Page 3 - Test Results
Our test configuration is as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K
Motherboard: ASUS ProArt Z690-Creator WiFi
RAM: Crucial Pro DDR5-5600 2x16GB
Graphics: EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING
Chassis: Thermaltake Core P3 TG Pro Snow
Storage: XPG Atom 30 1TB
Power: FSP Hydro PTM Pro 1200W
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
Compared hardware:
- DeepCool AK620 Digital
- be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 240mm
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2 FX
- Cooler Master MasterLiquid 240L Core ARGB White
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Noctua NH-U9S chromax.black
- Thermaltake TOUGHLIQUID Ultra 360
All tests were run on our custom-built computer to best reflect real life performance. The computer remained in the same location in the same room throughout all tests. The room temperature in our testing lab was around 22c. Stock thermal paste respective to all coolers were used to rate its performance; all thermal pastes were given a proper amount of time for them to fully settle. The fans on all heatsinks were connected to the motherboard's CPU 4-pin fan header. The test computer was turned on and left idling for at least one hour for the idling tests. High CPU load results were obtained using the Prime95 in-place large FFTs test with a maximum number of worker threads for the tested CPU for a minimum of 10 minutes or until the temperature was deemed stable. Temperature results were measured with HWiNFO, which reports the CPU's integrated digital thermal sensor for maximum accuracy. Each temperature result was calculated by taking the maximum value of the cores inside the CPU.
After letting my computer sit idle for a while, I shook my mouse to wake the computer screen and check the temperature. From the first graph, you can see the DeepCool AK620 Digital idled at a temperature of 24c. This was one degree warmer than the coolest idle temperature readings across all the tested coolers, matching the Noctua NH-D12L with a single fan attached. As cool as you may find this, idle numbers do not give a full representation of what CPU coolers can do, so we started up the Prime95 tests to see the more pertinent results.
With more than enough time to load the processor, you can see how all the coolers performed with the peak temperatures recorded. From here, you can see the result of the DeepCool AK620 Digital with a full load temperature of 72c. This was the best air cooler result we had seen. It was also only two degrees warmer than the chart-leading Thermaltake TOUGHLIQUID Ultra 360 AIO liquid cooler. This was similar in performance to our Noctua NH-U12A and NH-D12L, which is an impressive feat on its own. The AK620 Digital was able to cool off the processor so it could maintain the same maximum boost frequencies as other coolers.
As for the sound analysis section, on a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is silence and 10 is very loud, I would rate the DeepCool AK620 Digital at around 5.0/10 under full load. I found the fans on this AK620 Digital to be slightly quieter than the other ones I had on my vanilla unit of the AK620, but it still was audible when operating at full speeds. On a day-to-day use, this cooling solution is quiet enough, although those with more sensitive ears will hear the fans going. It does still emit a slightly higher frequency tone, which makes it more audible.
As for the digital panel, I liked the subtle taste of addressable RGB lighting on the top and the bottom as well as the information it provided. While I will still keep using HWiNFO for all our testing, it is handy to see temperature and load information on a day to day for quick monitoring without opening Task Manager. As for the lighting, I ended up setting these to just a plain white light, but my build is quite simple, and this white light only adds to this ambience. Also, since it uses a standard addressable header, all of the effects can be controlled by the motherboard software.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
