INTRODUCTION

    Whether you like CPU air coolers or not they've been proving their worth well since the first modern type computers made their appearance roughly 4 decades ago and well, that says a lot about that rather simple technology. Personally, even though I do prefer AIO and custom water cooling loops for my test rigs I can't deny that CPU air coolers are the safer bet, primarily due to pump and liquid related issues which are always a possibility with liquid cooling solutions. Leaving out market leading manufacturers like Noctua and be quiet! however not many actually have high cooling efficiency models available in their product lines. Thanks to their Assassin line of CPU air coolers DeepCool has had a strong presence in the PC cooling market and with me I have yet another promising model, the AK620 Digital released last year.

    Established in 1996, DeepCool is a global brand in designing and manufacturing high-performance computer components for enthusiasts worldwide that includes CPU coolers, PC cases, Power Supplies, Peripherals, and more. With a strong background in independent research and development, DeepCool continues to provide high-quality products, premium customer service, and incredible value to our dedicated customers.

    The AK620 is available currently in both a standard version and the digital (CPU temperature and usage display on top) all-black version which i have here with me today. Both versions have a TDP (thermal design power) of 260W, are based on the U-type (sandwich) dual-tower design and come ready with two 120mm fluid dynamic bearing fans (FK120 PWM/1850RPM/68.99CFM/28dBA) in push and pull configuration. Each tower/heatsink features a total of 50 aluminum fins (matrix layout for increased airflow and heat dissipation) and the six 6mm all-copper heatpipes that pass through both are connected to a nickel plated copper base. Yes, the AK620 Digital might be the largest CPU air cooler around but it's certainly an interesting model so let's see what it offers.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

DeepCool uses recyclable cardboard for their box the front of which has their logo and a product picture.

The product specifications table is printed at the rear of the box.

The cooler and its bundle are placed between two foam spacers.

Along with the AK620 Digital inside the box you’ll also find a thermal paste tube, screwdriver, fan y-splitter, user manual and all the parts needed to mount the unit on Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1700/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM4/AM5 compatible motherboards.

THE AK620 DIGITAL

The AK620 Digital is a mid to large sized CPU cooler that weighs 1486g and measures 162mm in height, 138mm in width and 129mm in length.

DeepCool has placed a small display at the top of the cooler which shows CPU temperature and utilization.

It’s very easy to remove the top to gain access to the center fan.

The matrix design DeepCool has used for the fins should help with airflow and heat dissipation.

Both the front and center fans are the same model (FK120) which can spin up to 1850RPM to produce up to 68.99 CFM airflow with 28dBA of noise.

With the fans and the top display removed the AK620 Digital measures 157mm in height, 110mm in width and 127mm in length.

Just like the rest of the cooler the six 6mm all-cooper heatpipes are also painted black.

The cooper nickel plated base is large and has no machine marks but doesn’t feature a mirror like finish.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   I always take things quite seriously when it comes to work so just like with the previous LGA1366 and LGA2011 databases every single CPU Cooler in the charts will be tested under the same exact conditions. Testing a CPU Cooler automatically means that you need to know where it stands against the immediate competition and to accomplish that I’ve spent both money and time through the years, something that i honestly plan to continue to do so in order to get the most accurate results for the end consumers who read these lines. Every CPU cooler in this database is tested with the bundled 140mm/120mm/92mm/80mm fans while working at both idle speed and 100% of their speeds for all the temperature tests. CPU Coolers that do not come bundled with a fan/s are measured using a Noctua fan (size dependent on the model) to test for the temperature tests but due to the lack of a stock fan dBA level tests are obviously skipped. Single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests every cooler in the database was measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. The Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste is used with every CPU Cooler. Finally, it's very important to point out that just because a CPU Cooler is better than another when tested with a specific system that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

   To successfully record the load temperatures, we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded, we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure is more time consuming than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can readers get results based on real CPUs, but those results can also be triple checked by using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using the latest versions of AIDA64, HWiNFO and HWMonitor while the noise level tests are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the CPU Cooler. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here, we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

    It’s hard for any CPU air cooler to stand out in todays market, not only because most look alike but also because AIO liquid CPU coolers have pretty much surpassed them in popularity. So, it does make sense that DeepCool chose to paint the AK620 black and add a display on top especially since it does work. Granted, the display is rather small (larger one should cost that much so I don’t know why DeepCool didn’t do that instead) but it’s a very convenient feature that was even added to some AIO liquid CPU coolers years ago. Cooling efficiency is also very good and as for noise levels well, the AK620 Digital may not be inaudible at high load but it’s certainly far more silent than many other models in the charts.

    DeepCool currently has their AK620 Digital CPU Cooler available for USD79.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 88.56Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price which is quite balanced for what you’re getting. Overall, the AK620 Digital ticks most if not all boxes needed for a top of the line CPU cooler and that’s why it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Very Good Cooling Efficiency
- Temperature & Usage Display
- Dual Fan Solution
- Noise Levels

CONS

- Price (EU)