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ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 vs Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB: Comparison
Liquid Freezer II 280 vs Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB: the radiator size difference
The gap that matters here is radiator size: Liquid Freezer II 280 280 mm against Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB 360 mm, which puts Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB 22% ahead. Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB also leads on max speed, 1700 RPM on the Liquid Freezer II 280 versus 3000 RPM on the Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB. Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB also leads on fan count, 2 on the Liquid Freezer II 280 versus 3 on the Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB.
Liquid Freezer II 280 vs Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB: which one fits your build
The Liquid Freezer II 280 suits value-focused 280mm-radiator builds and motherboards with modest VRM cooling, though it is not built for RGB showcase builds (see ARCTIC's ARGB variants instead) and cases needing thin (<30mm) radiators. Take the Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB for anyone who wants the best-cooling 360mm AIO without paying NZXT or Corsair money. It also earns its place with Intel LGA1700 and LGA1851 builds. The bundled contact frame is worth about 13C on its own. Avoid it for cases with less than 63mm of radiator clearance. This is the single most common reason people return it.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, cooler type, tower layout, radiator thickness, tube length and vrm fan included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 3 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Liquid Freezer II 280 and Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB differ on airflow?
Yes. Airflow reads 72.84 CFM on the Liquid Freezer II 280 versus 77 CFM on the Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB.
Is the Bearing Type the same on the Liquid Freezer II 280 and Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB?
It is. Both are listed at Fluid Dynamic, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- ARCTIC
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- Arctic
Cooler Type
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- AIO Liquid
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- AIO Liquid
Radiator Size
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 280 mm-22%
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 360 mmBest
Series
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- Liquid Freezer III Pro
Model Number
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- ACFRE00066B
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- ACFRE00184A
Socket Compatibility
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X/2066/2011-3
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700
Tower Layout
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Not Applicable
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- Not Applicable
Fan Count
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 2-33%
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 3Best
RGB Lighting
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- No
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- Yes
Cooler Weight
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 1572 gBest
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 2005 g
Radiator Thickness
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 38 mm
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 38 mm
Tube Length
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 450 mm
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 450 mm
Pump Max Speed
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 2000 RPM
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 2800 RPMBest
VRM Fan
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Yes
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- Yes
Fan Size
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 140 mm
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 120 mm
Max Speed
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 1700 RPM-43%
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 3000 RPMBest
Airflow
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 72.84 CFM-5%
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 77 CFMBest
Bearing Type
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Fluid Dynamic
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- Fluid Dynamic
PWM Control
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Yes
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- Yes
Lighting
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- None
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- ARGB
Warranty
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 6 years
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- 6 years
Which one should you pick?
Choose ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 if you want the higher warranty (6 years vs 6 years).
Choose Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB if you want the higher radiator size (360 mm vs 280 mm), the higher fan count (3 vs 2) and the higher max speed (3000 RPM vs 1700 RPM).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 | Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB |
|---|---|---|
| Best Buy | $109.99 View on Best Buy |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
8.5 / 10 Expert Rating
Outstanding thermal value at 280mm, the VRM fan is a genuinely useful extra most AIOs lack.
Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
9 / 10 Expert Rating
The strongest 360mm AIO you can buy, and still not expensive.