MasterLiquid 360 ION Overview
With the 360 ION out of the box, we can see that is has very similar looks to the 360 ATMOS that we reviewed last year, with the hexagon pump housing and its crystal-clear accents. As the name implies, the 360 ION is a 360mm AIO cooler, pairing three of Cooler Master’s 120mm Mobius 120P ARGB fans with a 27.2mm thick 360mm radiator. The updates don’t stop there, so let’s get into each individual component a bit closer.
First up is the 360mm aluminum radiator. This radiator is most likely the same design that we have seen with previous Cooler Master AIOs we have reviewed, as all of the specifications match up. The 27.2mm thickness is pretty much the average thickness we have been seeing lately.
With 20 fins-per-inch, the tight fin density is able to provide adequate surface area while still confined to a 27.2mm thickness. The 120mm Mobius 120P ARGB fans included with the 360 ION have a static pressure rating of 3.63mm-H2O, which is slightly higher than the fans on the 360 Atmos, so we will have to see if these new model of fans show improved results compared to previous models.
The entire radiator exterior is outfitted with a matte black paint job, and centered along each of the long sides of the radiator is a “Designed by Cooler Master” printing.
Each braided cooling line exits from one end of the radiator’s end cap, and these lines are connected to the radiator via crimped connectors. I found the cooling lines to be quite flexible during installation, and their length seemed adequate during installation.
Taking a look at the CPU water block and pump combination unit, is where we have some changes compared to the previous MasterLiquid AIO we looked at. While there are similarities, mostly the hexagon shaped housing and crystal-clear plastic accents, there are quite a few differences as well.
The slightly smoky, glossy plastic cover found on the top of the pump housing reveals an updated design below, with small Cooler Master font branding surrounding the top-mounted LCD. Additionally, there are translucent fins beneath the glossy surface that help dissipate the light from the array of ARGB LEDs that surround the cooler. All of these LEDs can be adjusted with Cooler Master’s MasterCRTL software.
Centered on the top of the pump housing is a circular, 2.1″ IPS LCD display, which is fully customizable via the MasterCTRL software. We don’t have any resolution specifications, but I found it to be quite clear during my testing period. More on this screen later.
Cooler Master has always touted their dual chamber pump, which is designed to better separate the cooler incoming liquid from the warmer outgoing liquid, and it seems to be working well for them, as they continue to revise it with improvements along the way. And while Cooler Master didn’t provide any details regarding updates, they do mention that their “Gen X dual chamber pump has been refined for enhanced cooling synergy”. Making contact with the CPU heat spreader is a copper base with plenty of surface area to make contact with large CPUs. Sitting on top of that CPU block is a low-noise pump that is designed to run at a max of 20 dBA, which is quite a bit higher than previous MasterLiquid units we have tested. Its 210,000 hour life expectancy translates to just under 24 years of continuous operation, and while the AIO’s warranty is six years long, the pump should continue on long after that.
Making our way around the cooler, exiting from the right side we have the two cooling lines. Each line is paired up with a sturdy metal swiveling fitting to make installation and fitment much easier than with fixed connections. The dual-chamber design of this pump isn’t as obvious as previous MasterLiquid coolers, though Cooler Master still makes use of the dual-chamber layout to separate the incoming cooler liquid from the warmer liquid exiting the unit.
Moving towards the top left panel of the pump housing we find an opening for connecting the included breakout cable that provides connectivity and control for the majority of the cooler. This breakout cable connects to SATA power, and also provides a 3-pin cable for your motherboard’s CPU cooler header, as well as 3-pin ARGB connectivity, and three 4-pin PWM fan connectors for the included Mobius fans.
On the left side of the pump housing is a Micro USB port. The included Micro USB to USB 2.0 cable allows for software control of the 360 ION, which encompasses not only the performance aspects of the cooler, but the lighting and screen control as well.
Taking a look at the underside of the cooler, we see a copper cold plate, secured to the pump via eight screws. The initial look of the cold plate is mostly obscured by a removable template sticker that is used as a guide for applying the included thermal paste, and I’ll cover that process more in a bit.
Mobius 120P ARGB Fans
A far as specifications go, these seven-blade fans have an operating range of 0-2400 RPM, and are capable of pushing up to 75.2 CFM of airflow. With 3.63 mmH2O of static air pressure, these fans should pair nicely with the 27.2mm radiator. The Mobius line of fans are Cooler Master’s top tier, and the connected Ring Blad Design, optimizes performance and noise output. These PWM fans are also outfitted with rubber dampening pads at each corner, so they are ready to go to work in either a push or pull configuration.
Lighting for the Mobius 120P ARGB fans comes from the center hub of the fan, where there are eight ARGB LEDs available for configuration via the MasterCTRL software. Standard 4-pin PWM and 3-pin ARGB (with dual leads for daisy chaining) are present on each fan, and each cable is individually sleeved, which is a nice touch.
Cooler Master went ahead and attached the fans to the radiator at the factory, and while my typical setup would have ended up with all of the cabling on the wrong side, I reviewed Cooler Master’s promotional images and decided to orient the radiator with the tubing towards the back of the case, which resulted in the cables being on the correct side. This is a bit of a change from my standard installation method where the cooling tubes exit the radiator towards the front of the case, but there should be no performance impact with the tubes towards the back of the case.
