Test: Cooler Master V8

Konklusion

Cooler Master har med V8 forsøgt med lidt utraditionel tænkning. Og om ikke andet, er det altid et skulderklap værd, når en producent gerne vil udvikle frem for at forbedre på allerede kendte designs - det er sådan man kommer fremad. I dette tilfælde har det oven i købet resulteret i en rigtig god køler, og jeg mener rigtig god. Designmæssigt er V8 meget industriel at se på, og passer perfekt ind i det tema Cooler Master kører denne sæson - se f.eks. på deres UCP-serie i PSU´er, og det helt nye HAF 932 kabinet. Nå, men nu til… Da-da-da-daamm !

KARAKTERBOGEN

Innovation - 4
Den ”modulære” opbygning viser tegn på nytænkning, og det skal belønnes. Altså 4 darjlige points her.

Bundle - 4
Nu er der jo grænser for hvad man kan putte i et bundle til en luftkøler. Men her er hvad der skal være af bagplader og monteringsbøjler, og så er der et pot-meter, og den fine lille top til at spænde møtrikker med (selvom den ikke virker særlig godt). Dog kunne Cooler Master godt have smidt et cool V8 casebadge med. Det ville være på sin plads, når de nu sigter efter high-end markedet.

Design - 4
Det var svært at give point her. Pæn er den ikke, det må jeg sige. Men, den ligner en effektiv maskindel, og det er lige hvad den er, så det hænger jo meget godt sammen. For dem, der gerne vil have et lidt råt look på deres PC'er, er V8 lige sagen.

Ydelse - 5
Ja, jeg er nødt til at smide et 5-tal her. Testresultaterne taler deres tydelige sprog. V8 køler om kap med toppen af poppen. Et eller andet sted, har jeg lyst til at gemme 5-tallerne til det helt exceptionelle produkt, men jeg føler at jeg vil gøre V8 u-ret, ved kun at give den 4. Helt-i-top køling, og rimelig støjsvag oven i hatten. Et 5-tal bli´r det.

Pris - 2
V8 er pt. ikke hos forretningerne i Danmark. Men jeg gav 500 kroner for den, og det bliver nok deromkring prisen lander i Danmark. Det er mange penge for en køler, når man kan købe kølere til omkring 300 kroner, der køler nogenlunde lige så godt. Omvendt er det et fint produkt, der leverer varen, men skal virkelig ville have en V8, for at kunne retfærdiggøre prislappen. På den anden side, som alle ved, herlighedsværdi er ubetalelig.

UK Summary

With the V8, Cooler Master has tried some non-traditional thinking. And if nothing else, it is always worth some recognition when engineers try to develop new designs instead of "just" improving on already known designs - that's how progress is done. And in the case of the Cooler Master V8 it has also resulted in a very good CPU cooler, and I do mean very good. In the looks-department, the V8 is very industrial and fits perfect in the theme that Cooler Master seems to be pursuing this season - just take a peek at the HAF 932 case and the UCP-line of PSU´s. Well, let´s go to….. Da-da-da-daahhh !

The Grade Book

Innovation - 4
The "modular" construction of the cooling fins shows some new thinking, and that deserves some reward. 4 solid points for innovation.

Bundle - 4
There are limits for stuff to put in the bundle for a CPU aircooler. The V8 box contains the backplates and brackets necessary and then there is the fan-speed controller and the nice little socket to tighten the nuts with, although it doesn´t work to well. I think Cooler Master should have thrown a cool V8 casebadge in the box. It would be fitting, since they aim at the high-end market with this cooler. 4 points, for the full, but not luxurious bundle.

Design - 4
This was a tough one to grade. Pretty, it is not, neither sleek looking nor elegant. But… It looks like an efficient machine-part, and that is just what it is, so it all fits together pretty good. For those wanting a rugged industrial look for their computer, the V8 fits the bill perfectly. 4 points awarded.

Performance - 5
I have to drop a 5 here. The test-results speak their clear language. The V8 is mixing in with the best of CPU aircoolers. I would rather save my 5-grades for the truly outstanding products, but I feel I would do the V8 wrong if I "only" gave it a 4. Top performance, pretty silent to boot, a 5 it is.

Price - 2
A pricetag around 500DKK / 50£ is rather steep. It is a lot of money for an aircooler, when you can buy coolers that perform almost as good for a little more than half the price. On the other hand, it is a fine product that surely delivers - performance-wise. It is priced in the same area as the Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme and the Noctua NH-U12P, but it cools just as good as them if not better, so seen in that light the price is fair enogh. If you really, really, really need those last few degrees of cooling or the "must-have-factor" is big enough, then the premium price could be forgotten. I´ve bought my sample at a retail store, paid in full, and I don´t regret it one bit. But one has to consider in detail if the need can justify the price.

Test: Cooler Master V8

Innovation / Teknologi	4
Bundle - Tilbehør	4
Design - Layout	4
Ydelse	5
Pris	2
Samlet	76%