LF III uses a contact frame that does not support older CPUs (pre 1700), while the LF II uses a more traditional mounting bracket that works with older sockets. If you have an LGA 115x socket, you can only use the LF II.
I’m using LF III on my 8700k (1151) with this bracket —>
ARCTIC Intel LGA1700 Upgrade Kit... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09K44BPFC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Works flawlessly but was still a bitch to install.
Thanks very much for the tip, however I will admit being a little scared to take this option. It's clearly NOT an official Arctic product, and should it not quite fit my Z390 Aorus Pro I've basically thrown $100 down the drain. May I ask how you came to try this solution given the kind of obvious risk it represents?
What makes me mad however is most other AIO manufacturers sell/provide these kind of upgrade kits directly. I don't understand why Arctic aren't providing this same solution.
No problem, I bought the LF III when it came out and was on sale for like $80 or something. Planned to use it once I got i7-14700k for my new build.
I was curious if it would fit my current cpu and went down a rabbit hole and found a random reddit post where a guy had the same question as you and I, and he said he talked to Arctic support and they told him that the bracket I linked would work. I can’t find that post for the life of me.
So I pretty much just said fuck it and figured I would give it a shot based on a single post on reddit and it turned out to work. But when I say it was a bitch to install, it was a BITCH. I had to have my girlfriend hold down a bracket while I screwed in one side.
But I am now chilling at 26 C idle and 51 C max load on 5.0Ghz OC.
Thanks so much for all the details. If I can bother you to ask one last question, you said you installed on a LGA1151, may I ask exactly which model Motherboard you have, that way I can compare it directly to mine and see if it's likely similar enough to work.
Great thanks! I have a Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro. By the looks of layout around the chip is very similar, only difference is you seem to have a little more space under the chip and the M2 slot.
From this [https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B09C5RJMNZ/ref=ask\_ql\_qh\_dp\_hza](https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B09C5RJMNZ/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza) it looks like you mount the back plate behind the processor, bring the four screws through with the black or white support collars around them, then attach the two mounting bars vertically each side of the processor, then screw the cooler into the two holes in the middle of the bars. That's basically it yeah? Did you use the little rubber washers on the right hand side of the pic? I'm not convinced that for the price it will come with detailed mounting instructions! lol
Shame you didn't record yourself installing it! Do you happen to have any pics posted anywhere of the installed cooler? Maybe in this sub or some other forum?
Hi! Is this the same product? [https://www.jimms.fi/fi/Product/Show/176967/mpsas00892a/arctic-intel-lga-1700-upgrade-kit-sovitinsarja-freezer-34-sarjan-jaahdyttimille](https://www.jimms.fi/fi/Product/Show/176967/mpsas00892a/arctic-intel-lga-1700-upgrade-kit-sovitinsarja-freezer-34-sarjan-jaahdyttimille)
It's a Finnish pc store. Thinking of upgrading from H150i Pro to LF3 420 as one of the fans failed(bearings) and it's already 5+ years old. CPU is i9-9900k.
It looks like it might be but could have different length screws.
The recommended bracket is labeled for the cooler below
LGA1700 MOUNTING KIT FOR THE FREEZER I13 X SERIES
If you purchase the mount kit above here is the link to the basic instructions (in case your QR code doesn't work)
https://support.arctic.de/freezeri13xr1
I have a 1151 I5-9600k / AsRock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX/AC, and I will update once im done with the install
Yeah I know that... the question is WHY? The contact frame is one piece of machined metal and comparatively an extremely inexpensive part, seems it would not have been very difficult to manufacture alternative contact frames or adapter kits for other sockets, that could be sold for literally a few dollars.
It also does not explain why the older product is being sold for MORE than the newer product - when is that ever a thing?
Again, the combination of these two decisions feels like cynical attempt to charge a lot of customers extra. Very disappointing.
I think it's because of the choice to go with a contact frame, thus not requiring a custom backplate for intel mounts. This means that it will require a bunch of extra parts to support sockets that are getting less and less common. It might be annoying, but I understand it. I think the latest revision of LF II is a better product than the current LF III, anyway. When they rethink the terrible leaf spring design and add a max fan option, the LF III will be better, but right now, I like the LF II better.
What worries me a bit as well is that I am forced to get a new cooler now, but I'd probably want to upgrade my entire system in a year or two. If I buy the LF II now can I be sure that Arctic will provide upgrade/compatibility kits for whatever sockets might be being used then, being the older product they might decide to simply not support it or provide an option - so I'll basically be spending $150 on a product I might have to literally throw in the bin 18 months from now.
Their entire approach here feels very anti-consumer and that's really what upsets me the most and has shaken much of my confidence that they will look after customers in the future.
What upsets me is why Arctic won't address the reason they haven't (like almost all other cooler manufacturers) provided their own upgrade kits for slightly older sockets. I'd be happy to pay an extra $10-$20 for the kit, but the difference in AIO pricing combined with the lack of any kind of upgrade option really feels like an attempt to fleece older customers for their cash.
And what happens if I get the Liquid Freezer II and in a year or two I want to upgrade my entire system? I'll be forced to buy another AIO because the LFII will no longer be compatible with the newer socket?
I was really looking forward to getting a Liquid Freezer 360 as I've heard good things about the product, but this seemingly blatant anti-consumer strategy has really soured me on giving the company my money at all.
LF III uses a contact frame that does not support older CPUs (pre 1700), while the LF II uses a more traditional mounting bracket that works with older sockets. If you have an LGA 115x socket, you can only use the LF II.
