Cooler Master MA824 Stealth vs Deepcool Assassin IV

[@canarychrome7012]

two great coolers - I think the deepcool is the better looking cooler even if the performance is a little worse. its a better design for access, maintenance and install.

[@daunted2322]

yeee, i love being able to just slot in the cooler with no wire clips

[@scotttait2197]

Agreed

[@stephentait8734]

I like the look.of the deepcool and the fact that it does not cover over the RGB ram

[@lucifersheadscarf6988]

MA824 is a cracking cooler, your review has put that on the map for me,, wouldnt even have considered it before. thanks james.

[@Penfolduk001]

Thanks for this review. Without the info I'd have assumed the Deep Cool Assasin would be better.

[@KitGuruJames]

I'm glad you found it useful. 👍

[@ElonStevens-gf1zv]

good review james - always technical and good testing. Weird the CM is £10 more than they say, are they trying to pull the wool over reviewers eyes a bit?

[@scotttait2197]

Pretty par for the course with scam < hence the deliberate misspelling

[@McBane.]

Great vid! Only just managed to get a 30th anniversary edition of the MA824, cant wait to install it :)

[@KitGuruJames]

👍

[@CeciliaJones616]

James reviews always know how to do a fair days work for a fair days pay.

[@jljljljljljljljljljljljljljljl]

As a long-time Noctua fan (pun intended), I am EAGERLY awaiting Noctua's 2nd-gen NH-D15 that will be released in 2nd quarter 2024!!!! It is important to note that despite Noctua's NH-D15 having only *6* heat pipes, compared to 7 on DcAssIV and 8 on CmMa824, Noctua's NH-D15 that was released in 2014 and still only has 6 heat pipes still stays within 2 degrees of the 8-piped Cooler Master cooler! So it has taken 9 years for competitors to finally catch up to Noctua's venerable NH-D15!! (NH-D15 beats the previously-released BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro IV on all metrics.) Noctua's 2nd-gen NH-D15 will increase from 6 to 8 heat pipes, and I fully expect it to regain the title of King of Air Coolers that it held for the past 9 years. With 6 heat pipes, the NH-D15 still comes close to matching the 8-piped MA824. So with 8 heat pipes, 2nd-gen NH-D15 should yet again beat out all air coolers on the market. I currently have 7 builds that use either the silver or black NH-D15 or NH-D15S (high RAM compatibility version), so I am still sticking with Noctua! This KitGuruTech review left out Noctua's newer NH-U12A, which has a higher fin density that their NH-D15 and uses 7 heat pipes instead of the 6 pipes on the 9-year old design of the NH-D15. Noctua's NH-U12A should beat the CmMa825 since it already slightly beats the NH-D15 for both cooling and noise performance. The 8-piped 2nd-gen NH-D15 will thus beat out the NH-U12A next spring and become Air Cooler King once again. Also a very important consideration for me is that, unlike both the DcAssIV and CmMa824 that use odd sizes and shapes of fans that may be difficult or impossible to seamlessly replace if a fan fails, the two fans on Noctua's NH-D15 or NH-U12A are very easily replaced with identical fans sold by Noctua. Both DeepCool and Cooler Master do not separately sell fans that slide into their AssIV and Ma824 coolers since their design is so specific to those air coolers, so if those fans fail after the warranty period ends, good luck in finding a replacement fan that seamlessly fits in those two air coolers!

[@KitGuruJames]

Also looking forward to the 2nd gen Noctua NH-D15. Knowing how Noctua likes to take it's time to ensure it releases the best possible product it will be worth waiting for. It's testament to Noctua that the D15 is still competing closely to these much newer air coolers. Take a look at how much the Dark Rock Pro 4 struggles in comparison. I hope the Dark Rock Pro 5 /Elite can add some close competition too.

