Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos AIO CPU Cooler Review

1. Cooler Master ML 360 Atmos2. Test Results3. Closing Thoughts4. View All Pages

KitGuru has reviewed several Cooler Master AIO CPU coolers over the past few years and each time they have offered great value for money but didn't quite deliver top-class thermal performance. Cooler Master says that will change this time around, however, with a brand new MasterLiquid Atmos AIO series featuring a refined dual chamber pump, a brand new copper cold plate design and pre-installed Sickle Flow Edge 120 fans. But has Cooler Master got it right this time? Let’s find out.

Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:43 Designed inhouse / packaging
02:33 In the box / headers
04:58 A closer look at the cooler
06:49 CPU block / pump / tubing
09:28 ARGB controller
10:34 Mounting brackets / install
14:13 How does it look ?
15:04 Performance results
17:49 Cooler Master Master Control software
18:36 Closing thoughts

We reviewed the Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360L Core recently and while it provided great value for money with a low MSRP, it didn’t exactly put out any fires with the thermal performance. However, this new Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos is an entirely new design, the dual chamber pump has been reworked and the copper cold plate is an improvement on previous generation coolers. The Atmos also comes equipped with Cooler Master SickleFlow Edge fans, plus the pump unit and packaging are more eco-friendly, giving the Atmos a lower carbon footprint.

All this means that the Atmos is more expensive compared with the Core series, which isn’t a surprise since the Core is Cooler Master’s value range. But do all these design improvements and extra costs add up to a boost in performance with Atmos? Well, that’s what we are here to find out. Cooler Master designs and manufactures its coolers in-house so they have the engineering freedom to do what’s needed to improve overall cooler performance unlike some other companies that borrow the design from an OEM and just slap on some different fans and fancy RGB.

As well as claims of increased performance from the new pump/cold plate design, Cooler Master has also added the option for customisation with the Atmos, which might be interesting to users who like to mod their systems. The pump top cover can be easily removed and the plastic piece below replaced with 3D printable designs. Users can create their own designs or download them from printables.com to put a unique look on the cooler to personalise their system. Atmos is also Cooler Master's first product to fully utilise the new MasterCTRL software

Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos features:

• New dual chamber pump that is designed and manufactured in-house by Cooler Master for optimal performance.
• A highly customisable pump top cover is manufactured from 100% recycled plastics and redesigned eco-friendly packaging reduces the Atmos carbon footprint.
• Users can customise the look of the pump top with their own designs or 3DPrint other designs from printables.com.
• The Atmos is the first Cooler Master product to make full use of the company’s MasterCTRL software which provides a user-friendly experience for controlling ARGB lighting and monitoring temperature and performance.
• Included Sickle Flow Edge 120 fans equipped with Cooler Master loop dynamic bearings are factory-tested to keep things cool at ultra-low noise levels.

Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos Specifications:

• Radiator Material: Aluminium
• Radiator Dimensions: 394 x 119.6 x 27.2mm (L x W X H)
• Pump: 4-Pin PWM Connector
• Pump Dimensions: 84.9 x 81 x 53.15 mm (L x W x H)
• Pump Max Noise: 25 dBA
• Fan Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25mm (L x W x H)
• Fan LED: ARGB
• Fan Speed (PWM): 690–2500 RPM
• Fan Max Airflow: 70.7 CFM
• Fan Max Air Pressure: 3.61 mmH2O
• Fan Bearing: Loop Dynamic Bearing
• Fan Connector: 4-pin PWM
• Warranty: 5 Years

Test System Specifications:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X670 Aorus Elite AX
• Memory: 32GB Kingston Fury FK560C36BBEAK2-32 DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: Gigabyte RX 6700 XT Gaming OC
• Storage: 500GB Corsair MP600 PCIe Gen4 NVME M.2 SSD
• Power Supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1000
• Chassis: Open Test Bench
• Thermal Compound: Arctic MX-6
• O/S: Windows 11 Version 22H2

Testing Methodology:

We are primarily focussing on the performance of each cooler at 100% fan speed and also when locked to 40dBA noise output. We will focus on cooling performance using a manual overclock with all-core frequency and VCORE locked to 5.2GHz/1.3v and Precision Boost Overdrive performance.

• The test data is logged using HWINFO and the final 10 minutes of the data is calculated to find the average CPU temperature and CPU clock multiplier (PBO Test) and then plotted in the charts.
• For testing, we use a 30-minute looped run of Cinebench R23 and record the steady-state CPU temperature at the end of the test. This ensures that the CPU has had ample time to warm up and reach a steady state under all of the coolers.
• The ambient is maintained at 19-21 degrees Celsius. Where there is variation beyond this temperature range, we add extra repeated tests to ensure consistency. However, this is well controlled now with A/C.
• We also test each cooler with at least two fresh installs (typically three) to mitigate the likelihood of poor mounting spoiling results.
• Ambient temperature and humidity are controlled via a mini split air conditioning system inside the test room. Ambient temperature is maintained between 19-21C, Temperature delta figures are shown in the charts (ambient temperature is deducted from the measured component temperature).

