Introduction
In this article I am taking a look at the flagship liquid cooler from none other but Cooler Master. Say hello to MasterLiquid 360 ATMOS Black edition. This cooler is available in 240mm and 360mm sizes as well in the black and white color scheme. The following are the salient features of this cooler:
- Exceptional silence
- Optimized user experience
- Fully customizable
- Eco-friendly construction
- Refined dual chamber design
- 360 degree cool
This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA115x/1200/1700 and AMD AM4/AM5. Users of Intel 20xx socket may be disappointed since this cooler is not compatible with that socket. This cooler comes with a dual-chamber design that the Cooler Master has almost perfected by increasing the coolant pressure and spraying coolant directly over the hot spots in addition to separate paths for the coolant flow.
In addition, Cooler Master has focused on providing an Eco-friendly product by reducing the packaging size and using recyclable materials and focusing on using recyclable metal parts.
This cooler has an MSRP of £149.99 at the time of this writing. This cooler comes with a 5-year warranty.
MasterLiquid 360 ATMOS Specifications
Cooler Master is confident in the design as is reflective of the pump from its MTTF value of >210,000 hours. Similarly, the fans have MTTF of >160,000 hours. This cooler is compatible with MasterPlus software as well as MasterCTRL software using ARGB 2 technology for which a hub is also provided in the box.
Packaging and Unboxing
Cooler Master has reduced the packaging size by 30% to bring an eco-friendly product. The cooler comes inside a cardboard box. There is an outer cover that can be lifted off to reveal the inner container that has a nice presentation.
Cooler Master has provided AMD and Intel mounting hardware in separate boxes whereas the common parts and the hub is provided in a separate box. The fans come pre-installed on the radiator and are placed inside a separate box. The pump block is tucked inside an open container. Take note that handling the pump block in this open-design container is not convenient.
Accessories
Let’s see what is provided in the accessories department.
Cooler Master has reduced the paperwork by printing the instructions and contents of the cooler directly over the accessory boxes.
These pictures show the connection mechanism for 240mm and 360mm size coolers. It is somewhat difficult to properly read and understand these pictures.
There are:
- 1x Intel Backplate
- 2x Intel Mounting Brackets
- 4x Intel LGA1700 Standoff Screws
- 4x Intel LGA1200/115x Standoff Screws
There are:
- 2x AMD Mounting Brackets
- 4x AMD Standoff Screws
There are:
- 1x Tube of Thermal Paste [CryoFuze]
- 1x Warranty Paper
- 1x Scan Label for Online Manual
- 4x Mounting Bracket Screws
- 2x Tube Clips
- 4x Nuts
- 12x Radiator Screws
There are:
- 1x 3-Way PWM Fan Splitter Cables
- 1x 5-Way A-RGB Splitter Cable
- 1x micro-USB to USB 2.0 header cable for the hub
- 1x SATA Power Cable for the Hub
- 4 A-RGB Connector Covers/Plugs
I have removed the fans to show the fan screws.
Cooler Master has provided a hub that connects the A-RGB-enabled devices to the computer so that they can be controlled using MasterPlus or MasterCTRL software depending on the support. Please note that this is optional and you can still connect the A-RGB connection to the motherboard.
The micro-USB connector is connected to the USB label port and the other end is connected to a 9-pin USB header of the motherboard. The SATA cable is connected to the power label port using a 2-pin connector.
You can connect 3x 5V 3-pin A-RGB devices to the hub like in this cooler’s case, these would be SickleFlow Edge and Pump block so that Cooler Master’s software can be used to customize the lighting effects. I appreciate Cooler Master simplifying the hub design and reducing the cable clutter.
Although I did not use the Cooler Master software, I have taken the above picture for illustration purposes from the Cooler Master website.
Closer Look
It is time to take a look at the unit itself. But first here is what Cooler Master is saying about this cooler, “The next generation AIO liquid cooling is here with the MasterLiquid 360 Atmos. The Atmos is our forward-thinking, innovative take on what an AIO cooler can and should be. Exceptionally silent performance provided by our SickleFlow Edge fans. An optimized user experience from unboxing to the MasterCTRL software. A pump top cover fully customizable with your own 3D-printed creations. Eco-friendly construction is implemented throughout. Our signature dual chamber pump design is refined. The Atmos represents the best of the best in modern AIO liquid cooling, a full 360 degrees of cool.”
