Overclocking your CPU is as easy as pressing a button or in some cases is as easy as setting up your motherboard to do all the work for you. With high speed overclocking comes high temperatures and a proper way to control them is the key in the longevity of your components. Overall CPU temperatures could reach as high as 75 C where in most cases fatal for CPU. Today we have an opportunity to take a look at the industry leader's newest CPU cooler, V6GT by Cooler Master. V6GT is designed to keep things as cool as possible, while providing great cooling abilities for today's overclockers. Let's take a closer look at V6GT and see what kind of temperatures we can achieve with out new i5-655k proc.

 

About the Product

Following information is taken from the Cooler Master's web site.

V6 follows in the footsteps of the revolutionary V8 and V10 CPU coolers from Cooler Master. Designed with a muscular engine look, the V6 fits nicely with any performance hardware. The V6 also features new mechanical structure that includes: V-shaped heatpipe array, asymmetrical aluminum fins (which are densely stacked for optimal cooling), a red LED fan with PWM speed control function, DynaLoop™ long life technology, and snap-on cover to conveniently add a second fan if needed.

Features

• Densely stacked asymmetrical tilted aluminum fins for muscle cooling performance.
• "Double-V" heatpipe array helps spread out the six heatpipes to fully utilize the cooling fins on the cooler. It also allows airflow to reach each individual heatpipe as opposed to traditional coolers.
• Clear red LED PWM fan with wide RPM range for total performance solution at high and low speed operation (optional 2nd fan).
• DynaLoop™ Bearing Fan: Innovated self-lubricating bearing mechanism decreases oil-loss commonly seen on sleeve bearing fans. Evolutionary wave blade fan provides tremendous airflow with steady pressure.
• Snap-on cover to conveniently add a second fan if needed.

Copper Base Heatpipes
	Six copper base heatpipes.
"V" Array Heatpipes
	"Double-V" heatpipe array helps spread out the six heatpipes to fully utilize the cooling fins on the cooler. It also allows airflow to reach each individual heatpipe as opposed to traditional coolers.
Densely Stacked Fins
	Densely stacked fins enhance cooling performance when a second fan is added (additional fan brings higher air pressure).
Asymmetric Heatsink Fins
	Asymmetrical 5 degree tilted aluminum fins precisely engineered to lower airflow resistance while providing maximum cooling surface.
DynaLoop™ Bearing Fan
	Innovated fan bearing decreases sleeve oil-loss, extend fan life up to 40,000 hours.
Quick Release Fan Cover
	Tool-free, snap-on cover makes fan installation simple, easy, and quick.
"Enthusiast" Style
	Perfect match for aggressive systems.

Specifications

Model	RR-V6SV-22PR-R1
CPU Socket	Intel Socket LGA1366/1156/775 AMD Socket AM3/AM2+/AM2
Dimension	5.2 x 4.7 x 6.5" (131.5 x 120 x 165 mm)
Weight	Net Weight: 2.2 lbs (1.00kg) Gross Weight: 2.49 lbs (1.13kg)
Heat Sink Material	Copper base / Aluminum fins / 6 heatpipes
Heat Pipes Dimensions	Ø6 mm
Fan Dimension	4.7 x 4.7 x 1" (130 x 61 x 149 mm)
Fan Speed	800 - 2200 RPM (PWM)
Fan Airflow	34.02 - 93.74 CFM
Fan Air Pressure	0.43 - 3.30 mmH2O
Fan Life Expectancy	40,000hrs / 25°C
Bearing Type	DynaLoop™ Bearing
Connector	4-pins
Noise Level	15 - 38 dBA
Rated Voltage	12 VDC
Start Voltage	6 VDC
Operating Voltage	6 - 13.2 VDC
Rated Current	0.45A (0.7A Max.)
Input Power	5.4W (8.4W Max.)
Warranty	2 years
UPC Code	884102008733

Now that we got basic information out of the way, lets take a closer look at V6GT.

Closer look

Front shot		V6GT

Cooler Master is not a new player in the ballpark and we really didn't expect anything but the best from them. This very well shows just by looking at the packaging of the cooler. V6GT has a simple yet effective design as it jumps right at you and pretty much shows you what you are about to purchase. No doubt in my mind that you will pick up this cooler judging just by the looks of it.

Intel / AMD		V6GT

V6GT supports both Intel and AMD processors, so you should have no problem using this cooler for all of your latest sockets. For older sockets like 478 or A you should looks somewhere else. On the bottom of the packaging we found highly descriptive information about the cooler and some of its signature features. As we progress trough the review we will go over some of them.

Presentation		Logo

Opening the package wasn't tough as it has a nice top cover which shows a sneak preview of the item inside. By now you should know that this cooler is a monster! This thing really looks like an engine block and well, that's pretty crazy. In my life time I have seen some of the crazies CPU cooler but never as crazy as this. What we noticed is that Cooler Master is not shy with displaying their imagery some where on the product.

Out of the box		V6GT

Everything is neatly packed a way for extreme protection while shipping. V6GT is embed in the white plastic cushion which keep the whole unit in place while in transport. We have also found an accessories box and an instruction manual for the installation and use of the V6GT. I would strongly recommend to read installation guide first and get all the right hardware for a proper CPU mounting before beginning.

