Testing
The following system was used to test the cooler:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: Neo Forza Faye DDR4 64GB 3600MHz
– GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
– SSD: Crucial p5 500GB
– HDD: GOODRAM IRDM 1TB SSD
– PSU: Seasonic Snow Silent 750W Platinum
– Case: be quiet! Silent Base 802 White
– Thermal compound: Noctua NT-H2
Software used for testing the cooler:
– AIDA64 Extreme Version: 6.60.5900
– Intel Burn Test v2.54
– Prime95 29.1
The cooler was tested with the CPU at the default turbo frequency of 4.9 GHz and overclocked to 5 GHz with a core voltage of 1.261 V.
Also, the included fans have been used at their maximum speed.
The room temperature was approximately 26°C (78°F), with 2°C margin of error.
The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test.
The settings of the software used are the following:
Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Stress level: Maximum
Prime95 29.1- small FFT
AIDA64 Extreme Version – FPU Benchmark & Temperature monitoring.
Each test was conducted for 40 minutes.
Idle
Full Load – IntelBurnTest V2
Full Load – AIDA64 CPU, FPU & Cache
The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 2 db.
The DeepCool AK400 has a good RAM clearance, as the front fan does not interfere with the RAM slots of the motherboard.
The PCIe clearance with this CPU cooler installed is good, with around 35mm of space between the CPU cooler and the graphics card.
Final thoughts
The DeepCool AK400 is a good budget-oriented CPU cooler that looks great and is well made. It cannot be compared with the high-end models from Noctua or be quiet! as the AK400 is in a different price range and has fewer features.
The cooling performance is good, especially for a cooler of this size, however, you cannot expect CPU overclocking. The AK400 will work great in a mid-range gaming system, but overclocking a high TDP CPU is out of the question as this cooler does not have enough heat dissipation surface.
The main shortcomings of this CPU cooler are down to the direct touch baseplate which is not the best performance wise. Also, the pre-applied thermal compound is not ideal, as it can be easily damaged during shipping or during the installation of the cooler.
The AK400 has a maximum noise output of 40db which is not that great, especially when looking at how the competing CPU coolers are doing. However, due to its cooling performance we can gloss over the higher than ideal noise output.
The build quality is good, with no uneven spots on the cooling fins or the baseplate. In fact, this cooler is at the same level as the DeepCool AK620.
The installation is done with ease as the AK400 uses a simple mounting system. Everything is made from metal, with the only plastic components being the spacers.
In conclusion, the DeepCool AK400 is a good and affordable CPU cooler that will not only cool your CPU but will do so while looking good. The build quality is great, with no sharp edges, rough spots, and uneven gaps between the cooling fins. The only shortcomings of this CPU cooler are the direct touch base which is not as good as a solid base, and the pre-applied thermal compound which can be easily damage during the installation of the cooler.
Do i need this over intel stock cooler?
This CPU cooler is better than the Intel Stock cooler.
It will keep your Intel CPU cooler than the stock cooler and the fan will be significantly quieter. For $35, well worth the money.