Is Cooler Master a Good Brand? | All You Need to Know

Through the years, Cooler Master has transitioned into a company that makes all sorts of products instead of focusing on a few specific categories. Just like Razer and Corsair!

Nowadays, they sell mice, keyboards, monitors, and even gaming chairs. So, it’s very reasonable to ask yourself “Which Cooler Master products are worth it?”.

Well, have no fear because, in this brand review, we’ll analyze everything you need to know about this brand before buying.

Key Takeaways

  • CoolerMaster products are worth taking a look at if you’re shopping on a budget or want to get the greatest value for your money. As your budget increases, so do the alternatives from other brands which can be superior.
  • They have a wide range of PC cases, with a decent build quality and airflow, but the pricing can be inconsistent.
  • Cooler Master power supply units are reliable and come in a variety of sizes and modularity, but it is recommended to choose one that is 80 PLUS Bronze or higher.
  • The peripherals (mice and keyboards) have good value-for-money options, but the design and quality may not be as polished as other brands.

Pros

  • Best entry-level products.
  • Top-notch coolers, case fans, and PSUs.
  • Great pricing.
  • Comfortable and high-quality gaming chairs.
  • Most items have a simplistic design.

Cons

  • Keyboards and monitors need further improvements.
  • Fewer value-for-money options in the mid-range and high-end categories.

Their cooling solutions are exceptional

When it comes to any type of cooling, whether that’s air cooling, liquid cooling, or just simple case fans, Cooler Master is one of the best on the market.

Their case fans come in a variety of sizes such as 120mm, 140mm, and more, and can be used in both gaming PCs or workstations, depending on your needs.

In terms of pricing, both the CPU coolers and the fans are known to be very affordable for their performance. In fact, Cooler Master offers some of the best performance-to-price ratios out there.

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Such notable mentions are the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 240 and of course the greatest of all time, or rather the cheapest of all time CoolerMaster Hyper 212.

However, I have to point out that Cooler Master AIO liquid coolers fall a bit behind in terms of features.

They might be very comparable to other brands when it comes to the RGB lights that come with the fans and the general aesthetics but you won’t get the option to add a photo from your computer library on the small monitor of your cooler.

Great PC case aesthetics but…

Cooler Master has both budget-friendly PC cases and higher-end ones, so you can choose the one that fits your needs.

Build quality is up to the standards that other high-end brands like NZXT and Corsair have set, except for some cases like the Mastercase H500P Mesh Midi Tower where the front and top panel would occasionally come off if you tried to lift it.

Overall, their cases have decent airflow(most of them anyway) and there is generally a lot of space for cable management. Although, these things usually vary from one model to another so make sure you check all the specifications of the PC case before buying.

As for the aesthetics, it’s no coincidence that the brand has won multiple IF design awards. They know how to design a case and they have a lot of variety from minimalistic budget-friendly setups to gaming ones with tons of RGB like the CoolerMaster HAF700.

Pricing is where Cooler Master cases start to have issues. The entry-level ones are mostly well-priced at about $50, although the brand used to make even cheaper ones in the past which would cost as low as $30.

However, as you get to the mid-range and high-end PC cases, it gets much harder to find those value-for-money options that Cooler Master is known for.

Reliable power supply units

Cooler Master power supply units are some of the most reliable in the market and have been for years.

They come in a variety of sizes, wattage, and modularity so that you can find the perfect fit for your computer and you can get one with or without RGB depending on the PC setup that you are building.

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However, I want to remind you here that you should always go for a PSU that’s 80 PLUS Bronze or higher. It doesn’t matter as much if it’s Bronze, Gold, or Platinum. Just make sure that you get one that’s at least 80% efficient.

Additionally, it’s crucial to get a reliable PSU because these units always include built-in safety features like OVP (Over Voltage Protection), which turns off the PSU if an abnormally high voltage is detected.

Short circuit protection is one of the other safety features, which may be quite helpful if you have voltage instability.

As for the pricing, Cooler Master PSUs are about $20 cheaper than their Corsair counterpart.

In my opinion, you can choose either brand and you’ll be completely satisfied so this is up to your personal preference. Just make sure that you check the power requirements of your system in order to buy the correct wattage PSU.

Some peripherals feel unpolished

Cooler Master has been in the peripheral business for several years now and they have great value-for-money options available.

The company mainly focuses on the PC gaming market because they know that this is where most gamers will be spending their money on new products every year.

However, I feel like they are not as focused on peripherals since they don’t have as much variety as they do with CPU coolers, PC cases, and PSUs.

The design of Cooler master mice is based on ergonomics and they have that same minimalistic look that Razer and some Logitech mice have.

I have only used the CoolerMaster CM310 which was pretty comfortable and it’s just one of their entry-level mice. Overall, they have great options for people on a budget but if you want something high-end you will have to look elsewhere.

When it comes to keyboards, it’s a completely different story. There are valuable options like the CM Devastator 3 but there are also keyboards like the CoolerMaster CK351 that feel somewhat unpolished.

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Just like with their mice, the pricing point of most keyboards is very reasonable. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t advise you to purchase a CM keyboard since you can find way better options from other brands.

Expensive monitors that need extra work

It’s only been a few years since Cooler Master joined the monitor industry so it’s only reasonable that they have very few designs available. Unfortunately, their pricing is not accessible for most users since the cheapest monitor starts at about $300.

In terms of the overall appearance and quality, what people like the most(including me) is the metallic base that’s also the Cooler Master logo. They mostly produce VA panel monitors so keep that in mind if you prefer them over IPS ones.

With all that in mind, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of the navigation on certain monitors like the CoolerMaster GM27-FQS where there is no navigation joystick and instead there are 5 separate buttons for the menu.

Additionally, some monitors could definitely have a better arrangement of their features inside their menus. At times, it can feel like they are all over the place and I will really appreciate it when Cooler Master adds software to control the monitor settings from the PC.

Respectable entry-level gaming chairs

Every major computer brand has released at least a few gaming chairs and Cooler Master is no different. Honestly, I would rather have them focus on new liquid coolers and PC cases over releasing new product lines.

Regardless, the brand’s gaming chairs are actually some of the best when it comes to getting the best bang for your buck. They are well-designed with aluminum bodies and multiple colors to choose from.

The Bottom Line

Cooler Master as a brand largely occupies the budget and premium categories, but they mainly excel in the former.

In my opinion, it does not seem like Cooler Master gets much hype or love from gamers, especially given how many brands are available to choose from for building your own computer. It’s very hard to find a single user who has a Cooler Master setup.

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Lampros Koukis
Lampros Koukis

I am Lampros, co-founder of c4re.gr. I am passionate about gaming, technology, and computers. I have been involved in that industry for about 15 years. I have been a tech writer for the last 5 years so I am bringing to you guys the expertise and knowledge I have gathered through the years.

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