Cooler Master V8 Review

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Cooler Master V8

Introduction


When we think of extreme cooling for computers, the first thing that jumps to mind is water cooling, phase change and other extremes like liquid nitrogen. Air cooling is old technology, not efficient and definitely not worth your while. That is very far from the truth as companies like Cooler Master has proven to us today. We asked and they delivered and man have they delivered.
Today we have for review the Cooler Master V8. It is a monster among air coolers and has proven to stand up next to almost all entry level water cooling attempts out there!


Packaging



As with our previous experiences with Cooler Master, they yet again failed to disappoint as the cooler came expertly packaged. They yet again demonstrated the need to make their shipping box tornado proof.



The small V8 box was swallowed whole by the shipping package and packed in with lots of brown paper fill. Great job as expected!



The product package was more than expected as it contained a wealth of information about what was contained inside.



Upon opening we came across a very sturdy clamshell with the cooler inside and all necessary instructions and hardware.







The instructions came in a multitude of languages again proving the scale and market that cooler master is targeting.




Specifications




CPU Socket:
Intel Socket :
LGA1366 (optional)
LGA775


AMD Socket :
AM2+
AM2
940
CPU Support:
Intel :
Core i7,
Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo,
Pentium Extreme Ed., Pentium Dual-Core, Pentium D,
Pentium 4 Extreme Ed., Pentium 4 HT, Pentium 4,
Celeron Dual-Core, Celeron D

AMD :
Phenom,
Athlon 64 X2,
Athlon X2,
Sempron

Dimensions: 120 x 128 x 161.1mm
Weight: 865g
Heat Sink Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 158mm
Heat Sink Material: Copper Base / Aluminum Fins / 8 Heat Pipes
Heat Pipes Dimensions: 6mm
Fan Dimension (W / H / D): 120 x 120 x 25mm
Fan Speed: 800 - 1800RPM
Fan Airflow: 69.69CFM
Air pressure (mmH2O): 2.94mm H2O
Bearing Type: Rifle Bearing
Fan Life Expectancy: 40,000hrs
Fan Noise Level: (dB-A) 17 - 21dBA
Fan Speed Adjustment: Install on PCI Slot
Connector: 4-pin
Fan Control: PWM + VR Controller
Rated Voltage: 12V
Start Voltage: 7V
Operating Voltage: 10.38V - 13.2V
Rated Current: 0.12A
Input Power: 1.44W


First Thoughts



This thing is huge and heavy! At over 800 grams it is not light but when one observes the construction and what goes into one of these, then you will instantly realize why.





It is built from a solid copper base featuring 8 heat pipes climbing up into 4 individual aluminum heat sinks with a powerful variable speed fan sandwiched in middle. This thing is so massive that I cannot fathom the sheer size of what the V10 or V12 models must be like.



After removing the label on the sink’s base, it was noted that more work could be done on surface preparation as although it was flat, it was not smoothed down to a shiny mirror surface indicating the presence of micro pits that could limit cooling performance.




There was definitely no lack of CPU hold downs as the box with included hardware was opened. Included was all necessary odds and ends like screws and thermal paste needed to get this cooler hooked up to your CPU and cooling in no time.




Assembly


Some minor assembly is required when using this heat sink. Included was all necessary hardware to hold this cooler down to any socket on the market today. The hold down bracket of your choice, dependant on your socket needs to be screwed into the top of the heat sink’s base.



You then screw in the hold down screws into the hold down brackets which you previously attached to the heat sink. The cooler then, after being placed on your CPU, must then be screwed down from the back of the motherboard using the backing plate needed for your socket choice and the supplied nuts and nut driver.




Performance


Test System:

Asus Maximus Extreme
4 gigabytes DDR3 Memory
Intel E8400 Core2Duo Processor
Sapphire ATI 3870X2 Video card
Cooler Master Ultimate 1200 Watt PSU
Thermaltake Xaser VI Full tower case
Cooler Master V8 CPU cooler


The Tests were all done at 22 degrees Celsius ambient temps and all temps shown in graphs are degrees Celsius. Temps were recorded at both Idle and full load using prime95 for 2 hours. Also comparison between high and low fan speeds was also tested.


Stock Intel Cooler Results



Cooler Master V8 results










Final Thoughts



This CPU cooler was very impressive. Even at a high over clock of 4 Ghz with notable voltage increase, it still kept the CPU temps on full load down to 49 degrees which is lower than the stock cooler at stock speeds on idle. This from my experience is as good a temp drop as would be expected from a good basic water cooling kit offered on the market today and with such over clocks achievable on air, it begs the question whether air cooling is really on its last legs or can companies such as cooler master with continued research and development, be able to bring us even more high efficient air cooling answers to the heat problem plaguing our computer systems today.




Overview


Packaging 10/10 frags: The packaging was way overkill for sure but it assured safe delivery.

Price 10/10 frags: With water cooling costing upwards of $200 and this cooler priced at $69.99 MSRP, this is definitely good value for money considering the performance it gives.

Design 10/10 frags: There is nothing like it out there… 8 heat pipes, 4 heat sinks in 1, fan speed controller built in. What more can anyone ask for?

Construction 9/10 frags: It was very well put together but my only concern was with the finish on the heat sink base. Lapping would definitely improve it and Cooler Master could put more effort into making the base a lot smoother.

Performance 10/10 frags: 4 Ghz on air with temps nowhere near danger levels for this CPU leaving lots of headroom for more. No more questions here on this cooler’s performance.

Ease of Use 8/10 frags: It is fairly easy but requires some assembly. Removing the motherboard always adds that bad taste in your mouth when installing a heat sink like this but due to the weight and the need for sufficient brackets, it is necessary.


Overall the Cooler Master v8 gets a score of 9.5 out of 10 frags giving it Clan Team Xtreme approval!