An MSI (CoreLiquid I360) cooler on an MSI (Z890 Ace) board
What would be the results of standard motherboard tests if we used the MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360 cooler with them? Better. Specifically, lower temperatures would be achieved for the CPU cores, which would then run at higher clock speeds, which naturally means higher computing performance. Not dramatically, but if we are to illustrate the situation with plates of scales, their position is quite clear.
A quick introduction to the story: The MSI MEG Z890 Ace motherboard arrived for tests as part of a media kit, which also included the MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360 liquid cooler. And out of interest, we compared it to the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360, which we use as standard for motherboard tests.
In these tests we will be interested in the difference in the measured results. Not only at the level of CPU temperature, but also in terms of the achieved core clock speeds (on which application performance depends…) of the Core Ultra 9 285K processor, which is an inseparable part of Intel LGA 1851 platform motherboards. And then, for completeness, it’s also good to take a look at the power consumption results of the individual tests. We’ll discuss how everything relates together in detail. For now, some basic information on both coolers.
Both the CoreLiquid I360 and the Eisbaer Aurora 360 have 360mm radiators with three 120mm fans. The Alphacool cooler (Eisbaer Aurora 360) is installed with a metal backplate, which improves contact with the CPU compared to the included, more flexible, plastic variant, which leads to higher cooling performance, as you can tell from these thematic tests. It could probably be argued that the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 (referred to as the Alphacool EA 360 in the graphs) has a greater ramp-up compared to the MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360 (abbreviated as the MSI CL I360 in the graphs) cooler, and thus is at a disadvantage – with the potential of performing worse compared to a brand-new piece. It should be noted here, however, that this cooler is used exclusively for motherboard tests and its service life (since February 2022, which is when the first motherboard test under the current methodology happened) is not dramatic. Although, of course, it may manifest itself negatively, but it doesn’t have to.
The Alphacool cooler (Eisbaer Aurora 360) has the advantage of a copper radiator (which are good predispositions for longevity), and the MSI cooler (MAG CoreLiquid I360) in turn in the efficient aerodynamic geometry of the fans. In this respect, there is already a difference at a glance, and we can confidently note that at a comparable speed, the fans of the CoreLiquid I360 cooler achieve greater airflow and, at a comparable airflow, probably also lower noise levels. We did not compare or measure the latter at all in this case. This is not a standard cooler review, but just a simple comparison of how the operating characteristics of the same CPU (Core Ultra 9 285K) on the same motherboard (MSI MEG Z890 Ace) might differ with a different cooler.
In terms of the details of the MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360 cooler, we can highlight the backlit elements. The fan impellers are fully light-conductive, and ARGB LED are also implemented on the top of the liquid block cover. At the same time, MSI uses a mirror-effect substrate to enhance the lighting effects.
The radiator is otherwise fairly traditional, whether it’s its aluminium fins with an FPI (Fins Per Inch) of 30 or its 27mm thickness.
We measure temperature, clock speed (of CPU cores) and power consumption, i.e. the things related to the following chapters with results, using the same procedure as in standard motherboard tests. The usual component configuration also remains (with only the CPU cooler changing).
Please note: The article continues in the following chapters.
- Contents
- An MSI (CoreLiquid I360) cooler on an MSI (Z890 Ace) board
- CPU and VRM temperatures
- Power consumption without power limits
- Achieved CPU clock speeds
- Conclusion