Radiator
The radiator is completely made of an aluminum material. It has a size of 394x119x27.2mm (LxWxH). 393mm length makes it a bit slim design compared to 397mm which is commonly found on the majority of the coolers. The overall thickness of the unit will be 53.2mm including the heads of the fan screws after installing the fans.
This radiator has 12 channels for coolant flow. These channels look like a narrow path compared to what I saw on the Valkyrie SYN 360 cooler. The fin density stands at 20 FPI implying you would need high static pressure fans. There are no bent or pressed fins. The overall build quality is quite good.
Looking at the near block of the radiator, you can see that both tube connections are far apart implying they are directly over the dedicated inlet and outlet ports of the radiator. There are black clamps that hide the tube connection with the barbs. There is another fitting that is probably over the refill port. It has a warranty void sticker meaning this port is factory use only so don’t tamper with it.
I am showing the side view of the unit. “Designed By Cooler Master” is printed over the side frame of the black frame of the radiator. Cooler Master uses rubber tubes that have black color sleeves over them. Cooler Master has provided two tube clips so that you can route the cables neatly and cleanly with a good outlook.
You can see that there is a certain gap between the side frame and the actual fin stack. There is no protective plating under the side frame to protect the fins from accidental over-screwing. However, you don’t need to worry as long as you are using Cooler Master’s provided screws.
Pump Block
Let’s take a look at the elegant design of the pump block.
Cooler Master has done something different with the block design on ATMOS coolers. They have used recycled plastic materials for the block’s top cover. The second thing is that you can remove the top cover and use your own 3D-printed designs within the stated size restrictions to customize the look that is backlit by ARGB Gen 2 lighting. It is a win-win solution from the Cooler Master.
The above picture does not clearly show what is meant by the top cover so let’s proceed and see more pictures about what we are talking about.
Now you can see that there is a plastic cover over the main block that is removable and there is a factory design by Cooler Master that can be replaced with our own design. The block has a dimension of 84.9x81x53.15mm. The lower portion uses black color ABS material. There is a certain gap between the top cover and the 3D design.
Cooler Master is still using the dual-chamber design that they have perfected in this cooler for optimal coolant flow for efficient heat transfer.
The front side of the block has the same layout as the sides and there is no branding of any sort on the sides which is a wise decision.
The above pictures are taken from the Cooler Master website and they illustrate the dual-chamber design wherein there are separate paths for the coolant flow and they have increased the coolant pressure and sprayed the coolant directly over the hot spot for effective heat transfer.
Looking at the backside of the block, two rotary fittings allow the tubes to be slid on either side during the installation as per the requirement. Two cables are coming out as well. They are braided and well-sleeved. I prefer flat cables since they are less chunky and easier to manage.
One cable powers the pump and it has a 4-pin PWM connector. The other cable has a standard 3-pin, 5V ARGB connector. I appreciate Cooler Master for using standard connectors. The pump is rated for 3.84W at 12VDC and it has MTTF of > 210,000 hours. The noise level is maximum of 25 dBA which is a bit loud for the pump.
Looking at the base, you can see a thermal paste honey-comb designed applicator sticker. Simply apply thermal paste over this sticker and then lift it off, you will get a perfect thermal paste application without worrying about more or less thermal paste. The base has a diameter of 52mm. It is copper-based. The mounting brackets are slided inside the bottom housing and secured using 4x screws from the visible mounting holes on the sides of the copper base.
Fans
Cooler Master has used SICKLEFLOW Edge 120 A-RGB fans with this cooler. Each fan has 7 frosted blades designed to generate more airflow. The black frame has a rounded slope design on all four corners. There are anti-vibration pads on the mounting corners. There is a black color sticker on the center that has the Cooler Master brand logo which lights up.
Looking at the backside of the fan, you can see 4x arms. They have a flat design that would means they will interrupt the airflow coming from the fan and there is no focused flow, instead the air would split around the frame. These fans are made in China. They feature Addressable Gen 2 RGB technology from Cooler Master. The frame towards the exterior has a slight slop outward design.
The frame of the fan is quite sturdy. There is a styling on the fin of the frame.
