Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 280 Review: The Strong, Silent Type
Final Thoughts
It is easy to think of the MasterLiquid Pro 280 as a hulking brute force of cooling, but beneath the domineering size there is also a surprising finesse. It does not rely solely on high-RPM fans (which it does have), nor does it fall back on simply having a large surface area (which it also has), but it utilizes these to great advantage, coupled with an excellent set of high-pressure fans. On top of that, it also provides excellent ease of installation and use. The result is a solid performer from top to bottom.
The MasterAir Pro 140 AP fans produce an incredible amount of air pressure and a pitch-free PWM operation. Even though it tops out at 52dBA, this is well-below typical AIO fan noise and the 2200 RPM Q-mode lowers the noise down to 46.3dBA without too much performance penalty. Even at the slowest fan limiter S-mode where the fans operate at 1500 RPM, cooling performance is excellent, made even more satisfying by the scant 38.2dBA noise by-product produced.
As AIO’s approach higher price points however, they come face to face with expandable models which offer significantly more versatility and performance. The advantage of the MasterLiquid Pro 280 over these is its ease of use and installation. The expandable AIO’s on the other hand appeals more to those who are more advanced or at least adventurous with the prospect of customizing the loop at a later time. Ultimately, users who are looking for an all-in-one solution that is completely maintenance-free in a “set it and forget it” kind of way, would be happy that the MasterLiquid Pro 280 exists as an option.
