Cougar Poseidon Ultra 360 ARGB AIO Cooler Review: Bright Light, Average Cooling

Founded in 2008, Cougar has become a prominent name in the PC hardware market, especially among gamers and enthusiasts. While Cougar may seem like a relatively new acquisition in the industry, it is backed by HEC/Compucase, a veteran in the PC market known primarily for its OEM products. Cougar was created as a subsidiary to focus on developing and marketing high-performance products tailored to the needs of gamers and PC enthusiasts.

Initially, Cougar focused primarily on PC cases, gradually expanding its product line as the brand gained prominence. Over the years, Cougar has successfully diversified its offerings to include a wide range of products, from gaming chairs to mechanical keyboards. This strategic expansion has allowed Cougar to establish a strong position in the gaming hardware market.

In this review, we’ll be focusing on Cougar’s latest entry into the liquid cooling market, the Poseidon Ultra 360 ARGB cooler. The Poseidon Ultra 360 ARGB is a high-performance, all-in-one liquid cooler with a 360mm radiator and vibrant ARGB lighting, designed to appeal to both performance enthusiasts and those looking for a visually striking setup. In this review, we’ll be taking a look at the AIO cooler’s key features, cooling performance, and noise levels to determine how it stacks up against the competition in the increasingly crowded liquid cooler market.

Packaging and assembly

Cougar packages the Poseidon Ultra 360 ARGB cooler in large, sturdy cardboard boxes. While the box retains the company’s signature black and orange color scheme, it prominently features vibrant graphics showcasing the cooler’s RGB lighting capabilities, making for a visually striking package. Inside, the cooler and its components are securely protected by special cardboard inserts, ensuring safe transportation.

In the box you'll find a fairly basic kit for a premium CPU cooler. Cougar includes the necessary cables to power the fans and controller, a one-time dose of thermal paste, and the necessary hardware to install the cooler onto the CPU socket. There's no dedicated RGB controller; the cooler requires a compatible motherboard or controller to function.

The cooler features three 120mm fans with a unique frame design, convex fin blades, and an advanced hydraulic bearing for improved performance and durability. While the specific original manufacturer of the fans is not disclosed, the part number is DF1202512FDMN. These fans are equipped with ARGB LEDs and have a translucent blade and inner ring assembly that is designed to gently diffuse light, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the cooler.

Cougar Poseidon Ultra 360mm ARGB AIO Liquid Cooler

The Poseidon Ultra 360 ARGB cooler from Cougar maintains the typical design of all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling systems, consisting of one radiator, two hoses, and a block that connects the CPU contact plate to a compact liquid pump. Cougar has used a typical rubber tube with an outer nylon sleeve for additional mechanical protection. The fittings are plastic, as is the case with most modern AIO liquid cooling systems.

The radiator in the Poseidon Ultra 360 ARGB follows a standard dual-pass, cross-flow design, with thin fins brazed to thin, oblong tubes. This design remains the industry standard for AIO systems due to its excellent efficiency within the required compact size and temperature ranges that these coolers handle. The hose connections on the radiator are fixed, which can limit flexibility a bit during installation. Cougar designed the radiator to be only 27mm thick to ensure greater compatibility. However, with the fans included, the entire AIO system still requires at least 52mm of clearance, making it necessary to install this cooler in a case designed for AIO systems.

Cougar’s design efforts are especially evident in the main unit assembly. With the exception of the contact plate, the rest of the assembly is made of plastic and acrylic, and Cougar has made a serious effort to make the unit as visually appealing as possible. The top of the unit assembly can be removed by slightly rotating it counterclockwise, allowing the user to adjust the orientation of the logo (yes, the large hex screw heads are fake). The hose fittings can be rotated 90°, adding some flexibility to the installation process.

The main block has a square-shaped metal contact plate made of copper. The plate is not polished to a mirror finish, but it is smooth and flat enough. The designer hid the screws that hold the cold plate in place behind a plastic cover. Thermal paste is not pre-applied, giving users the option to use their preferred thermal paste. The contact plate is large enough for all processors that this cooler is compatible with.

Cougar has paid special attention to the Poseidon Ultra 360 ARGB RGB lighting, resulting in an impressive display. The lighting is both bright and subtle, effectively diffused by the translucent fan blades and the top of the main block. When connected to a compatible motherboard, the cooler will sync with the system’s lighting theme. Note that if your motherboard does not support 5V ARGB LEDs and if there is no other controller available, the Poseidon Ultra 360 ARGB lighting will not turn on at all.