[@jljljljljljljljljljljljljljljl]

@@KitGuruJames I am also really glad that Noctua finally stopped being so stubbornly obsessive about sticking with their colorway of beige/brown fans on silver heatsink fins so you can buy NH-D15, NH-D15S, and NH-U12A (my 3 favorite air coolers still) in all black fan/cooler colorway. Noctua's all-black iPPC heavy-duty industrial fans are my standard go-to fans for 360/420 thick radiators on custom loops too. And I love Noctua's Chromax fun color-swap anti-vibration pads. IMO, Cooler Master, DeepCool, Be Quiet!, and all other manufacturers of air coolers and non-RGB fans still take a back seat to Noctua. Now if only Noctua also releases their own line of RGB fans... ;-) And I have said this on various social media comments over the past 10+ years, and it still remains true: NO OTHER FAN COMPANY makes fans that hit an optimum balance between airflow, static pressure, noise level, durability/reliability/lifespan, consistent build quality, and warranty support like Noctua. At most, some companies may match 2 or 3 of those 6 metrics on a specific fan size; e.g. their fan may match a Noctua fan for airflow and static pressure, but be louder than Noctua's, or their fan may be quieter than Noctua but have less airflow and/or static pressure than Noctua.

[@MargieGriffin288]

Really impressive the amount of research and development that goes into these things.

[@JuliaYoung630]

About time you guys did a head to head review.

[@phoenix4267]

I'll be definitely rocking the dark roack pro 4 from the noise output graph. Honestly blew me away that the MA824 Stealth performed this well, might be considering this for a build soon.

[@STEELFOX2000]

THERMALRIGHT PHANTOM SPIRIT IS BETTER

[@anshumanbose7430]

​@@STEELFOX2000I highly doubt that cause recently I built two PC's one with MA824 and other with Thermal right PS and with benchmark like CB and octane the MA824 was always ahead of the latter by 3-5°c and besides I've held both the coolers side by side and no doubt even in mind before running benchmarks the MA824 would come out top. It's just built better

[@buyingastairwaytoheaven5252]

Ive moved from air cooling, as I used to be wary of leaks - all in my head. I have had a Corsair 360mm job now for a while and its great, and quiet too.

[@RmX.]

In the Netherlands NH-D15 cost 125 euro, Assassin IV cost 100 euro and MA824 cost 90 euro I guess that makes a choice much easier

[@IsabellaWright551]

5 year or 6 year warranty is very generous nowadays. Well done to both of thtese guys.

[@inlovewithmycar7085]

good test james, very interesting , especially the 40dBA testing

[@Seanweekhaizhen]

Phantom spirit 120SE review please

[@boltsandbraces6261]

Amazing - as it feels only yesterday when Noctua NH D15 was the top cooler on the market. it seems so far behind now. Noctua resting on their laurels.

[@KitGuruJames]

Noctua is developing a MK2 version of the NH-D15 which might be coming early next year.

[@larwiemcdonnel5322]

Id reckon a lot of people are waiting on that one @@KitGuruJames

[@yavormoskov]

No, Noctua presented Gen 2 of their flagship NH-D15 in Taiwan this year. They have been developing the second version for the last 7 years and hopefully it will be ready for mass production next year. It took them so long because they had to start over twice, typical German perfectionist behavior 😂. But all this maniacal designing and engineering slowed them down significantly and the competition took away a big part of Noctua's market.

[@mikeg6069]

I installed the Cooler Master MA824 last week. It's running great on my Ryzen 3900X. That computer had 2 AIO pump failures in 2 years, so I decided to go with an air cooler. However, I did have 1 problem with the MA824. In my Lian Li case, I couldn't close the glass case cover as the cooler is too tall. In watching this video I saw that the cooler's top cover plate could be taken off. So I took mine off and then I could close the case.

[@Daisudori]

which aio's failed on you?

[@mikeg6069]

​@@Daisudorimy second one was a Lian Li branded AOI. I don't know what the first one was as it was replaced by Micro Center. I replaced the Lian Li with the air cooler.

[@QuentinStephens]

I've seen the Deepcool thoroughly lauded elsewhere so for the Cooler Master to better it is impressive. Like all great reviews you left me wanting more! You tested at 40 dBA but I wonder how these coolers compare as you progressively lower the noise level? Perhaps something to consider for a follow-up if you test the Assassin with the third fan? How much does a third fan cost? I see from Deepcool's FAQ that the rear fan is somewhat special, so does the third fan need to be similarly special?

