Page 4 - Conclusion
How well does the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion stack up against the leading CPU coolers of today and does it give you all the rainbows you ever need? For the first part of the question, the MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion does indeed meet the cooling capabilities of the Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black and NH-D15S chromax.black in a single fan configuration. I am also impressed by how quiet the pump and fans are. In operation, the pump is almost inaudible. The dual Cooler Master MasterFan MF120 Halo remains to be very quiet at low RPMs and quite reasonable when spinning at high speed too. As I have mentioned on the previous page, in terms of sound emissions, the ML240 Illusion is a no doubt an excellent choice for quiet PC enthusiasts. For the second part of the question, this all-in-one cooler offers some cool lighting effects thanks to 12 addressable RGB LEDs on the CPU water block and 24 on each fan for a total of 60 across the system. Furthermore, if you do not have a motherboard with native ARGB support, Cooler Master actually includes a second-generation controller out of the box that can be software configured via USB using the company's MasterPlus+ software. So yeah, it will give you all the rainbows you ever need. With the bundled MasterGel Pro thermal paste, the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion is quite the package. However, there is one glaring issue I have with this cooler. The included ARGB controller does not turn off after my computer turns off, which causes all the RGB LEDs on the cooler to remain on even when my PC is not. At least with my motherboard, it will also force all other USB devices to remain on that does not normally behave that way. This is a serious design issue. Also, as good as the cooling is, it is still a little bit behind the NH-D15 in a dual fan configuration. At an MSRP of $130, the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion is no doubt a high-end option. But it also is, for the most part, an all-in-one liquid cooler that looks as good as it performs.
Cooler Master provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
6/10 means A product with its advantages, but drawbacks should not be ignored before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 6.6/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion is an all-in-one liquid cooler that looks as good as it performs, unfortunately marred by a weird ARGB controller that does not know how to turn off.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
