MSI is among the best-known manufacturers within the PC market, producing a strong lineup of laptops, desktops, GPUs, and motherboards. In addition they make a wide range of different elements and peripherals, like keyboards and CPU coolers.
MSI has three traces of AIO Coolers that mirror its motherboard sub-brands: The MPG, MEG and MAG collection. The MAG collection is MSI’s budget-oriented providing, and encompasses a pump which is built-in into the radiator. In the present day we’re taking a look at thelargest unit within the lineup, the MAG CoreLiquid P360.
With in the present day’s CPUs elevating the bar for cooling issue, does MSI’s MAG CoreLiquid P360 have what it takes to chill Intel’s Core i9-13900K and earn a spot on our finest AIO coolers listing? We’ll need to put it by means of testing to say for positive. However first, listed here are the cooler’s specs, direct from MSI.
Cooler Specs
| Cooler | MSI CoreLiquid P360 |
| MSRP | $119.99 USD |
| Radiator Dimensions | 396 x 120 x 27 mm |
| Radiator Materials | Aluminum |
| Pump Velocity | 4,200 RPM |
| Pump Life Expectancy | 100,000 hours |
| Socket Compatibility | Intel: LGA 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2011-3, 2066 |
| AMD: AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, AM4, AM5, FM1, FM2, FM2+ | |
| Base | Copper |
| Max TDP (Our Testing) | ~287W |
| Guarantee | 3 years |
Packing and Included Contents
MSI’s CoreLiquid P360 is available in a reasonably large field that makes use of plastic, foam, and cardboard to guard the internal contents.
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Included with the package deal are the next:
- 360 mm Radiator + CPU block
- Three 120 mm followers
- Mounts for all trendy CPU sockets (together with AM5 & LGA1700)
- Fan splitter
- PSU Molex 4-Pin to 4-pin (2 Pin Wired) Cable
- Noise discount adapter
- Thermal paste
Set up
Putting in the P360 was pretty easy. To start, press the backplate to the motherboard, and safe it by screwing within the standoffs. Subsequent, you’ll have to safe the followers to the radiator, after which mount the radiator to your laptop case. Apply the included thermal paste from the syringe to your CPU. Afterwards, all that’s left is to press the CPU block towards the standoffs after which safe them with the included thumbscrews.
Many coolers include pre-applied thermal paste. This may not be a giant deal to skilled builders (they might have a unique paste they like to make use of, anyway), however it’s rarer lately to see an AIO with out pre-applied thermal paste.
Options of MSI’s MAG CoreLiquid P360
Radiator Pump Design
Most liquid coolers in the present day are based mostly on Asetek designs, which have the pump included within the CPU block. Nevertheless, MSI’s MAG CoreLiquid P360 encompasses a pump that’s built-in inside the radiator, powered by a three-phase motor. MSI claims two benefits from this design: longer life expectancy because of the pump being faraway from the CPU’s direct warmth, and diminished noise ranges.
Subsequent to the pump, under the radiator tubing, is a refill port. This enables a person to service and refill the AIO with out having to ship it to the producer for restore (or extra possible, simply shopping for a brand new cooler).
Full Copper CPU plate
The CPU contact plate on MSI’s CoreLiquid P360 is fabricated from pure copper.
Medium thickness 360 mm radiator
MSI’s CoreLiquid P360 encompasses a 360mm radiator that’s 27 mm thick. This isn’t the thickest (or thinnest) radiator we’ve seen, however it must be suitable with most instances which have house for 3 120 mm followers.
3x 120 mm followers
There’s extra to a cooler than simply the heatsink or radiator. The bundled followers have a big affect on cooling and noise ranges. Included with the MSI CoreLiquid P360 are three 120 mm followers, which aren’t out there for buy individually.
| Dimensions | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Fan Velocity | 500 – 2,000 RPM |
| Air Circulate | As much as 78.73 CFM |
| Air Stress | 2.39 mm H2O |
| Bearing Kind | Two Ball Bearing |
| Lighting | None |
Testing Methodology
Whereas it was pretty simple with earlier generations of CPUs for coolers to maintain the flagship i9 processor properly underneath TJ max (the utmost temperature a CPU can maintain with out throttling) in robust workloads, this is not life like on present era high-end CPUs (the 13900K particularly) with out excessive cooling (or enabling energy limits).
