Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240R RGB AIO CPU Cooler
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
RGB is here to stay. Practically every manufacture makes some form of RGB component. While I don’t really like the color cycle setting as it is “affectionately” called unicorn vomit (and some of the other Modders-Inc. staff members) it does photograph well and shows how even the colors of each LED are. The LED lighting on the pump top was even and shows through the slot pretty well. It is not overly bright either. The fan lighting was well done too. The only complaint that I have is that since the blades are translucent, there are hotspots visible where the LEDs are placed at the hub of the fan. Personally, I think Corsair and Fractal have better fan lighting with their white bladed fans. But really, that’s my only complaint with the fans. The ARGB controller works very well and is easy to get set up. According the to Cooler Master website, there is a firmware update available and advise that you install the firmware update prior to installing the MasterPlus software. The ARGB controller can be connected between the reset button of the case and the motherboard. If you choose to connect it this way the reset button will work as the light control button. If you need to use the reset button to actually reset your PC, hold it down for 5 seconds. At first glance, the MasterPlus software seems a bit unrefined if you’re used to Corsair’s iCue. However, it’s still pretty easy to navigate and once you get used to it, there’s not a problem using it.
As I said at the beginning of this article, Cooler Master has been making CPU coolers for years. It comes as no suprise that the MasterLiquid ML240R was able to keep the temperatures of the i7-8700K in check. Temperatures were good an never got over 71° C even when overclocked. With the fans set to silent, I couldn’t hear the cooler running from about 4 feet away on an open test bench. Both the pumps and fan are quiet. That changes at full speed however. At 2000 RPM on the fans, you can hear them. They are not annoyingly loud, but you can tell they are there. The pump runs full speed at 2400 RPM and the fans drown out the pump noise. However, that’s the extreme case. For a midly overclocked CPU and fans set to spin up based on temperature I doubt you’ll be able to hear them. Installation was a breeze as well. Cooler Master’s instruction pamphlet was pretty clear and easy to follow. The only issue I can see is that in larger cases, the tubes may be a little short depending on where you mount the radiator. AIO coolers do have a limited lifetime as they are maintenance free. That can be both a blessing and a curse.
The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240R RGB is a great cooler. It is currently last years model, but still a great cooler nonetheless. One of the main attraction to water cooling is silence. The other is good cooling. This cooler does both and does them well. So setting my internal LEDs to all white (boring, I know) still looks good. At the time of this writing, the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240R RGB retails for $107.99 USD. Overall, I am very pleased with the performance of this CPU cooler and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to someone looking for a new cooler.
