I've used air coolers on my PCs for over 20 years, switching to an AIO liquid cooler only three years ago. I was working on a fixed budget and chose a 240mm AIO from Cooler Master, so I could spend more of my budget on an 8-core CPU and a white case. The AIO was cheaper than other models, but I never thought I would pay so dearly for my mistake. Needless to say, I was unimpressed, left wondering whether I would have been better off buying a cheaper air cooler instead.

Not all AIOs are made equal

I should have dug deeper

As I mentioned, I picked the Cooler Master ML240L ARGB V2 because it allowed me to splurge on the Ryzen 7 5700X instead of buying a 6-core chip. This particular model, as I found out later, was one of the worst-performing AIOs on the market. I had used some Cooler Master products before, but this was my first time buying a liquid cooler from the brand. Instead of prioritizing the cooling prowess of my PC, I chose to skimp on a cheap cooler, and faced the consequences.

If I had done my research, I would have found out about the bad experiences people have had with the ML240L. I made the mistake of assuming that any liquid cooler would be enough to cool my 65W CPU, but what I got were unusually high idle temps (touching 60℃). These temperatures always have my fans running needlessly fast, ruining my expectations of enjoying a silent PC. I don't want to mess with the fan curve since I need it as-is when gaming, so all I can do is live with my mistake.

When I first got this PC, I made sure there was proper contact between the heatsink and the CPU, and even used an aftermarket thermal paste. So, my conclusion is the same as that of fellow ML240L users — it's simply a subpar liquid cooler.

Most 240mm AIOs aren't better than air coolers

I could have easily picked a 360mm AIO

Here's another thing I discovered too late: 240mm AIOs are usually the same as air coolers in terms of cooling performance. While you certainly have high-quality (and pricey) 240mm AIOs like the NZXT Kraken 240, most 240mm models don't do much beyond the capabilities of a decent air cooler. I could have spent around $50 on a quality air cooler instead of wasting $80 on the ML240L, and gotten way better results.

An even better move would have been to spend a bit more on a 360mm AIO — a one-time investment which would have lasted me multiple builds. The only drawback would have been choosing a different case or RAM to make everything fit inside my budget. The upside, however, would have been the freedom to upgrade to high-end CPUs without worrying about the limits of my cooler. While it's true that even 360mm AIOs struggle to cool flagship CPUs, those chips were never in my consideration set. Hence, it would have been the perfect alternative to my cheap 240mm AIO.

Esthetics shouldn't take precedence over performance

A balance is needed

Another reason that led to this horrible mistake was my preference for a white CPU cooler. I was trying to fit as many white-themed components into my setup, and after choosing a white case, I was adamant on using a white CPU cooler. The Cooler Master ML240L ARGB V2 was available in white at an attractive price, so I pressed the trigger without considering other factors. I got the dual-tone look that I wanted for my PC, but at a hefty cost.

Esthetics play an important role in any setup; after all, you don't build a PC every year. That said, the looks of your PC should not overshadow its performance and specs. In my case, I inadvertently made this error, and paid the price of being stuck with a subpar CPU cooler. My predicament isn't grave enough to warrant a cooler upgrade, but it's also not small enough for me to ignore. The only silver lining is that I got a lesson for all my future builds.

Choosing PC components requires due research

Before you select the components for a build, try to go over multiple scenarios in your head. Maybe the budget CPU you're choosing will become limited sooner rather than later, or the high-end RAM you're buying will be little more than a waste of money. In my case, it proved to be a cheaper liquid cooler that was known to be inferior to other models. Had I done my research, I would have picked a decent air cooler or a 360mm AIO that would have lasted me for years.