
- 2x Intel Mounting Brackets
- 2x Fasteners
- 4x Screws for brackets
- 4x Intel LGA20XX Standoff Screws
- 4x Intel Other sockets/AMD standoff screws
- 4x Thumb Screws
- 1x Thermal Paste
- 2x Extension Cables
- 12x Radiator Screws
- 12x Fan Screws for Push/Pull
Closer Look
It is time to take a look at the unit itself.
Radiator
The three A12 ARGB White fans come pre-installed on the radiator. The sides of the fans are covered with a plastic frame for a clean look though it increases the overall width of the cooler.
The fans use proprietary connectors for interconnectivity and then there is an extension cable with standard connectors. This removes the need for any control hub.
Valkyrie uses white metallic clamps to conceal the connection between tubes and barb fittings. There is a sticker label showing the serial number of the unit.
I am showing the side view of the unit. I have removed the side frame from the fans for this picture. There is a Valkyrie branding in the middle of the radiator frame. My Valkyrie uses a Corrugated Braided Sleeve. The tube length is 425mm. You can see that the far head has a slim size compared to the large size near the head on the radiator.
I am showing the Valkyrie branded side frame of the fans.
The radiator is made of aluminum material. Unlike V360 Lite ARGB Black, there are no bend fins on this radiator. The dimension of this radiator is 397x120x27mm (LxWxH) which is the same as for the V360 Lite ARGB Black. Here 27mm refers to the height of the unit. The overall height with 120x25mm fans is 53mm including the heads of the screws (approximately).
The radiator has a 20 FPI count which means you would need high static pressure fans and Valkyrie has got you covered in this department. There are 12 channels for the coolant flow inside the radiator. There is a gap of 105mm between two mounting holes on opposite ends.
Pump Block
Let’s take a look at the design of the pump block.
The pump housing has a traditional ring design. The top lid has an arm with a Valkyrie branding. The good part is that you can rotate this arm so that the branding remains upright regardless of the cooler’s orientation.
The block housing has a dimension of 84.5×78.5x53mm. The top has A-RGB LEDs for vivid backlighting effects.
The above picture shows the Valkyrie branding in stock position.
I have rotated the lid just to show you its function.
There is no style or stenciling on any other part of the housing.
Looking at the backside of the housing, you can see the 90ᵒ fittings with tube connection. The tube connections can be rotated to adjust for any user requirement. There are two flat cables coming out from the side of the main housing.
One cable has a standard 4-pin PWM connector to regulate the speed of the pump. The other cable has a 3-pin 5V A-RGB connector for A-RGB LEDs on the block.
There is a copper base that has a pre-applied thermal paste. Another good thing is that Valkyrie has provided a tube of thermal paste as well. It will come in handy when redoing the cooler in the long run. Intel mounting brackets are pre-installed.
Fans
Valkyrie has supplied their A12 fans with this cooler. These are white fans featuring A-RGB lighting. The black version of this cooler comes with black A12 fans. Each fan has translucent blades. The frame is square and has white anti-vibration pads.
There are 4 arms on the backside that shape the airflow coming out from the blades. These fans are rated for 12VDC and made in China. There is a slope design on the borders as well. Bearings information is not mentioned by Valkyrie.
Valkyrie uses plastic shrouds on these fans for concealment of cable connections. This will provide a clean look to the unit.
There is an integrated header on each fan with a short cable length having a proprietary connector. The fans are interconnected in a neat manner and this is further augmented by the shroud hiding this connection.
There is a Valkyrie branding over the shroud. The shroud also keeps the fans in their place.
I am showing a fully assembled fan assembly.
The fans are connected using proprietary connector cables. There are three adapter extension cables that has 4-pin PWM and 3-pin 5V A-RGB connectors to control the speed and lighting effects of the fans. There is a 7-pin proprietary header as well.
There is a 7-pin proprietary connector on each fan for interconnectivity.
The specifications include:
| Model | Valkyrie A12 |
| Dimension | 120x120x25mm |
| Speed | 800 to 1800 RPM ±10% |
| Airflow | 69 CFM |
| Static Pressure | 2.02 mmH₂O (Max) |
| Noise Level | 32.8 dB(A) Max |
| Lighting | A-RGB |
| Voltage | 12VDC |
Installation
We are not covering the installation details. I only report if there is any issue or observation recorded during installation. The installation of AMD-AM5 socket is a simple and convenient task. I have no observation to mention here.