V6GT		Left Side

As I have mentioned earlier this unit is made to impress and in fact that's exactly what we see in the pictures above and below. V6GT is consists of a massive CPU cooler with 6 heat pipes and copper base. V6GT also has 2 120 mm fans which are PWM fans and could rotate anywhere from 800 to 2200 RPM depending on need. PWM feature is very helpful in many cases when it comes to overclocking.

Right Side		Heatsink Shot

The main heat sink is called Double V heat pipe array. It have been uniquely engineers to support two fans from both sides to provide maximum air pressure for cooling. The whole unit is a hybrid mix between plastic, aluminum and copper. This combination makes V6GT a solid unit.

6 Heat Pipes		Reflective Surface

As we found out V6GT comes with 6 heat pipes for ultimate heat transfer from the copper base to Double V array unit. These 6 heat pipes are uniquely designed to move temperature a way from the copper base and in to the cooling array. The copper base is not highly polished which in some cases might degrade the bond between the cpu and the thermal compound and the heat sink. We found this to be rather unusual. V6GT also comes with a 0.5 oz Cooler Master brand thermal paste for the installation.

Disassembled		Heat sink Close up

In order to install V6GT we would need to take the fans off and finish the hardware assembly of the whole unit. What we found to be a great feature is that you do not need to use a screwdriver as the fan assembly is a clip on one so it is very easy to install and remove fan from the unit. When we removed the fans we found out how really the Double V array is.

Mounting Hardware		Installation

As we have mentioned earlier in the review V6GT supports Intel and AMD sockets and Cooler Master was kind enough to include all the hardware needed to install both of these types of CPU. Before beginning the installation we have carefully read the instructional manual and picked out all the right mounting we needed for an Intel i5 655k chip.

Installation		Installation

Installing the mounting brackets was a bit of a challenge at it took about 5 minutes to get everything right. The front bracket in front of the CPU is secured by screws from the back of the motherboard. V6GT is going no where as it would be impossible to move it once its set in stone.

Installation		Thermal Paste

While in stalling a rear mounting bracket we found out that it would be best if we removed the motherboard from the tray as we really couldn't get to it. Yes we do have a rear access to the motherboard however, we had trouble installing the mounting and it was best to remove the whole motherboard. So if you prepared to spend some time with this installation, you are on the right track.

Securing the heat sink		Almost Done

After the applying the Cooler Master thermal paste it was time to secure in the Double V array. This task was pretty easy as all we had to do is mount it and secure with a special spring base screws. Cooler Master has provided a HEX key as you would need one to get these suckers tightened. The clearance between the mounting and ram slots was pretty good however we came extremely close to the capacitors on the motherboard.

Size comparison		Ready to rock

After securing everything in and putting the fans back on we were complete! Total installation time was just shy of 26 minutes. Phew! There are few things which needs to be mentioned. One, for the best optional PWM performance you should use a 4 pin fan connector on motherboard to connector to connect V6GT. Two, if you would like the colorful features of V6GT then you would need an additional power. Cooler Master has provided a 2 pin molex connector for that exact task. The light in the middle of the V6GT could be changed by pressing Cooler Master logo/button in the middle of the unit. Three, you need to consider what kind of fan to use in the back of the case to pull the air out. My advise would be something on slower speeds like 1200 rpm.

Testing

ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

XFX HD-477A-YDFC Radeon HD 4770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

Intel Core i5-655k Clarkdale 3.20GHz LGA 1156 Dual-Core Processor

Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB 7200 RPM SATA-300 Hard Drive

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

For today's benchmarking we will be using Prime95 and Speed Fan to keep track of readings. The Prime95 will heat up CPU by using all cores and we would leave it running for 20 minutes and then take reading.

Thermal take Spin Q VT + Tuniq TX-4 Idle		Thermal take Spin Q VT + Tuniq TX-4 Full Load

Our current CPU cooler is powered by Thermal take Spin Q VT and our choice of thermal paste is Tuniq TX-4. This is burned in set up so the values are actual. In the idle state we have gotten a pretty cool temperature on i5-655k.The overall temperature for the CPU was 37C. This is a hot CPU so it is expected for the temperatures to be a bit higher than usual. When running Prime95 and loading up all of the cores on i5-655k we have gotten temperatures as high as 54C. This is running at 3.2 Ghz.(stock).

Cooler Master V6GT + Cooler Master Thermal Paste Idle		Cooler Master V6GT + Cooler Master Thermal Paste Full Load

We have repeated the same test on Cooler Master V6GT and Cooler Master Thermal Paste and the numbers weren't too off. It is worth to mention that this set up was also burned in as the previous. The idle state of i5-655k was still at 37C but the full load benchmark showed us temperatures as high as 52C. This is a 2C drop from Thermal take Spin Q VT.

Conclusion

And so competition continues. If you looking for a high performance CPU cooler then you might just found your best option. Cooler Master V6GT has performed really good in our test environment with i5-655k Intel processor. Keeping temperatures low is what this unit have been designed to and it does as advertised. If you are going to base your assumptions solidly on performance data of V6GT then this a perfect example for true art of engineering. The looks of V6GT aren't bad either. This unit comes with long lasting features which promise to provide you with on going performance for over 40 000 hours. One of the greatest features of V6GT is PWM fan set up. Both fans are able to provide exact performance when needed. We have also found a style in this unit as it reminded us an engine block of a V6 car. Great CPU cooler over all! No problems or issues were found in our review.

Some pros we found:

Great performance against i5-655k.

Relatively easy to set up and operate.

PWM support from motherboard.

Engineered Double V heat pipe array.

Some cons we found:

None that we could find.