Introduction
A very compact liquid cooler for SFF builds
Cooler Master's MasterLiquid Maker 92 is a unique liquid CPU cooler that fits all of its parts into one cluster atop the processor, and does it with a clever, hinged construction that allows it to be switched from an upright to a horizontal position at will. While the Maker 92 only occupies about as much space as a large tower air cooler in its upright position, the ability to fold it down provides both enhanced clearance and the option of directing airflow down to help cool motherboard components. But the big question for this cooler is just how effective can a closed-loop system be when it’s this compact? We’re about to find out!
Let's get part out if the way right off the bat: specialty small form-factor products generally don't offer competitive price/performance numbers, and critics are quick to point to this aspect of SFF computing. The small form-factor side of enthusiast PC building is a pretty small niche, and a product like the Maker 92 might not be for you; but what is important to consider when looking at a specialty product like this is the performance for its size, as designs of the most compact cooling components typically sacrifice something in this regard given their reduced surface area, smaller fan diameter, etc.
Most SFF solutions for processor cooling are of the air variety, with liquid being an option if a given enclosure supports your AiO (or custom loop) cooling of choice. Ultra low-profile CPU air coolers are popular for slim builds, and a product like the Maker 92 isn’t going to replace one of these if your enclosure of choice has a very low profile. Any system using a standard height PCI Express graphics card will work, though that top fan may have to come off depending on the case – which of course will affect cooling performance (in theory, anyway). But enough speculation! Let’s take a close look at this cooler and test out the fit and cooling prowess in both orientations.
First we'll check out the specifications from Cooler Master:
- CPU: Intel LGA 2011-v3/ 2011/ 1151/ 1150/ 1155/ 1156 socket
- Power Connector: SATA and 4-Pin
- Radiator Material: Aluminum
- Cooler Dimensions:
- Vertical: 99.9 x 81.6 x 167.5mm (3.9 x 3.2 x 6.6”)
- Horizontal: 99.9 x 142 x 118.8 mm (3.9 x 5.6 x 4.7”)
- Fan:
- Dimension Φ95 x 25.4 mm (3.7 x 1”)
- Speed: 550 ~ 2600 RPM (PWM) ± 10%
- Airflow: 49.7 CFM (max)
- Air Pressure: 6.4 mmH2O (max)
- Noise Level: 30 dBA (max)
- MTTF: 350,000 hours
- L-10 Life: 50,000 hours
- Rated Voltage: 12 VDC
- Pump:
- Noise Level: <12 dBA (max)
- MTTF:175,000 hours
- L-10 Life: 50,000 hours
- Rated Voltage: 12 VDC
- Warranty: 5 Years
Thanks to Cooler Master for supplying the MasterLiquid Maker 92 for our review.
- Cooler Master MasterLiquid Maker 92 – $110, Amazon.com; $99.99, Newegg.com
First Impressions
The MasterLiquid Maker 92 is attractively packaged, and inside we have the cooler – protected by a cardboard liner – and a separate box for the accessory pack and instructions.
Cooler Master does accessories as well as anyone, and the clear blister pack keeps each part separated for easy installation.
The Maker 92 itself is impressively well made, with a unique design that offers some intelligent design choices. The fit and finish is as high as any all-in-one liquid cooler I've tested, and the hinged design works very well, allowing for smooth transition from vertical to horizontal position.
With its ability to occupy a very small footprint, the Maker 92 provides the capability of running a full liquid-cooling loop in the space of a conventional air solution. Even if this doesn't seem necessary for your build requirements, from an enthusiast standpoint the design and construciton of the Maker 92 is still very cool.
On the next page we'll take a closer look at the Maker 92.
now all the industry needs is
now all the industry needs is a reason to upgrade from an i5-2500K
Can’t believe you gave this
Can’t believe you gave this turd an award. Very disappointing
Considering its worse than a
Considering its worse than a decent air cooler i agree. It is a terribly engineered solution.
Don’t worry there’ll be
Don’t worry there’ll be something else you can hate on soon enough.
It’s too well designed and
It's too well designed and built not to give it an honorable mention. I debated whether that could be grounds for an award, and finally did – with this provision:
If it fits your particular needs the MasterLiquid Maker 92 is an outstanding option considering its compact design, size/performance ratio, and unique transforming design.
If you own, say, an In Win 901 mini-ITX case, which only includes a 92 mm rear fan opening and has poor airflow, this would be an interesting option. The primary flaw with this product is that it was designed for a need that doesn't exist for most people. But it's a really cool idea, and well realized.
