Cooler

Popular PC case and components manufacturer Lian Li has just announced a new 360mm AIO liquid cooler. The Hydroshift II LCD-C was showcased at Computex 2025 and is a follow-up to the company’s original Hydroshift LCD 360 series that we reviewed last year. Lian has redesigned the cooler to include a thinner radiator for a more compact look and improved compatibility with more compact cases. Just note that a slimmer radiator generally means less cooling performance.

The side-mounted tube design has also been updated with flexible server-grade corrugated tubing, which is designed for smooth bends around the radiator without reducing flow or internal diameter. There’s also a new sliding tube clamp for improved tube alignment directly over the CPU block.

The tubes can be secured using various mounting points on the side of the radiator, or using the screw mounting holes at the top, allowing it to be secured directly to 140mm fan brackets. The pump block itself is now cable-free (sort of), as all the connections have moved to the radiator. There’s also a new latch-in-place mounting mechanism that helps make installation a bit easier by holding the block securely while you’re screwing it down. That certainly sounds like a welcome design feature.

The pump block also features a round, 2.1-inch IPS display (480×480 resolution, 60 Hz refresh, and up to 500 nits of brightness) with an outer RGB ring. The LCD can be controlled using three methods, including an offline mode that doesn’t require any additional USB or software. Turning the RGB pump cap lets you switch between thirteen preset screen designs. Turning it the other way to change the lighting effects.

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(Image credit: Lian Li)(Image credit: Lian Li)(Image credit: Lian Li)

There’s also a Wireless Mode that uses a 2.4GHz connection and pairs to Lian Li’s L-Wireless Sync controller that needs to be plugged into the motherboard’s USB header or rear port. It can then sync with the company’s L-Connect 3 app to control the screen and lighting without needing a USB connection from the AIO to the motherboard. The last method is USB Streaming Mode, which offers extended features where you can upload your own images, GIFs, videos, use templates, or even use the cooler’s display as a second screen.

The AIO supports both AMD AM4 and AM5 sockets as well as Intel LGA 1700 and LGA 1851. The company will be offering the cooler in black or white, with either its UNI Fan TL Wireless at $240, UNI Fan CL Wireless at $180, or there a fan-less version priced at $160. That last option is actually interesting as it allows customers who already own fans to save some money. The new Hydroshift II LCD-C series is available for pre-order starting today, and will come with a six-year warranty.

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I first heard that Cooler Master’s Hyper 612 air cooler had impressive performance from users in China, but I had no idea quite how much it would impress me. Despite its medium size, it provides performance competitive with larger dual-tower air coolers. Cooler Master claims its performance is enabled by new superconducting heatpipe. And while normally I would ignore such claims as marketing fluff, the Hyper 612 Apex has the performance to back it up!

Will the Hyper 612 Apex make our list of the best CPU coolers? It certainly has the performance to warrant consideration. But the price of $79 is higher than most of the air-cooled competition, especially from tough competitors like Thermalight. Let’s take a look at the specifications and features of the cooler, then we’ll go over thermal performance with both Intel and AMD CPUs, as well as noise levels.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Cooler specifications

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Cooler

Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex

Colors

Black or white models

MSRP

$79.99

Radiator Material

Aluminum

Lighting

None

Warranty

5 years

Socket Compatibility

Intel Socket LGA 1851/1700/1200/115x AMD AM5 / AM4

Unit Dimensions

127 (L) x 114 (W) x 159mm (H)

Maximum TDP (Our Testing)

>245W with Core i7-14700K >242W with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Today’s best Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex deals

Packing and included contents

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The packaging features Cooler Master’s dark purple and pastel design, showcasing the product in the center. Inside, the packaging is separated into two separate parts.

Features of Cooler Master’s Hyper 612 Apex

▶️ Heatsink Design

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

At first glance, you might think this is a thick single tower cooler – but look again!

