The ASUS ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme cooling system came to us paired with the ROG MAXIMUS Z890 HERO motherboard and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K processor, which is not the fastest from this processor generation and actually falls behind older tested processors.
On October 10, 2024, Intel released its Intel Core Ultra 200S desktop processors (Arrow Lake-S), introducing the first enthusiast desktop CPUs with artificial intelligence support. These new processors offer a complete enthusiast solution, delivering excellent performance for AI and content creation, creating an impressive gaming experience and providing significant energy consumption reduction in everyday tasks, games and creative applications.
The new processor generation is led by the flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which includes 8 next-gen performance cores (P-cores), the fastest cores available in desktop systems and up to 16 next-gen efficiency cores (E-cores), which together provide up to 14% better performance in multi-core tasks compared to the previous generation. This new processor family is the first enthusiast desktop processors with NPU support and is equipped with a built-in Xe video subsystem with modern multimedia support.
The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K processor features 6 powerful P-cores and 8 E-cores. This processor runs at 4.6 GHz – 5.2 GHz and has a TDP of 125 W (159 W in Max Turbo mode). The Core Ultra 5 245K processor supports DDR5 up to 6400 MT/s, although this doesn’t affect us as we don’t have DDR5 memory that fast.
It should be noted right away that the Core Ultra 5 245K is the slowest and cheapest (priced at $309) of the new Intel processors. At the same time, Intel has focused on reducing temperatures in these new processors, which will certainly benefit the cooling system choice. Additionally, these new processors use the same socket sizes, so cooling systems compatible with LGA 1700 will work and there will be no need to specifically look for LGA 1851 compatibility.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
| Processor Sockets (Intel) | LGA 1851 / 1700 / 1200 / 1151 / 1150 / 1155 |
| Processor Sockets (AMD) | AM4 / AM5 |
| Thermal Paste | Pre-applied at factory |
| Water Pump Speed | Up to 5100 RPM |
| PWM Control | Yes |
| Liquid Tube Length | 400 mm |
| Fans | 120 mm, 0~2800 RPM ±10%, 120 x 120 x 30 mm |
| Fan Control | PWM/DC |
| Noise (Fans) | 36 dBA |
| Radiator Dimensions | 399.5 x 120 x 30 mm |
| Additional Features | 3.5-inch LCD display, 480p, 60 Hz, with AURA Sync |
| Warranty | 6 years |
| Price | $349.99 |
Appearance and Build
ASUS offers the ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme only in a 360mm size, so you will need a larger PC case to accommodate it. It’s important to note that the fans in this setup are different from others, with a height of 30mm, meaning they may not fit comfortably in every PC case.
Speaking of the fans, they are held together by magnets and there are connectors between the fans that completely replace both power and RGB lighting cables.
Perhaps the most noticeable difference from competitors is the large 3.5-inch LCD screen, with a small fan hidden underneath it that cools the pump and motherboard components around the processor. The 3.5-inch LCD part is removable, making it easier to screw the liquid cooling system onto the motherboard.
The ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme liquid cooling system may present a bit of a challenge with the cables. Personally, I didn’t become a huge fan of the device’s visual design because, in addition to the liquid tubes coming out of the pump, there are also a couple of noticeable wires that go to the ARGB and USB connectors on the motherboard. ASUS could have done a better job with this by routing the cables through the protective sleeves of the liquid cooling tubes, as other premium liquid cooling system manufacturers do.
As can be clearly observed, the marketing materials for these tiny wires seem to have forgotten to mention them.
The cooling system package isn’t particularly large but it includes all the necessary cables, mounting brackets, adapters and even a special splitter device for connecting the fans.
Software
The ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme uses Armoury Crate software, which is required to install updates. It’s worth noting that there were two or even three updates for the ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme cooling system—I didn’t catch the exact number. Without firmware updates, the ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme behaved strangely but after updating, everything fell into place.
Armoury Crate software also helps customize the stylish 3.5-inch display. You can view images chosen by ASUS, monitor system temperatures or even display custom content of your own design on the screen.
Building It?
I’ll start with a couple of complaints, which could at least be partially avoided if someone actually read the user manual but of course, no one does that. My biggest complaint is about the fan cables. Yes, the fans connect to each other via special contacts but they still need to be connected to the motherboard using the usual 4-pin cables. At first, I connected them using only one of the cables included and I was happy to see that these magnetic contacts on the fans are on both ends. But it turns out, you still need to connect the fans to the motherboard using both cables, so each fan has a thick cable coming out of both ends.
If you only use one of the cables (both have 4-pin PWM and 3-pin RGB), then only the RGB will work but the fans won’t spin, which is really silly. At first, I ignored this problem because the fan specs listed 0~2800 RPM and indeed, they weren’t spinning. Later, I connected all the cables and everything worked but the disappointment remained because now cables are coming out from both ends of the fans.
The second point could be about screwing the cooling head onto the so-called backplate. Here, too, it was a struggle to align the screw with the corresponding hole.
Other than that, hats off. The ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme is well-built and it’s relatively easy to work with. I was a bit unsure about the amount and coverage of the thermal paste applied to the cooling head but in the end, everything seemed correct.
How Does It Cool?
I must say that the cooling performance of the ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme is simply impressive. As I mentioned earlier, I made a slight mistake when connecting the fans but even with just the liquid pump connected, this cooler was able to keep the processor at around 48 to 55 degrees Celsius during everyday tasks. Of course, there was some airflow in the case from the case fans as well.
Even under the heaviest loads, with Cinebench 2020 and Cinebench 2024, the processor only reached 77 degrees, which is almost unheard of in the Intel world. However, I should remind you that we had the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K processor, which is itself less powerful and also cooler than the already cool new generation Intel processors. Of course, it would be much more interesting to see how the ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme performs with the flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.
The operation of the ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme is impressively quiet – there’s no bubbling, the small fan under the screen is almost undetectable and even the large fans on the radiator, at least with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K processor, were unexpectedly quiet. In older ROG Ryujin cooler models, it was the small fan under the screen that was unpleasantly loud but that is now a thing of the past.
ASUS ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme
$349.99Conclusion
The ASUS ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme cooling system is a flashy yet capable addition for those building truly high-end desktop PCs. However, my desire for visual appeal doesn’t quite match with the visible cables coming from the cooling head, which aren’t hidden along the liquid tubes.
From a cooling and overall system noise perspective, I can’t complain at any moment but during the build process, I did feel that extra care was needed when choosing the case. The magnetic connection fans are thicker than standard fan sizes and the process of screwing the cooler head onto the so-called backplate felt unusually heavy. Yes, there is a mechanism with springs to ensure the cooling surface presses evenly onto the processor but the screwing process felt somewhat clunky.
