MSI has acknowledged an issue affecting the MAG CORELIQUID 240R and 360R liquid coolers, and it's offering free replacements for those affected. Any customer who owns one of these cooling solutions can easily apply for a replacement if their unit isn't doing its job properly. The MSI MAG CORELIQUID R series is an all-in-one (AiO) liquid cooling solution, including the liquid loop, radiator, and fans. These two models specifically feature two (in the 240R model) or three (in the 360R) 120mm fans to cool the radiator.

According to MSI, the reason why these liquid coolers aren't working as intended is that they can produce sediment that causes a blockage in the liquid flow. Liquid cooling works by moving cool liquid near the heat-generating components - in this case, the CPU - and then moving the warm liquid towards the radiator, which is cooled by the fans blowing air outside the chassis. If the liquid flow is blocked, the CPU will be stuck with increasingly hot water, so it just warms up further and further until it's forced to throttle.

To make things easier for customers, MSI is making it easier to verify whether your unit is affected by this problem so you can get a replacement. You can visit this page and enter the serial number for your cooler, or - if it's a pre-built PC - the serial number for your computer. If it's confirmed to be a problematic unit, you can go to the RMA page to request a replacement.

The replacement program should be good news for the customers that have posted reports on MSI's forums. One of the PCs affected by this problem is the MSI Aegis Ti5, one of MSI's higher-end desktop PCs. In addition to replacing existing coolers, MSI says it will be working with distributors to inspect other units that may be affected before they're sold. Earlier this week, MSI announced the Aegis ZS desktop PC, which also features liquid coolers, but it's a different model, so you shouldn't need a replacement.