Arctic has announced the Freezer 36-S tower air cooler, boasting dependable mainstream performance starting from £17.89. Purpose-built to be a value alternative to the Freezer 36, the new 36-S is said to deliver comparable thermal performance at the more accessible price point.
Like the Freezer 36, the Freezer 36-S uses a single-tower format comprised of four 6mm direct-touch heatpipes and an aluminium fin stack. However, instead of the dual push-pull fan configuration, this new model makes do with a single 120mm P12 Pro PST fan. In other words, the Freezer 36-S is a slimmer variant of the original, with the same efficient heat transfer, but designed to fit smaller cases, all while being cost effective.
Arctic says that the P12 Pro is optimised for stable airflow, high static pressure, and low vibration, offering 77cfm of airflow and 6.9mmH2O of static pressure.
Another cost-cutting measure includes the removal of the click fan mounting system in favour of traditional wire clips, as well as the top cover plate that was hiding the heatpipe terminations. More importantly, Arctic has retained the Contact Frame mounting system, which improves heat transfer by spreading mounting pressure evenly to avoid CPU bending. Thankfully, aside from the missing second fan, none of the other changes should have a negative impact on performance.
Speaking of which, Arctic claims that the Freezer 36-S can maintain an 185W AMD Ryzen 9 9950X at around 86.6°C using normalised 31dB(A) fan speeds, or 81.5°C at full fan speed. For Intel, this cooler is even more impressive as it can reportedly keep a 220W Core Ultra 9 285K at 82°C using normalised 31dB(A), dropping to 79.2°C at full fan speed.
The Freezer 36-S is designed with hardware support in mind, ensuring full compatibility with tall RAM modules and nearby components, such as VRM heatsinks. While the form factor is simple on paper, Arctic is bringing the Freezer 36-S to market in a choice of four variants. Users will be able to choose between a black non-RGB fan with non-painted aluminium fins, black non-RGB fan with black coated fins, black RGB fan with black coated fins, and white RGB fan with white coated fins. All measure 126mm (L) x 88mm (W) x 156mm (H) and tip the scales at 685g.
The Freezer 36-S natively supports Intel’s LGA1851/LGA1700 plus AMD’s AM5/AM4 platforms and comes bundled with the brand’s MX-7 thermal paste as standard. For a budget solution, it’s also helpful to know all models are backed by a six-year warranty. The cooler is available to purchase now with pricing for each variant as follows:
- Freezer 36-S A-RGB (White): $23.59/€37.49 (MSRP: $37.49)
- Freezer 36-S: $20.49/€28.99 (MSRP: $28.99)
- Freezer 36-S (Black): $21.99/€32.49 (MSRP: $32.49)
- Freezer 36-S A-RGB (Black): $23.19/€36.49 (MSRP: $36.49)
Arctic Freezer 36-S
“With the Freezer 36-S, our goal was to deliver reliable cooling that meets the demands of modern CPUs, combined with smart engineering at a price that makes sense.” – Arctic
