Cooler Master V8 ACE 3DHP Black Intel Version Heatsink Review

I mentioned early in this review about how innovation in the CPU heatsink space has really hit a ceiling.  We either have massively large high-performance coolers that can rival mid-range AIOs or, you have extremely cost-efficient air coolers designed for mainstream builds on lower budgets.  The midrange systems are often ignored, with users picking a higher end cooler to better match thier budget.

In this review we looked at the Cooler Master V8 ACE 3DHP Black Intel Edition heatsink.  The V-Series coolers were a popular product back in 2010 and experimented with different heatpipe layouts and experimental designs like adding TEC coolers to help improve cooling.  While these were innovative at the time, they were still essentially heatpipe radiators subject to temperature differences that would dictate performance.

Heatpipes work on the concept of temperature differential, the greater the difference the faster heat will move from one end to the other.  The speed of the change is a key component of capacity and why most high-end GPU coolers use a core contact design where the heatpipes make direct contact with the processing core.  This makes them react quickly but, can limit overall thermal capacity.  This is where massing can help, if there is more mass (material) surrounding the heatpipes it can store more heat and creates what we call a “cold plate”.  This stores more heat and can increase thermal capacity by increasing the temperature difference between the ends of the heatpipe.

Eventually, a heatpipe cooler can become saturated and is where the unique design of the V8 ACE comes into play.  Above the six heatpipes there is a vapor chamber connected to two 3DHP heatpipes.  This system will activate once the existing heatpipes become saturated allowing the V8 to handle higher loads. 

During testing I noted two things.  When I ran the heat test once, the load temp as 63c.  Running the test a second time (as I normally do) would show load temps at 67c and, is the number I recorded.  If I let the heatsink cool, the next test would top at 63c telling me that while there is plenty of capacity in the cold plate, it cannot release the heat quick enough to make it effective. 

This was amplified during the OC tests where my normal 5.1Ghz test would peg the CPU at 95c and promptly crash the system, it wasn’t until I backed the clock down to 4.8Ghz that the test could complete and is how I determined the overall 200w TDP capacity of this cooler.

Overall, I am still impressed with the new V8 ACE design, and for a 6 heatpipe cooler it does surprisingly well.  The hybrid heatpipe design does extend the thermal capacity but, so would adding an eighth heatpipe which is effectually what we have here.  To reinforce the overall design Cooler Master added a decorative top cover that resembles a modern V8 engine and included easy to install 30mm thick fans and a modern mounting system.  Personally, I wouldn’t run this cooler on a K series processor but, feel it would be an amazing addition to a budget or mid-range gaming rig.

Great Industrial Style
Hybrid Heatsink Design
Two Versions for Intel and AMD
Asymmetrical Fans Included
Quiet Operation

Expected more from the hybrid vapor chamber
Fans aren’t powerful enough