Performance
All tests were performed on the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, which is the best-selling gaming processor in the last few months. Additional components include the ASRock B650E PG ITX motherboard, Nvidia RTX 4070 Founders Edition graphics card, Patriot Viper 5 Elite 64GB DDR5-6200 memory kit, and DeepCool 850W 80+ Gold PSU.
The mixed load test is a PCMark 10 pass, so it is a simulation of various popular applications used daily. The maximum load test is an AIDA64 Stability Test, run with CPU+FPU. It causes the maximum power usage in calculations based on AVX instructions.
Let’s take a look at the results.
The 7800X3D CPU has 120W TDP. We could say it’s not so much, so the main challenge is keeping the maximum boost frequency for as long as possible. This is possible only on the best-performing coolers, as even though many coolers are rated at 200W or higher, not all can keep this CPU at low enough temperatures so the frequency wouldn’t drop.
On the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, we can also see a very interesting behavior. The CPU, under the highest load, reduces the voltage so much it actually runs at lower temperatures than in mixed load tests.
The AN600 could keep our CPU at the maximum frequency of 5.04GHz on all CPU cores. The average performance in games or mixed-load tests wasn’t different than that of much larger coolers. The only difference was that top-of-the-line DeepCool ASSASSIN IV could boost all cores to their maximum frequency during extended high-load tests. In contrast, the AN600 could keep only 4 cores at their maximum frequency while the others had 1-2 ratios lower. The difference is related to the AMD automatic core adjustment in specified thermal ranges.
As you can see above, the AN600 is performing well, and we wouldn’t see any significant difference in games or typical home/office workloads compared to much larger and much more expensive coolers.
If the CPU had a higher wattage, then we would also see that the AN600 keeps the fan spinning much faster during higher loads. However, with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, an average is about 1200RPM. Fan speed spikes can be annoying when the PC stands on the desk next to us. If we desire silence, then we can use the low-speed adapter (included with the cooler) and reduce fan speed spikes – it will limit the RPM to about 1200. Alternatively, we can set a manual fan curve in BIOS or motherboard software. Some motherboards will still have a forced 100% fan speed above some temperature (even though the CPU is not overheating), so again, the low-speed adapter is the answer.
The fan culture is pretty good. There are no vibrations or high-pitch noises. However, as I mentioned, any fan above about 1200 RPM makes a clearly audible noise.
As long as the money and space aren’t a problem, then I recommend the ASSASSIN IV cooler. If we think about a small gaming PC, then the AN600 performs exceptionally well for its size, and it’s hard to beat by any competition.