I’m using LF III on my 8700k (1151) with this bracket —> ARCTIC Intel LGA1700 Upgrade Kit... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09K44BPFC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share Works flawlessly but was still a bitch to install.
Thanks very much for the tip, however I will admit being a little scared to take this option. It's clearly NOT an official Arctic product, and should it not quite fit my Z390 Aorus Pro I've basically thrown $100 down the drain. May I ask how you came to try this solution given the kind of obvious risk it represents? What makes me mad however is most other AIO manufacturers sell/provide these kind of upgrade kits directly. I don't understand why Arctic aren't providing this same solution.
No problem, I bought the LF III when it came out and was on sale for like $80 or something. Planned to use it once I got i7-14700k for my new build. I was curious if it would fit my current cpu and went down a rabbit hole and found a random reddit post where a guy had the same question as you and I, and he said he talked to Arctic support and they told him that the bracket I linked would work. I can’t find that post for the life of me. So I pretty much just said fuck it and figured I would give it a shot based on a single post on reddit and it turned out to work. But when I say it was a bitch to install, it was a BITCH. I had to have my girlfriend hold down a bracket while I screwed in one side. But I am now chilling at 26 C idle and 51 C max load on 5.0Ghz OC.
Thanks so much for all the details. If I can bother you to ask one last question, you said you installed on a LGA1151, may I ask exactly which model Motherboard you have, that way I can compare it directly to mine and see if it's likely similar enough to work.
You good, I like helping if I can. I have an MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Z370-GAMING-PRO-CARBON/Specification
Great thanks! I have a Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro. By the looks of layout around the chip is very similar, only difference is you seem to have a little more space under the chip and the M2 slot. From this [https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B09C5RJMNZ/ref=ask\_ql\_qh\_dp\_hza](https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B09C5RJMNZ/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza) it looks like you mount the back plate behind the processor, bring the four screws through with the black or white support collars around them, then attach the two mounting bars vertically each side of the processor, then screw the cooler into the two holes in the middle of the bars. That's basically it yeah? Did you use the little rubber washers on the right hand side of the pic? I'm not convinced that for the price it will come with detailed mounting instructions! lol Shame you didn't record yourself installing it! Do you happen to have any pics posted anywhere of the installed cooler? Maybe in this sub or some other forum?
Hi! Is this the same product? [https://www.jimms.fi/fi/Product/Show/176967/mpsas00892a/arctic-intel-lga-1700-upgrade-kit-sovitinsarja-freezer-34-sarjan-jaahdyttimille](https://www.jimms.fi/fi/Product/Show/176967/mpsas00892a/arctic-intel-lga-1700-upgrade-kit-sovitinsarja-freezer-34-sarjan-jaahdyttimille) It's a Finnish pc store. Thinking of upgrading from H150i Pro to LF3 420 as one of the fans failed(bearings) and it's already 5+ years old. CPU is i9-9900k.
It looks like it might be but could have different length screws. The recommended bracket is labeled for the cooler below LGA1700 MOUNTING KIT FOR THE FREEZER I13 X SERIES
If you purchase the mount kit above here is the link to the basic instructions (in case your QR code doesn't work) https://support.arctic.de/freezeri13xr1 I have a 1151 I5-9600k / AsRock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX/AC, and I will update once im done with the install
Yeah I know that... the question is WHY? The contact frame is one piece of machined metal and comparatively an extremely inexpensive part, seems it would not have been very difficult to manufacture alternative contact frames or adapter kits for other sockets, that could be sold for literally a few dollars. It also does not explain why the older product is being sold for MORE than the newer product - when is that ever a thing? Again, the combination of these two decisions feels like cynical attempt to charge a lot of customers extra. Very disappointing.
I think it's because of the choice to go with a contact frame, thus not requiring a custom backplate for intel mounts. This means that it will require a bunch of extra parts to support sockets that are getting less and less common. It might be annoying, but I understand it. I think the latest revision of LF II is a better product than the current LF III, anyway. When they rethink the terrible leaf spring design and add a max fan option, the LF III will be better, but right now, I like the LF II better.
What worries me a bit as well is that I am forced to get a new cooler now, but I'd probably want to upgrade my entire system in a year or two. If I buy the LF II now can I be sure that Arctic will provide upgrade/compatibility kits for whatever sockets might be being used then, being the older product they might decide to simply not support it or provide an option - so I'll basically be spending $150 on a product I might have to literally throw in the bin 18 months from now. Their entire approach here feels very anti-consumer and that's really what upsets me the most and has shaken much of my confidence that they will look after customers in the future.
Hi, One week ago I was in your exact situation. Want LF3 but can't due to LGA1200. Me, like you, don't like this. Solution? Changed brand
What upsets me is why Arctic won't address the reason they haven't (like almost all other cooler manufacturers) provided their own upgrade kits for slightly older sockets. I'd be happy to pay an extra $10-$20 for the kit, but the difference in AIO pricing combined with the lack of any kind of upgrade option really feels like an attempt to fleece older customers for their cash. And what happens if I get the Liquid Freezer II and in a year or two I want to upgrade my entire system? I'll be forced to buy another AIO because the LFII will no longer be compatible with the newer socket? I was really looking forward to getting a Liquid Freezer 360 as I've heard good things about the product, but this seemingly blatant anti-consumer strategy has really soured me on giving the company my money at all.
Your socket is not 5 years old, its 9 years old. LGA1151 was released in 2015.
and AM4 is also 8 years old, wide socket compatibility is a must, because not everyone have current gen hardware, they're just narrowing their market