Inter-Tech Elektronik Handels GmbH is a company based in Germany and was founded in 1996. Since then, the main focus has been on the Europe-wide distribution of OEM and retail hardware for PC systems. Originally, the portfolio mainly comprised PC cases and power supply units. However, this has since been expanded to include numerous divisions such as fans, peripherals, hard disk enclosures and adapters. In August 2024, Inter-Tech once again expanded its portfolio in the area of CPU coolers. One of the new products is the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360 compact water cooling system, which we are testing today.
The Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360 is a simple compact water cooling system with a 360 mm radiator and three unlit 120 mm fans and pump block. The Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360 is also highly compatible with many old and new sockets. If you want to buy the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360, you currently have to put € 86.58 * on the counter.
Inter-Tech Argus B-360 review: Technical details
General specifications |
|
| Dimensions (with fan, L x W x H) | 397 x 120 x 52 mm |
| Weight (with fan) | 1310 g |
| Compatibility AMD | AM2 / AM3 / AM4 / AM5 / FM2 / FM1 |
| Intel compatibility | LGA 775 / 115X / 1200 / 1366 / 1700 / 1800 |
| Cooling capacity |
300 W |
| price |
€ 86.58 * |
Radiator specifications/ heat sink specifications |
|
| Type | Soldered radiator |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 397 x 120 x 27 mm |
| Radiator material | Aluminum |
Fan specifications |
|
| Number of fans | 3 |
| Fan designation | A1225M12S |
| Bearing type | hydrodynamic plain bearing (FDB) |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Fan speed | 900 ~ 1800 rpm |
| Max. Noise level | 35.4 db(A) |
| Max. Volume flow | 135 m³/h |
| Max. Air pressure | 1.99 mm H2O |
| Lighting | N/A |
| Rated voltage (fan) | 12 V |
| Rated voltage (LED) | N/A |
| Rated current (fan) | < 0,25 A |
| Rated current (LED) | N/A |
| Nominal power (fan) | 3 W |
| Rated power (LED) | N/A |
| Connection (fan) | 4-pin PWM |
| Connection (LED) | N/A |
| Fan cable length | 500 mm + 100 mm (Y-splitter) |
| LED cable length | N/A |
Pump specifications |
|
| Pump dimensions | 80.3 x 71 x 41 mm |
| Cold plate material | Copper |
| Speed (pump) | 2500 rpm |
| Rated voltage (pump) | 12 V |
| Nominal voltage (LED) | N/A |
| Rated current (pump) | N/A |
| Rated current (LED) | N/A |
| Nominal power (pump) | N/A |
| Nominal power (LED) | N/A |
| Connection (pump) | 3-pin |
| Connection (LED) | N/A |
| Hose length |
380 mm |
Packaging & scope of delivery
The manufacturer packs the compact water cooler in a striking and colorfully printed cardboard box. In addition to two product images, the packaging also contains a table with the most important technical data and a general product description. Finally, the box is also wrapped in foil, which we have already removed in favor of better photos.
When you open the box, you first see the assembly instructions and a thin layer of foam. Underneath, Argus places the Iceman B-360 and the assembly material in a mold made of recycled cardboard and additionally wraps all components in a plastic film. In addition to the radiator-pump combination, the scope of delivery also includes three pre-installed 120 mm fans, all mounting material, thermal paste including spatula and a splitter cable for the fans.
Design & workmanship
Argus has designed the Iceman B-360 to be extremely unobtrusive. Made from aluminum, the radiator is painted completely black and has no eye-catching design elements or lighting. It also has a depth of 27 millimeters, which is within the usual average. The coolant inside flows through the radiator via 14 channels.
To ensure that the water can also flow between the radiator and the CPU block, two 380 millimeter long hoses are used, which are covered with a close-meshed nylon fabric to improve the appearance. The hoses are firmly pressed into metal sleeves on both the CPU block and the radiator, which means that the compact water cooling system cannot be expanded.
The round housing of the CPU block is unexpectedly made of metal and not plastic. Inter-Tech has also dispensed with lighting here, keeping the housing in a plain black and even dispensing with a logo completely. Inside the block, a pump with ceramic bearings and a maximum speed of 2500 revolutions per minute ensures a stable flow rate. The CPU heat is absorbed by a screwed copper plate, which is covered with a protective film at the factory.
The supplied A1225M12S fans have a frame width of 120 millimeters and consist of a black fan frame and a black rotor with nine blades. Each fan is controlled via a 4-pin PWM connector and enables speeds between 900 and 1800 revolutions per minute. The manufacturer also equips the fans with rubberized surfaces on all eight corners for the purpose of decoupling.
The combination of radiator, CPU block and fan weighs in at a respectable 1.3 kilograms and measures 397 x 120 x 52 mm. Both are typical values for a water cooling system with a 360 mm radiator. The Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360 is perfect for a simple gaming system thanks to the particularly simple CPU block without a manufacturer’s logo and the absence of any lighting elements. We were unable to find any processing or paint defects or other damage on our sample.
Inter-Tech Argus B-360 test: Assembly
For the review, a test system is used which is mounted on a benchtable. This allows us to rule out factors such as heat build-up in the case. The test system consists of the following components.
