INTRODUCTION

   The market may be currently filled with 120/240/280mm AIO liquid CPU coolers by numerous brands (both old and new) but due to their length and reduced demand 360mm and larger (with emphasis on the larger since to my knowledge only Alphacool has released a 420mm solution) models are just not as popular among manufacturers which leaves a small percentage of the consumer base wanting more. On top of that add the fact that most 360mm AIO models in the market don't feature RGB illumination and that reduces available options even further for people who also happen to care about looks. Back in 2017 Antec released the Mercury 360, their very first 360mm AIO featuring blue LED illumination and very good cooling efficiency levels. Fast forward two years later and Antec just shipped the upgraded Mercury RGB 360 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler over to us.

   Antec, Inc. is the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in the industry and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of quiet, efficient and innovative products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators. Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, as well as in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China and Taiwan. The company’s products are sold in more than 40 countries throughout the world.

   The brand new Mercury RGB 360 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler by Antec (120mm/240mm models are also available) is actually almost identical to the original Mercury 360 model so both feature 394mm long and 27mm thick aluminum radiators, 330mm long PTFE coated tubes (nylon braided in the RGB model), three-phase motor pump (carbon metal body featuring a ceramic axis with graphite bearings to produce water pressure of 2.3 meters with a flow rate of 3.5 litres per minute), copper base waterblock and three 120mm PWM RGB fans (30 LEDs/256 colors/1800RPM/73.31CFM/2.25mmH2O/36dBA). Just like with most RGB illuminated AIO liquid CPU coolers the Mercury RGB 360 supports most RGB sync technologies (including ASUS Aura Sync) and as for consumers without such mainboards Antec bundles a compact controller.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A large product picture is placed at the front of the box right over several drawings of the main product features and beneath the company and the ASUS Aura Sync logos.

The specifications table is placed at the top of the box in 8 languages.

Another product picture is placed at the bottom of the box right next to contact information about Antec.

Every piece of the bundle is placed inside plastic bags and a formed piece of cardboard.

Inside the box Antec has placed the Mercury RGB 360 radiator with its three 120mm RGB LED PWM fans and their mounting screws, eSATA to mini USB power connector, 3pin to triple 4pin fan adapter, RGB fan controller/hub, installation instructions, warranty guide and all the necessary mounting hardware for Intel LGA775/1150/1151/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2/FM2+ mainboards.

THE MERCURY RGB 360

The Mercury RGB 360 is identical to the Mercury 360, minus the nylon braided tubes.

Antec even used the same 394mm long radiator which is 27mm thick.

Once again, the radiator has an FPI (fins per inch) count of 17.

The 330mm long fluorinated ethylene propylene tubes are Teflon coated and nylon braided for increased durability.

The carbon metal pump features several RGB LEDs at the top along with the company name.

Much like many other AIO models in the market the tubes can rotate up to roughly 90 degrees to make installation even easier.

As you can all see this time over the copper base comes ready with a thin layer of thermal conductive material.

The mini USB port is placed on the right side of the pump as seen above.

All three 120mm PWM RGB fans feature anti-vibration pads on all four corners.

As mentioned in our review of the Mercury 360 the black and white color combination may not be for every consumer.

With the fans mounted on the radiator the main body now measures 50.65mm in thickness.

Although the fans only support 256 single colors the intensity of the LEDs is strong.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since we want all of you to be able to compare similar products we created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. Finally, much like when testing CPU Coolers it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with our test rig (when we test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures, we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded, we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here, we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   When we reviewed the Mercury 360 back in late 2017 Antec had just announced the upcoming release of the RGB model so back then we thought that the only difference between them would be the RGB illumination. Well we were slightly off since even though in terms of cooling efficiency both models perform roughly the same when it comes to noise levels the new Mercury RGB 360 is actually slightly louder. Strangely enough however the fans used in the Mercury 360 and the fans used in the Mercury RGB 360 have the same specifications (rotational speed, airflow and air pressure) minus their dBA levels that is. Unfortunately, aside increased noise levels the addition of RGB illumination also results in more cables being used (check our RGB pictures for more on that) and although we had very little trouble routing them behind the mainboard tray some people may find them to be somewhat annoying.

   At the time of this review the Mercury RGB 360 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler retails for USD171 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 130Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which yes is off for what you’re getting (also its largest drawback). That being said the Mercury RGB 360 does perform very well and even though the new RGB fans are louder compared to the single-color ones used in the first Mercury line they are still quite silent so if you’re looking for an 360mm AIO with RGB illumination and price is of no concern to you we truly recommend giving it a chance.

PROS

- Very Good Cooling Efficiency
- RGB Illumination
- Thin Radiator (27mm)
- Up to Six 120mm Fans in Push & Pull
- Easy Installation
- Bundled RGB Controller / Hub
- 5 Year Warranty

CONS

- Long Radiator
- Amount of Cables
- Price (For Some)