SilverStone Hailstone 360 Industrial AIO Cooler Review

There are several markets in the enthusiast PC world.  The retail market is the one we are most familiar with and encompasses the majority of the components we source for our builds from motherboards and video cards to cases and coolers.  The other market is a little more refined, considerably smaller and very focused.  Users in this market have slightly different tastes and while the end goal is the same, the path to get there can be different.  This prosumer market could be considered the OG computer enthusiast who doesn’t care about RGB lights, is less concerned with overall noise but, still wants high performance and flexibility.

In this review we will be looking at a new AIO cooler from SilverStone called the Hailstone 360.  This cooler is intended to fill the gap created between the IceMyst Pro (an upgrade to the original IceMyst) and many of the server based coolers that SilverStone offers.  Like the original IceMyst this is a very innovative AIO cooler that solves a critical airflow issue when system builders opt for watercooling while taking a more industrial approach to cooling.

Very little has changed in the overall design of AIO coolers.  They are still just a closed loop watercooler with a cold plate that attaches to the CPU.  Liquid is used to move heat from one place to another while a liquid to air heat exchanger (radiator) is used to keep things cool.  The innovation comes with small tweaks at each one of these points either to enhance style, performance or influence cost.

The Hailstone comes with large diameter braided rubber hoses at 460mm in length which are very flexible and will require considerable effort if you want to kink them.  As with most AIO coolers, the hoses are permanently fixed to prevent leaks though do have rotation fittings at the pump block to help with hose routing.

You will notice two sets of wires attached to the Hailstone pump block.  The lower set is for pump controls while the upper set is for ARGB and the additional IMF70 cooling modules.  I was always impressed with how large the cold plate was on the original IceMyst and with the recent upgrade the cooler now supports Threadripper processors.

One of the biggest changes between the IceMyst Pro and Hailstone featured in this review is the inclusion of SilverStone FHL120 industrial grade cooling fans.  These monster air cutters are rather impressive with Liquid Crystal Polymer blades for superior strength, three phase six pole motors for smooth operation and a metal reinforced motor hub.

These fans will spin between 800 and 3000 rpm and will move 95cfm at full tilt.  As expected they are not designed to be silent with a 39.6 dBA sound rating.  Under most circumstances, this might be too much for a typical gaming build but, in the prosumer space the extra airflow is a welcome addition.

To help keep the area around the CPU cool you can install any number of IMF70 cooling modules.  There are two types of modules available.  The IMF70 comes with ARGB fans while the IMF70-BC features black industrial fans.  The cap on the Hailstone does have ARGB lights to illuminate the ring and snowflake logo on the top of the pump block.