The EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB is certainly a step up from its sibling, the EK-AIO 360 D-RGB. Performance is improved by an impressive 3°C because of the extra fans, resulting in the EK cooler coming in just 1°C behind the already impressive Corsair H150i Capellix in the AIDA64 OC FPU test. In the other tests, the coolers trade blows. The extra fans included by EK will likely make a difference on the more power-hungry Intel HEDT systems and the 10900K with its insatiable power draw when overclocked. That said, when lowering the noise level to around 45 dBA from 55dBA, performance remains very good, but not quite class-leading. Temperatures at 45 dBA peaked at 85°C, which is a 2°C increase. At that point, it falls behind the Corsair H150i Capellix, again by 1°C at the same noise level. Either way, both coolers are extremely expensive as far as all-in-one liquid coolers go, and while the Corsair comes in at around $20 less, the EK technically gives you more in the box for your money.

That said, while I am not exactly impressed with the $199.99 price tag, I can at least understand it here, unlike on some AIOs. Adding three more EK-Vardar S 120ER fans will set you back $25 each or $75 in total. So if you wanted to buy an EK-AIO 360 D-RGB and use some extra EK fans for the case or to upgrade cooling while having everything match, it would cost you about $25 more than just buying the Elite model. Going with the Elite not only gives you the extra fans for a bit less but also the improved SPC pump/block that, while still relatively quiet, now has a higher RPM and thus better flow rate. This means you can have top-tier performance or slightly better performance than its less costly sibling with the extra fans in your case. Therefore, it really comes down to your situation and what you are trying to accomplish. If you want top-tier cooling, the EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB provides that, but if you still want great cooling and some extra ARGB fans, it can provide that as well, depending on how you want to approach your build or system upgrade.

I will say I am still sad there is no copper radiator. I know in this situation, it likely wouldn't make a big impact, but it would at least be a nice marketing check box compared to other mixed metal coolers. That said, the unit's overall build quality is still great. EK tweaked a few aspects for better performance but essentially followed the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" line of thinking. Thus, while not a whole lot has changed, it also means I still have no real complaints and instead am left with nitpicking certain things. For example, I wish they had nickel-plated the base for a nicer finish that matched the pump top. Does it really do anything? No, but when you are paying this much for a product, those minor details create the impression of quality, and how a product is initially perceived matters. The only other issue is memory clearance, while the memory I use fit just fine with no heatsinks it just barely did so. Memory with heatsinks did not clear. Granted the pump can be rotated to solve the problem but its not a perfect solution. This is something worth considering as changing the pump orientation could pose other problems as well.

Now, I know there are two distinct camps, those who love and those who hate RGB. I can say no matter whether on or off, the cooler looks great—the new black nickel pump/block top has more visual appeal than the older frost white design, which I still happen to like. That being said, with so many fans and ARGB lighting being a major feature of this cooler, some way to manually control the ARGB lighting would be nice considering the high price. Not all boards support ARGB lighting, and while that is changing with each passing day, not everyone has the latest and greatest CPU, or maybe they are using an older chipset or motherboard. There is also the fact that the EK-Hub, while nice, doesn't change the fact that you will have to deal with a boatload of cabling, which at this point is normal for ARGB-equipped products. Still, while these problems are honestly minor quibbles, they do spring to mind and mean EK still has room for further refinement and improvements.

Overall, the EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB is an impressive offering that delivers exceptional cooling and performance while looking good, and it comes fully loaded with top-quality fans. While noise levels are extremely loud at full tilt, noise-optimized performance is still exceptional, and if you are in the market for a high-end all-in-one liquid cooler, it's certainly an easy option to recommend if your case can fit it, especially since it comes with a 5-year warranty.