The DeepCool AK620 Digital CPU Cooler Review: Big, Heavy, and Lit
by E. Fylladitakis on March 28, 2024 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Deepcool
- Cooler
- RGB
- CPU cooler
- Air Cooling
Typical CPU coolers do the job for standard heat management but often fall short when it comes to quiet operation and peak cooling effectiveness. This gap pushes enthusiasts and PC builders towards specialized aftermarket solutions designed for their unique demands. The premium aftermarket cooling niche is fiercely competitive, with brands vying to offer top-notch thermal management solutions.
Today we're shining a light on DeepCool's AK620 Digital cooler, a notable entry in the high-end CPU cooler arena. At first blush, the AK620 Digital stands out from the crowd mostly for its integrated LCD screen. Yet aesthetics aside, underneath the snappy screen is a tower cooler that was first and foremost engineered to exceed the cooling needs of the most powerful mainstream CPUs. And it's a big cooler at that: with a weight of 1.5Kg and 162mm tall, this is no lightweight heatsink and fan assembly. All of which helps to set it apart in a competitive marketplace.
With that in mind, let's delve into how the AK620 Digital measures up in performance and its place in the aftermarket cooling landscape.
DeepCool AK620 Digital CPU Cooler Specifications | |||
Type | Tower Cooler | ||
Dimensions | 129 x 138 x 162 mm | ||
Fans | 2 x 120 mm FK120 FDB Fan 1850 RPM (max) |
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RGB | Yes | ||
Supported Sockets | Intel: LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA115x, LGA2011, LGA2066 AMD: AM5, AM4 |
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Warranty | 3 Years | ||
Price | $80 |
Packaging & Bundle
The DeepCool AK620 Digital CPU Cooler is presented in sleek packaging, featuring a simple cardboard box embellished with a stylish ribbon for an added touch of elegance. The cooler is securely packaged for transit, nestled in a nylon bag and cushioned by foam inserts to ensure it arrives in pristine condition. On the back of the box, key features and performance highlights of the AK620 Digital are prominently displayed, offering potential purchasers a concise overview of what this cooler brings to their PC setup.
Opening up the packaging uncovers a small cardboard box with the essential mounting accessories alongside basic, straightforward instructions. There is a syringe of premium thermal compound and a very basic screwdriver for the installation of the cooler. The included mounting kit is compatible with a wide array of CPU sockets, making the AK620 Digital versatile for use with numerous Intel (1700 / 1200 / 115x / 2066 / 2011) and AMD (AM5 / AM4) processors.
The DeepCool AK620 Digital CPU Cooler
The DeepCool AK620 Digital CPU Cooler stands out in its category with a formidable dual tower design, integrating six premium 6 mm copper heatpipes that are transferring the thermal energy from the base to the dual large fin arrays. The designer made the cooler black in its entirety, spraying every metallic part with a matte black paint and using two all-black fans. This cooler reaches a height of 162 mm, so compatibility is a consideration for several cases. At nearly 1.5 kg, the AK620 Digital is among the most substantial coolers on the market, highlighting the importance of removing the cooler from the motherboard during system relocation to prevent any potential damage.
DeepCool’s engineers have designed the fin arrays to be quite dense. The front intake and rear exhaust form a chessboard pattern, possibly as a measure to reduce aerodynamic noise, yet the fins facing the center fan are perfectly straight. The front array has an additional notch for the digital display’s cables to run through, improving cable management a little. We also found the top fin array scratched from some kind of tool, probably during the manufacturing process, but it is under the top cover so the factory quality control probably missed it.
The base of the DeepCool AK620 Digital is a rudimentary metallic block that braces the heatpipes and contact plate, while also acting as a support for the mounting brace. Its top and mounting brace are both sprayed with the same satin black paint as the rest of the cooler. The lowermost part of the base, the contact plate, is made out of solid copper, as is on any high-quality cooler nowadays – however, DeepCool took it a step further and also plated the copper, creating a perfect mirror finish that will not oxidize over time.
One of the most prominent features of the AK620 Digital is its very high-quality fans. DeepCool is using two FK120 (DF1202512CM) fans with fluid-dynamic bearing (FDB) engines and custom frames with shock-absorbing material integrated. The fans have a maximum rotational speed of 1850 RPM and are high airflow/low pressure designs, with numerous small blades. This type of fan is typically used when the expected airflow resistance is minimal. The fans lock on the fin arrays with typical wire braces, which also allow the adjustment of the front fan’s mounting height in order to clear the RAM modules, if and when that is necessary. With that said, if you do need to move the fans, be sure to take into account that raising the height of the fan will both require a case with a higher clearance, and there may be a small performance loss.