Test Results:

Acoustics

We’ll start by looking at the noise output as this will give us a good understanding of the cooler’s performance based on noise.

With the fans running at their maximum speed of 2300RPM, the Atmos noise level is measured at 51dBA which is comparable to other coolers running similar speed fans. However, 51dBA might be a touch too loud for some users so tuning fan speed may be beneficial.

Thermal Performance

In the manual OC test with fans still running at max RPM, the brute force performance of the Atmos is exceptional, It is right up there with the best coolers we have tested and trading blows with the current cooling king the EK-Nucleus.

To tune the fans down to 40 dBA operation the speed had to be reduced to just under 1600RPM, which brought the Atoms even closer to the EK-Nucleus performance and if you look down the chart where the previous Cooler Master PL360 Flux is you can see a huge improvement in thermal performance for the Atmos compared to the older model, which is even more impressive.

The important metric in the PBO test is the CPU clock multiplier. The Atmos was able to hold on to an average 51.4 X CPU clock multiplier while cooling 202W of package power with an average 68°C delta temperature, which means again it is sitting pretty in 2^nd place and giving similar CPU performance as the EK-Nucleus in first place which is an all-round excellent result for Cooler Master.

Our thermal performance tests show that Cooler Master's engineering efforts have paid off big time with the Atmos. Not only does it massively outperform the company's previous Core and Flux series coolers it crushes most of the competition with fan speed maxed out and at 40dBA noise levels. It's easy to put high-speed fans on a cooler and brute force your way to good thermal performance but showing class-leading thermal performance at 40dBA operation means that the Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos is a genuinely high-end CPU cooler, capable of taming even the most powerful current generation desktop, CPUs which isn’t easy.

The Atmos is neck-and-neck with the EK-Nucleus in all our thermal performance tests while the maximum noise out between the two is similar. However, the Cooler Master SickleFlow Edge 120 fans ran 200RPM faster than the EK-Nucleus fans at max duty cycle but were 1dBA quieter, which means that when it comes to the 40dBA test the SickleFlow Edge has a faster RPM advantage so it can hold on to thermal performance even when noise output is very low. In the past some Cooler Master AIOs have struggled at 40dBA operation but not this time with the Atmos.

As well as the high-end thermal performance there are other things to like about the Atmos, such as the simple installation process. Cooler Master has evolved the installation process of its AIOs over the years to the point now where it is extremely simple and quick. Installing on our AMD AM5 test system took just a few minutes and if you are happy with the orientation for the pre-installed fans then that’s a time saver too. Even novice users should have the cooler installed quickly and without any problems.

The ARGB lighting effects are worth a mention too, they are pretty basic with just a single zone of RGB lighting illuminating the fan blades but it's very well diffused. There were no noticeable LED hotspots on the fan HUBs where the LEDs are mounted and the RGB lighting on the pump top was subtle but effective. The use of standard 3-pin 5V cables means the RGB control is versatile too as it can be connected to the included Cooler Master hub or the motherboard headers.

I ran into a slight problem with the software connectivity of the Cooler Master RGB hub using the new MasterCTRL app but it worked perfectly using the older MasterPLus+ software platform. I reached out to Cooler Master about this and was assured that MasterCTRL will be fully compatible with the Atmos when the product launches. The current version of the software that I used was only a beta, but because the cooler uses standard RGB connections it's not a problem as you can control RGB with other devices.

The connectivity issue was the only real negative I had with the cooler, though the price is also a bit of a sticking point, for UK buyers at least. The Atmos 360 has an MSRP of £169.99 for the UK but in the U.S it is considerably cheaper at a $159.99 MSRP which roughly converts using current rates at around £130. It's competitive with coolers like the EK-Nucleus at £169 but the guys in the U.S are getting a much better deal, so while it's not bad value for UK buyers, it's excellent for the U.S enthusiasts.

Taken as a whole, the Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos is an all-round superb AIO cooler. The customisation option might appeal to users who like to personalise their systems, it has genuine high-end thermal performance, noise output can be tuned to the users preferred level without killing thermal performance, it's easy to install, looks good and is reasonably priced depending on your region. So if you are looking for a high-performance AIO for a new build anytime soon, add this to your list.

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The Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos will be available at OcUK and other UK retailers from October with an MSRP Price of £169.99.

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Pros:

• Class-leading thermal performance.
• ARGB effects look great.
• Standard ARGB and PWM connections are always a bonus.
• Eco-Friendly packaging.
• Customisable pump top.
• Quick and simple installation process.

Cons:

• UK price is steep compared to U.S MSRP.
• No interlocking cable-free fans.

KitGuru says: If you are thinking about building a high-end system soon and wondering what cooler to buy, make sure you check out the MasterLiquid 360 Atmos from Cooler Master, you won't be disappointed.

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