Overall and Final Verdict
I came in with the MasterLiquid 240 Atmos expecting a new unique lighting design and maybe a small pump update and the Atmos does have that but Cooler Master has a different focus with this cooler. They were aiming to give a premium product and a premium experience and they did manage to do that. Starting with the box itself and the unboxing experience the Atmos doesn’t feel like other AIO coolers, everything is labeled and organized and the fans even come pre-installed which helps cut out some of your installation time. The new pump design looks great and the lighting on top looks good. Even with the translucent cover on top, I was surprised to find that the Atmos was still more compact than any of the other coolers I have tested recently. They have upgraded the wiring sleeving which is nice, but cutting down the number of wires that you need to hook up with daisy-chained fans and potentially hiding the pump wires in with the pump sleeving would be a good next step in the future. As it is, like with most RGB fans and AIO coolers, you end up with a mess of wires. Performance wise though the 240 Atmos outperformed any of the other 240mm AIO coolers tested and did well in the noise testing as well.
The Atmos coolers come with Cooler Masters RGB controller but I did have an issue with our controller dying in testing. Thankfully all of the lighting can be hooked up right into your motherboard's RGB header and controlled there if needed. A controller-less option could be a nice way to lower the pricing on the Atmos as well without losing any other premium features. The controller does just handle the lighting, a lot of the higher-end coolers now have controllers that handle the fans and the lighting, with the Atmos line aiming to be in that market which is an area where it could improve as well. I would also love to see a white version as well
Our MasterLiquid 240 Atmos has an MSRP of $139.99 and the larger 360mm triple fan design is a little higher at $159.99. That is more than any of the other coolers tested other than the Corsair H100i Elite LCD Display with its LCD display. AIO coolers that come with their own RGB controllers do run more and Cooler Master has done a good job trying to add more value with some of its more premium features. In the end, I would love to see an Atmos cooler without the controller to keep a cheaper option available as well. But the Atmos is a great option if you are in the market for a cooler with a controller.
Live Pricing: HERE
