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Testing Results & Conclusions
We use data from prior cooling-hardware reviews to provide a set of standardized results to be used for comparison. We will be comparing data from the Cooler Master MasterAir MA610P against that of the Arctic Freezer 33 eSports Edition, the FSP Windale 6, and the Scythe Grand Kama Cross 3. Each cooler was benchmarked on our Intel Core i7-5930K-based test system, clocked at 4.2GHz at 1.20v.
Right away, we see that the Prime95 CPU loads for the Cooler Master MasterAir MA610P are higher than those we saw from the rest of the testing group, both at full and half fan speeds. However, there is a positive twist, as we see the surrounding motherboard components getting better airflow than the FSP Windale 6 and the Scythe Grand Kama Cross 3. This provides us enough information to deduct that the MasterAir MA610P is providing a cooling benefit to other hardware components, and airflow might not necessarily be to blame for the higher core temperatures being reported.
Our acoustic level chart gives us some interesting insight into how quiet the MasterAir MA610P operates, even at full speeds. Given that it is up against some whisper-quiet rivals in our test group, we noted some sound levels that were almost inaudible, which just about sums up how silent this cooler runs.
Our acoustic-efficiency chart shows where this cooler begins to bounce back by virtue of its very low noise levels. If it could somehow manage to shave off a few degrees Centigrade, we would really start to see this chart swing in favor of the Cooler Master MasterAir MA610P.
Here, we see the overall performance value comparison with regards to unit price. The MasterAir MA610P dips back down a bit, simply because of its higher retail cost at this writing, relative to both the FSP Windale 6 and the Scythe Grand Kama Cross 3. The same fate also befalls the Arctic Freezer 33 eSports Edition, having the highest overall unit cost of the test group, and that by a decent margin.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the higher-than-average thermal loads we recorded on the Cooler Master MasterAir MA610P were evidence of where this cooler fell short. At the time of this writing, retail pricing rang up right around $68 to $70. This is an air cooler, after all; a price point like this one will make many buyers wary when putting down that much cash on a CPU cooler if it can’t quite keep up in thermal load tests as well as lower-priced solutions.
Looking at it from another perspective, though, the inclusion of the RGB lighting options may be pushing the retail pricing a bit higher than it would otherwise be. The MasterAir MA610P was designed to look great installed on any system, with all lighting options configured, and to that end, it succeeds. The warmth of the copper heatpipes and the steely cooling tower obscures the angular peaks of the aluminum base; it is mechanical eye-candy we all crave. Just know that while it's a solid-enough performer as a cooler, its flash is its greatest strength.
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