Cooler Master MA824 Stealth vs DeepCool Assassin IV

Test System Specifications:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X670 Aorus Elite AX
• Memory: 32GB Kingston Fury FK560C36BBEAK2-32 DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: Gigabyte RX 6700 XT Gaming OC
• Storage: 500GB Corsair MP600 PCIe Gen4 NVME M.2 SSD
• Power Supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1000
• Chassis: Open Test Bench
• Thermal Compound: Arctic MX-6
• O/S: Windows 11 Version 22H2

Testing Methodology:

We are primarily focussing on the performance of each cooler at 100% fan speed and also when locked to 40dBA noise output. We will focus on cooling performance using a manual overclock with all-core frequency and VCORE locked to 5.2GHz/1.3v and Precision Boost Overdrive performance.

• The test data is logged using HWINFO and the final 10 minutes of the data is calculated to find the average CPU temperature and CPU clock multiplier (PBO Test) and then plotted in the charts.
• For testing, we use a 30-minute looped run of Cinebench R23 and record the steady-state CPU temperature at the end of the test. This ensures that the CPU has had ample time to warm up and reach a steady state under all of the coolers.
• The ambient is maintained at 19-21 degrees Celsius. Where there is variation beyond this temperature range, we add extra repeated tests to ensure consistency. However, this is well controlled now with A/C.
• We also test each cooler with at least two fresh installs (typically three) to mitigate the likelihood of poor mounting spoiling results.
• Ambient temperature and humidity are controlled via a mini split air conditioning system inside the test room. Ambient temperature is maintained between 19-21C, Temperature delta figures are shown in the charts (ambient temperature is deducted from the measured component temperature).

Test Results:

Acoustics

First, let’s look at noise output as this will as this will give us a better understanding of thermal performance relative to noise.

With fans set to their maximum RPM the Cooler Master MA824 Stealth is the quieter of the two coolers by a significant margin. 43dBA from the MA842 Stealth compared with 48dba noise output from the Assassin IV is a considerable difference and one that will be noticed when working on a system with these coolers installed.

Thermal Performance

With fans at maximum RPM, the thermal performance of the MA824 Stealth and Assassin IV (in performance fan mode) are identical, with both coolers producing an average delta temperature of 78°C. The Noctua NH-D15 is also tied at max fan speed, the cheaper Thermalright Peerless Assassin isn’t far behind at just a couple of degrees higher average delta but the ageing be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 is easily outperformed by both coolers.

Tuning the fans down to 40dba noise output means the Assassin IV and MA824 Stealth fan speed is reduced to around 1300 RPM. At this lower noise output, the Cooler Master MA824 Stealth does a better job of holding on to the thermal performance compared with the Assassin IV. It outperforms both the Noctua NH-D15 by 2°C and the DeepCool Assassin IV by even more, so the additional heat pipe and better fans seem to be working well for the MA824 Stealth.

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