Cooler Master Master MasterLiquid PL360 Flux Review: Alder Lake Silence
Tom’s Hardware Verdict
Cooler Master’s PL360 Flux is an extremely quiet cooler, featuring ARGB lighting. It’s a great pairing for thermally demanding CPUs like Intel’s i9-12900K when restricted to 200W or less.
Pros
- +
Quietest Liquid Cooler I have tested
- +
Capable of cooling 200W with Alder Lake
- +
ARGB lighting with included USB controller
- +
Software for full lighting customization
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Cooler Master has expanded its product lineup in recent years to include peripherals of all stripes, even gaming chairs and monitors. But the company built its brand on coolers like the classic Hyper 212 EVO and behemoth cases like the HAF 700. And the company hasn’t taken its eye off its core competency.
The Cooler Master PL360 Flux is a large 360mm AIO with lots of RGB. We’ve previously tested this cooler with an i9-10850K, and it handled the 10th generation i9 well.
But can it handle the increased thermal density of Alder Lake, while also earning its fairly high street price of around $190? Let’s dive in, get to testing, and find out if the Flux earns a spot on our Best AIO coolers list.
Specifications for the Cooler Master PL360 Flux
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| MSRP | $209 USD |
| Radiator Dimensions | 394 x 119.6 x 27.2mm |
| Total Weight | 1.98kg |
| Socket Compatibility | FM1/FM2(+)/AM3/AM4/AM5/TR4, LGA 1700/1200/2066/1150/1151/1155/2001(-3) |
| Pump Dimensions | 89 x 75 x 40mm |
| Rated Noise Levels (Pump) | Up to 15 dB(A) |
| Radiator Size | 397x120x27mm |
| Radiator Material | Aluminum |
| CPU Block | Copper |
| Lifespan | Rated for 160,000 hours of operation |
Packing and Included Contents
Cooler Master’s PL360 Flux is packaged in a medium box that’s approximately 18 inches in length, with molded cardboard for protection.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Included with the package are the following:
- 360mm Liquid Cooler
- 3x 120mm PL-FLUX fans
- Mounts for all modern CPU sockets, including LGA1700, TR4, and upcoming AM5 motherboards
- Fan Splitter
- Thermal Paste
- User Manual
- USB-controlled ARGB hub
- ARGB splitter cable
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Cooler Installation
Installing the Master Liquid PL360 FLUX was easy. To begin, you secure the backplate against the motherboard using the standoffs. After applying thermal paste, press the CPU block against the standoffs and secure it with the included screws.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
What’s different than other coolers?
- Premium dual-chamber pump
Cooler Master’s latest dual-chamber pump is powered by a high-speed motor utilizing a ceramic bearing impeller, which allows for increased flow in a smaller package with reduced noise levels.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
- Slim and Sleek Radiator
The reduced profile of Cooler Master’s radiators means that it can better fit cases that don’t have a lot of space – something that users of SFF cases will appreciate.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
- Cooler Master PL-FLUX Fans
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
There’s more to a liquid cooler than just its radiator and pump. The fans have a huge impact on cooling performance and noise levels. Included with the PL360 Flux are Cooler Master’s PL FLUX fans, which include ARGB lighting that glows through the blades. These fans can’t be purchased separately (at least not yet).
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Model | PL FLUX |
| Dimensions | 120mm |
| Fan Speed | Up to 2300 RPM +- 10% |
| Air Flow | 72. 37 CFM (at 100% speed) |
| Air Pressure | 2.96 mm h30 (at 100% speed) |
| Noise Level | Up to 32 dB(A) |
| Lighting | ARGB |
- USB ARGB Controller with Software Support
Cooler Master includes a USB-powered ARGB controller box, which is useful if you don’t have any spare ARGB headers on your motherboard–or you don’t want to use your motherboard’s software to control your lights. If the 3 ports included on the box aren’t enough for your lighting needs, Cooler Master also includes a splitter capable of connecting 5 additional devices, making it possible to control up to seven different devices if you use the splitter in conjunction with the ARGB controller.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
While you can use the cooler without it, Cooler Master offers its Master Plus+ software, which allows for control of any devices connected to the USB ARGB controller and other supported peripherals, like Cooler Master’s MH650 headset.
