Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 AIO Cooler Review

There are several things to consider when looking at a self contained watercooling system.   Performance and price are always seem like the most important factors but when you consider that most watercooling units all follow a similar formula it is nice to see something different. 

The Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 is an interesting AIO cooler that separates the pump from the waterblock in an attempt to increase performance and longevity.  In doing so the FlowOpt technology is able to direct liquid at the center of the waterblock to ensure that the coolest liquid is touching the hottest part of the block first.   It also keeps the internal pump away from the waterblock for a longer operational life.

Watercooling reliability has always been brought into question and unlike your standard tower cooler a self contained watercooling unit does contain some moving parts.  To help mitigate risk due to user error you will find a blue LED light at the top of the pumpblock that not only illumines the Cooler Master Logo but also indicates that the pump is active and has power. 

I found installation of the MasterLiquid to be extremely simple and yet a little frustrating.  As I mentioned earlier in this review I had to remount the pumpblock several times to get a good fit and the small nuts used to hold the unit down were difficult to install.  For me the trick was to center the pumpblock and rock it back and forth a few times to find the center of the CPU.  Then hold it in place while two of the nuts were installed to keep it from moving.  Now imagine doing that inside your case and you can see why I say it’ was a little frustrating.  Maybe in a future revision Cooler Master will use springs to help keep even pressure.

During my testing I discovered that the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 can handle and good amount of heat but was losing efficiency due to the conservative and quiet MasterFan Air Balance 120mm fans.  Adjusting the internal speed limiter didn’t seem to help much and it wasn’t until I swapped to a more powerful high pressure fan that temperatures became more respectful.  Evidence of this can be seen in the standard tests where there was a 5 degree difference between the two fan types.  As I also noted the radiator seemed to be too restrictive for the Air Balance fans.

Overall I am still very impressed with the MasterLiquid Pro 240 and wouldn’t hesitate recommending it.  Load temperatures were very respectable and while I had to push the cooler to get the performance I wanted it was all done using the Asus Turbo PWM fan profile.  Not only could it support my 4.6Ghz overclock without issue but ran extremelly quiet.

Quiet Operation
Unique Pumpblock Design
Quick Installation
Status Light
Great Overclocking Performance
Speed Adjustable PWM Fans

Ribbed hoses
Needs more powerful fans