[@KitGuruJames]

The rear fan has reversed blades so it works in exhaust orientation but doesn't have the frame supports on show. You could just replace this with any fan but running in exhaust orientation which would look a little unsightly compared with the Deepcool reverse fan.

[@osardegozar2581]

An excellent comparison review of MA824 and Assassin IV! Let me point out, however, that the comparison of noise output at 100% fan speed is not so informative for those interested in noise output. You don't run a cooler's fans at 100% speed if you are concerned about noise at all. I would rather like to see the comparison of noise output at a much lower fan speed, 500 rpm, for instance. It is also interesting to see performance normalized comparison of noise output, so to speak: for instance, comparing noise outputs resulting in a certain temperature.

[@theonlyredspecial]

Didn’t James already do that with a normalised 40dBa test ?

[@osardegozar2581]

@@theonlyredspecial A noise normalized comparison compares performance (resulting temperature) under a fixed noise level (40 dB in this case). What I suggest is the opposite: comparing noise output to achieve a fixed performance level (resulting temperature).

[@lucifersheadscarf6988]

Are you asking James to run tests at 500 rpm ? I’m trying to understand your point to be honest. At 500 rpm both coolers would be throttling the cpu.

[@iamahappybunny7640]

I think what he is asking for fan Tests at certain speeds to measure noise not cooling performance which might make an interesting stand alone video but not really relevant for a cooler review which always needs performance results at any fan speeds. A test at 500 rpm would be almost like an idle noise result replica.

[@osardegozar2581]

@@iamahappybunny7640 Not exactly. What I've suggested is measuring noise level to achieve the same level of cooling performance. For instance, if you are to compare coolers A and B, you measure the noise level of each when CPU temperature achieved is the same. Now with regard to 500 rpm, it's just an example of a "much lower fan speed." It can be 600 rpm or 700 rpm. Whether CPU throttles at such a fan speed, however, depends on the load. Testing at such a fan speed can be said to measure an idle noise. Idle noise or noise under light load, however, is important since your PC may often tend to be at idle or under light load for longer hours than under heavy load.

[@geofftatesmate7748]

Yeah, nice job James - but i would have to opt for the latest AIO if I wanted the best cooling, and they look so much better than a bit slab of metal covering most of that expensive new motherboard you just bought. Id love to see a poll targeting a wide audience of enthusiast user - are you really concerned about a leak now from an AIO?

[@KitGuruJames]

You really need a 360mm AIO for the current generation higher power desktop CPUs. I'm not concerned too much about leaks as it very rarely happens.

[@scotttait2197]

​@KitGuruJames agreed , I only use air in lower spec (and heat output) cpu's , my current setups both have 420mm aio (although there isn't a great choice one is corsair H170i the other is a thermaltake TH420 stock fans arnt the best) I had 160i in both till commander xt hub died corsair where useless trying to get a replacment

[@mikeg6069]

Not leaks, but I've had 2 pump failures within a little over 2 years of use. So I just installed the Cooler Master MA824 last week.

[@bobsmithson8592]

These coolers are great, but you are still losing around 12c under load with some processors over these two coolers against the best AIO's

[@garrettwhite1818]

Crazy the amount of fan power modern CPUs need.

[@KNT1K]

Thermalright frost spirit , this same cooling performance for less :)

[@hattierobinson5070]

That deepcool design is very interesting.

[@elishathomas1107]

Really well reviewed James thanks.

[@user-gy2wf7pk4m]

Ma824 best ma624?

[@fairycat]

Thanks. Nice review.

[@KnightRider-lq5yb]

Two good looking coolers, but are people still seriously concerned about the top level AIO's on the market? for the price of the Cooler Master, you can get some massive, high performance AIO's makes little sense to me in 2023. I got it back in the day when Coolit where releasing leak fest designs which fried graphics cards left right and center.

[@mikeg6069]

For me it's about reliability. I've had 2 AIO pump failures in a little over 2 years of time. Both times (with different AIOs), at first I heard a grinding, then they got louder, then they failed. I just replaced it with the Cooler Master MA824. Hopefully it'll prove to be much more reliable.