There are 11 customizable lighting options to choose from within the control panel.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
New Testing Configuration
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| Cooler | Cooler Master Master Liquid PL360 Flux 360mm AIO |
| Comparison Coolers Tested | «BeQuiet Pure Loop 2 FX, 360mm AIO |
| Row 2 — Cell 0 | Cougar Poseidon GT 360, 360m AIO |
| Row 3 — Cell 0 | DeepCool LS520, 240mm AIO» |
| CPU | Intel i9-12900K |
| Motherboard | MSI Zz690 A-Pro DDR4 |
| Case | BeQuiet! Silent Base 802 Window |
| PSU | DeepCool PQ1000M |
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I’ll be testing the Master Liquid PL360 Flux with Intel’s i9-12900K.
Due to the Intel 7 manufacturing process’s increased thermal density and changes to core and component layouts, Alder Lake CPUs are more difficult to cool than previous generation CPUs in the most demanding heat-intensive of workloads.
This means that coolers that kept previous generation products like the i9-10900K nice and cool sometimes struggle to keep Intel’s i9-12900K under TJj max–the top temperature before the CPU starts to throttle. Many coolers I’ve tested aren’t able to keep the i9-12900K under TJ max when power limits are removed in workloads like Cinebench and OCCT.
Note that there are many factors that can influence your cooling performance. A system’s motherboard can influence this, as there are motherboards on the market with CPU sockets that are not up to Intel’s spec, which can cause warping or poor contact with the CPU, affecting thermal performance. The case you use will also influence cooling results.
With this in mind, I’ll be rating CPU Coolers in 3 different tiers:.
Tier 1: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K below TJ max in most loads, with no power limits enforced. I expect only the best liquid coolers to meet this standard.
Tier 2: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under TJ max with CPU power limits of 200W enforced. I expect most liquid and air coolers to meet this standard.
Tier 3: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under TJMax with CPU power limits of 140W enforced.
Testing Configuration
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Cooler | Cooler Master PL360 Flux |
| Comparison Coolers Tested | BeQuiet Pure Loop 2 FX, 360mm AIO |
| Row 2 — Cell 0 | Cougar Poseidon GT 360, 360m AIO |
| Row 3 — Cell 0 | DeepCool LS520, 240mm AIO |
| CPU | Intel i9-12900K |
| Motherboard | MSI Zz690 A-Pro DDR4 |
| Case | BeQuiet! Silent Base 802 Window |
| PSU | DeepCool PQ1000M |
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Testing Methodology
To test the limits of a cooler’s thermal dissipation capabilities, I run two primary stress tests: Cinebench and OCCT, each for 10 minutes.
While this may be a short amount of time, it is sufficient to push most coolers – both air and liquid – to their limits.
While stress testing in Cinebench, I run both with power limits removed and with an enforced 200W CPU power limit. In this test setup using MSI’s z690 A Pro DDR4 Motherboard and Be Quiet’s Silent Base 802 Computer Case, only the best coolers are able to pass Cinebench testing when power limits are removed.
I don’t test OCCT without power limits because attempting to do so results in CPU package power consumption jumping to over 270W and instantly throttling with even the best AIO coolers. Instead, I test at 200W to give coolers a chance at passing. I also include 140W results to give data closer to a lower-end CPU, such as AMD’s Ryzen 5600x or Intel’s i5-12400.
MORE: Best AIO Coolers
MORE: How to Buy the Right CPU Cooler
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Current page:
Features and Specifications
Next Page Core i9-12900K Thermal Results
Albert Thomas is a contributor for Tom’s Hardware, primarily covering CPU cooling reviews.
How do the NH-U12A, NH-U12S, NH-U12S redux and NH-D12L compare? Which one to choose.
Offering a perfect combination of strong cooling performance, outstanding quietness of operation as well as excellent case, RAM and PCIe compatibility, the NH-U12S has been among Noctua’s most popular CPU cooler models for many years. It’s a great default choice for customers who are looking for a well-rounded, signature Noctua solution and don’t require the extra performance headroom of the NH-U12A or the lower height of the NH-D12L. The NH-U12S chromax.black is identical to the regular version except for its black colour.