Whereas up to now a CPU hitting its peak temperature was trigger for concern, fans are going to need to be taught to simply accept excessive temperatures as “regular” whereas working demanding workloads with Raptor Lake and Ryzen 7000 CPUs. Fashionable AMD and Intel CPUs are designed to run pretty scorching with none issues – as much as 95 levels Celsius for AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs, and as much as 100 C for Intel’s Core i9-13900K. Related habits has been commonplace in laptops for years as a result of cooling limitations in tight areas.
Moreover, Intel’s i9-13900K helps Adaptive Increase Expertise (ABT) which permits Core i9 processors to dynamically increase to larger all-core frequencies based mostly on out there thermal headroom and electrical situations. This enables multi-core masses to function at as much as 5.5 GHz if the mandatory quantity of thermal dissipation is there. This characteristic works in a method that actively seeks excessive temperatures; If the chip sees that it’s working beneath the 100 C threshold, it’s going to improve its efficiency and energy consumption till it reaches the protected restrict, sustaining larger clocks (and offering higher efficiency) for longer intervals.
The elevated cooling challenges posed by Raptor Lake imply that we’ve needed to change among the methods we take a look at coolers. Some coolers have been in a position to move Cinebench R23 multicore testing with Intel’s twelfth Gen i9-12900K when energy limits have been eliminated (though solely the strongest fashions have been in a position to move that take a look at). Most liquid coolers and all air coolers I’ve examined “failed” that take a look at as a result of the CPU reached TJ max on this state of affairs.
With Raptor Lake’s 13900K, not a single cooler examined has been in a position to maintain the CPU underneath TJ max on this take a look at – as a result of as we identified, the chip is designed to dial up efficiency and energy till it richest that thermal outcome. We’ll evaluate efficiency as an alternative by taking a look at complete benchmark scores and clock speeds maintained.
I’ll be testing Intel’s i9-13900K CPU utilizing Asus’ TUF Gaming Z690 Gaming Plus WIFI motherboard and Cooler Grasp’s HAF 700 Berserker laptop case, with case followers restricted to 35% speeds. The motherboard’s default fan curve is used for the CPU Cooler’s followers.
Along with testing Cinebench with out energy limits enforced, we’ll even be exhibiting outcomes when the CPU’s energy consumption is proscribed to a extra affordable 200W. We’ll additionally present outcomes at 125W for individuals who favor whisper-quiet cooling, at the price of some efficiency. For each of those outcomes, we’ll present conventional delta over ambient temperature outcomes.
We’ll present noise stage measurements recorded utilizing a PSPL25 Sound Meter for all three energy ranges examined to match how a lot noise every cooler makes in several eventualities. We anticipate most coolers to run successfully silently at 125W.
LGA1700 Socket Bending
There are numerous elements aside from the CPU cooler that may affect your cooling efficiency, together with the case you employ and the followers put in in it. A system’s motherboard can even affect this, particularly if it suffers from bending, which leads to poor cooler contact with the CPU.
To be able to stop bending from impacting our cooling outcomes, we’ve put in Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact body into our testing rig. In case your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal outcomes will likely be worse than these proven under. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this situation. I examined Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And whereas one among them confirmed important thermal enhancements after putting in Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact body, the opposite motherboard confirmed no distinction in temperatures in any way! Try our evaluate of this contact body for extra info.
Testing Configuration
| CPU | Intel i9-13900K |
| Comparability Air Coolers Examined | Cougar Forza 50 |
| DeepCool AG400 | |
| DeepCool AG620 | |
| Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET G6 Stealth | |
| SilverStone Hydrogon D120 ARGB | |
| Thermalright Murderer X 120 R SE | |
| Thermalright AXP120-X67 | |
| Comparability AIO Coolers Examined | Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 |
| DeepCool LT720 | |
| Fractal Celsius+ S36 Prisma | |
| SilverStone VIDA 240 Slim | |
| Motherboard | Asus TUF Gaming Z690 Plus Wifi DDR5 |
| RAM | Essential DDR5-4800 |
| GPU | Intel Arc A770 LE |
| Case | Cooler Grasp HAF 700 Berserker |
| PSU | Cooler Grasp XG Plus 850 Platinum PSU |
MORE: Easy methods to Purchase the Proper CPU Cooler