REVIEWS / COOLING
I
t may seem strange that Corsair hasn’t had
extensive repertoire of air coolers to match its
liquid cooler range, but the company did
actually try a while ago, with mixed results. This month,
though, it’s most definitely back in the air-cooling game
with the A500. It’s a monstrous £80 dual-fan cooler,
which aims to offer premium air cooling and a hefty
amount of overclocking headroom.
This massive cooler’s measurements stretch to
169mm long and 171mm tall, with the latter measurement
meaning you’ll need to pay careful attention to your case’s
CPU cooler height limit, as many cases won’t be able to
accommodate it. It also weighs close to 1.5kg, so you won’t
want to drop it on your foot either.
The box is enormous too, but inside there’s no mass of
cables for hooking the A500 up to your PC via USB, nor RGB
lighting controllers. In a rare moment for Corsair, the cooler is
devoid of lighting or any fancy software control. You get a few
accessories in the box, though, such as a splitter cable, which
allows you to power both 120mm ML-series fans from a
single 4-pin header, as well as a long-reach screwdriver and
tube of thermal paste. You won’t need to use the latter right
away, as the contact plate comes with a layer of pre-applied
thermal paste, but it’s good to know you won’t need to buy
more paste if you upgrade your CPU.
The rest of the kit includes
the cooler’s simple mounting
mechanism. Plates are fixed to
the cooler, and they sport sprung
thumbscrews, which attach to
threaded pins on additional plates
that you secure to your CPU
socket. These thumbscrews sit
underneath the enormous centralheatsink, but there’s has a cut-out section inside the
heatsink that allows the included screwdriver to find its
way down to secure them. The cooler itself actually looks
very attractive too, with a high-quality removable metal
cap on top of it, which hides the heatsink cut-out and
heatpipe tops, but also includes a vent in the top to allow
the rear fan to breathe.
The installation process is quick, whether you’re using
the A500 on Intel’s LGA1151 or LGA2066 sockets or an
AMD Socket AM4 platform. Neither Socket TR4 or TRX
are supported, but all LGA115x sockets are covered, as are
all AMD sockets back to FM1 and AM3, as well as both of
Intel’s LGA2011 sockets.
Corsair claims that the A500 has a 250W thermal design
power (TDP) cooling capacity, which would be enough
power to handle any CPU up to Intel’s 18-core models. A
lot of this cooling power comes down to the fans, whichSUPPLIER scan.co.ukCORSAIR
A500/£83 inc VAT
CPU AIR COOLER
SPEC
Compatibility Intel: LGA2011, LGA2011-v3,
LGA2066, LGA115x; AMD: Socket AM4,
AM3/+, AM2/+, FM2/+, FM
Heatsink size with fans (mm) 144 x 169 x
171 (W x D x H)
Fa ns 2 x 120mm
Stated noise 36dBAHEATSINK
+ Excellent cooling
+ Exceptional
memory
clearance
+ Great build qualityHEATSTROKE- Noisy at full
speed - More expensive
than liquid coolers - Too tall for
some cases
Corsair hasn’t had
r coolers to match its
e company didheatsink, but there’s has a cut-out section inside the
heatsinkthat allowstheincludedscrewdriver tofindits
way down to secure them. The cooler itself actually looksAMD SOCKET AM4 DELTA T
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 56°C
Corsair A500 57°C
0255075100
Lower is better
INTEL LGA1151 DELTA T
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 53°C
Corsair A500 56°C
0255075100
Lower is better
INTEL LGA1151 DELTA T
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 56°C
Corsair A500 57°C
0255075100
Lower is betterc
us
tom P
C
ccuuss
stommPP
CCA
P
PR
OVE
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TEMPERATURE RESULTS
REVIEWS / COOLING
I
t mayseem strange thatC
extensive repertoire ofai
liquidcooler range, butth
actuallytrya whileago, with mixedresults.Thismonth,
though,it’smostdefinitely back in the air-cooling game
withtheA500.It’sa monstrous £80 dual-fan cooler,
whichaimstoofferpremium air cooling and a hefty
amountofoverclocking headroom.
Thismassivecooler’s measurements stretch to
169mmlongand171mm tall, with the latter measurement
meaningyou’llneed to pay careful attention to your case’s
CPUcoolerheightlimit, as many cases won’t be able to
accommodateit.It also weighs close to 1.5kg, so you won’t
wanttodropit onyour foot either.
Theboxis enormous too, but inside there’s no mass of
cablesforhookingthe A500 up to your PC via USB, nor RGB
lightingcontrollers.In a rare moment for Corsair, the cooler is
devoidoflightingorany fancy software control. You get a few
accessoriesinthebox, though, such as a splitter cable, which
allowsyoutopowerboth 120mm ML-series fans from a
single4-pinheader,as well as a long-reach screwdriver and
tubeofthermalpaste. You won’t need to use the latter right
away,asthecontactplate comes with a layer of pre-applied
thermalpaste,butit’s good to know you won’t need to buy
more paste if you upgrade your CPU.
The rest of the kit includes
the cooler’s simple mounting
mechanism. Plates are fixed to
the cooler, and they sport sprung
thumbscrews, which attach to
threaded pins on additional plates
that you secure to your CPU
socket. These thumbscrews sit
underneath the enormous centralveryattractivetoo,witha high-qualityremovablemetal
capontopofit,whichhidestheheatsinkcut-outand
heatpipetops,butalsoincludesa ventinthetoptoallow
therearfantobreathe.
Theinstallationprocessisquick,whetheryou’reusing
theA500onIntel’sLGA1151orLGA2066socketsoran
AMDSocketAM4platform.NeitherSocketTR4orTRX
aresupported,butallLGA115xsocketsarecovered,asare
allAMDsocketsbacktoFM1andAM3,aswellasbothof
Intel’sLGA2011sockets.
CorsairclaimsthattheA500hasa 250Wthermaldesign
power(TDP)coolingcapacity,whichwouldbeenough
powertohandleanyCPUuptoIntel’s18-coremodels.A
lotofthiscoolingpowercomesdowntothefans,whichSUPPLIER scan.co.ukCORSAIR
A500/£83 inc VAT
CPU AIR COOLER
SPEC
Compatibility Intel: LGA2011, LGA2011-v3,
LGA2066, LGA115x; AMD: Socket AM4,
AM3/+, AM2/+, FM2/+, FM
Heatsink size with fans (mm) 144 x 169 x
171 (W x D x H)
Fa ns 2 x 120mm
Stated noise 36dBAHEATSINK
Excellent cooling
Exceptional
memory
clearance
Great build quality
HEATSTROKE
- Noisy at full
speed - More expensive
than liquid coolers - Too tall for
some cases
Corsairhasn’thad
rcoolerstomatchits
e companydidheatsink,butthere’shasa cut-outsectioninsidethe
heatsinkthatallowstheincludedscrewdrivertofindits
way down to secure them. The cooler itself actually looksAMDSOCKETAM4DELTAT
ARCTIC LiquidFreezerII 240 56°C
CorsairA500 57°C
0255075100
Lower is better
INTEL LGA1151 DELTA T
ARCTIC LiquidFreezerII 240 53°C
CorsairA500 56°C
0255075100
Lower is better
INTEL LGA1151 DELTA T
ARCTIC LiquidFreezerII 240 56°C
Corsair A500 57°C
0255075100
Lower is bettercc
uuss
tommPP
CCA
P
PR
OVE
D
TEMPERATURE RESULTS