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

If you take off the top cover, it becomes apparent that the heatsink isn’t as large as it might appear – almost half of the unit’s thickness is from the fans that come with it.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶️ High-quality Cryofuse

Cooler Master includes its Cryofuse thermal compound with the cooler, which offers good performance only a couple of degrees away from the best pastes we’ve tested – but as you’ll see in our benchmarks below, it really doesn’t an edge from its thermal paste!

▶️ Sturdy metal backplate

For users of Intel platforms, a sturdy metal backplate is included that won’t bend under pressure.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶️ Six superconducting copper heatpipes

The design of this unit’s heatpipes are interesting. Cooler Master has mentioned that the company was using machine learning to improve its heatpipes in the past, and this cooler appears to be the first to utilize these advances.

(Image credit: Cooler Master)

Looking at the cross-section of the Cooler Master image above, you can see that the heatpipes have been staggered to evenly spread heat through the aluminum fins of the tower. Cooler Master makes some interesting claims about the heatpipes themselves. I’ve included one of the marketing slides below.

(Image credit: Cooler Master)

And here’s a bottom photo of the sample we were sent for testing, showing how the heatpipes are weaved for maximum heat dissipation.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶️ Complete RAM Compatibility, no matter the size of DDR5

Unlike liquid coolers, which generally don’t interfere with memory DIMMs on a motherboard, many air coolers overhang the DDR5 or DDR4 slots, creating compatibility concerns. This is not an issue for Cooler Master’s Hyper 612 Apex, which does not overhang them in any manner, ensuring compatibility no matter how short or tall your RAM sticks are.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Real world testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 and AMD AM5 platform

My results may differ from others because I emphasize results that are comparable to real-world use. This means that I test CPU coolers inside a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods.

Many will test CPU coolers outside of a case, on an open test bench. Open benches have lowered ambient temperatures, which makes weak coolers appear stronger than they are. Some publications have also used generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect the real-world conditions where a CPU cooler is typically used.

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CPU

Intel Core i7-14700K

GPU

ASRock Steel Legend Radeon 7900 GRE

Motherboard

MSI Z790 Project Zero

Case

MSI Pano 100L PZ Black

System Fans

Iceberg Thermal IceGale Silent

My previous reviews have tested Intel’s latest platform, using the Core Ultra 9 285K Arrow Lake CPU. But we’re retiring this from our testing suite. Between BIOS changes and Windows updates, Arrow Lake’s thermal characteristics have changed in some scenarios, rendering much of our previous testing data useless.

With today’s review, we’re also testing AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D. This is a beast of a CPU, providing the best gaming and multithreaded performance on the market. It can prove quite challenging thermally when PBO is enabled for overclocking.

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CPU

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D

GPU

MSI Ventus 3X RTX 4070Ti Super

Motherboard

MSI X870E Carbon Wifi

Case

MSI MAG Pano 100R PZ

AM5 and 1851 installation

The installation of this cooler is simple for both Intel and AMD CPUs.

1. You’ll first need to apply the included backplate if you’re using an Intel CPU. AMD users will need to remove the default mounting mechanism.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

2. Next, you’ll need to install the standoffs against the mounting holes.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

3. Take the support bars and place them on the mounting standoffs, and secure them with a screwdriver.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

4. Apply the included thermal paste to your CPU. If you have any questions on how to do this properly, please refer to our handy guide on how to apply thermal paste.

5. Mount the heatsink on top of the CPU, using a screwdriver to secure the screws on each side of the tower.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

6. Slide each fan into the appropriate spot against the heatsink

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

7. Place the cover on top, and then use the included PWM splitter cable to connect the fans to your motherboard.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex: Price Comparison

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Lian Li’s tube-hiding Hydroshift II LCD-C AIO cooler adds a rotating dial for software-free display and RGB control

Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex review: raising the bar for silent performance

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

Features of Cooler Master’s Hyper 612 Apex

Real world testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 and AMD AM5 platform