Each fan has three cables. The power cable has a 4-pin PWM connector. The ARGB cables have a standard 3-pin 5V connector and socket. These cables are sleeved but the ARGB extended cable is flat.
Salient specifications of these fans include:
| Dimension | 120x120x25mm |
| Speed Range | 690 – 2500 RPM ±10% |
| Noise Level | 27.2 dB(A) |
| Air Flow | 70.7 CFM |
| Static Pressure | 3.61mmH₂O |
| Bearing | Loop Dynamic Bearings |
| MTTF | ˃160,000 hours |
| Rated Voltage | 12VDC |
| Rated Current | 0.2A |
| Safety Current | 0.3A |
Installation
We are not covering the details of installation. I only report if there is any issue or observation recorded during installation. I did not encounter any issues during the installation and it was a convenient task. However, you are dealing with a plethora of sleeves cables that should be flat and Cooler Master should also focus on using smart daisy-chain functionality wherein only one cable would be needed to control the daisy-chained fans like the Valkyrie SYN360 or EK Nucleus CR360 Lux D-RGB.
D-RGB Lighting
I did not use the provided hub that would be used to provide Cooler Master’s software customization. In that case, you would be required to connect the 3-4 A-RGB cables to the 3x ports on the hub and then use hub and MasterPlus or MasterCTRL software for customization.
Since Cooler Master has used standard connectors, I have used them directly over the GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G DDR5 motherboard and control the lighting using the RGB Fusion 2 app. The lighting was working fine. Here are a few pictures.
Testing
We have used the following configurations for testing:
- Intel core i7 12700k
- GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G D5
- XPG Lancer RGB 32GB DDR5 Kit @ 6000MHz
- GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
- Sabrent Rocket Q 500GB NVMe SSD [For OS]
- CORSAIR AX1200i Platinum PSU
- Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout
Test table for Intel core i7 12700k is:
| Clocks | P-Cores 4.8GHz, 5.0GHz
E-Core 3.8GHz, 4.0GHz |
| Voltage | 1.20V, 1.31V |
| C-States | Disabled |
| Speed Step | Disabled |
| Rest of settings | Stock, Auto |
| XMP | XMP Loaded where available |
| Thermal Paste | Stock |
| Thermal Paste Application | Pre-Applied or X method |
| Headers | CPU_FAN, CPU_OPT, and PUMP Headers |
| Stress Software | CINEBENCH R23.2 |
| Stress Run Time | 30 minutes |
| PC Idle Time | 5 minutes |
| Monitoring Software | HWInfo64 |
| OC Tool | Intel XTU |
The ambient temperature was in the range of 25°C to 25.5°C. Since the variation in the ambient temperature is within 1°C, we are reporting absolute temperatures in the graph. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.
Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two same SKUs are likely to take same voltage to yield same performance at same thermals per se but margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, mounting pressure of the cooler etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings.
Result
The Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 ATMOS has delivered a solid punch to the competition. It is just 1°C away from the best-performing EK Nucleus CR360 Lux D-RGB cooler and ties with the Lian Li GALAHD II Trinity Performance. I would give this cooler a win for the reason that it was operating at 42.3 dBA compared to 46 dBA on the EK cooler and over 50 dBA on the Lian Li cooler. The price tag of £149.99/USD159.99 is also better than the competition. Job well done, Cooler Master!
I have recently started testing coolers using 5.0GHz on the P-Cores. This cooler has a fantastic performance from the Cooler Master cooler.
Conclusion
I have taken a look at the flagship cooler from Cooler Master which is MasterLiquid 360 ATMOS. This cooler is available in black and white colors as well as in 240mm size. This cooler is a paradise for users who would want to customize the design of the pump block. Cooler Master has exactly provided this heaven. Now the users can create their own 3D printed designs or use Cooler Master’s provided design footprint for 3D printing. This is further augmented by an Addressable Gen 2 RGB technology. Cooler Master has favored user customization over the LCD Screen.
In addition to the customization, Cooler Master has provided a hub that not only reduces the cable clutter compared to the predecessors but also provides simple connectivity to the PC wherein users can use MasterPlus or MasterCTRL software to customize the digital RGB lighting effects.
