Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 280 AIO Cooler Review

There are many ways to increase the performance of your PC.  Most enthusiasts will immediately gravitate to overclocking for the “instant gratification” performance boost but what about thermal performance?  Thermals play a huge role in how your system performs and when they are under control your system can run its best.

In this review I’ll be looking at the MasterLiquid Pro 280 from Cooler Master.  This is a dual 140mm AIO watercooling unit that was designed to help re-launch Cooler Master as a leader in the cooling space and redefine some of the common design ideas with AIO watercooling.  The MasterLiquid Pro 280 is also a revision over the MasterLiquid Pro 240 that I reviewed earlier this year.  The technology is the same however there are a few subtle differences and I we will get a chance to check them out.

When it comes to water cooling there are two major variables to consider.  1) How heat is transferred to the liquid.  2) How heat is transferred from the liquid to the air.  The concept is easy enough to understand however the trick is finding a balance between them that doesn’t negatively impact overall performance. 

For AIO coolers the intent is to provide a cooling solution that provides better performance over standard aircooling and is cheaper than going with a full DIY cooling loop.  To accomplish this many of the components are combined and then distilled it down to a basic cold plate (waterblock) and radiator with a pump in there to move the liquid around.  There are some theoretical limits to what can be accomplished with an AIO cooler and while your particular cooling needs may or may not be satisfied with your cooling choice.