The A13 series AIOs are the latest budget liquid cooling offerings from Taiwanese hardware mainstay, MSI. These coolers don't offer flashy features aside from some RGB, but that means they're very reasonably priced, at just $99 for the 360 model and $79 for the 240 option. Will one of them make our list of best CPU coolers? We'll have to run our usual benchmarks to be sure, but first we'll take a look at their specifications and features.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Cooler specificationsSwipe to scroll horizontallyCoolerA13 360mmA13 240mmMSRP$99.99$79.99Radiator MaterialAluminumAluminumPump Speed3800RPM ± 300RPM3800RPM ± 300RPMLightingARGB on fans and CPU blockARGB on fans and CPU blockWarranty3 Years3 yearsSocket CompatibilityIntel Socket LGA 1851/1700 AMD AM5 / AM4Intel Socket LGA 1851/1700 AMD AM5 / AM4Unit Dimensions (including fans)394 (L) x 119.6 (W) x 52mm (D)277 (L) x 119.6 (W) x 52mm (D)BaseCopperCopperMaximum TDP (Our Testing)>259W with Intel's i7-14700K>246W with Intel's i7-14700KPacking and included contents 

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The packaging of the 360mm AIO is much like many others, with molded cardboard for primary packaging and both cardboard and plastic coverings for the individual parts. The top is protected with a layer of foam.  

There's not a lot of extras with this AIO. Nothing like extra cable ties or whatnot, just the essentials you'll need to install the liquid cooler.

  • 120mm fans, pre-installed
  • Radiator and CPU block
  • PWM Splitter cable
  • Thermal Paste
  • Mounting for modern Intel and AMD platforms

    • (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Features of MSI's A13 AIOs 

    Subtle ARGB lighting

    The CPU block has a minimalist diffused ARGB lighting strip, giving it some subtle flair.

    (Image credit: MSI)

    Thermal Paste

    MSI includes a very small tube of thermal paste with the cooler – suitable for one or two installations, but no more.

    (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

    27mm Radiator

    The A13 AIOs include a 27mm-thick radiator, which is standard for most liquid coolers.

    Rotatable tubing 

    The tubing of MSI's A13 AIOs is fully rotatable, which helps make installation easier.

    (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

    120mm CycloBlade 7 fans, pre-installed

    There's more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans significantly impact cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. The fans included here are MSI's CycloBlade 7 fans, and are pre-installed on both 360mm and 240mm A13 AIOs – saving users a few moments of install time. This should be standard for most AIOs.

    (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Swipe to scroll horizontallyDimensions120 x 120 x 25mmFan SpeedUp to 2000 RPMAir FlowUp to 62.6 CFMAir PressureUp to 2.36 mmH2OBearing TypeRifle BearingsLightingARGBTesting configuration – Intel LGA1700 and LGA1851 platformSwipe to scroll horizontallyCPUIntel Core i7-14700KGPUASRock Steel Legend Radeon 7900 GREMotherboardMSI Z790 Project ZeroCaseMSI Pano 100L PZ BlackSystem FansIceberg Thermal IceGale Silent

    There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system's motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bending, which results in poor cooler contact with the CPU.

    In order to prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, we've installed Thermalright's LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is af fected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright's LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information.

    I've also tested this cooler with Intel's latest platform, Arrow Lake and LGA 1851.

    Swipe to scroll horizontallyCPUIntel Core Ultra 9 285KGPUMSI Ventus 3X RTX 4070Ti SuperMotherboardMSI Z890 Carbon WifiCaseMSI MPG Gungnir 300RSystem fansPre-installed case fansLGA 1700 and 1851 Installation

    For most users, I'd recommend attaching the radiator and fans to your case before the steps below.

    1. You'll first need to place the backplate against the rear of the motherboard. It features mounting tape, so you won't need anything else to s ecure it.

    (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

    2. Apply the included thermal paste to your CPU. If you have any questions on how to d o this properly, please refer to our handy guide on how to apply thermal paste.

    3. Next, simply take the CPU block and place it on top of the CPU, using a screwdriver to connect the four corners to the motherboard backplate.

    (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

    4. Connect the ARGB and PWM connections to your motherboard, and installation is complete!

    (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)