Sudokoo SK700V CPU Cooler Review

1. Sudokoo SK700V2. Test Results3. Closing Thoughts4. View All Pages

It's not often that a new company makes a breakthrough in the CPU cooling industry but Sudokoo is doing just that. Following on from our launch review of the Proteus 360 AIO, today we are turning our attention to air cooing with a brand new single tower seven heat pipe cooler with an LCD aimed at just AMD AM5 platforms. But has Sudokoo got it right with the SK700V? Let's find out.

Sudokoo have created a private Amazon discount just for KitGuru with SK700V WHITE , and it's even bigger than their official Prime Day offer, as this SKU won't have any discount on Prime Day. 15% OFF. Discount activated via code: EXCN8HBF [it now works for Amazon US, UK, IT, JP, DE, SP.]

Valid from 6.30 to 7.6 before Prime Day begin (Kitguru does not generate any money from sales of this cooler – our opinion is not for sale).

Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:42 Options and Pricing
01:29 The Cooler Overview
01:58 Compatibility
02:11 Design/Dimensions
03:37 Baseplate
04:10 LCD Screen
04:37 Build Quality
05:05 Fan Data / Software
06:11 Accessories
06:33 Installation
07:47 Noise Output
08:13 CPU Temp – Manual OC – 100% Fans
08:37 CPU Temp – Manual OC – 40dBA
08:57 PBO Tests
09:39 Closing Thoughts

Features:

• The Sudokoo SK700V features a single tower heatsink design with seven 6 mm heat pipes and a fluid dynamic bearing fan with a maximum heat dissipating power of up to 220W according to Sudokoo.
• It's equipped with a quad segmented LCD screen that can provide real-time system information and is controlled by the Sudokoo MasterCraft software.
• It also features completely unobstructed RAM compatibility, a low-noise, high-pressure fan and comes with a 5-year warranty.

Specifications:

• CPU Socket Compatibility: AMD AM5
• Heatsink Dimensions: 124×76×151 mm(L×W×H)
• Net Weight: 1353 g
• Heatpipe: Ø6 mm × 7 pcs
• Fan Dimensions: 120×120×25 mm(L×W×H)
• Fan Speed: 500-2200 RPM±10% (0rpm <5 % PWM)
• Fan Airflow: 29 CFM
• Fan Air Pressure: 74 mmAq
• Fan Noise: ≤32.5 dB(A)
• Fan Connector: 4-pin PWM
• Bearing Type: Fluid Dynamic Bearing
• Fan Rated Voltage: 12 VDC
• Fan Rated Current: 0.25A
• Fan Power Consumption: 3W
• Display Module Rated Current: 0.09 A±10%
• Display Module Rated Voltage: 5VDC
• Display Module Power Consumption: 45W
• Display Area: 70.7 x 27.8mm
• Warranty: 5 Year

Test System Specifications

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• Motherboard: ASRock X870E Taichi Lite
• Memory: 32GB (2 x 16GB Modules) Kingston Fury DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: Gigabyte RTX 4070 Gaming OC
• Storage: 1TB Corsair MP600 Elite PCIe Gen4x4 NVME M.2 SSD
• Power Supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1600
• Chassis: Open Test Bench
• Thermal Compound: Arctic MX-6
• O/S: Windows 11 Version 24H2

Testing Methodology:

We are primarily focusing 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 (AMD) and 5.5GHz/1.3v (Intel) 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 (AMD 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 19-20C, Temperature delta figures are shown in the charts (ambient temperature is deducted from the measured component temperature).

Test Results:

Acoustics

Let's start by looking at noise output as this gives us a good indication of performance based on the noise.

At 43dBA the Sudokoo SK700V isn’t the quietest of the coolers we tested, but considering the fan is running at high speed over 2100 rpm it is relatively quiet compared with other single-fan coolers. Only the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 manages under 40dBA at max speed.

Thermal Performance: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

With the fans running at maximum speed and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D clock frequency and voltage fixed, the Sudokoo SK700V manages a very respectable 63°C over ambient average temperature which put its level with the Deepcool AK500 and just in front of the dual tower Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Mini, but only a couple of degrees off the huge Corsair A115.

Reducing noise to 40dBA gives us a great indication of the cooler's true performance. Again the SK700V does well here at 65°C over ambient, which puts it just in front of the Corsair A115, but only a few degrees off the excellent be quiet! Dark Rock 5, however, this is good performance from the SK700V.

In the PBO test the important metric is the clock multiplier as the CPU automatically boosts frequency to hit a target temperature.

The Sudokoo SK70V does very well here, producing the highest clock multiplier at 51.4x, which means the CPU is running 20 MHz per core faster than Corsair A115, be quiet! Dark Rock 5 and the Deepcool AK500, which is higher overall clock frequency but in the real world it wouldn't be very noticeable if at all.

However it shows that the SK700V is a very good cooler for AM5, especially so for the 9800X3D as it shows solid overall thermal performance while outputting relatively low noise.

LCD screens on air coolers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but if I were to use an LCD-clad air cooler I would want one that does what the Sudokoo SK700V does. It doesn’t display fancy images, GIFs or videos, but it shows user useful real-time system information. There are easier and cheaper ways of doing this but if you have your PC on your desk as a centrepiece, you will find the information displayed on the LCD useful. However, this feature bumps up the price of the cooler significantly compared to some alternatives.

It's also a very slick looking CPU cooler, the plastic shrouds, fan with the sliding rail and hidden screws looks very sleek and the build quality is high too. All the plastics look great, the black or white coating is smooth and even and the sliding fan rail is well implemented – the sliding action is smooth and it's easy to remove the fan. The cooler has unobstructed RAM clearance, so there’s no problem using it with tall RAM and the thermal performance is solid.

It's only compatible with AMD AM5 platforms so Intel users and AMD AM4 or earlier motherboards are not compatible. But it comes in black and white options so users can choose which would work best for their system. The installation process is quick and simple, it uses all standard motherboard header connections, it has PWM fan speed control and the software required for the LCD function is easy to install and configure.

Other than the lack of Intel/AM4 support there isn’t much at all to complain about with the Sudokoo SK700V. It is quite expensive at £90/$90, you can buy much bigger coolers with higher TDP ratings for the same price or less, but as we saw in our tests, for some CPUs bigger isn’t always better. So it’s a cooler that I really quite like, it has the looks, performance and build quality of a genuinely high-end product and it's one I would certainly consider buying for a future air-cooled build.

We found it on Amazon HERE.

Pros:

• Great thermal performance and low noise.
• Excellent build quality.
• Smooth sliding fan mechanism.
• Looks cool with the LCD on top.

Cons:

• Expensive.
• No Intel CPU support.

KitGuru says: If you are in the market for a high-end air cooler with an LCD screen for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the Sudokoo SK700V might be exactly what you need.

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