- AMD Ryzen 5 1400 @ 3.8 GHz at 1.175V*
- ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus*
- Crucial Ballistix Sport LT gray 32 GB DDR4-3000*
- TeamGroup T-Create Classic PCIe 4.0 DL*
- Gigabyte AORUS GTX 1060 6G*
- LC-Power LC550 V2.31 Platinum Series 550W*
In our test system with AMD socket, only a few assembly steps were necessary to install the compact water cooling system. First, the factory Intel frame had to be removed from the CPU block and the AMD frame attached. This process only required a little force in the thumbs and no tools. We then attached the supplied retaining lugs to the frame, applied thermal paste and screwed the CPU block to the AMD retention module.
With Intel, the CPU block is mounted using a supplied plastic backplate and corresponding spacers with which the backplate is screwed to the mainboard. The frame on the CPU block is then connected to the spacers.
Especially with an AMD system, the entire assembly process was very easy to understand and completed quickly. Although we were unable to implement the Intel assembly, it is very similar to the assembly systems of numerous other manufacturers and appears solid. A glance at the compact but comprehensible installation instructions should resolve any unanswered questions in the event of a problem.
Cooling capacity and volume
As already shown in the previous chapter, we use an AM4 system based on the Ryzen 5 1400 and the ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus as test hardware. The Ryzen runs overclocked to 3.8 GHz at 1.175 V CPU voltage. To heat up the processor, it was loaded with Prime95 (Small FFTs) for 30 minutes. We then read out the temperature of the CPU with the CPUID hardware monitor and the room temperature was always around 20 °C during the measurements.
| wdt_ID | CPU-Kühler | Temperatur Minimaldrehzahl (in °C) | Temperatur 50% PWM (in °C) | Temperatur 100% PWM (in °C) | Minimale Lüftergeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) | Minimale Pumpengeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | Thermaltake TH280 V2 ARGB | 0,00 | 46,60 | 45,90 | 550 | 1.200 | 1.800 | 680 | 2.100 | 3.200 |
| 124 | Cooler Master MasterLiquid 240 Atmos ARGB | 0,00 | 50,40 | 46,50 | 560 | 1.340 | 2.270 | 1.965 | 6.620 | 10.230 |
| 125 | be quiet! Pure Loop 2 240mm | 0,00 | 50,70 | 46,70 | 800 | 1.070 | 2.080 | 4.150 | 4.700 | 5.530 |
| 126 | Alpenföhn Panorama 2 | 0,00 | 76,00 | 66,80 | 450 | 1.450 | 2.720 | |||
| 127 | Alpenföhn Brocken 4 | 0,00 | 53,60 | 49,60 | 410 | 870 | 1.610 | |||
| 128 | AMD Wraith Stealth | 95,00 | 95,00 | 76,00 | 800 | 1.430 | 2.630 | |||
| 129 | Corsair A115 | 0,00 | 49,40 | 46,90 | 190 | 920 | 1.560 | |||
| 130 | Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE | 0,00 | 49,50 | 47,50 | 350 | 1.050 | 1.680 | |||
| 131 | Thermalright Assassin X 120 SE | 0,00 | 53,60 | 50,60 | 340 | 1.070 | 1.690 | |||
| 132 | DeepCool Assassin IV (Silent) | 0,00 | 51,40 | 48,70 | 500 | 860 | 1.330 | |||
| CPU-Kühler | Temperatur Minimaldrehzahl (in °C) | Temperatur 50% PWM (in °C) | Temperatur 100% PWM (in °C) | Minimale Lüftergeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) | Minimale Pumpengeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) |
As can be seen from the table and the diagram, the CPU of our test system reaches a maximum of 47.7 °C (at minimum speed), 46.2 °C (at 50% PWM fan and pump speed) and 44.3 °C (at 100% PWM fan and pump speed) under full load. With these values, the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360 is at the top of our table and impresses across the board with its excellent cooling performance.
However, when looking at the data sheet, we noticed that the minimum fan speed of 900 revolutions per minute is not exactly low and therefore the basic noise level of this compact water cooling system is somewhat higher than we would have liked. In addition, the pump also draws attention to itself with a slight whirring above 2000 revolutions per minute. At least it can be throttled via the mainboard. Either way, we have already had significantly louder compact water cooling systems here, especially with regard to the pump.
Conclusion of the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360 test
With the Argus Iceman B-360, Inter-Tech has a convincing new compact water cooling system in its portfolio. It has a simple and solid mounting system, is suitable for almost any system due to its simple appearance (almost) without logos and, at least in our test system, is at the top of the table and thus demonstrates excellent cooling performance. This complete package is also available at a competitive price.
We found the high minimum speed of the supplied fans to be a negative, as a result of which the basic noise level is above the usual average. In addition, the pump is not exactly inconspicuous at speeds above 2000 revolutions per minute. However, these are both aspects that we have also found in other compact water cooling systems and in some cases much worse.
Considering the current price of € 86.58 *, the overall impression of the Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360 remains very good and we would recommend buying it. If the Iceman B-360 is too simple, Inter-Tech also has the similarly constructed Inter-Tech Argus Iceman LC-360 RGB* on offer. This costs around €10 to €15 more, but has ARGB elements in the CPU block and three illuminated fans.
Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360
Design
Processing
Assembly
Performance
Price-performance ratio
91/100
The Inter-Tech Argus Iceman B-360 is a very simple and excellent performing water cooling system with a solid mounting system and high socket compatibility. However, the minimum fan speed should be a little lower and the pump also hums a little more than desired at higher speeds.
