One maximum per part, and no total
Each US spec table has a "Fan Noise Level" row in dBA, and liquid coolers add a "Pump Noise Level" row. One number per row, for one part.
Most rows end in "(Max)", as in "27 dBA (Max)" on the Hyper 212 Halo, and sit beside a speed range such as "650-2050 RPM", so the figure most likely belongs to the top of that range. A few rows go unlabelled: the Mobius 120 reads "22.6 dBA" and the Hyper 212 Black "32.8 dBA". No page states a microphone distance or a test method. That makes the numbers a ranking within Cooler Master and only a loose guide against other makers, whose dBA may come from a different test setup.
Two different fans on one cooler mean two numbers and no sum: the V8 ACE 3DHP is rated 37 dB(A) at the front and 34 at the rear.
Which Cooler Master air cooler is quietest?
The V4 Alpha 3DHP Black, at 22.6 dBA front and 20 dBA rear. The table ranks every air cooler by the higher of its fan figures, lowest first.
| Air cooler | Fan figure | Cooler Master price, Nov 7 |
|---|
| V4 Alpha 3DHP Black | 22.6 dBA front, 20 rear | $49.99 |
| MasterAir MA824 Stealth | 24.6 dBA (Max) for the 135 mm fan, 22.6 for the 120 mm | $69.99, not available |
| Hyper 212 Halo, black or white | 27 dBA (Max) | $29.99 |
| Hyper 622 Halo Black | 27 dBA (Max) for each of two fans | $49.99, not available |
| Hyper 212 Spectrum V3 | 27.2 dBA (Max) | $14.99 |
| Hyper 212 Flow and Flow ARGB | "32.2dB (A)" (Max) | none shown |
| Hyper 212 Black | 32.8 dBA | $26.99 |
| DT621 | "33 dBA" (max.) | none shown |
| V8 ACE 3DHP, AMD or Intel | 37 dB(A) front, 34 rear | $119.99 |
The Hyper 612 APEX Pro is missing because its page showed no specification table at all.
Pumps at 12, 15 or 25 dBA
Every pump row carries the Max label, and the series decides the number.
| Pump figure | Liquid coolers | Price, Nov 7 |
|---|
| 12 dBA (Max) | MasterLiquid 240L and 360L Core ARGB, black and white | $84.99 and $88.99 |
| 12 dBA (Max) | MasterLiquid 360 Atmos White | $129.99, not available |
| 15 dBA (Max) | MasterLiquid PL240 Flux, PL360 Flux | $129.99, $169.99 |
| 25 dBA (Max) | MasterLiquid 240 Atmos in black and white, Atmos II Pro ARGB, Atmos II Pro Gold Limited Edition, Atmos II Pixel LED, Atmos II Stealth, Core LCD 6" | |
Pump life swings far more than pump noise. The Core ARGB pump is rated for over 70,000 hours, the Flux, Atmos and Atmos II pumps for over 210,000, and the Core LCD 6" page prints "> 35,0000 hours", which reads as a typo. Speed is a gap. Only the Atmos II pages (3400 RPM, plus or minus 300) and the Core LCD 6" page (3200 RPM) give one, and the 240 Atmos, Core ARGB and Flux pages are silent, so a 12 dBA pump cannot be matched to a speed.
Radiator fans list 27 to 38.5 dB(A)
On every liquid cooler the fans carry a higher figure than the same cooler's pump.
| Liquid cooler | Fan figure, each | Speed and notes |
|---|
| Atmos II Pro ARGB | 27 dB(A) (Max) | three 120 x 30 mm fans to 2300 RPM |
| 240L and 360L Core ARGB | 27.2 dBA (Max) | 650 to 1750 RPM |
| 240 Atmos and 360 Atmos White | 27.2 dBA (Max) | 690 to 2500 RPM |
| Atmos II Pro Gold Limited Edition | 29.7 dB(A) (Max) | |
| Core LCD 6" | 30 dB(A) (Max) | up to 2400 RPM |
| PL240 and PL360 Flux | 32 dBA (Max) | up to 2300 RPM |
| Atmos II Pixel LED | 36 dB(A) on the 240, 38.5 on the 360 | one single-frame fan |
The Atmos II Stealth gives no figure for its radiator fan at all, only "36 dB (A)" for the small VRM fan beside the pump. The Atmos II Pro's optional Flex-Kit fan is also rated 36 dB(A).