[@highfluntinglegionmaker-lm9bj]

Deepcool are very underrated - one of the better asian brands targeting europe audiences, they know the market better than most.

[@gogopowerrangers6596]

Great products, but that Cooler Master stealth looks amazing - id still think at 100 quid id opt for a top AIO and pay the extra small amount. I guess some people just dont like the idea of liquids in their case even in a closed loop

[@billyrosas7109]

These heatsinks are absolutely enormous most cases going to have trouble fitting them.

[@chaneyrogers99]

You feel that without AIO nowadays your PC is going to smell of cooking itself with aircooling.

[@affansalleh710]

Next video COOLER MASTER MA824 STEALTH vs DEEPCOOL AK620 DIGITAL pls

[@amdforlife5591]

That MA824 stealth is great, but people in the high end sector looking at these, need to realise a 360mm AIO is miles ahead. its not even close.

[@Penfolduk001]

Well it's a matter of choice isn't it? Some people prefer air cooling over liquid cooling. Especially when you hear of occasional problems with corrosion, liquid contamination etc.

[@calvin659]

Just turn on your AC, bro.

[@phasechange5053]

Wonder how these fare vs Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 @ less than half their cost.

[@chris449]

Why not include the Noctua NH-U12A which supposedly is quieter and cooler than D15.

[@arc00ta]

I have the Assassin IV, its ok but the fans make this ungodly annoying sound when they run up. Its not loud in the sense of air moving but like a motor vibration noise, I packed that thing up right quick and put it back in the box.

[@larwiemcdonnel5322]

Sounds like a bad fan you got, ive heard the cooler installed and its not at all bad.

[@KitGuruJames]

It is a loud cooler, the central fan makes most of the noise. If you pull the fan out of the heatsink while it's running it is so much quieter.

[@arc00ta]

@@larwiemcdonnel5322 its just the way deepcool fans are, I have several of their coolers and they all make the same sound. I have an AK500 and AK620 and they vibe the same way. Its the 120mm fan not the 140mm one. Its not bad if your CPU runs cool, but if you put it on something like a 13900K you're going to hear that thing all the time.

[@larwiemcdonnel5322]

@@arc00ta ok, I honestly cant say ive heard that, I dont have one right now but I had one of their older models and it was fine and I know my best friend bought one recently and its pretty good. Its not silent, but I dont hear a motor vibration noise. Maybe my hearing is crap !

[@arc00ta]

@@larwiemcdonnel5322 Its not really a vibration like a rattle, just a rythmic sound. Its hard to describe. It seems like the bigger cooler like the Assassin resonates with it worse than the smaller 120 coolers, it was the same sound just louder, unplugging the 120 at the back of the unit made it go away. I'm super sensitive to this kind of thing so I have more CPU coolers and fans than I have any business having.

[@RoseHernandez560]

Not that bad pricing given the amount of raw materials that is going into these things.

[@avajohnson6937]

Those temperature numbers are scary though.

[@qq312qq]

dont understand why we can't hear the accual noice levels instead of numbers already exist in the box aswell

[@KitGuruJames]

The lav mic I use doesn't pick up fan noise very well at all. Maybe I will invest in another mic that will show this better but to be honest it's never a perfect representation of noise hearing it through a mic on a video. Even more so if you have to mess with volume levels so that the viewers can hear it.

[@justindavis7600]

Sometimes they do noise level recordings in their videos I know Leo does it, but its kinda pointless unless its all levelled and we use the voice of the reviewer as some kind of reference point. its like when you get audio tests for speakers via a youtube channel. and you are listening via your phone. about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Also hard to replicate vibration style noises ive heard from some fans in a case - thats more annoying to me than outright volume.

[@qq312qq]

@@KitGuruJames understand. it's just some fans noise can be more annoying than others even noise levels is the same. it's better hear than just looking the numbers i think

[@KitGuruJames]

@@qq312qq yes I know what you mean, some have higher-pitched noise which can be more irritating than lower louder tones.

