MasterLiquid 360L Core Overview
Out of the box, the MasterLiquid 360L Core is a pretty basic looking AIO. That’s not to say that this cooler doesn’t look good, especially in the white version that we received, it’s just that nothing really stuck out to me when taking a first look. As the name implies, the 360L Core is a 360mm AIO cooler, pairing three of Cooler Master’s upgraded 120mm fans with a 27.2mm thick 360mm radiator. This AIO has very similar looks to some of Cooler Master’s previous Lite-series AIO units, so lets take a look at some of the individual components of this kit.
First up is the 360mm aluminum radiator. This radiator is most likely the same design that we have seen with previous Cooler Master AIOs we have reviewed, as all of the specifications match up. We will say that 27.2mm thickness is on the thin side of what we have seen from other manufacturers, though Cooler Master expanded radiator fin surfaces, which typically translates to better cooling, when paired with matching fans. With 20 fins-per-inch, the tight fin density is able to provide adequate surface area while still confined to a 27.2mm thickness. The 120mm fans included with the 360L Core have a static pressure rating of 1.86mm-H2O, which is quite a bit lower than the fans on other Cooler Master AIOs we previously reviewed, so we will have to see if these supposedly upgraded fans have the pressure levels to get air flowing through the radiator.
The entire radiator exterior is outfitted with a smooth white paint job, and centered along each of the long sides of the radiator is a Cooler Master Logo.
Each braided cooling line exits from one end of the radiator’s end cap, and these lines are connected to the radiator via crimped connectors. The white loom around the tubing does look nice, and while I think white would have looked better, the gray heat-shrink around the ends of the barbs on the radiator do look nice. I found the cooling lines to be quite a bit thinner than previous MasterLiquid units, and this is most certainly due to this model being part of the Lite-series of coolers. I did find the cooling lines to be not as flexible as I would have liked during installation, and their length seemed a bit short as well during installation and when adjusting their placement in the finished build.
Taking a look at the CPU water block and pump combination unit, we can see that is has taken on a slightly updated look compared to past MasterLiquid Lite-series AIOs. The housing is a combination of black and white plastic components, with the top cap being white with silver highlights and MasterLiquid branding. Centered on the top of the pump is a Cooler Master logo with ARGB illumination inside.
Cooler Master has always touted their dual chamber design, and it seems to be working well for them, as they continue to revise it with improvements along the way – this time in their Gen S design. Making contact with the CPU heat spreader is a redesigned copper base with plenty of surface area to make contact with large CPUs. Sitting on top of that CPU block is a low-noise pump that is designed to run at a max of 12 dBA. Its 70,000 hour life expectancy is less than half of the last MasterLiquid unit we reviewed, and its warranty is just three years, down two years from said previous unit. These stats right here are things you should really look out for when deciding between components in your build. Paying a bit more for those additional hours of operation and warranty years might be worth it in many cases.
As mentioned previously, taking a look at the pump from the top down you can see a circular design with a white top plate that has a translucent Cooler Master logo in the center, which features ARGB lighting. The lighting for both the pump ARGB LED lighting and the included fans can be controlled via a compatible ARGB controller, or by a compatible motherboard and software, as no controller is included with this unit.
Making our way around the cooler, exiting from the right side we have the two cooling lines. Each line is paired up with a swiveling fitting to make installation and fitment much easier than with fixed connections. The dual-chamber design of this pump is made apparent via the staggered fittings on the side, and makes us appreciate the fact that Cooler Master still makes use of the dual-chamber layout to separate the incoming cooler liquid from the warmer liquid exiting the unit.
The top side of the pump housing is where the 3-pin ARGB cable and 3-pin pump power cable exit – no PWM support is present for the pump.
Taking a look at the underside of the cooler, we see a copper cold plate, secured to the pump via eight screws. While there is a quite a bit of machining visible on the surface of the water block, these lines were not noticeable to the touch.
Cooler Master has chosen not to pre-apply thermal interface material to the cooler, but has instead chosen to include a small tube of their own Cryofuze thermal paste. While we do appreciate the ease of use with pre-applied material, we also appreciate the ability to re-install the cooler on multiple systems and not having to worry about finding thermal paste.
ARGB Fans
Included with the MasterLiquid 360L Core ARGB White, though not attached, are three of Cooler Master’s upgraded 120mm ARGB fans. Cooler Master leaves these fans off of the radiator so that you can choose whether to use a push or pull fan configuration. Of course, all of the necessary hardware is included to mount the fans to the radiator, and their installation is made very easy, thanks to the inclusion of some great thumb screws.
A far as specifications go, these nine-blade fans have an operating range of 650-1750 RPM, and are capable of pushing up to 71.93 CFM of airflow.
These PWM fans are also outfitted with rubber dampening pads at each corner, so they are ready to go to work in either a push or pull configuration.
