Performance: 35 out of 40
Is the CoreLiquid P13 the absolute best of the best when it comes to cooling performance? Well… yes and no. The ‘A.L.F. 3’ and its chonky (we like to say “double-stuffed”) rad is in an entirely different league than standard AIOs… as it really is intended to compete against entry level “custom” water loops. Hell, that’s why we include that outlier series in our charts in the first place! So no, the P13 is not and can not be the best of the best of the best. But. When compared against similar ‘standard’ thickness rads it pretty much is right up there at the pinnacle of performance. As it should be as MSI have combined a good rad with an excellent block. Since there is a duality we have split the difference and called it a “very good” 35 out of 40… but most will either consider good (30) or insanely good (40). Adjust your own personal score accordingly.
Ease of Use: 20 out of 20
When it comes to ease of use the CoreLiquid P13 sets the new gold standard upon which all others are judged. It is just that innovative and that good at making your life easier. Honestly it is so good we are tempted to give it a 22 out of 20 as it is in a completely different league compared to most others.
Build Quality & Warranty: 20 out 20
For the first time in a long time we actually have zero complaints as MSI did not “round” any corners. Nor did (most likely) their ODM KD Industries round any corners. They even got the fan cables AWG right. So right that (as long as you are not trying to run six San Aces/Deltas) you should be able to safely daisy chain six fans together… or at least you can as long as the 4-pin header on your motherboard can handle the load. That is the attention to detail and quality MSI have baked into this new series. To be blunt when you can teach Arctic a thing or two about AIO design you know you not did things right. Once again… really, really tempted to give a 22 out 20 for this level of OCD’ness.
Value: 15 out 20
Sadly, this is where the love fest express does take a short rest-stop. On the one hand it is a premium product and while priced like a premium product is not the most outlandish example we know of. In fact it not only easily justifies its asking price it makes it look easy. It makes it look easy because on the other hand this is the first truly innovative AIOs we have seen since Artic added a fan to their block. So while some will consider it a mere 10 out of 20 we think it is much better value than that as we value our time and lowered stress levels more than the couple bucks extra the P13’s price tag demands.
Final Score: 90 out 100
In a market that has for too long suffered from stagnation due to Astek’s death grip on AIO design (or at least their notoriously douc… errr… louche litigiousness), the MSI MPG CoreLiquid P13 360 marks a paradigm-shifting moment for the history of the industry. One where simply making a small tweak (or even two) to the overly familiar Asetek-derived blueprint will no longer be considered “good enough”. Put bluntly, by offering next-level clean aesthetics, seamless cable management, and strong thermal performance, this new take on AIO design stands as a premium, forward-looking alternative to Asetek dominance… and the market will be much better of for it. A relatively high, but surprisingly easy to justify, asking price or not.
