Introduction

A big thank you to DeepCool for supplying the review sample.

DeepCool continues to be a top-tier manufacturer in the DIY PC market, with a long history that goes back to the company's inception in 1996. Since then, they have expanded into almost every possible market, now offering cases, power supplies, heatsinks, fans, all-in-one liquid coolers, keyboards, and so much more. With a product stack packed to the gills with exceptional offerings, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see why they have become a go-to source for PC gamers worldwide.


The AK500 from DeepCool is very similar visually to its sibling the AK400, but should bring superior performance thanks to its increased size. In addition, while the fan remains essentially unchanged, the heatsink itself is twice as thick and features a 5th heat pipe. These changes should significantly boost cooling performance on hot running chips, but before heaping any genuine praise, let's take a closer look.

Packaging

The box itself uses a white sleeve that slides over a simple brown box. Said sleeve contains all the information on the cooler, with the front showing the AK500 in full color. A quick look at the left side has no information or images; instead, it is just a blank panel. Flipping over to the back is where you will find the specifications, which include the overall dimensions, fan RPM, airflow, weight, and socket support. As with previous DeepCool coolers, the packaging's light gray text on a white background is a bit hard to read, and while it certainly looks nice, I do wish they stuck with standard black text for readability.


As for the right side, it is similar to the left in that you won't find any images or information to speak of. DeepCool's logo is the only thing of note on the top. Overall a very subdued and simplistic design devoid of bombastic imagery and colors, which is perfectly fine since the packaging is far down the list when it comes to importance from a consumer perspective.

Contents

I am quite happy to report DeepCool continues to use foam to protect their coolers, with the AK500 shipped encased in two thick foam pieces. As for the mounting hardware, it was safely tucked away in a separate box, with everything arriving safe and sound.


Socket support is good, with All Intel and AMD mainstream sockets supported. Only the now ancient LGA1366, and LGA775, on the Intel side, have been dropped. Meanwhile, on the AMD front, Socket AM3+ and older have been dropped. All things considered, I don't see that being a problem.

Common parts supplied for mounting include:

• 4x Fan clips
• 4x Intel standoffs
• 4x AMD standoffs
• 4x Intel LGA2011 / LGA2066 standoffs
• 4x Thumb screws
• 2x AMD mounting brackets
• 2x Intel mounting brackets
• 1x 120 mm fan
• 1x Intel backplate
• 1x Heatsink
• 1x Tube thermal paste
• 1x Screwdriver
• 1x Low noise adapter
• 1x Installation manual