Akasa Evo 120 Review (English Version)

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Reviewer: spresv

Supplier: Akasa UK

Evo 120 is the last item in the product line of Akasa, a well-known company that offers power supply units, computer cases and modding kits as well as cooling products. Evo 120 is one more CPU cooler based on heatpipe technology, which has proven to be very efficient and, thus, successful. However there is a little detail that makes the difference from the other heatpipe-featuring coolers: its heatpipes are thicker than usual (8mm). Another interesting feature of this cooler is its extremely low noise that reaches 15dB(A) at the lowest speed. The fan speed is adjustable using a potentiometer supplied with the cooler. One more thing to notice here is that it can be used on the latest sockets of both Intel and AMD (Intel Socket 478 & 775, AMD Socket 754, 939 & 940).

THE PACKAGE

The cooler comes in a black and orange package with a small side that allows the potential buyer to see the cooler.

Besides the cooler, the package also includes all the screws and the plates necessary for installation, the fan controller and its cables, as well as a very detailed manual. All the items are well-protected in the package and arrived in excellent condition.

THE HEATSINK

The base and heatpipes of the cooler are made exclusively out of copper, while the fins are aluminum. I have to confess that my first impression was that this cooler wouldn’t impress me with its performance. Let’s see if the final tests and measurements prove me wrong.

As the photos show the cooler leans slightly onto one side, but I don’t’ think that could mean trouble.

Classic, tested and generally approved design. The heat pipes start from the base of the cooler and go through the fins, right through the fan’s air flow.

The surface of the cooler is in good condition, although there is definitely room for improvement.

On the base of the cooler one can see the name of the brand embossed on the copper.

The heart and soul of this cooling system is the 12cm Amber series fan. It yields 32.2CFM and produces 15dB(A) at 1000RPM, reaching up to 67.5CFM and 29.8dB(A) at 2000RPM. Its transparent body and the orange blades give it a unique look.

The name of the model is written on the top of the cooler so that it will be visible from a side case window.

INSTALLATION

The installation, despite being rather simple, requires that the motherboard is removed from the case. The installation process is very easy. In order to install it on an Athlon 64 system like the one in the photo the first step is to remove the upper part of the cooler’s base by unscrewing it. Afterwards using the special screws and springs you can fasten the cooler on the appropriate holes.

In the end the result you’ll get will look something like this:

On the DFI motherboard used for the test system the cooler’s shroud came in contact with the little board that is responsible for the system’s sound, so we mounted the cooler upside-down. Another thing you should notice is that this cooler may be impossible to install on motherboards whose RAM slots are close to the CPU socket. In the next picture you can see the whole setup in the case used for the test.

THE TEST

The system used for this test is not a new one and has been used for quite a few reviews, however there have been some changes since the last time:

• AMD A64 3200+ Venice core
  
• DFI SLI-D nForce 4
  
• 512mb TwinMos bh-5
  
• Asus Extreme 6600GT
  
• LC Power Scorpio 480
  
• Coolermaster Stacker
  

The case was very well ventilated and the temperature room was around 27 degrees Celsius throughout the test. The overclocked settings used were a speed of 2400MHz for the CPU and 1.5V Vcore.

The cooler did extremely well, taking into account the environment’s temperature. The fan was completely silent although efficient at the lowest speed, whereas in the middle speed it became more audible but the difference in efficiency was clearly evident from the temperature drop. Pushing the fan to its highest speed certainly caused it to become much noisier, but the temperature drop was practically negligible.

Overall the Evo 120 performed very well, especially compared to its rivals. Moreover it has the advantage of featuring a very good fan, a characteristic lacking in most of its competitors. It is a very good purchase that is sure to satisfy all users.

Pros

• High performance

• Adjustable speed fan

• Silent

Cons

• The motherboard must be unmounted from the case for the installation to be perfomed

• Possibly incompatible with certain motherboards due to its heatpipe design