As soon as you take the Lian Li HydroShift II LCD-C cooler out of the box, you know this is a quality product. Lian Li has this knack of nailing the build quality almost every time with its products, and the company's experience of building premium products shows once again with the HydroShift II. Not only does it look great, but it also has features that other companies have simply not thought of yet, like wireless connectivity and hidden tubing. It's not like tubing looks bad on other models, once installed it just doesn’t look as neat as HydroShift.
Lian Li also improved the mounting mechanism of the CPU block and added some useful adjustments of the tubing to make it align perfectly in almost any scenario. These design additions, the wireless connectivity and a slimmer radiator mean that when the cooler is installed into the system, it has a super clean look with minimal tubing on display and no cables at all around the CPU block. Lian Li has even gone as far as putting a cover over the CPU block bracket and thumbscrews to make it even cleaner looking.
Users have the choice of several connection options, with either manual or software control. In offline mode, the LCD screen and RGB can be controlled manually by rotating the CPU block top clockwise or anticlockwise to scroll through the preset configurations. Alternatively, the user can control customisation via the Lian Li L-Connect 3 software which instantly connects to the cooler in wired USB or wireless modes. Either way it’s easy to install and use, even if the user manual can be a little confusing at times.
In terms of negatives, there aren’t many. The $240 MSRP may be seen as expensive for some, but there are no other coolers with this level of unique features, top-notch build quality and chart-topping thermal performance. Some may find it a little loud at max fan speed too, but lowering the fan speed doesn't nerf thermal performance, so it can be configured to your specific noise output needs. As a whole package with looks, ease of installation, build quality and performance taken into consideration, this is one of the best AIO CPU coolers you can buy currently.
Pros:
- Class-leading thermal performance at max fan speed and with noise normalised.
- Great build quality.
- Easy installation.
- Very clean looks with the hidden tubing and no CPU block cables.
- Compact radiator dimensions offer greater case compatibility.
Cons:
- Expensive.
- The user manual can be a little confusing.
KitGuru says: It may sound a little expensive to some at $240 MSRP. But it has everything, great build quality, easy installation and configuration, class-leading thermal performance and some very unique and useful features that make it the best AIO for users who want great looks and the thermal performance to match.