[@carlylake558]

Not a bad performer the deepcool but the cooler master seems to edge it.

[@ElonStevens-gf1zv]

Whats the warranty procedure for deepcool in europe ? do you go back to the dealer like amazon ? they usually only have a 1 month returns./ just curious to know, as James said they have a 6 year warranty - who do you contact for that?

[@KitGuruJames]

Good question, usually with any extended warranty the consumer's first point of contact is the retailer. I am sure that if you have problems with the retailer then Deepcool would step in to help with RMA, they are a very good company to deal with.

[@powermaster5004]

@@KitGuruJames Any ideas how to contact Deepcool in Europe - it can be a problem with Asian brands with little representation in europe? their website is tricky to find warranty support information. Issue with Amazon can be that after a month you are told to go and get lost if a problem occurs. Not always, but it all depends on the person you get I think in amazon support.

[@alexishernandez9534]

The central fans are going to make these things dust magnets.

[@rajdippal4228]

How to buy 8 heat pipes cooler master model please link amazon indian price????🙏 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@BettyRoberts140]

Glad to see air cooled is still an option really dont trust AIOs.

[@akiskev]

Did you use the offset mounts for the nh-d15? they are supposed to give better performance on the am5 platform

[@KitGuruJames]

Yes

[@emmathompson8201]

These things are going to have to work very hard to cool down a ryzen.

[@kimberleebland4659]

Both fans are pretty quiet.

[@NatashaTate240]

Very expensive for non water cooled coolers.

[@SilviaBurton357]

Serioualy Stealth and Assassin names for CPU coolers... its just silly.

[@AlfaRomeoVolante]

No need to butcher the Assassin IV, really, when putting the central fan back in, BACKWARDS.

[@KitGuruJames]

It was not backwards but what does happen is the cable can get a little snagged.

[@AlfaRomeoVolante]

@@KitGuruJamesit was backwards even according to the airlofw arrow. Check the video again. As for that cable, it's a horrid design, I hate it, lol.

[@KitGuruJames]

@@AlfaRomeoVolante kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqi0eGira9p6rdE airflow arrow is pointing from front of the cooler to rear, correct orientation.

[@donnarodriguez3122]

Should be pieces of cake to install compared to water cooled system.

[@DangerGnom]

@4:18 there is a mistake? A couple seconds ago (@3:45) you showed us the spring clips for the 3rd fan, and then you mentioned there is no possibility to mount any 3rd fan....can you clearify that section? Also @6:33 the 120mm fan is on the back, not the front. Thats why it has this odd shape...thats why it has no RAM clearence issues on any platform...the included fanbracked goes on the front, so you loose the RAM clearence. did you read the manual? Edit: Just rewatched the review over at hardware canucks...yeah. the Deepcool works in pull/pull configuration for the fans. And the bracked in the package is for mounting a potential 3rd fan to the front of the cooler.

[@KitGuruJames]

The spring clips included with the MA824 are for installing the second fan (120mm front fan), there is only one pair of spring clips in the kit. So you will have to either buy more spring clips if they are available separately or devise your own method of attaching a third fan. I completely understand that the third fan bracket for the Assassin IV fits on the front and will reduce RAM clearance with three fans installed. I'm not sure why you got confused by this as I said the RAM clearance is unobstructed with two fans installed, meaning the central and rear fan.

[@justindavis7600]

looks like he did read the manual. Did your parents ever teach you how to speak to people above your station? lol

[@inlovewithmycar7085]

@@KitGuruJames id call it 'selective hearing' to make a point he is dying to make. Never understand people being rude in comments.

[@DangerGnom]

sorry. didn't want to be mean. English is not my 1st language. i really like the dude. he is very talented and his craftmanship in his build videos. i just thought to point out some things i didn't get or i thought are wrong. i just wrote that comment along the way i was watching the video.@@justindavis7600

[@DangerGnom]

thanks for clearifying that. was not 100% sure. @@KitGuruJames

[@avawhite183]

Very restrained design with minimal lighting.

[@Popikaify]

Is MA824 better than Phantom Spirit?