Fractal Lumen S36 RGB 360mm AIO Cooler Review

1. Fractal Lumen S36 RGB2. Testing Methodology3. 100% Fan Speed Testing - Noise4. 100% Fan Speed Testing - Temperatures5. 100% Fan Speed Testing - PBO6. 40dBA Noise Testing - Fan Speeds7. 40dBA Noise Testing - Temperatures8. Testing - VRM Temperatures9. Closing Thoughts10. View All Pages

With the Lumen RGB series of AIO coolers, Fractal has aimed to offer high-end cooling and complementary ARGB lighting alongside an attractive price point. That is exactly what the Fractal Lumen S36 RGB achieves!

Shipping in 360mm format and based around the Apaltek 3rd Gen liquid cooling design, we were hoping for solid performance from the offset and that is just what we got.

Fractal's AIO with 3x120mm 2000 RPM fans was just a smidgen behind the more expensive Asetek 3x120mm 2200 RPM Phanteks cooler. And with the noise locked at 40dBA, the Aspect 12 RGB PWM fans proved their worth by projecting the Lumen S36 RGB to a minor victory over the Phanteks Asetek-built unit.

There are just a few minor downsides though. The daisy-chain approach for cable connections is superb, but the cables are rather long and make management less pleasant. That pump cable in the middle of the radiator can be a bit awkward. And the one-sided RGB header on the block does not match the convenience of the 90-degree rotatable plastic cover. A 5-year warranty is absolutely fine.

Those are pretty inconsequential criticisms considering the cooling performance is strong, the noise performance is reasonable, and the cooler's RGB lighting quality is excellent. Add in the £112.99 price which is particularly attractive for a 360mm AIO with this level of RGB lighting, and I am happy to give the Fractal Lumen S36 RGB cooler a strong recommendation based on our test results.

You can purchase the Fractal Lumen S36 RGB 360mm for £112.99 MSRP with availability soon at e-tailers such as Overclockers UK.

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Pros:

• Strong thermal cooling performance.
• Tolerable full-speed noise levels.
• Aspect 12 RGB PWM fans do a good job.
• 5-year warranty is fine.
• Very competitive price point, especially versus Asetek OEM competitors.
• Very simple AMD installation.
• Eye-catching RGB setup.

Cons:

• Daisy-chained cables are excessively long and messy – plus, braided would have been preferable.
• The rotatable block cover is good, but the one-sided connection cable dampens the experience.

KitGuru says: Offering strong cooling performance, reasonable noise levels, and an attractive RGB lighting system for £112.99, the 360mm Fractal Lumen S36 RGB feels like a very good buy.

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