Sapphire NITRO+ AIO 240 & 360mm CPU Cooler Review

How Much Does it Cost?

With both the 240mm and 360mm versions of the NITRO+ available to order now, Sapphire has confirmed that consumers should likely expect the following retail prices:

• Sapphire NITRO+ 240mm – £129.99
• Sapphire NITRO+ 360mm – £169.00

So, let’s get one elephant out of the room fairly quickly here. Neither of these AIO liquid cooler models are cheap. In fact, they carry what can only be called a premium-level price tag. Based on the performance and clear high-level of build quality though, and throw in that very useful 2-year warranty, and on the whole, I think we can say that while the NITRO+ might be priced at a premium-level, it does, by and large, meet the remit necessary for that!

Performance & Aesthetics

As seen in our testing, the CPU temperature control offered on the Sapphire NITRO+ is excellent, and, quite honestly, it is one of the best products we have ever reviewed in this specific remit. The downside, however, is undoubtedly seen in how amazingly loud those fans are. – There is no other way to put this, the acoustic output is, without a doubt, this AIO cooler’s biggest problem. While a compromise could likely be found in the PWM settings, out of the box, and in default mode, while this does an amazing job at keeping your processor nice and cool, it doesn’t do it whispering. It does it shouting!

In terms of aesthetics, we also hit a tricky point. While the ARGB lighting effects are spectacularly bright, bold, vivid, and varied, I can’t help but feel that I personally prefer the NITRO+ with them turned off. The ARGB, at least in my opinion, doesn’t add to the look, but more completely dominates it. – As noted earlier in the review though, while some will love this, others will undoubtedly find it all a bit too much and garish bordering on vulgar.

Should I Buy One?

It’s no lie to say that I had to think for a good solid 10 minutes before I could conclude this review. And I daresay a lot of you are not going to view this as a positive thing. With that in mind though, I have to do it. So apologies in advance if this isn’t as concise as usual. I think you’ll agree though, this is a very unique situation.

Given that this is Sapphire’s first AIO liquid cooler, it’s hard to deny that they’ve really taken a hugely ambitious and admirable swing at the fences here. It’s no exaggeration to say that despite this being their first attempt, they’re already attempting to compete with companies who have been producing AIO cooling solutions for in excess of 10 years! – In terms of its features, specifications, and performance, both the NITRO+ 240mm and 360mm models aim and impressively meet the ‘premium’ level they are clearly being targeted towards.

In some aspects, however, such as the ARGB and the acoustic output, I feel that Sapphire’s reach has perhaps exceeded their grasp, or possibly experience. Rather ironically, I think the NITRO+ could be an amazingly better AIO cooler with just a couple of tweaks. Scrap that ARGB lighting (well… maybe keep it on the CPU block), and choose a better-known manufacturer of quieter fans. This would, and at least in my opinion, fix all the problems the NITRO+ series has in one fell swoop. If they did this, it would make it, without question, one of the best AIO’s you can buy right now!

More than anything though, I simply have to keep coming back to the fact that for a first attempt, Sapphire has done a really excellent job here. While it might be a little loud and a little garish, the NITRO+ is undoubtedly a market leader in terms of keeping the CPU temperatures amazingly low. And let’s be honest, that’s the most important part of any CPU cooler’s job. – Put simply, this is impressive stuff, and if Sapphire chooses to keep their hand in this market, this is clearly only indicative of, while representing a great start, only bigger and better things to come!

Pros

• Amazing levels of CPU temperature control
• Strong aesthetics, with the ARGB turned on or off
• A true premium-level product – Impressive for Sapphire’s first attempt!
• Entirely viable for overclocking
• Excellent build quality throughout!

Cons

• The fans are very noisy when put to task

Neutral

• Just a personal opinion, but I think some better (and quieter) non-ARGB fans would’ve suited this more
• Both models are probably too expensive for their own good. These will likely lose out to far more competitively priced competition (even if they don’t perform anywhere near as well)