By: Jonathan Kwan
April 30, 2021
In the beginning of my HyperX Alloy Elite RGB review in 2018, I pointed out there has only been handful of times where April 20th fell on a Friday -- the day we typically publish new reviews -- since the beginning of this website. Surprisingly, I have only talked about what is informally known as Weed Day in a review introduction once; there was no mention of it in my NZXT Switch 810 review in 2012 and I did not publish anything on this day in 2007. Now, I personally do not endorse the use of any recreational drugs, legal or not, and it may or may not be a coincidence that 420 is also Adolf Hitler's birthday, but I would like to take this chance to talk about 420 in today's introduction regardless. This is not only due to the fact the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion's launch day originally happened to be on April 20th (The launch day was delayed by the company because of logistics issues, and I do not plan to completely rewrite this introduction), but also the next time April 20th falls on a Friday is in 2029, so it is going to be a while. Therefore, I will make my public service announcement here, quoting a line from my HyperX Alloy Elite RGB review: As another 420 came and passed and think about how people get high on weed and hallucinate rainbows, my recommendation to you is to lay off that stuff and find joy in looking at some real rainbows instead. The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion is the company's latest all-in-one liquid cooler that features addressable a total of 60 RGB LEDs on the water block and two fans for advanced lighting effects. It even comes with a second generation ARGB controller for those who do not own a supporting motherboard. Are you ready for all the rainbows you ever need? How well does the MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion stack up against the leading CPU coolers of today? Read on to find out!
Our review unit of the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion came in a larger-sized brown corrugated cardboard box from Cooler Master's American headquarters in Brea, California, USA. Using FedEx International Ground, the cooler arrived safely to us here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for our review today. It is generally quite rare to only one product in a Cooler Master shipment, but it seems I scored two in a row with the Cooler Master SK622 arriving by itself last time as well. Meanwhile, the packages for my colleagues all include many other products inside.
The retail box design for the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion is consistent with many other Cooler Master all-in-one liquid coolers we have reviewed in the last couple of years, including the MasterLiquid ML280 Mirror, MasterLiquid ML240L V2 RGB, and MasterLiquid ML240P Mirage. The black background is complemented by mainly white text for maximum contrast along with a burst of purple to help you remember who made it. Cooler Master's logo and slogan is at the top left corner, an image of the liquid cooler with the RGB LEDs running is printed across the center, and the model name and product description are located at the bottom left corner. On the opposite corner, a bunch of icons indicate its addressable RGB LED compatibility with all major motherboard manufacturers. If you do not own a motherboard with addressable RGB LED support, a controller is included out of the box, which is shown in the bottom right corner. Feature highlights and specifications can be found on the remaining sides of the box.
Before we move on, let us take a look at the specifications of the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion, as obtained from the product box:
CPU Socket: LGA 2066, LGA2011-v3, LGA2011, LGA1151, LGA1150, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1200, AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1
Waterblock Dimensions: 81.4 x 76 x 57.8 mm / 3.2 x 3 x 2.3 inch
Radiator Dimensions: 277 x 119.6 x 27.2 mm / 10.9 x 4.7 x 1.1 inch
Radiator Material: Aluminum
Fan Dimensions (L x W x H): 120 x 120 x 25 mm / 4.7 x 4.7 x 1 inch
Fan Speed: 650-1800 RPM ± 10%
Fan Air Flow: 47.2 CFM (Max)
Fan Air Pressure: 1.6 mmH2O (Max)
Fan MTTF: 160,000 Hours
Fan Noise Level (1m): 6-30 dBA
Fan Connector: 4-Pin (PWM)
Fan Rated Voltage: 12 VDC
Fan Rated Current: 0.25A
Fan Safety Current: 0.37A
Fan Power Consumption: 3W
Fan Profiles: Addressable RGB LED
Pump MTTF: 70,000 Hours
Pump Noise Level: <10 dBA
Pump Rated Voltage: 12 VDC
Pump Power Consumption: 2.36 W
Pump Connector: 3-Pin
Warranty: 3 years
Out of the box, you will receive everything you need to get up and running. These include the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion all-in-one liquid cooler itself, two MasterFan MF120 Halo fans, ARGB Gen 2 controller, small tube of MasterGel Pro thermal paste, and all the required installation accessories for both AMD and Intel sockets. Many cables can be found inside the box as well. These include a 4-pin PWM Y-split to allow you to connect both fans to one motherboard header and the USB, ARGB signal, and SATA power cables for the ARGB controller. An installation guide and warranty information sheet are provided by Cooler Master as well.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