The key feature of the AK620 is the digital display at its top, which operates via a JUSB motherboard header. Additionally, DeepCool has installed A-RGB LED strips across the edge of the top cover for that extra bit of flair. The operation of the digital display is separate from the RGB lighting, which is connected to an A-RGB controller header, on the motherboard or third-party. It requires the installation of a basic software driver, which offers very limited programming options, such as the switch of the temperature unit from Celsius to Fahrenheit. The display only reads and displays the CPU temperature and usage from the motherboard’s sensors, it does not affect the performance or function of the cooler in any way. The display only has one orientation, so the cooler needs to be installed in a specific orientation.
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PeachNCream - Saturday, March 30, 2024 - link
Check Tracfone's website. There are usually refurbished phones for under $30 USD.PeachNCream - Saturday, March 30, 2024 - link
On a whim, I just peeked in and you can purchase a new BLU View 4 for $30 USD. There is also a reconditioned Android for $15 USD. Specs are not particularly high end, but paired up with a bluetooth keyboard, you have essentially a full PC for less than the $80 (not $60) of this cooler and you can carry it with you as opposed to being chained to a desk someplace.Not sure why neither of you know this already or feel compelled to be hostile about it, but I'm glad to help share information even if someone is a bit grumpy.
Samus - Friday, April 5, 2024 - link
Well, in that case, you can get used Noctua DH15's for $50 (less than half of new)DougMcC - Monday, April 1, 2024 - link
For a definition of 'fully functional' that does not include running any of the apps that a computer with a cooler like this is designed to run.PeachNCream - Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - link
Yes, programs are not identical, but net results are. Consider categorical classification of activities such as viewing a website, responding to e-mail, observing a video, being amused by a game, etc. Those things are all easily achieved with a phone and have been for a decade now. In fact, all of those could easily be performed on a PDA running Windows CE or Palm OS more than two decades ago. I used to use a Palm IIIxe with a folding keyboard for short trips in 2001. Admittedly, said Palm device was more expensive, especially when accounting for inflation, but if a 16 MHz CPU powered for a few weeks by two AAA batteries could do it 23 years ago, it would be silly to presume a modern budget smartphone cannot. It also calls into question why people would have considered a PC fully functional at various arbitrary points in history when they were far less powerful than a budget smartphone, but balk at that idea now. Consider a "gaming PC" in 2001 amusing its addicted owner endlessly with Everquest or Ultima Online maybe 128 or 256MB of RAM and a 200 to 400 MHz single core CPU - far less than what you can find on your wrist or in your pocket today. So no, your qualifiers simply don't hold any water.Link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_IIIxe
GeoffreyA - Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - link
I think we should be surprised how capable today's phones are. Most importantly, they've democratised computers. Twenty years ago, not everyone had a PC at home. Another point is internet access, which wasn't always universal.T.I.M.G90 on YT - Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - link
I've had one for a lil over two months now and I have to say it's super quite.My build:
LIANLI LANCOOL 216 ATX RGB,
ASUS PRIME Z790-V WIFI D5 ATX,
INTEL INTEL I9-12900K,
DEEPCOOL AKG620 DIGITAL,
2 SK HYNIX 2TB PLATINUM P41 NVME's,
G.SKILL 32G 2X D5 6000 C36,
ASUS DUAL RTX4070 O12G,
ASUS TUF 850W 80+G ATX3 PSU,
27" Sceptre 240Hz.
I went to the microcenter in Tustin to get the in store only bundle deal that consists of three parts of choice, a motherboard a cpu and memory, for either an Intel or amd build. I paid ONLY $400 for those three! I'm currently mining while gaming and I have to say my PC IS A BEAST!
Shiggy Piggy - Tuesday, April 9, 2024 - link
I wouldn't be interested in it if it was only regular quite, but if it's super quite then I'm in. Of course, people will probably accuse me of being padentic, we'll see. I'm just trying to have a laugh.WelshBloke - Wednesday, April 3, 2024 - link
People are happy hanging 1.5kg off a MB that's a couple of mm thick? I'd be too nervous to ever move a PC with that in!realbabilu - Wednesday, April 3, 2024 - link
bought ak620 for i9 14k. oh boy. need help. very easy to 100 C. any thoughts for new cooler?