Question MasterLiquid ML360R RGB possible installation on my rig?

frozensun

Honorable
Jun 30, 2018
223
4
10,595
I really want to add some aesthetics to my case like RGB.
I plan to purchase this RGB cooler,and swap with the D-15,but don't know if I will be able to install it with my Maximus VIII formula,do I have all the connectors I need for pump and fans?
I hope the case is not the problem,because it has 200 mm fan on top of the case,which I am not sure if it can be removed.
The case iz NZXT Phantom 820
 
I really want to add some aesthetics to my case like RGB.
I plan to purchase this RGB cooler,and swap with the D-15,but don't know if I will be able to install it with my Maximus VIII formula,do I have all the connectors I need for pump and fans?
I hope the case is not the problem,because it has 200 mm fan on top of the case,which I am not sure if it can be removed.
The case iz NZXT Phantom 820

3 fans is no problem for the vast majority of motherboards today. It's the pump that will consume most of the power and not all motherboards can handle that juice.

This is why most aio vendors will give you an adapter to hook the pump into the SATA or molex adapters. But as always check the box. Cooler master has a manual on their website to tell you what is included in the box.

Removing old fans is usually really easy. You need just a screw driver. And the nzxt 820 case has a mounting spot for a 360mm rad up top. Not the ideal place but a good place to put it.
 
Do I need to take off/uninstall MB from case in other to install this AIO cooler?
95% chance you won't have to. Usually there's enough of a clearance you won't have to remove the board to get fans/radiator in and out. To date, I never had to remove a board to get a fan in. But this can't be guaranteed. There are a few wonky combinations out there.

There's a big CPU mounting bracket access hole on the back of the motherboard tray. You WILL need to remove both case side panels. But mounting the water block should be easy. Thumb tighten the CPU water block screws. Do not use a screw driver. It's easy to over torque the retaining screws causing them to snap off.

Remember to remove the cold plate and check the mate. Then rescrew it back down by hand again.

Dive in, but take your time. It really isn't hard. It's a far cry easier than it was in the 80s->90's.
 

rubix_1011

Contributing Writer
Moderator
Everyone assumes that a review encompasses every person's scenario.

No.

A review only describes what someone has seen on their system. For example, when I tested the ML360R, it performed better than all other AIOs at the time, on the same hardware, using the same tests. This does not mean it automatically is the same for anyone else as you cannot determine what someone else is using (for hardware), what their clock speeds are, if they run the same tests, the same versions of those tests and the same drivers between the hardware. I do because my testing rig is setup that way and because it has to be in order to maintain equality for all tests and hardware I evaluate.

Take a review with a grain of salt because that's what most public reviews are ....simply someone's perspective. Online reviews can be written by vendors themselves or by competitors...or paid to do so on their behalf for a sway in review results and 'stars'. I've also noticed a lot of reviews that like to 'counter' or 'bash' my review of a product only to find out that different hardware is being evaluated. Different CPUs generate heat differently and not every person's setup matches what might have been sent to me.

Were the BIOS on the pump updated before testing?

What are ambient room temps during all runs and are the reported temps a valid delta of those offsets?

Is the same thermal compound used for every single test?

Are the coolers provided a 1-hour burn-in to allow the thermal paste to evenly spread before being tested?

Keep these in mind when you make objective comparisons. Not all product reviews on Amazon or Newegg (or insert site here .com) are fully vetted...most are just upset users that want to have a voice be heard.
 
OK thanks my friend.you forgot I need to clean current thermal paste and apply fresh one.
So the fans must be setup to exhaust air from inside the case right?

If it's top mounted, then exhausting is your best bet. It's not the ideal position (intake on front) But it will do.

The Cooler Master is just fine. It has a 4/5 rating and most people complain about the ARGB controller and difficulty with installation. I will admit the ARGB software included for the cooler master isn't that great.

HOWEVER

It's not harder than most AIO's to install, and it will work just fine with any motherboard that has a 3 pin ARGB +5V header. Then you can use your motherboard software to control it. I had my CM ML240L installed within 1 hour with fans and RGB. You can see pics of it in my profile.

I could have used the bundled RGB controller on mine, but I hooked it to the motherboard RGB controller and it works fine.
 
Yeah but my RGB fan header is already occupied by the led strip.

You can use any RGB splitter cable. As rubix suggested, the above splitter will work. Splitter cables work with both ASUS/Gigabyte/MSI/ASROCK RGB and ARGB because it's just wires spaced .1" apart.

However ARGB is electrically different than RGB. The AIO you are ordering is ARGB which is different than RGB. They are not compatible with one another. One is 3pin / 5V (ARGB). The other is 4 Pin / 12V (RGB). The AIO you are looking at obviously has to go into a 3pin/5V (ARGB) header on the mother board.
 

rubix_1011

Contributing Writer
Moderator
Many of Cooler Master's RGB lighting feature follow the standard 4-pin design. Many newer coolers use a more proprietary/3-pin aRGB approach to try and maintain their 'ecosystem' when you want to add more lights or control to your system, so you are forced into thinking that only their components will work with their components.