MSI is recalling its MAG CoreLiquid 240R / 360R AiO coolers because a "small portion of the liquid coolers produce sediment that can cause a blockage." Of course, an impediment to the flow of liquid through your AiO is highly undesirable and may reduce its effectiveness significantly, even before a blockage is formed. If you own one of the AiO cooler models mentioned, MSI has described the symptoms to look out for and set up a recall page. From there, you input your product serial number to begin the RMA process.
Going by MSI's issue description, it sounds like a batch of MAG CoreLiquid 240R / 360R AiO coolers contain a liquid coolant that can precipitate sediment over time. Consequently, sediment build-up can cause blockages in the system.
MSI says it began receiving complaints about the affected CoreLiquid products an unspecified length of time ahead of the recall. MSI says the sediment-induced blockage issue manifests itself with CPU idle temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius. Accordingly, this is one qualifying statistic for participating in the recall, or you can otherwise claim that you are experiencing "abnormal heat dissipation."
Participating in the recall
If you own one of the products mentioned above and are not certain whether it is working as it should, the first step is to punch your product serial number into the field at the bottom of this page. MSI notes that if the cooler were part of a pre-built PC system, your RMA serial number would be from the desktop PC, not the cooler. This single-line form should quickly alert you to whether your product is among the potentially affected batch.
If you haven't noticed any cooling deficiencies yet, you can spend some time investigating. We suggest you do some processor-intensive work on the PC, check the CPU temperatures, and return to light "idling" to see if temperatures drop below 60 degrees Celsius - MSI's suggested threshold regarding participation in the recall.
Once you join the recall, MSI will guide you through the process, which will "provide you with a suitable swap suggestion." This wording makes it sound like you might not get the same new/refurb model back. As the final step of the recall, MSI will provide a prepaid FedEx shipping label with the replacement you receive. The company asks for all the original components to be bagged up and returned after you install the replacement.
MSI is a relative newcomer to the AiO liquid cooler market, introducing its first CoreLiquid products in May 2020. The first MSI AiO we tested in the labs was the MSI MEG CoreLiquid S360, which garnered an Editor's Choice award with points deducted only due to its expensive launch price ($280). However, it can be had for $50 less than its launch price at the time of writing.
If you are in the market for a CPU cooler, please check our recently updated Best CPU Coolers 2022: AIO and Air Coolers guide.
