Cooler Master V4 Alpha 3DHP CPU Cooler Review
Thermal Testing – Gaming
OC3D CPU Cooler Gaming Test
With this new CPU testing rig, we wanted to experiment with analysing the “gaming” performance of CPU coolers. After all, all-core stress tests are not a common workload for most PC users. Games do not usually put huge levels of stress on all cores of your processor, especially if your CPU has a high core count. We also wanted to see if your choice of CPU cooler impacts GPU thermals under a GPU-focused stress test. After all, your CPU cooler can have a huge impact on the overall airflow pattern of your PC.
This testing procedure uncovered something. What we found was that AIO CPU liquid cooling solutions gave us lower GPU thermals. This makes sense, as these solutions pump hot air directly out of our test system and act as an exhaust. That said, the impact on GPU thermals was minimal. We only saw drops of 2-3 degrees during this test. Given this lack of difference, we will now focus exclusively on CPU thermals with this test.
For our CPU game test, we used Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker’s benchmarking tool for our gaming test. This test can run for a long time and moves between CPU and GPU-limited parts of the game. This test was used at a resolution of 1080p at maximum settings.
1,000 RPM Fan Test
Overall, Cooler Master’s new V4 Alpha performs well against many competing “4 heatpipe” CPU coolers. However, Valkyrie’s Surge SL125 delivers strong competition, especially with two fans. Note how much better Cooler Master’s new design is compared with its old Hyper 212 Halo CPU cooler.
1500 RPM Fan Test
At 1500 RPM, we continue to see solid results from Cooler Master’s Alpha 3DHP cooler. However, the Valkyrie SL125 (with two fans) has it beat within this performance category.
Max RPM Fan Test
At 2000 RPM, which is the max we could run this cooler’s fans at, the V4 Alpha 3DHP did beat Valkyrie’s Surge SL125 in its two-fan config. However, the victory for Cooler Master is marginal. Now let’s move to Cinebench to see how this cooler performs under the highest loads.
