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Thermal results without power limits
Without power limits enforced on Intel’s i7-13700K, the CPU will hit its peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers. When the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve measured the CPU package power to determine the maximum wattage cooled to best compare their performance.
The general exception to this comes with the strongest AIOs on the market, which can keep Intel’s i7-13700K under TJ Max. This is no small task, as most 360mm AIOs still fail this test.
The thermal performance was a single watt behind its predecessor. While this is technically a regression, the difference of a single watt is essentially margin of error difference and it will not lead to any perceptible performance differences. When you’re dealing with a difference this small, its more important to consider noise levels.
To achieve this level of performance, the unrestricted fans run up to 41.9 dBA. This is a moderate noise level, but it is quieter than most coolers on the market. Compared to its predecessor, this is a reduction of 4.4 dBA. Depending on your sensitivity to noise levels, this may feel like less than half as loud as the original model.
Thermal results with noise normalized to 38.2 dBA
Finding the right balance between fan noise levels and cooling performance is important. While running fans at full speed can improve cooling capacity to some extent, the benefits are limited and many people prefer a quieter system. With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.2 dBA. This level of noise is a low volume level, but slightly audible to most people.
With 225W cooled during the course of testing, the A620 Pro SE improved performance by 12W compared to its predecessor — that’s a 5.6% increase in cooling capacity.
175W Cinebench results
Most coolers on the market can keep Intel’s i7-13700K under its peak temperature if the power consumption is limited, so for this test, we’ll be looking at the CPU’s actual temperature.
The result of 58C over ambient is fairly good, and falls in the top half of our results. Technically, this is 1C behind its predecessor, but temperature is only half of the picture. The noise levels of the A620 Pro SE recorded are vastly improved compared to its predecessor, running 3.8 dBA quieter. Its measurement of only 39.6 dBA in this moderately stressful workload puts it in the company of the quietest coolers on the market.
125W Cinebench results
The lowest power limit I test with Raptor Lake CPUs is 125W. This is a high enough limit to allow the CPU to maintain its base clock speeds even in the most intensive tests, and most coolers should be capable of keeping the CPU below TJ Max (the max temperature before throttling) – even low-end coolers.
Even Intel’s stock cooler can handle a load like this with ease. That said, a result of 44C over ambient is one of the better results we’ve recorded in this scenario.
Noise levels, rather than CPU temperature, are the most important factor here. The ambient noise with this system running at idle is 37.3 dBA, and that’s the same reading we had in this test. What that means is the CPU cooler was running quieter than the system fans at their low setting.
Conclusion
With the release of the A620 Pro SE, ID-Cooling is directly challenging Thermalright’s claim to the best value-focused air coolers on the market. The Frozn A620 Pro SE provides cooling comparable to some of the stronger performers on the market for only $30 USD, and does so while running quieter than the competition.
