Final Thoughts on the Lian Li HydroShift LCD 360S
Lian Li’s previous AIO impressed me quite a bit, so I had pretty high expectations coming into this review. From a performance standpoint, the new HydroShift LCD 360S was pretty much on-par with what I expected, and put up very solid numbers in both idle and load situations. The standard 27mm thick radiator, with its wide 18 fins-per-inch count, had me a bit worried at first, but when paired up with the 28mm thick fans, it relieved any worries I had.
The unique “tubeless aesthetic” design that Lian Li uses on the HydroShift AIOs is a neat idea, but one that I think needs a bit of work. While it does hide nearly all of the tubing when installed, the installation process itself is a bit cumbersome, especially when not installed in a case like their O11 series, which has additional height and width above the motherboard area. I found that the tubing was required to be bent a little more than I like to see in my test case, but Lian Li used a new ribbed tubing design to help alleviate the issues than can be seen when making tighter bends.
I am really impressed with the L-Connect 3 software, as it is intuitive to use, and feels like a modern application should. The wide variety of built-in customization options is great, and that applies to both the visualizations and information available to show on the screen, as well as to the adjustments you can make to the performance-oriented settings as well.
Touting a 6-year warranty, the Lian Li HydroShift LCD 360S should be a great long-term cooling option for those that want great performance, as well as a bit of visual customization via the LCD, without the need for RGB fans and their additional costs. Speaking of cost, the Lian Li HydroShift LCD 360S is available for $174.54 at our favorite online retailer. Great performance and modern features earn this AIO an 8 out of 10.
Pros:
- Great Load Performance
- Competitively Priced
- 2.88″ IPS Display
- L-Connect 3 Support
- Pre-Installed Fans
Cons:
- “Tubeless Aesthetic” Can Complicate Installation
- No Installation Guide Provided in Review Sample
- Short Tubing Length May Introduce Tight Bends
