Power consumption without power limits
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.
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.
CPU temperature…
… and VRM temperature
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.
Analysis of power consumption without power limits
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.
Achieved CPU clock speeds
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.
Conclusion
With the MSI cooler, the CPU core temperatures with the MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360 are significantly lower than with the Alphacool cooler (Eisbaer Aurora 360). From the perspective of P-cores (Core Ultra 9 285K), the difference is approximately 10 degrees Celsius. This is achieved while maintaining an all-core boost that is on average about 270 MHz higher, which also corresponds to higher power consumption of the processor. However, this is actually a good thing. It means that the MSI cooler can handle higher power consumption, resulting in increased application performance, especially in computational tasks.
The all-core boost in games is equal across both coolers (MSI and Alphacool), remaining practically the same at 5380 MHz. This is because the load in gaming is significantly lower, with less than half the power consumption, so neither setup reaches thermal limits. The main difference is which cooler can handle the gaming workload at lower temperatures, and that is, of course, the MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360. The temperature difference is smaller since the cooling demands are also lower. In this case, the power consumption of the CPU under gaming load is lower with the MSI cooler, which is due to lower temperature at comparable CPU core clock speeds and overall similar gaming performance. Simply put, the CoreLiquid I360 remains the more attractive choice even in this scenario.
Although this article is not a standard cooler test, it clearly illustrates that the MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360 can handle even a high-performance processor like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K without any limitations. Choosing the right cooler is crucial to prevent computational performance from being reduced due to insufficient cooling capacity. In our motherboard tests with the commonly used Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 liquid cooler, we have observed this issue to some extent. This primarily occurs with more powerful processors that push the limits of performance of the Eisbaer Aurora 360. For this reason, and with this awareness in mind, this comparative test is important – for us and for you, the readers of HWCooling.
When evaluating maximum performance, the cooling capacity of the used cooler is one of the variables shaping the presented results. CPU core frequencies, if not limited by the cooler, can also fluctuate depending on BIOS settings (such as temperature limits, potential negative offsets for AVX loads in benchmarks like Cinebench, etc.), as well as the robustness of the motherboard itself.
The quality of contact between the CPU and its cooler is also influenced by factors like the flexibility (or rigidity) of the PCB and the processor socket. All of this matters. However, as tests have shown, the MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360 is well-prepared even for… let’s say, less-than-ideal conditions, which are common in real-world scenarios. Despite this, it remains a relatively affordable option at around 139 EUR. Especially within the category of fully backlit coolers (featuring ARGB LEDs on both the fans and the liquid block). It is available in two versions, black and white, with a white radiator and white fans.
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš