MSI MEG CoreLiquid E15 360 AIO Review: Bold and stunning, with market-leading performance

Tom's Hardware Verdict MSI’s MEG CoreLiquid E15 AIO has a stunning 6.7-inch screen and excellent thermal performance, but the $399 price pushed it out of the budget range of most builders. Pros +6.67-inch curved screen +Visual presets are stunning +Excellent noise-normalized performance +Great thermal performance overall +Black-and-gold premium aesthetic Cons -Extreme price of $399.99 -Software is good, but needs more flexible customization options Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Today we’re testing MSI’s latest flagship AIO, the MEG Coreliquid E15 360, a luxury AIO with a premium black-and-gold aesthetic symbolizing authority and elegance. So we’re expecting market-leading thermal performance. Of course, the feature that stands out the most is the stunning 6.67-inch curved 2240x1080 AMOLED screen. The whole design looks and feels premium, with a price tag to match. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Let's take a look at the specifications and features of this CPU cooler, then we’ll go over thermal and noise benchmarks to decide if the MEG CoreLiquid E15 360 is good enough to make our list of the best CPU coolers on the market.Cooler specifications Swipe to scroll horizontally Cooler MSI MEG CoreLiquid E15 360 Colors Black with Gold MSRP $399.99 Lighting ARGB on fans Warranty 6 years (cooling components)2 years (AMOLED display) Socket Compatibility AMD AM5/AM4Intel 1700/1851 Dimensions 138.95 (W) x 136.47 (D) x 167.3mm (H)/ 133 (W) x 114 (D) x 161mm (H) Maximum TDP with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D (Our Testing) >265W with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D Features of MSI’s MEG CoreLiquid E15 360 AIO▶️ Premium black-and-gold aestheticLatest Videos FromTom's Hardware (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)MSI’s MEG CoreLiquid E15 features a design that just oozes a feeling of premium quality – each component is precision-made using high-quality components, with gold colored plating flanking black metal. The highlight of this cooler, of course, is the premium curved screen, but if, for some reason, you’d prefer not to use the screen, a stylish black-and-gold pump cover is also included. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)▶️ RAM ClearanceAs with most AIOs on the market, MSI’s E15 doesn’t overhang or interfere with RAM DIMMs at all, allowing for compatibility with all sizes of DDR4 or DDR5 DIMMs, no matter how tall. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)▶️ Magnetic Penrose TriangleStay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware NewsletterGet Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)A pretty nifty piece of swag included with this AIO is a magnetic Penrose triangle and, boy, let me tell you, this magnet is strong! How strong? I threw it across the living room to a metal door and it instantly secured itself to the door! (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)▶️ 28mm thick single-frame fans There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink. The included fans have a direct impact on aesthetics, noise levels, and overall thermal performance. The E15 features a 360mm single-frame fan unit, and it is pre-installed for user convenience, saving a few moments during cooler installation. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) Swipe to scroll horizontally Fan Speed 800–2300 RPM ±10% Dimensions 362 x 125 x 28.4 mm Airflow 217.91 CFM Air Pressure 3.84 MMH20 ▶️ MSI EZ Display software – Pros and ConsStrictly speaking, you don’t actually need to install MSI’s EZ Display software to enjoy the functionality of the included screen. The E15’s default animation shows a Penrose triangle against a background strongly reminiscent of the brutalist Isu ruins from The Fate of Atlantis DLC in Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)If you’re happy with this default animation, no software installation is necessary. It’s only if you want to customize the screen that software installation is necessary. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Once the MSI EZ Display software has been installed, there are three primary configuration styles. The first is a “full screen” mode that has several stunning animations, each unique but in the same style as the others. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)In addition to the visual theme, you can choose to enable several metrics on the screen. In the image above, I’ve enabled the date and time, but you can opt for other things, like CPU and GPU temperatures, processor frequencies, etc.These are nice features and certainly look good, but that’s where the customization ends for metrics. The EZ Display doesn’t currently let you change the position or size of the metrics displayed. If MSI wants this AIO to appeal to tech enthusiasts, that’s a feature they’ll need to implement – especially when you consider the E15’s luxury price tag. This lack of proper customization is especially annoying when trying to display metrics with a custom image, as shown below. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Another aspect I would like to see improved is the ability to deselect themes in the “playlist.” Currently, if you let the animations shuffle or loop, every single animation (preset and custom) that you have included in your library is played. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) The second configuration mode available for this screen is a “split-screen” option, which currently has only two presets. As the mode’s name implies, this splits the display into two parts, allowing for one animation or image on each side of the display. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)The last mode available for this screen is extended mode, which allows you to use the display as a secondary monitor with Windows. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)This allows you to use your own software and show off themes and images entirely of your own creation, play movies of any length, etc. There is one downside though: when I tested this mode, HDCP would not work on either the MSI display or my primary LG ultrawide monitor when streaming video from Amazon Prime on my primary monitor, resulting in degraded video quality.▶️ Packaging (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)The outer packaging loudly advertises the product, with a stunning black-and-gold theme and the AIO’s image on the front. The individual parts in the package are protected with cardboard, with mini boxes for the radiator, pump, accessories, and etc. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Included with the package are:Mounting hardware for AMD and Intel platforms120mm fansThermal pasteMagnetic Penrose triangleBending tube clips (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)▶️ MSI MEG CORELIQUID E15 360 AM5 InstallationTo begin putting things together, you’ll first need to remove the default AM4/5 retention brackets and replace them with the included mounting bars for the AIO. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Next, take the mounting bars and secure them with the included screws.Now it’s time to apply the thermal compound. If you’re not sure how to do that, we have a handy thermal paste application guide that covers the different methods you can use.After thermal paste is applied, take the CPU block and press it against the mounting bars, using the built-in screws to secure it in place. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)At this point, you’re mostly good to go. You can leave the AIO set up as above if you want, but most users will want to take off the cover from the CPU block and place the screen on top of it instead. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)The final step, of course, is to connect the AIO’s cables – ARGB, USB, and PWM. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Real-world testing configuration – AMD AM5 platformWe’ve tested coolers with both the Ryzen 9950X3D and its non-V-Cache sibling, the 9950X. There are some differences in how the 9950X and 9950X3D CPUs are impacted by thermal events. While the heat output of the CCDs of AMD’s 9950X3D is relatively balanced, the 9950X I used has one CCD that runs much hotter than the other, with a difference of over 10 degrees Celsius in some scenarios, shown below. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)We’ve since returned to using a 9950X3D for cooler testing, as it has a more balanced heat profile, and is almost certainly a more widely adopted CPU. The benchmark results shared in these reviews may differ from others because I emphasize results that are comparable to real-world use. This means I generally test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods.Many reviewers test coolers on open test benches, which have a combination of lower airflow needs and lowered ambient temperatures. This can make weak coolers appear stronger than they really are. Some publications have also used generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect real-world cooler conditions. Swipe to scroll horizontally CPU AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D GPU MSI Ventus 3X RTX 4070Ti Super RAM TeamGroup Diamond Rose T-Force Xtreem DDR5-7200 Motherboard MSI X870E Carbon Wifi Case Tryx FLOVA F50 Our latest testing setup uses the FLOVA F50 computer case from Tryx. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)This case features a unique “crossflow” fan that pulls air from the side, which the company claims is more effective than traditional intake fans. For air cooling tests, we’ve added a single Noctua NF-A12 G2 intake fan. Freelancer, CPU Cooling Reviewer Albert Thomas is a contributor for Tom’s Hardware, primarily covering CPU cooling reviews.