Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL240 Flux

Cooler Master kann mit der MasterLiquid PL240 Flux auf voller Linie überzeugen. Zusammen mit der geringen Lautstärke sowie der hervorragenden Kühlleistung liefert Cooler Master hier ein gelungenes Gesamtpaket ab. Allerdings lässt sich Cooler Master dieses Paket auch recht gut bezahlen.

The Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL240 Flux is the CPU cooler you really want, if you want to keep your RGB hidden below the surface. The black transparent lens not only looks great when the lights are off, but also looks great when the lights are on … the pump lets the light through without any issues!

With Intel’s new CPUs moving to the LGA1700 socket and the new larger socket requiring a wider mounting bracket after Intel sticking with the same sized mounting hole for a very long time it has had me looking at changing up the cooling in a few of my systems and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Not only that, there are a LOT of options on the market. Everyone and their mom is now getting into the AIO market. Cooler Master has been around going back near the beginning for AIO coolers and they are one of only a few who often make their own designs rather than going with a standard OEM design so I’m interested in seeing what their new MasterLiquid PL240 Flus is all about. I’m also curious to see how it will perform on our new 12900K based test bench so let’s dive in and see how it does.

Cooler Master's MasterLiquid PL240 Flux is a good performer outshone by the more affordable competition, like the Lian Li Galahad 240 offering better performance and a more attractive price. Meanwhile, the older Corsair H100i PRO RGB offers similar features, performs roughly the same, and is also more affordable. In these situations, exciting features or extra visual design elements can lessen the MSRP sting, if present, but the addressable Gen 2 RGB implementation of the PL240 Flux isn't quite enough. Sure, it allows users to customize each individual LED, but when you compare that to the MSI AIO, which has a built-in LCD display, it is not nearly as exciting. On the other hand, Fractal Design's Prisma series has a hub on the radiator to keep the ARGB and fan wiring mess to a minimum, which is a nice quality-of-life feature. These features can help justify a higher price tag and are easier to market. So while being able to use the MasterPlus+ software to control individual LEDs is nice, the use of standard ARGB plugs means most users will likely bypass the software and control hub altogether. Instead, they will probably use traditional motherboard software to handle ARGB lighting and PWM fan curves.