Cooler Master MasterLiquid Atmos II Stealth 360 AIO Cooler Review

Installing the MasterLiquid Atmos II Stealth is extremely easy and the universal mounting hardware will allow the process to be the same on all platforms from AMD to the latest Intel sockets.  On most platforms you will need to use the included backplate and build up a mounting base for the pump block. 

We will be testing on the LGA1700 Alder Lake platform with a Core i7 12700k processor.  These motherboards require a special backplate and will be the first thing to locate.  It is only slightly larger than the LGA1200 counterpart and many early motherboards come with dual mounting holes.

Next, you’ll install the standoffs and these are much taller than previous editions.  The risers thread into the backplate and that is it.  I was able to secure the standoffs with my fingers but you could use a set of pliers if you wanted to strip out the threads.  (use your fingers)  They don’t need to be tight, just snug.

The mounting rails for Intel systems are already installed so you can go directly to installing the AIO.  For AMD systems you will need to build up a small adapter platform and LGA 1851 processors will get an offset set of brackets to reposition the pumpblock in a better location.  There are four screws found on the bottom of the pump block for switching out the brackets.

The final two steps involve applying thermal compound and installing the pump block.  I prefer the 5-dot method which involves five small dots on the processor in an X pattern.

Unlike with the threaded risers the nuts holding the MasterLiquid in place are considerably smaller and somewhat difficult to hold.  The tops are slotted to provide more options when installing the cooler.

I found that finger tight is enough to secure the pumpblock however EXTREME care needs to be used to ensure the pumpblock is centered over the CPU and that all four corners have equal pressure.   The pro tip here is to hold the pump block centered over the CPU such that it sits flat and doesn’t rock around.

What I found especially annoying is the placement of the Cooler Master logo on the pump covers.  As mentioned, the Atmos II comes with three, a plastic cover, a metal one and the VRM cooling fan.  They all line the logo such that it will never be straight.  Of course that will depend on how you install your AIO, on the test bench it doesn’t matter but, I prefer to have the hoses at the bottom and in that position the logo is never horizontal.  Of course, rotating the pump block to have the hoses to the side will resolve the issue.