D-RGB Lighting
The adapter extension cable for the fans uses standard connectors which makes the A-RGB lighting compatible with the RGB sync technology of the motherboard manufacturers. I have tested the cooler on the GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER motherboard and control the lighting using the RGB Fusion 2.0 app. It was working flawlessly. Here are a few pictures.
Thermal Testing
The following configuration is used for thermal testing:
- AMD Ryzen 7950X
- GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER
- Kingston Renegade Fury 32GB 6400MHz CL32 DDR5 kit
- ASRock Phantom Gaming RX 7600 Graphics Card for Display
- Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVME SSD
- Be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
- Praxis Wetbench
Here is the settings table for testing:
| Clock (MHz) | Auto |
| Voltage (V) | Auto |
| PBO | Advanced |
| PPT | 200000mW |
| TDC | 480000 |
| EDC | 640000 |
| Boost Clock Override | +75Hz |
| Platform Thermal Throttle Limit | Auto |
| Thermal Paste | Stock |
| Thermal Paste Application | Stock |
| 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 |
We are reporting delta temperature in the graph because room temperature varied from 20.9°C to 22.8°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
OMG! A budget cooler from Valkyrie is giving competition a run for their money. This is insane performance from €75 cooler. This cooler is sitting on second slot in our test result although we don’t have more coolers in the result but ARCTIC and EKWB coolers will give a good reference point. The only cooler beating the A360 is Valkyrie’s V360.
A360 Conclusion
After testing the V360 Lite ARGB Black, it was time to take a look at the A360 ARGB White from Valkyrie. This is a budget segment cooler but it does not lack any performance and I mean it. This cooler is available in 240mm and 360mm sizes. Both options are available in black and white.
The A360 ARGB White is compatible with Intel LGA115x/1200/1700/20XX and AMD AM4/AM5 sockets. It is good to see Valkyrie still providing support for old Intel sockets providing more market segment unlike the competition even on the budget coolers.
We have an aluminum-made radiator measuring 397x120x27mm. The complete assembly is white. The total height of this cooler with 120x25mm fans is 53mm approximately including the heads of the screws. The radiator has 20 FPI count and it has 12 channels for coolant flow. Valkyrie uses corrugated braided sleeve tubes with a length of 425mm length which is 25mm shorter than V360 Lite ARGB Black.
The block has a circular design which is common in the industry. It has brilliant A-RGB lighting effects on the top. The lid has arm or cap with Valkyrie branding. You can rotate the lid so that the branding remains upright. There is a nice click to this rotation.
This cooler has a copper base and comes with a pre-applied thermal paste. In addition, there is a thermal paste tube in the accessory box that will cover you for good when redoing the cooler in a long run. The pump is PWM-controlled.
My Valkyrie has provided 3x A12 fans with this cooler. These fans have 9x blades. These fans are rated for a maximum of 1800 RPM ± 10% speed generating 69 CFM airflow while maintaining 2.02mmH₂O static pressure. Their noise rating is 32.8 dBA. These fans have a short-length cable that runs to only one side of the frame and uses proprietary connectors for daisy-chaining. This daisy-chain connection can then be connected to the motherboard using an adapter extension cable. Valkyrie has provided 2x plastic shrouds that run on both sides of the fans. This provides a clean look on the outside of the cooler.
The overall installation of this cooler’s block on the AMD AM5 socket requires 12 items in 5 steps. The installation is walk in a park despite being a two point contact. Since this cooler uses standard connectors on the extension cable, it is compatible with RGB Sync technology of the motherboard manufacturers.
This cooler has MSRP of €75 and comes with a 3-year warranty from the manufacturer. This cooler despite being a budget cooler offers a fantastic thermal performance giving the competition a run for their money. If you are in the market looking for a cost-effective cooling solution without any compromise on the performance and looks, look no further as Valkyrie A360 ARGB has got you covered for your good. Valkyrie should consider increasing the warranty period though, in my opinion. This cooler comes recommended by us.
Pros:
- Excellent Thermal Performance
- Rotatable Cover
- A-RGB lighting
- Powerful Pump and Cold Plate Design
- A12 White ARGB Fans
- Easy Cable Management
- Intel LGA1700/1851 Compatible
- AMD AM5 Compatible
- Easy Installation
- Price
Cons:
- Noise
- 3-Year Warranty
