Deepcool AK500 CPU Cooler - Black

A fantastic air cooler that supports AM5 out of the box without a conversion kit. The steps to install are pretty simple. It’s just lining up the screws is tricky considering you have to screw down the middle of the cooler given it’s sheer size. It at least comes with a very long screw driver.Comes with rather a lot of thermal paste. Doesn’t specify what it is but given what the syringe design looks like it’s probably Deepcool’s Z5 thermal paste. So pretty average could easily get better.It comes with 1 very decent fan and has extra fan clips for a second fan. I’m running two fans on it. But it only comes with 1.It’s a chonky boy however it’s actually a few mm shorter than a lot of other air coolers. Meaning it can fit in more cases. Its heat pipes are angled ... MoreA fantastic air cooler that supports AM5 out of the box without a conversion kit. The steps to install are pretty simple. It’s just lining up the screws is tricky considering you have to screw down the middle of the cooler given it’s sheer size. It at least comes with a very long screw driver.Comes with rather a lot of thermal paste. Doesn’t specify what it is but given what the syringe design looks like it’s probably Deepcool’s Z5 thermal paste. So pretty average could easily get better.It comes with 1 very decent fan and has extra fan clips for a second fan. I’m running two fans on it. But it only comes with 1.It’s a chonky boy however it’s actually a few mm shorter than a lot of other air coolers. Meaning it can fit in more cases. Its heat pipes are angled in such a way where it allows a lot of space for RAM. I got low profile RAM but I could easily have RAM triple the height. I got an older style case with side fan mounts and I can even fit a 140mm fan on the side without it touching the cooler. It’s just the perfect size.In terms of cooling it’s keeping my Ryzen 7600x idling at 35-38 degrees and never exceeding 70 under load when running things such as Star citizen or Darktide. That is with 2 fans mounted on the cooler. With the thermal paste it came with.However. If you are planning to get this to cool an AM5 CPU specifically. Make sure your motherboard has a backplate pre installed. Most AM5 motherboards do but not all of them do. It’s far too heavy to be used without a backplate and it won’t fit the AM4/Intel one that comes with the cooler. AM4 and intel LGA users don’t need worry.

Cools a 13600k with no issues, fan noise minimum.

Deepcool does it again l reckon, nice shape and size, fitted in nicely with no problems and keeps cool temperatures .........

Easy installation & keeps cools and silent

Simple install, no problems clearing RAM or board heatsinks. Keeps Intel i5-13600k cool under most loads but can struggle at high load.

Nice and Cool

It's big, it looks lopsided when you first put it in, and the blind screw makes it REALLY hard to line up right first time, but it works great.In most cases I don't think you'd be able to see if the blind screw is lining up with the post, it's just too well hidden. The L shaped screwdriver works great though, reaching in nicely, and the screw has a nice bitey head so you know when you're on it. It's just hard to tell if you've caught the rear post or just spinning in the air. The included kit is also set up so you tighten the socket mounts perfectly by slipping at the right tension, and the final screws go down to the floor without having to guess at anything.Beyond that, clearance is exactly as you'd expect for a cooler that leans out of the way. Room for all ... MoreIt's big, it looks lopsided when you first put it in, and the blind screw makes it REALLY hard to line up right first time, but it works great.In most cases I don't think you'd be able to see if the blind screw is lining up with the post, it's just too well hidden. The L shaped screwdriver works great though, reaching in nicely, and the screw has a nice bitey head so you know when you're on it. It's just hard to tell if you've caught the rear post or just spinning in the air. The included kit is also set up so you tighten the socket mounts perfectly by slipping at the right tension, and the final screws go down to the floor without having to guess at anything.Beyond that, clearance is exactly as you'd expect for a cooler that leans out of the way. Room for all your RAM.There's just enough fan to shift the fastener down a fin to get a little airflow over the socket-side components without missing anything, and it's not a loud fan either.The top cover looks nice and not hard to pull off when you need to fiddle. Lack of RGB is who cares.Most importantly, it keeps my 5900X below throttle temp IN SUMMER 30+ degree ambient. Full boost on a hot day is noice.