AIO coolers are no longer limited to just radiator sizes and fancy LED lights; they have evolved in terms of design to the point where AIOs can serve multiple purposes at the same time. I have lost count of how many display-equipped AIOs I have seen in the past few years, and while it's great to see AIOs evolving like crazy, it also makes it difficult to choose the right one.
As far as performance is concerned, most AIOs get the job done, but some are noisy, while some offer premium cooling performance, albeit with a high price tag. We also see new manufacturers entering the cooler business, and surprisingly, they are doing amazingly despite making their debut. XASTRA, a Chinese hardware maker that debuted in 2024, has some interesting offerings in its cooler catalog, and I was fortunate enough to have hands-on experience with one of its high-end 360mm AIO coolers.
The AIO catalog of XASTRA currently has several 240mm and 360mm AIOs, and in this review, we will take a quick look at the ASTRA LZ360 ARGB BK. This cooler brings some distinguished features that are rare even today, and from performance to aesthetics, here's what you should expect from the cooler.
Packaging and Contents
The ASTRA LZ360 ARGB BK box comes with all the necessary accessories you would require to install it on your Intel or AMD platform. The accessories, such as mounting kits, an RGB hub, and screws, are categorized in separate boxes for easy sorting. In the box, you will find three mounting brackets for different Intel and AMD platforms. Inside it, you will also find the fans pre-attached to the radiator, which saves time, but if you want to install your choice of fans, it can be time-consuming to remove the pre-installed ones.
Compatibility and Ease of Installation
ASTRA LZ360 ARGB is compatible with all the major consumer platforms that exist today. This includes AMD's AM4 and AM5 platforms, and Intel's LGA 115X, LGA 1200, LGA 1700, and the latest LGA 1851 socket as well. The box includes three brackets to install the CPU block as per the platform, and in my case, I installed it on an AM4 platform.
I may not have the latest platform, but it's good to see that AM4's longevity is still the most impressive so far, as even modern CPU coolers ship with dedicated brackets for the socket. As for the installation, it's probably the easiest you can have. By taking off the two fan support brackets around the AM4 socket, the block is ready to be installed.
I retained the back bracket that came with the motherboard and installed the AM4 bracket on the AIO block, which is tool-less. After securing the dual-sided screws, I aligned the block and secured the cylindrical nuts on four sides. Of course, I didn't forget the thermal paste that comes inside the cooler box. Also, I attached the 360mm radiator at the top before mounting the CPU block so that the process goes smoothly.
After routing the cables from the fans and the CPU block to the back side of the motherboard plate, I connected those to the dedicated RGB hub that provides support for like a dozen fans. It really makes it convenient to add several fans in the chassis, as one can easily control them using a single interface. After connecting the USB cable and the SATA cables, the system was ready for rocking the new cooler
Performance
The very first time I turned on my system, the CPU block matrix display and the fans showed off some fancy pixel art. Those fans are quite thick when compared to traditional chassis fans. The ASTRA LZ360 ARGB uses FDB-bearing fans that measure 28mm in thickness. They feel exceptionally premium in hand and have a reassuring amount of weight to them.
Previously, I was using a much older air cooler from MSI called Core Frozr L. I did switch the coolers a few times before, but I loved how Core Frozr L stands out with its dense and durable heatsink block that dissipates heat so efficiently. Nonetheless, before mounting the LZ360 ARGB, I stress-tested my Ryzen 7 1700X (an ancient CPU, lol) for nearly 10 minutes using OCCT, and considering I have recently changed my thermal paste, the performance was good.
After 10 minutes, the CPU ran at nearly 69°C for its hottest core, followed by cores that ran at nearly 66-68°C. I kept the CPU frequency at 3.5 GHz at all times at a voltage of 1.3V. With nearly 100W of power consumption at 100% usage, the results show that the Core Frozr L did well as an air cooler. I re-tested using the same parameters using the new ASTRA LZ360 ARGB coolers, and as expected, the CPU temperatures couldn't touch 60°C. It may not be exceptional, but a nearly 11-12°C drop in temps is really helpful in hot conditions.
The idle temperature went to around 35-37°C with the cooler, and the max it touched was 58°C on its hottest core, while other cores remained near 55°C. If I had a stronger chip, particularly a 16-core CPU from either the Zen 4 or Zen 5 family, the results would have been interesting and more relevant to the current times. Nonetheless, we can re-test when I upgrade my ancient system in the near future.
As for noise, I would say that at 50-60% fan speed, the system remained almost silent. At 65%, the fans were spinning at around 1500 RPM, but when bumped to 100%, the speed went to nearly 2200 RPM. At that speed, the system was pretty audible and something that I don't recommend unless you are indulging in some serious overclocking experiments.
Aesthetics
Aesthetically, the ASTRA LZ360 ARGB BK is one of the coolest-looking AIOs on the planet. Not just its CPU block, but the fans also have dedicated matrix displays on the side. On top of that, you get to see the RGB rings on the fully customizable fans. In order to change the content on the CPU block matrix display and the fans, you will need a dedicated software called Xastra Matrix, which can control all your fans and CPU block simultaneously.
The software interface has dedicated tabs for each component, such as the fan and AIO block, to control and customize the RGB lighting and matrix display according to needs. From hardware monitoring to GIFs, there are some solid presets available already. There are some fancy presets available for each component and can be individually tweaked from the software. An option for rotating the displays is also available, which is really handy if you didn't pay attention to the fan or CPU block orientation.
Dedicated tabs are available for customizing the ARGB light on fans as well as making custom fan curves. One can also turn on motherboard sync if syncing the ARGB lights with other components is preferred. Surely, I miss the custom content options that allow you to add images or GIFs of your own, but through the Animation area, you can design whatever you want, as it's easier with the matrix display.
The Verdict
The ASTRA LZ360 ARGB BK brings an innovative design that takes customization to the next level. While displays aren't rare on AIOs, displays on radiator fans are surely not that common. I liked how ASTRA changed the simple LCD approach by equipping the CPU Block and fans with MATRIX displays that easily stand out. Customizations are also quite easy through the software, and everything can be managed in a single place.
Performance-wise, the LZ360 ARGB BK did decently well. While cooling 8 cores is not a big challenge for 360mm AIOs, it was impressive to see that the temps always remained under 60°C. Hopefully, we can conduct a re-test when I have newer hardware, but for now, the ASTRA LZ360 ARGB BK looks like a solid product that will suit high-end PCs, particularly for enthusiasts who would like to take things beyond regular use through overclocking.
Check out ASTRA LZ360 ARGB BK on the official website.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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