Review: Asus RoG Ryujin II 360

Conclusion

Remember feeling aghast when CPU coolers began to tiptoe beyond the £100 mark? Well, things have since escalated. It took no time at all to smash the £200 barrier, and Asus is now cranking things up another notch with the launch of the RoG Ryujin II 360, heading to retail priced in excess of £300.

Essentially a seventh-gen Asetek 360mm all-in-one, the Ryujin II's claim to fame is a 3.5in display built into the top of the CPU block. To be fair, it is the largest all-in-one display of its kind, and Asus's tidy integration is bolstered through an array of options that make it easy to customise the cooler with useful stats or personalised graphics.

The other value adds remain consistent with the first-generation model and include a 60mm pump fan and a trio of bundled Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC fans. Installation has been streamlined through a bundled fan hub, yet when you get to the crux of the matter, performance isn't going to be markedly different to the many other all-in-one coolers on the market.

Those who believe that a CPU cooler's true worth is based entirely on its ability to do what it says on the tin will note that far cheaper alternatives offer better temps and lower noise, so it goes without saying you have to be absolutely smitten by the integrated display to even consider what is otherwise a formulaic all-in-one.

Bottom line: in the absence of true innovation, CPU cooler manufacturers have resorted to grandiose aesthetics as a means to introduce shiny new models, resulting in the likes of the Asus RoG Ryujin II 360.

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TBC.

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