Corsair A500 Dual Fan CPU Cooler Review
Peter Donnell / 5 years ago
How Much Does it Cost?
The Corsair A500 is available right now from all the usual major retailers. It’s on Amazon in the UK for £92.95 and Amazon in the US for $99.99. That’s not what I would call cheap, but this is a premium quality product and the price reflects that. You get a fantastic mounting kit, you get their “free” and a rather fantastic screwdriver, you get some very high-quality thermal paste, you get that stunning brushed aluminium top plate. It’s little details that add up and you do get what you pay for.
Overview
Corsair may have tried to make air coolers before, which were cheap and well… cheap. There was no added thrills with them and that’s that. However, the Corsair A500 more closely matches their enthusiast and premium portfolio. Most notably, I’d argue this is one of the best looking coolers on the market right now. It’s absolutely beautiful to look at and the finish would match up with just about any modern PC build.
Stylish
I actually like the design of Noctua coolers. Plus, they come in black now if you’re not a fan of the chrome and brown. However, even I have to bow to the A500 when it comes to looks. That’s subjective, I know, but I’d love to see you convince me it doesn’t look great.
Performance
The performance is certainly there, and Corsair has done a fantastic job of delivering a very competitive product. It manages to keep pace with the Noctua D15S when it comes to cooling. That’s not an easy task, and certainly not easy given we used the i9-9900K. Now, I’ll admit, the A500 did get a little loud when we overclocked. However, if you’re planning to OC your high-end CPU, then Corsair sell similarly priced AIO coolers that’ll do the job. For stock or less extreme TDP overclocking, the benefits of air coolers are lower noise, and a faster return to idle temps; that’s where the A500 shines.
Should I Buy One?
The Corsair A500 is a brilliant piece of design. It features easily removable fans, allowing for quick and easy maintenance, plus you get all the tools and fittings you’ll ever need are included in the box. It’s one of the best looking coolers out there right now, with sublime build quality to match. Highly recommended!