Put three fans on a 360 mm radiator and they, not the pump, will set what you hear. Other brands' liquid coolers are in our quietest AIO coolers guide.
The Mobius 120: 22.6 dBA at up to 2050 RPM.
| Size | Fan | Figure |
|---|
| 120 x 25 mm | Mobius 120 | 22.6 dBA |
| 120 x 25 mm | Mobius 120P ARGB | 30 dBA at up to 2400 RPM |
| 120 x 30 mm | MasterFan A120 | 29.7 dBA Max |
| 120 x 30 mm | MasterFan A120 FC | 42.5 dBA Max at up to 4000 RPM |
| 140 mm | Mobius 140P ARGB | 30 dBA at up to 1900 RPM |
| 140 mm | MasterFan A140 | 30.4 dBA Max |
| 140 mm | MasterFan A140 FC | 41.5 dBA Max |
| 360 mm single frame | SickleFlow Edge 360 ARGB | 38.5 dBA (Max) |
The FC versions of the MasterFan A ship with a controller for "Turbocharge mode", and that explains their much higher figures. Other brands' 120 mm fans are compared in our quietest 120mm fans guide.
Four places where the spec pages disagree
At least four, and two of them change a number you might buy on.
| Where | What the pages show |
|---|
| Atmos pumps | The 360 Atmos White pump is rated 12 dBA (Max) and the 240 Atmos pump 25, yet both are listed as 84.9 x 81 x 53.15 mm, over 210,000 hours and 3.84 W |
| Atmos and Hyper 212 Black fans | Both fans run 690 to 2500 RPM with 70.7 CFM and 3.61 mmH2O; the Atmos page says 27.2 dBA (Max), the Hyper 212 Black page 32.8 dBA |
| V4 Alpha labels | The noise figures sit in a second row labelled "Fan Pressure", directly under the real pressure row |
| MA824 Stealth fan count | The page reads "Fan Quantity 1 PC", then lists a 135 mm fan and a 120 mm fan |
The first two are the ones that matter for buying. A 13 dBA gap between identical pumps, or 5.6 dBA between identical fans, is bigger than most of the gaps this page ranks on.
The Hyper 612 APEX Pro alone printed no noise figure, since its US page had no specification table, and the Atmos II Stealth leaves its main radiator fan unrated.
Nothing in the current US range is marked discontinued. Plenty was out of reach, though: on November 7 these pages read "This item is currently not available".
| Type | Not available at Cooler Master on November 7 |
|---|
| Air coolers | DT621, Hyper 212 Flow and Flow ARGB, Hyper 612 APEX Pro, Hyper 622 Halo Black, MA824 Stealth |
| Liquid coolers | Atmos II Pro ARGB and Pro Gold Limited Edition, 360 Atmos White, 240 Atmos White, Atmos II Stealth, Core LCD 6" |
| Fans | Mobius 120, Mobius 140P ARGB, SickleFlow Edge 360 ARGB |
The Mobius 120 and SickleFlow Edge 360 ARGB were still sold new on Amazon that day, while the MA824 Stealth and Mobius 140P ARGB had no new listing there.
Loosely at best, since no page gives the conditions behind them.
The Mobius 120 at 22.6 dBA and 2050 RPM lands close to Noctua's NF-A12x25 G2 PWM, rated 22.5 dB(A) at 1800 RPM on our Noctua fan page, and neither maker names a microphone distance. For a quieter PC overall, fan speed curves count as much as the printed number; our guide to making PC fans quieter covers them, and the decibel chart puts 20 to 37 dBA beside everyday sounds.
