Cooler Master Masterliquid Ml120r Rgb Aio Cooler Review

Review: Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120R RGB

Introduction

Cooling a high-end CPU used to be a challenge back in the day, just the modern crop of efficient fries is such that just almost whatever well-made air- or liquid-libation volition practise a decent task. You might run into a small-scale variance in operation, and noise output tends to be a meliorate differentiator of the best models, even so for nigh users the buying decision is much of a muchness; anything inexpensive and cheerful will practice.

But at that place's no impairment in giving your PC an extra layer of bling, and for the enthusiasts who like a rig that looks every bit adept equally it performs, manufacturers take taken to RGB lighting as a point of temptation. Merely about every component can exist illuminated in a modern build, and the once-humble CPU cooler tin can be the most eye-catching element if done right.

NZXT'southward Kraken is arguably the most stylish example nosotros've seen of RGB lighting on a liquid cooler thus far, but Cooler Primary is aiming to go one meliorate with a pair of new additions dubbed the Master Liquid ML120R RGB (£100) and ML240R RGB (£110). The names don't exactly roll off the natural language, but if y'all deem other coolers too sedate in their appearance, you're going to appreciate Cooler Primary'due south vivid approach.

We have the ML120R in for review, and get-go impressions are positive. Designed and manufactured in-house, Cooler Primary'due south all-in-one solution feels well-knitted together and uses a sleek all-black end to contrast and further emphasise the multiple zones of RGB illumination.

In keeping with most compact, closed-loop coolers, ML120R features a 120mm 10 157mm x 27mm aluminium radiator that attaches to a pump via flexible and sleeved FEP tubing. The compact pump is one reason to consider the liquid cooler over a traditional heatsink and fan - information technology frees upwardly infinite around the CPU socket - and Cooler Master is using a dual-chamber design that is said to aid oestrus transfer.

Cooling performance should no doubt be decent, only the primary reason to consider the ML120R is all that RGB goodness. Libation Master has 12 individually addressable LEDs behind the pump's top ring to provide well-nigh-seamless transitions, and the illumination doesn't stop there. The border surrounding the Libation Master logo is likewise backlit (though the text curiously isn't) and the duo of bundled four-pin MF120R RGB fans are equally bright with eight addressable LEDs apiece.

It's a good-looking collection of kit, there's no dubiety about that, still the lighting implementation does result in a off-white few wires to contend with. Whereas modern equivalents such as the be quiet! Silent Loop and Fractal Design Celsius simplify installation to just a cablevision or two, the MF120R installation kit includes over threescore individual pieces. The pump and fans each have two cables - an RGB header also as three- and four-pin power connectors, respectively - and Cooler Master includes a two-mode splitter for the PWM fans every bit well as a three-way splitter for all the RGB.

That should hateful yous only use three motherboard headers (three-pivot pump ability, 4-pin fan power and addressable RGB), even so if your motherboard doesn't support addressable lighting, Cooler Primary bundles a dedicated controller for managing colours, effects and speed. The controller is nice and compact, and nosotros like the fact that the back is magnetic for easy attachment within a case, but cabling gets even more complicated. Page 12 of the manual shows the RGB headers continued to the controller via small-scale three-pin adapters, and you'll also then need to add a SATA power cable too as a USB cable if you wish to utilise Cooler Master's MasterPlus+ software utility, which is still in evolution and due to arrive at a afterward date.

Installation therefore isn't entirely straightforward, but there is merit to Cooler Master's wired controller equally information technology fully supports Addressable RGB on upwards to four channels, allowing individual control of each LED on the pump, fans, and whatsoever other compatible strips y'all choose to attach. Controlling the effects via the controller buttons is somewhat cumbersome - yous'll need to refer to the transmission or video tutorial to go on rails of the diverse push presses - but while we wait the MasterPlus+ software utility, the ML120R is certified compatible with the likes of Asus Aureola Sync, ASRock Polychrome Sync and MSI Mystic Light.

Take the lighting out of the equation for a moment and the cooler itself is easy to mount. All the latest Intel and AMD sockets bar Threadripper are supported, and it's only a instance of securing a mounting bracket to the rear of the motherboard via the supplied standoffs then fixing the pump on meridian. Cooler Main bundles a small-scale tube of thermal paste that's practiced for a couple of remounts, simply given the £100 asking fee, it's a shame the kit is backed past but a standard two-yr warranty. Even so, if lighting is a priority and yous're limited to a 120 rad, the ML120R seems to exist an obvious selection. Let'due south see if performance is upwards to scratch.

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Source: https://hexus.net/tech/reviews/cooling/117713-cooler-master-masterliquid-ml120r-rgb/