Cooler Master V8
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Cooler Master’s V8 CPU cooler offsets a somewhat time-consuming installation process with near-record-setting performance for an air cooler. The sleek aluminum cooler’s 12cm fan sits between two heatsinks on the device, sparing fingers from the accidental nip of its 800rpm-to-1,800rpm variable fan.
The V8’s installation process is similar to that of most other CPU coolers, but with a few more screws involved. On an Intel platform, you start by attaching two retention plates to the cooler itself. You then remove the motherboard from your case and flip it upside-down, matching the ends of the cooler’s four retention screws with the mobo’s holes. You balance this contraption in your lap while using four large nuts to secure this beast of a device in place. You can also use an included backplane to mount the device, but we found the nut method to be far easier.
The 16-centimeter-tall V8 emits a slight red glow when you power up your machine. You adjust the speeds of the included fan using a knob that you can secure to your PC using an included PCI bracket. At its lowest setting, the cooler easily outperforms a typical Intel stock cooler and comes within a few degrees of our top air cooler, Thermaltake’s DuOrb. Cranking the V8 to its highest setting makes for a bit more noise than the DuOrb but produces only a meager two-degree increase in cooling performance on both our idle and burn tests.
This performance, nevertheless, places the V8 in the top echelon of coolers we have tested—second place, to be exact. The installation process isn’t a picnic, but we’ve experienced worse. All and all, it’s a great addition to a machine—both aesthetically and thermally.
Cooler Master V8
Gin
Nearly top-notch cooling performance, beautiful aesthetics.
Juice
Not that much of a cooling difference between low and high fan speeds.
9
Benchmarks
| V8 (low) | V8 (high) | Thermaltake DuOrb | Stock Cooler | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idle (C) | 34.8 | 33.3 | 33.5 | 38.5 |
| 100% Burn (C) | 58.8 | 56.3 | 52.3 | 66.8 |
Best scores are bolded. Idle temperatures were measured after an hour of inactivity; load temperatures were measured after an hour’s worth of CPU Burn-In (four instances). Test system consists of a stock-clock Q6700 processor on an EVGA 680i motherboard.
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Josiah Charley
May 18, 2011 at 5:53am
This Cooler Master’s V8 CPU looks so... cool and so vintage, that it makes me want to say "Sweet!" the way Cartman says it. I have been searching for a good cooler for a long time, because I thought I had issues with dangerous malware exe files, when in fact all I needed was a loving cooler.
whathuhitwasntme
February 05, 2009 at 2:26pm
Blindly Going Where many have gone before but often failing to read the directions!
I used this fan in my new build. Other than the fact that the install directions were written by ugh the caveman, who communicates in pictures and very very few words. I managed to get it in there. It would be nice if they marked the orientation of the air flow in a clear way, so you can place it facing in the best exhaust posture(?)placement.
It's a monolithic mutha for sure. It was so tall I had to remove the cpu air tube from the inside of the side panel, and reverse the retention screws on the cover so that they stuck out of the case since they were hitting the top of the V8's plastic shell case.
While it appears to be on the verge of creating a structual collapse due to its hanging weight, it's not really that heavy and the included x clamp design(think xbox 360) seems to be adequate to maintain its precarious position.
I see where some comment that the fan on high speed is too noisy for little more cooling, honestly the hum of the power supply drowns out the fan to me. It's the noise a pc makes. The most I can hear is the low roar that resembles the sound of HVAC duct work moving large amounts of air.
Dunimas
January 02, 2009 at 7:22am
Been eyeballing this one for my next build. Zalman put out a conversion bracket for the CPNS9700 which WAS my favorite cooler, but seeing as how this is performs better while having a lower price has sold me.
I had planned on using red in my theme anyway.
::.Dunimas.::
Lord Omega
January 02, 2009 at 4:28pm
Add a more powerful fan and you got one hell of a cooler (not saying that it isn't bad the way it is). Put one into it that moves lets say, 78CFM, then that is O_O
Or if you do not want any LEDs, you can go with one that moves 110CFM O________________O OH SHI-
edit: I am a heat freak. I hate heat. The cooler the better. I do not care if it makes a lot of noise.
sparkey247
January 01, 2009 at 7:07pm
hukd un fanix rulle wurked fur mi lol
bad spelling or not it is a damn good cooler i got one on top of an i7 965 EE wich is ontop of an asus rampage 2 extreme and its idling at 26c and full load prime of 2 hours was 46c
Lord Omega
January 01, 2009 at 3:42pm
The V8 can work on the 1366 socket!!!! and can go up 180W. HOLY ****! >_> It is a great heatsink.
kleinkinstein
January 01, 2009 at 12:35pm
From the look of this cooler alone, I can't believe it does not beat the Noctua or even Tuniq. Jeesh!
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