TRYX PANORAMA SE 360mm AIO Cooler Review

TRYX may still be the new kid on the block, but they certainly grabbed everyone's attention with their first cooler, the PANORAMA. However, this year, we're seeing their next effort with the TRYX PANORAMA SE, a new and improved take on their customisable AIO cooler. The obvious big improvement is a new display on the pump, featuring a massive wrap-around display that's unlike anything else on the market today. TRYX has only been around since 2023, so we're not expecting them to be on the same level as big-name brands like Corsair, Cooler Master, ASUS and many others, they simply can't do the volume we've seen from such brands, and maybe not even the quality, but that's something we'll be diving into today anyway. What I do know is that the actual cooling part should be pretty much on par with the industry standard we've come to expect, as it's built around the latest ASETEK Adela cooling system, which is to say, they outsource the serious bits like the pump and the radiator from the largest AIO manufacturer in the world, as do many other big name brands. So what we're really reviewing here are the custom parts they've implemented into its design, such as the fans, cables, customisable display and software. The new TRYX is upgraded to include their new and innovative AMOLED curved screen, which features an impressive 6.5" panel with a 2K resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate. If you care about unique customisation options within your PC case, then it really is a unique cooler that's going to stand out from the crowd. If all you care about is cooling performance, perhaps an AIO with an AMOLED display is totally overkill for you, but we have to admit, it's too interesting to ignore. Furthermore, it's available in 360mm and 240mm radiator sizes, with or without ARGB fans, and in a choice of black or white. However, I'm going all out today, as I have the black 360mm ARGB edition. Key Features Premium Experience for All PC DIY Users: The PANORAMA SE is now more accessible with a competitive price point, allowing a larger audience to enjoy the TRYX PANORAMA 3D visual experience. Fully Customizable Experience: The PANORAMA SE offers both horizontal and vertical mounting options with a rotatable display module. The display module can rotate to ensure users enjoy the full visual benefits of the 6.5-inch, 2K, 60Hz AMOLED display, regardless of PC build orientation. Pre-Installed Fans: Pre-installed ROTA fans allow for quick and easy mounting, ensuring a hassle-free installation process. Industry-Leading Reliability and Stability: Equipped with the new generation of ASETEK's water cooling solution featuring the Adela pump. Optimized for CPU-intensive tasks such as rendering, creation, AI, and gaming, this pump features a dynamic thermal power capacity of 280W to 300W TDP. Quiet Operation: Quiet operation is enabled by the TRYX ROTA fan line. The TRYX ROTA ARGB fans feature fluid dynamic bearings and ARGB GEN2 LEDs for a pleasant visual and auditory experience. Independent Operating System: The PANORAMA SE includes a 4-core CPU + 2GB of RAM and 8GB of ROM to allow media playback on the on-board PCB, freeing up CPU resources for gaming and other tasks. Specifications Packaging and Accessories The box is pretty simple but nicely designed, as it features a big photo of the cooler on the front showing off the ARGB fan design, as well as that massive custom display. On the front of the box, we can see that is has a 2K resolution, 6.5" panel, 60 Hz refresh rate, AMOLED technology, and features and ASETEK cooler design. Around the back, there's a full breakdown of the specifications, including the fan RPM, connectivity types, etc, but nothing we haven't already covered on the previous page. In the box, you'll find everything comes pretty much ready to rock. Being an AIO, it's an "all in one" unit, with some removable fans, and all the usual installing components such as screws, and AMD/Intel brackets all clearly laid out, as you might expect given its based on ASETEK technology, it's going to be pretty straightforward. A Closer Look The cooler itself looks pretty familiar, and I think it's fair to say if you've seen one AIO, you've seen them all these days. Radiator designs have been pretty much standardised, as have the tubing and many of the fan components these days. There are two sizes available, 240mm and 360mm, so you can easily find something that best suits your needs or your PC case. The fans are nice enough, and feature a set of white frosted blades to allow for the built-in ARGB lighting. The lighting is located around the motor housing, so it shines through the blades from the middle. On the corners, you'll find anti-vibration rubber mounts on both sides of the fan, with a nice grey colour that gives a nice contrast with the black frame of the fan. The pump looks very familiar, especially on the bottom. It's a round copper contact plate with pre-applied thermal paste. The Intel bracket is pre-installed, but it's easily swapped out for the AMD bracket that's included in the box. Of course, we've seen this design on other brands that use ASETEK pumps, such as NZXT, so we know it is decent. The top of the pump is where things start to differ the most. If anything it looks pretty bland, it's just a moulded black block with a sort of "X" shape in it. Of course, this is where the AMOLED display will be mounted, and the X-shape allows the display to be mounted in multiple orientations to suit your style. The actual display is basically a standalone unit that connects to a spare motherboard USB header, which is pretty common, as we've seen pumps with displays before, so it's not like this kind of technology is unheard of. However, where this one differs is the sheer size and shape of the display on offer. It's a wrap-around screen, which is very unique for a cooler. Of course, wrap-around AMOLED displays are nothing new in themselves, the technology of bendy displays is common