Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 280 CPU Cooler Review

Introduction

Cooler Master are one of the leading manufacturers when it comes to PC cooling hardware, I mean, the they even have “cooler” in their name, so you know they mean business. They’re a popular choice for many system builders, from their budget friendly and rather fantastic Hyper 212X cooler series, right up to their new flagship air cooler, the MasterAir Maker 8. Of course, they’ve also created many great water coolers, and we’re eager to test out their latest one, the MasterLiquid Pro 280, which we have in the eTeknix office today.

The latest Cooler Master water coolers use their new FlowOp technology, their brand new MasterFan Pro fans, improved radiator fin design, and many other tweaks and improvement that seeks to make this one of their greatest ever coolers, something we’re eager to test and find out for ourselves!

“FlowOp starts at the molten core where the CPU meets with the copper base. From there, it applies the principles of heat dissipation throughout the closed loop to not only carry that heat away and out of the case, but to do it as quietly and efficiently as possible while extending the cooler’s lifespan.”

The new MasterLiquid Pro comes in a 120mm and 240mm form factor also, but today we’ve got the big daddy of the bunch, the 280mm model, which comes with dual 140mm fans that should give us more surface area on the radiator, and excellent airflow even at lower RPM, which should also mean lower noise!

Packaging and Accessories

This is a big CPU cooler, so it does come in a fairly chunky and heavy box. There’s a nice picture of the MasterLiquid on the front cover, and it shows off some blue LED lighting in the pump housing too.

Around the back, a full breakdown of all the dimensions and main specifications, as well as a cool exploded view of the FlowOp pump design.

Everything comes very well protected with durable cardboard housing, plastic sleeves and cardboard dividers.

In the box, you’ll find a large rubber grommet, Y-split fan cables, Intel and AMD brackets, a universal back plate, and a nice package with all the appropriate screws and fittings. There’s also a small tube of thermal paste, which has more than enough for multiple installations.