Another salient mention is eco-friendly products. Cooler Master has reduced the packaging size by 30% and provided a boxed or container design inner box. They have used recycled plastic material on the pump top and most of their metal parts are recyclable as well.
Now coming back to the main or core purpose of the cooler which is thermal performance and related aspects, this cooler is compatible with Intel LGA115x/1200/1700 and AMD AM4/AM5 sockets. I feel sorry for the LGA20xx users who would miss this powerful cooler. This cooler comes with three powerful SickelFlow Edge 120 fans.
This cooler has an aluminum radiator having a size of 394x119x27.2mm (LxWxH). After installing 120x25mm fans the overall height of the unit would be 53.2mm approximately as I count the thickness of the fan screws. There are 12 channels for the coolant flow and fin density is 20 FPI. Cooler Master has used rubber tubes that have black mesh sleeves over the top. There are rotary fittings on the block that would aid in sliding the tubes during the installation and tube clips will come in handy for neat routing.
Cooler Master is using a dual-chamber design for the pump and they have further refined the design in this cooler by providing separate paths for the coolant flow and spraying coolant directly over the hot spots for effective heat transfer. The pump is rated for 3.84W at 12VDC and has > 210,000 hours MTTF which is quite good. The sound rating is a bit elevated at 25 dBA.
The block has a removable top cover with the base material that can be replaced with the user’s design. There is also a digital RGB backlighting on the block. The mounting brackets are slid inside the housing and secured using 4x screws. The copper base has 52mm diameter and there is a thermal paste applicator sticker. Simply apply the thermal paste over this sticker and remove it. You will get a honey-combed pattern thermal paste for easy application.
I did not use the hub hence I did not experience the Cooler Master software. Since Cooler Master uses standard connectors, I have used them directly over the Z690 motherboard for lighting control using RGB Fusion 2.0 and found the lighting effects working fine
The hub provides standard 3-pin 5V ports (3x in total). There is a 2-pin power port which is powered by a SATA connector and there is a micro-USB port that connects the hub to the motherboard using a 9-pin USB 2.0 header. I wish Cooler Master had used a USB C port on the hub.
Cooler Master has used 3x SICKLEFLOW Edge 120 A-RGB fans. These fans have frosted 7x blades on the black frame and have anti-vibration pads on the mounting corner. These are rated for a maximum of 2500 RPM ±10% speed generating 70.7 CFM airflow at 3.61mmH₂O static pressure. The sound rating is 27.2 dB(A). These fans use Loop Dynamic Bearings. These fans have 4-pin PWM connector cables and standard 3-pin, 5V addressable (male and female) connectors. All cables use sleeves. I would prefer flat cables for easy management.
Installation of this cooler is easy. I have installed it on the LGA1700 socket for which it takes 15 items to install the block on the socket. I would prefer less items and lower steps to install the cooler. This will be a factor in our upcoming round-up content.
This cooler is listed at USD 159.99 on NewEgg and UK pricing is £149.99. This is an effective pricing for the feature set that this cooler provides. But what about the performance? This cooler was pitched against the like EK Nucleus CR360 Lux D-RGB, Lian Li GA-II Trinity Performance, and My Valkyrie SYN360 White coolers in addition to some other mainstream coolers.
The Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 ATMOS has performed exceptionally well coming in at 1°C warmer against the EK cooler under load. Though there is more thermal gap between this cooler and the Valkyrie cooler, the Cooler Master cooler has a better sound output over the competition and this is further augmented by good pricing and a 5-year warranty. Cooler Master has provided a win-win cooling solution for modern CPUs from both sides with a plethora of features. I can see this cooler also winning our top award which is Must Have in addition to Value and Design awards. This is probably the first product to win three awards in one go.
Pros:
- Excellent Thermal Performance
- Pump Cover Customization
- Eco-friendly Design
- Powerful Pump and Cold Plate Design
- Addressable Gen 2 RGB Tech
- Cooler Master Hub
- Standard Connectors
- Intel Next-gen Socket support
- MasterPLUS and MasterCTRL Software
- Thermal Paste Application
- Easy Installation
- Better Noise
- 5-year Warranty
- Price
Cons:
- I would prefer a USB-C port on the hub
- I would prefer flat cables
- Smart Daisy-Chain Cable Management is missing