on folding smartphones these days too. The overall design is nice, when it is installed in the system, it's going to look pretty fantastic. However, the build quality is good, there are signs that this isn't overly refined, and we can see some joins and even a little exposed glue on the sides/rear housing. There are maybe a few hints of it being handmade or 3D printed or some such, but keeping in mind this is a unique product and not quite the mass-produced stuff we see from more established brands, this is literally their second cooler, so perhaps this will improve with time. But again, once installed, this isn't something you would really notice, we're being pretty picky here. The display mounts on top of the pump easily enough, and you can rotate it to have it in a vertical or horizontal orientation, with the curve going over, under, left or right to suit your build. Test System & Methodology Idle tests are recorded after 10 minutes of the system being left alone after boot with no additional background processes or software running. All load tests are performed in Cinebench R2, first using a single speed run to generate the Cinebench R23 score, then a 10-minute loop to determine the overall all-core average load temperature for the relevant cooler. Clock speeds are left at the default factory settings provided by the CPU and our NZXT Z690 N7 motherboard. Optimised settings lock the CPU P-Cores to 4.9Hz and the E-Cores to 4GHz at a voltage of 1.3v. Fan speeds for the case are set to 30% at all times. Pump RPM is fixed to 100% for liquid coolers, and CPU cooler fans are left to the motherboard "automatic" and "normal" profile unless otherwise stated. Acoustics are measured from 2ft above the NZXT H7 Flow PC case, using a decibel meter, with all side panels and filters in place on the case and as stated, the case fans are left at 30% (just to the point where they become comfortably audible over ambient), to represent a real-world usage scenario. We are no longer testing coolers on an open-air test bench for this reason. As of 20/07/2023, all coolers featured on these charts were retested to reflect our improved methodology, and as such, reviews before this date can not be fairly compared to the new results. However, we have been periodically retesting older coolers, which is why you may see their performance figures here, and why they may not align with previous test results from the same product in their respective reviews. Test system: NZXT Z690 ATX Intel Core i9-12900K @ stock and & 4.9 GHz all P-Core 4 GHz E-Core 1.3v Aorus RTX 2080 16GB Crucial DDR4 4400 MHz XMP 512GB NVMe SSD Thermaltake Tough Power 750W NZXT H7 Flow RGB Case All testing is conducted using NT-H1 thermal paste We want to thank Gigabyte, Noctua, Crucial, Intel, Thermaltake, NZXT and more for providing us with the above testing equipment and their ongoing support. Testing Methodology We always use Noctua Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste to make sure testing reveals the efficiency of the tested coolers not the efficiency of the bundled thermal paste Cinebench R23 is run for 10 minutes to calculate “load” results Multiple readings are taken with the average of the package temperatures calculated for our recorded result Fans are left to operate at default PWM profile speeds unless otherwise stated For water cooling tests, all pumps have been operated at 12 volts unless otherwise stated Ambient temperatures should be between 21-23 degrees in all our tests unless otherwise stated Acoustic measurements are taken 60cm vertically away from the CPU cooler Stock tests are performed using “out of the box” settings for the CPU All coolers were tested under identical settings unless otherwise stated. There is approximately a 1-degree Celsius margin of error in our temperature recording software CPUID HW Monitor There is approximately a 1.5dBA margin of error with our Benetech GM1351 decibel meter In all these graphs we may have a few “reference” results of particular products that do not fit within that category for comparative purposes. Software Used CPUID HWMonitor Cinebench R23 Unigine Superposition Display Performance The TRYX utilises their own KANALI software, which is actually really nicely designed. So often we see even the big-name brands churn out bloated software that is riddled with bugs and performance issues, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. The software looks great and works well. Even making simple changes or uploading a new image/video to the display seems to go through instantly. Many display coolers I've tested seem to update quite slowly, so this is a welcome change of pace, they don't even ask you to log in, create a cloud account, some inane "Ai" drivel, or any of that sort of stuff, so a big thumbs up there. There are twelve presets to choose from, and surprisingly, they are all rather fantastic. There is a nice mixture of presets offering system information and statistics as you might expect. This allows you to view clock speeds, temperatures, and all the usual stuff. However, there are scenes that offer something more unique, allowing you to fit a theme that may complement your build in some pretty exciting ways. However, it's frankly, just a display, so you can put just about whatever you want on there. A movie clip, a Simpsons episode, some dank memes, some NSFW material, it's really up to you. The software allows you to apply a movie, image or animation on the display as a single curved panel, or interesting, as a split screen with a front and side option to run two different images or clips, which could provide you with some really unique designs. The media library in the software will store all the videos you've added so you can easily switch between them, and there's a built-in screen recorder to make your own clips; you can capture your game, movie, a YouTube video, etc, easily enough. Really, it could not be easier to use, I'm beyond impressed by the software, it's fantastic! Now, before we