Page 3 - Test Results
Our test configuration is as follows:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Motherboard: MSI MPG X570 GAMING PLUS
RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB Pro DDR4-3600 4x8GB
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 FE 8GB
Chassis: Fractal Design North
Power: FSP Hydro PTM+ 850W
Storage: Patriot Viper VPN100 512GB
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro x64
Compared hardware:
- Cooler Master MasterAir MA824 Stealth
- Cooler Master Hyper 622 Halo White
- SilverStone VIDA 240 SLIM
All tests were run on my custom-built computer to best reflect real-life performance. The computer remained in the same place and room for all tests. The ambient temperature of the room was roughly 18 degrees Celsius. The thermal paste applied to each cooler was stock respective to their manufacturers to rate its performance. Sufficient time between testing was ensured for the paste to settle. The fans on all heatsinks were connected to the same motherboard's 4-pin connector. The test computer was turned on and idled for at least one hour for the idling tests. High CPU load results were obtained using the Prime95 in-place large FFTs test with sixteen worker threads for a minimum of 30 minutes and recorded when the temperature was deemed stable. The Cooler Master MasterAir MA824 Stealth was tested using the stock fans sent from the factory in a standard push configuration.
The performance was compared with the Cooler Master MasterAir MA824 Stealth, Cooler Master Hyper 622 Halo White, and SilverStone VIDA 240 SLIM. The purpose of this comparison is to find the relative performance between products, but do keep in mind there are different types and performance classes of coolers here. The temperature results for each cooler were measured with Core Temp, which records the CPU’s integrated thermal sensor for maximum accuracy. Each temperature result was calculated by taking the maximum value of the cores inside of the CPU.
In the idle test, the Cooler Master MasterAir MA824 Stealth in both configurations came in on par with the SilverStone VIDA 240 SLIM at 33 degrees Celsius. The Cooler Master Hyper 622 Halo White followed behind, being only 1 degree behind. The performance was what was expected given the size of the cooler. This performance was more than satisfactory, but the idle test aside, let us look at the test that really matters.
After enough time of stressing the CPU, I was able to push all three coolers to their limits to see what they could do. After running Prime95 for about 45 minutes, the Cooler Master MasterAir MA824 Stealth was able to stabilize the CPU's temperature at 67 degrees Celsius with dual fans and 68c with a single fan. The difference between the MasterAir MA824 Stealth and the Hyper 622 Halo White in dual fan configurations was only 3 degrees Celsius lower using both fans and 2c lower while in a single fan configuration. The MasterAir MA824 Stealth was able to match the likes of the SilverStone VIDA 240 SLIM when using a dual fan configuration. When using a single fan, the performance was raised by only 1 degree. The MasterAir MA824 Stealth’s performance was admirable in keeping the CPU cool under heavy workloads. Of course, the gap will widen with hotter CPUs. The performance observed was expected relative to the other tested coolers.
Taking noise into consideration, the sound produced from the cooler is very important for many users. In my setup, I was running the cooler in the dual fan configuration with an additional three fans as intake in the chassis. On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is absolute silence and 10 is an explosion, I would rate the Cooler Master MasterAir MA824 Stealth with two fans at 1.0 when idle and 2.5 when under heavy loads. Part of the reasoning behind the low noise levels is because the usage of two fans allows the cooler to keep the CPU reasonably cool with lower effort. The fan was close to silent when idle. During heavier loads, when the fan was spinning at a higher RPM, the difference in noise was apparent, but was not unbearable. In my day-to-day use, my computer usually never undergoes workloads heavy enough to push these fans to their maximum RPM. The Cooler Master MasterAir MA824 Stealth delivered respectable cooling performance while remaining mostly silent under menial tasks.
Taking all of this into account, the Cooler Master MasterAir MA824 Stealth is a respectable cooler, having great cooling performance that produces a minor amount of noise under smaller loads and remaining very reasonable under heavy loads.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware, Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
