5 6
90 % 85 %
All-in-one CPU coolers
GROUP TEST
5
It’s got an illuminated logo and the hose mounts
rotate, which is useful, but there’s none of the fancy
materials or clever infinity mirror lighting of the
more premium models on test.
However, you get a chunky radiator, quieter
rubber-tipped fans and the convenient
thumbscrews for mounting them. CoolerMaster
has also upgraded the tubing from the Lite 120.
Here, it’s much thicker and braided. This makes it
more difficult to move around, but it’s a lot tougher.
When it comes to performance, the
MasterLiquid 240 is surprisingly good. At no point
does it take the crown in either silent or standard
modes, however it holds its own and is relatively
quiet in standard mode when under load – hitting
just 40dB compared the Silent Loop 120’s 44dB.
Just as with its 120mm sibling, the
MasterLiquid 240 can’t help but impress. For raw
performance you can’t really go wrong
for the price, especially if this is your
first time buying an all-in-one cooler.COOLERMASTER MASTERLIQUID
240 http://www.coolermaster.com £65
You do get a few nice extras, too. While plastic, the
pump/block is topped by an illuminated
CoolerMaster logo. The radiator is also well made,
though it is a touch bigger than others.
The fan also comes with integrated rubber pads
on its corners to help reduce transfer of vibrations
and reduce noise. Plus, the screws for mounting the
fan are thumbscrews, which means there’s one less
reason to grab a screwdriver when installing it.
The mounting system of this cooler is also good,
particularly for AM4 motherboards. It uses the
standard AM4 motherboard bracket, so there’s no
need to fit a base plate.
In terms of performance, it came dead last for
overall cooling, both in silent and standard mode. It
was also the joint loudest in silent mode – due to the
pump making noticeable burbling noises – though it
was the quietest in standard mode.
The end result is that this is a perfectly
decent budget cooler. It’s not perfect,
but for the price it more than delivers.COOLERMASTER MASTERLIQUID
LITE 120 http://www.coolermaster.com £40
The MasterLiquid 240 is astonishingly good value. It’s
nearly half the price of most other 240mm coolers, and
while similar cost-cutting measures have been applied
here as to the Lite 120, the end result is more impressive.The CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 120 is by far the
cheapest cooler in this group test, and in some ways it
shows, but fundamentally this cooler still delivers in the
areas where it counts.