move onto the performance below, I'd like to drop in one of our YouTube builds which featured the TRYX cooler, as much as I love writing reviews, sometimes, a video shows it better. https://youtu.be/P3sW9NIhuUw Performance The TRYX PANORAMA SE 360 AIO cooler delivers respectable thermal performance when paired with an Intel Core i9-12900K processor. Under load conditions, the cooler manages to keep the CPU temperature at 68 degrees Celsius, which falls within a competitive range compared to other coolers, and not overly surprisingly similar to that of NZXT, who also use the Asatek platform. At idle, the temperature was just 28 degrees Celsius, indicating efficient heat dissipation even when the CPU is not under heavy stress. In terms of acoustics, the TRYX PANORAMA SE 360 AIO also performs reasonably well. Under load, the noise level is measured at 38 dBa, which is noticeable but not excessively loud. When the system is idle, the noise level decreases slightly to 34 dBa, suggesting that the cooler can operate quietly during less demanding tasks. This balance between cooling performance and noise output makes it a potentially suitable option for users seeking a compromise between these two factors. Once installed in a good-quality case, it's unlikely you'll hear more than a gentle fan noise. When comparing the TRYX PANORAMA SE 360 AIO to other coolers, its load temperature performance is mid-range, while there is room for improvement, it's not like there was an issue with system performance here, as it maintained clock speeds on our i9 without issue. Similarly, its acoustic performance under load is still competitive, so again, a big thumbs up here, it's a perfectly competitive AIO cooler for a hot and demanding CPU such as the Intel Core i9-12900K. How Much Does it Cost? The PANORAMA SE is available now at most major retailers, it's available in two colours and two sizes, so you should be able to find something that suits your requirements. It's currently available at OCUK for £249.95 or at NewEgg for $279.99, which isn't cheap, but then again, this isn't your typical AIO and you're paying a premium for that display. Obviously, you can get a good quality Asetek AIO that will likely offer identical performance for about half this price, but if you want that screen, there's really nothing else quite like it. PANORAMA SE 360mm ARGB (Black & White): €299.99 / £249.99 PANORAMA SE 240mm ARGB (Black & White): €269.99 / £229.99 Customisation The customisation offered by the 6.5-inch 2K AMOLED display is truly exceptional. The ability to display custom images, videos, and system information adds a unique level of personalisation to any build. The software is intuitive and easy to use, making it simple to customise the display to your liking. The ability to rotate the display is a massive bonus. This allows the user to have the display look its best, no matter the mounting orientation of the cooler, or how your case orientates your motherboard, and have it easily viewable through various tempered glass window configurations. ARGB The ARGB lighting on the ROTA fans is vibrant and offers plenty of customisation. The ability to synchronise the lighting with other ARGB components through the motherboard's software adds to the overall aesthetic appeal. While some may prefer a dedicated lighting controller bundled with this cooler, I actually prefer that they just plug into your existing ARGB header on your motherboard or your own hub, as it means they can sync with RAM, other fans and RGB components through a single software interface. Software As mentioned earlier, the KANALI software is a standout feature. It's user-friendly, surprisingly responsive given how slow many big-name brands' software can be, and offers a wide range of customisation options. The ability to easily upload and manage media for the display is a significant advantage, allowing you to quickly change what's on the display from your library. I also love that you can operate the display as both a single curved display or split into two displays, adding some further options for unique layouts. ASETEK The ASETEK Adela pump provides reliable and efficient cooling performance. Its proven design and track record ensures that the TRYX PANORAMA SE can handle demanding workloads with ease. A 360mm radiator is going to offer plenty of cooling performance on the most high-end and demanding gaming CPUs, and the ASETEK platform has proven reliable with many millions of units shipped every year and used by countless brands. Build Quality While the overall build quality is good, there are a few minor imperfections, such as some visible seams and a small amount of exposed adhesive. However, these are purely cosmetic and do not affect the cooler's performance. Once installed, the cooler looks and feels very unique and premium. While not to throw shade at TRYX, they have effectively taken an existing cooling platform and stuck on some cool mods, and honestly, I'm absolutely fine with that, as their mods make no impact on the efficiency of the cooler itself. But of course, only being their second AIO product, there's still room for improvement. Should I Buy One? The TRYX PANORAMA SE is a unique and impressive AIO cooler that offers exceptional customisation options and solid cooling performance. If you're looking for a cooler that stands out from the crowd and allows you to personalise your build, then the PANORAMA SE is an excellent choice. The 6.5-inch 2K AMOLED display is obviously the massive selling point here, and if that is something that interests you, then this is a great product. However, if your primary concern is pure cooling performance, and you're not interested in the customisable display, then there are other AIO coolers out there that can cost half as much for the same performance. When it comes to customisation, it's a great investment, it is really unique and it's fantastic to see both a new brand on the market and a successful attempt to do something a bit differently.