In other words, it's not a "turd".
For all you students out
For all you students out there, the above comment is a great example of the a red herring.
Cooler Master’s own cases
Cooler Master’s own cases that this cooler is targeted at aren’t even compatible with this. Sorry, but I just see this as a fail. Plus the it really doesn’t perform any better than a much lower priced air cooler. I just fail to see the point. The engineering and design is to be commended for sure, but it just isn’t a product I would every buy, and I am curious as to how many units they will sell on the market.
Yep, I think this is a silly
Yep, I think this is a silly product too. It has all the downsides of an air cooler without the benefits of a big radiator. The whole point of doing water cooling is to increase your surface area. A small radiator that you cannot move to a convenient location is actually not that different than heat-pipes embedded in fins.
@Sebastian:
“A look at the center of this chart shows the intersection of height and performance, with the MasterLiquid Maker 92 coming in as the winner;”
This type of definition of “winning” depends a lot on how you scale your axes. You can put the intersection anywhere you wish. I’m not saying you are cheating, I’m just saying that it is not very well defined and calling it “winning” is a bit of a stretch.
I’d say 95mm is not a sweat-spot for cooler height since you either have a case that can fit a +120mm GPU, or you don’t and then 47mm seems more logical. Moreover, if somehow 95mm happens to be your exact limit, I’m not sure it will perform as presented in the review, with limited clearance on the “breathing” side of the radiator.
I strongly agree with your
I strongly agree with your assessment of “winning” based on the intersection.
Thank you for writing this so I didn’t have to.
This type of definition of
This type of definition of "winning" depends a lot on how you scale your axes. You can put the intersection anywhere you wish. I'm not saying you are cheating, I'm just saying that it is not very well defined and calling it "winning" is a bit of a stretch.
Same scale as the benchmarks. Defined by parameters of the chart.
I'd say 95mm is not a sweat-spot for cooler height since you either have a case that can fit a +120mm GPU, or you don't and then 47mm seems more logical.
The point of the "sweet spot" is that of height vs. max temp in this particular group. Of course 95 mm is not a sweet-spot for cooler height in general. Look how well the Hyper 212 EVO performs! It wins most price/performance battles and is obviously taller than 95 mm. Where is the argument made that this is a better option than other coolers that cost less, or even have a lower height? Context matters.
Moreover, if somehow 95mm happens to be your exact limit, I'm not sure it will perform as presented in the review, with limited clearance on the "breathing" side of the radiator.
It will, and it did. I don't make numbers up.
Thx for the reply, I don’t
Thx for the reply, I don’t think we will converge on this topic, but that is ok. I general, I’m very positive about your work, this one is a decent review as well. There was no personal agenda. Until next time.
Interesting. All the above
Interesting. All the above comment are obsessed about performance. The fact that it works, works well seems to be beside the point. I’m going to wager that this little gem is going to sell out quick just because it’s neat. Good design and engineering has its own reward and I’d love one in my case.
Bottom line, most people who
Bottom line, most people who are motivated to comment on this product will look past any of the good aspects of the design.
Lets be honest. The reason
Lets be honest. The reason they dont like it is because they dont understand what the intended use is. Also because it doesnt say corsair and have flashing LED’s all over it.
rgb or gtfo ;}
maybe next
rgb or gtfo ;}
maybe next years model will get the infection.
Poor cpu socket, holding all
Poor cpu socket, holding all this weight.
Great intro photo Sebastian –
Great intro photo Sebastian – well done!
As an added bonus, this
As an added bonus, this behemoth will quickly find any weakness in your motherboard’s strength. Bend…CRACK!
well there is a another bonus
well there is a another bonus – in a pinch you could use the rig as in a shot put competition.
but i personally do not like the large (and extremely large) coolers- this one is heading into the OMG WHAT IS IT! category
the numbers are really not bad, however i would have expected better I7 numbers to get a silver award.
but then i have an opinion like everyone has a ……
.
I bought this because my 1080
I bought this because my 1080 ti has a radiator which takes the only mount which can fit a radiator (rear exhaust) the top Mount can not fit a AIO because it fouls on the motherboard otherwise I’d have 2 radiators. Also because hoses go towards the bottom they hit either the PSU or GPU (in my case anyway) so it’s really annoying but this is the only AIO that is compatible with my setup short of cutting it apart to make room. I’ll have this mounted on the CPU so it’s blowing straight up to the top exhaust fan, and side cover will have 2 intake fans so plenty of fresh air going through the rads