The NH-U12S redux is a streamlined, more affordable version of the NH-U12S. As such, it is perfect for users who are looking for a highly compatible, no-frills 120mm cooler that doesn’t break the bank. Its raw cooling performance is on the same level as the regular NH-U12S with both models scoring a Noctua Standardised Performance Rating (NSPR) of 129 points. However, the NF-F12 fan of the regular NH-U12S is 2.
7dB(A) quieter than the NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM fan of the NH-U12S redux (22.4 vs. 25.1 dB(A)).
Users who want the absolute best performance/noise efficiency in the 120mm class and don’t mind investing a bit more should go with the premium class NH-U12A: With an NSPR of 169 points and its dual state-of-the-art NF-A12x25 PWM fans running around 2.5dB(A) quieter than the NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM fan of the NH-U12S redux, the NH-U12A provides a significantly higher level of performance/noise efficiency that can rival many 140mm coolers.
Unlike the NH-U12S redux, the NH-D12L, NH-U12A and regular NH-U12S feature Noctua’s premium grade soldered interface between the heatpipes and the fins. They also include Low-Noise Adaptors a tube of NT-h2 thermal paste for several applications whereas the NH-U12S redux comes with NT-h2 pre-applied. While the NH-U12A is shipped with two fans and the regular NH-U12S as well as the NH-D12L includes clips for installing a second fan, the NH-U12S redux can only be upgraded using the optional NA-FK1.
| NH-U12A / NH-U12A chromax.black |
NH-U12S / NH-U12S chromax.black |
NH-U12S redux | NH-D12L
|
|
| NSPR |
169 | 129 | 129 | 148 |
| Height | 158mm | 158mm | 158mm | 145mm |
| Number of heatpipes | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Soldered interface of heatpipes and cooling fins | ||||
| Fan(s) | 2x NF-A12x25 PWM / 2x NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black |
1x NF-F12 PWM / 1x NF-F12 PWM chromax.black |
1x NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM | NF-A12x25r PWM |
| Acoustical noise rating | 22,6 dB(A) | 22,4 dB(A) | 25,1 dB(A) | 22,6 dB(A) |
| Low-Noise Adaptor | (optional with NA-FK1 second fan kit) | |||
| Fan clips for second fan | (optional with NA-FK1 second fan kit) | |||
| Thermal paste | NT-h2, tube (~5 applications) | NT-h2, tube (~5 applications) | NT-h2, pre-applied (1 application) | NT-h2, tube (~5 applications) |
| Mounting ecosystem compatibility | SecuFirm2™ | SecuFirm2™ | SecuFirm2™ | SecuFirm2™ |
| Included mounting parts | SecuFirm2™ for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1700, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM5 | SecuFirm2™ for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1700, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM5 | SecuFirm2™ for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1700, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM5 | SecuFirm2™ for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1700, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM5 |
| Free of charge mounting upgrades (if technically possible) | ||||
| Warranty | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years |
| MSRP | 119. 90 EUR / 109.90 USD129.90 EUR / 119.90 USD |
79.90 EUR / 69.90 USD 89.90 EUR / 79.90 USD |
54.90 EUR / 49.90 USD | 99.90 EUR / 89.90 USD |
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How to choose CPU COOLER
By design, coolers are divided into 4 main types.
1. Extruded
The small heatsink is made from solid aluminium. There is a fan on top.
2. Tower
The design contains heat pipes, the fan blows from the side.
3. Top Flow
The fan is installed parallel to the motherboard. In addition to the CPU, the tops cool the near-socket space.
4. Double tower with two radiators
The most productive option.
Informative article: CPU and motherboard compatibility — how to choose components: a guide in 3 sections0336
To let users know which cooler to choose for the processor, manufacturers indicate on the box the socket (socket for the CPU) and the heat dissipation power — TDP. The TDP parameter is measured in watts and must correspond to the power consumption of the chip. Processors themselves cannot distribute thermal energy, all of it must be taken away. Therefore, when choosing a cooler TDP, it makes sense to focus on the same CPU indicator, which shows how much power the processor consumes.
It is necessary to choose a cooler with a margin of TDP, because:
- chip manufacturers calculate energy consumption without overclocking, and if the frequency increased by 1.5 times, heat will also be released much more;
- there is no unified methodology by which manufacturers determine the TDP of coolers. For the sake of increasing sales, postscripts are possible.
It is desirable that the heat sink of the cooler be 1.5-2 times greater than the processor. The fan, forced to rotate at maximum speed, makes noise, exhausts its resource faster. It is better to invest a little more money in the cooling system and enjoy the uninterrupted operation of the PC in peace. nine0003
Interesting about choosing a processor: How to choose the right processor for a PC: 5 essential parts
Number of tubes in the cooler
Tubes began to be installed in coolers when they realized that the power of extruded coolers was structurally limited.
It was necessary to keep up with the growth in performance of new CPUs. The number of heat pipes depends on the thickness of the tower, and therefore indirectly on the chip. Let’s try to figure out how to choose a cooler for a modern processor, taking into account the number of tubes. nine0003
If you need to cool a chip that will only work at the base frequency, you should choose a cooler with a 3-4 cm thick tower and 3-4 heat pipes. The sense in thick towers appears when it is obvious that otherwise the fan will spin at high speeds and one cannot count on quiet operation. If the heat dissipation is more than 150 W, choose a model with 5 tubes or more and a tower thickness of 6-7 cm. With one heat pipe, the cooler can work better than with two. Its performance is affected by the thickness of the tubes, the heat dissipation scheme and other parameters. nine0003
At the same time choosing a motherboard: Which motherboard to choose — 8 key criteria
Type of cooler bearing
Consider the question of how to choose a reliable cooler for the processor, through the prism of reliability and quiet operation of the fan bearing.
In home and office PCs, there are 3 varieties of this node.
- Sleeve style. Advantages: affordable cost, minimum moving parts. There is only one drawback of plain bearings — a relatively small resource: 3-6 years. Friction between moving parts is limited by lubrication. In this category, models with screw threads are distinguished by increased reliability. nine0345
- Roller bearings are inherently noisier as there are several balls spinning inside. They work without frills for more than one year, later they begin to make unpleasant sounds. Resource — 6-10 years. Ceramic elements in the case make them quieter.
- Hydrodynamic and/or magnetically centered. The contact of metal parts is limited, the main advantage is quiet operation. Resource — from 6-20 years or more. An advanced version of this category is the SSO bearing. nine0345
The wear of hydrodynamic bearings is affected by the frequency of starts, in this respect they are inferior to roller bearings, but in other respects they are superior.
Tips for choosing RAM: How to choose the right RAM for your computer: 10 recommendations
Cooler Radiator Tower
Due to the height, it is partly blown by a case fan. In addition, the tower design allows efficient use of any size radiator. The main thing is that it fits in the case and does not cover the extreme bar of RAM. nine0003
There is an opinion among novice users that the larger the tower, the more efficient the heat dissipation. However, it is not enough to install a massive radiator: you need high-quality blowing of the lamellas. To drive the fan at maximum speed for this is a bad option, since the cooler will begin to hum more strongly, and the efficiency may not be sufficient. To ensure airflow, manufacturers optimize the location of the lamellas, block areas where air quickly leaves the tower without taking enough heat. For high-performance processors, coolers with two towers and fans or with one multi-section radiator and two fans are sometimes installed. nine0003
Number of revolutions per minute
How to choose an efficient cooler that will cope with low revolutions is a simple task: you need to take with a margin of TDP. At speeds up to 800 rpm, a healthy fan is almost inaudible. Extruded coolers are sometimes forced to accelerate to 4000 rpm, and tower coolers give the same effect, rotating 2-3 times slower.
In the rating of cooler characteristics, the number of revolutions grazes the rear ones. By the minimum value of the indicator, you can understand approximately what processor the cooler is designed for. If the specifications indicate 300 rpm, then this is most likely a model not designed for blowing an overclocked chip. And 600 rpm is already more promising. nine0003
Let’s take a look at the RPMs of popular Cooler Master coolers:
As you can see, their RPMs are in the same range, although MasterAir models cost about 1.5-3 times more. The price is affected by metal (aluminum or copper), the number of heat pipes, lighting and other nuances.