The DeepCool AK500 is, without a doubt, a solid mid-range air cooler. What it lacks in ARGB and gaudy accent pieces, it makes up for with an all-business attitude. Its visual aesthetics make it a fit for those building a system and wanting something less gamer and more professional. The three year warranty, while not on par with the likes of Noctua, is still more than acceptable. Meanwhile, the overall build quality is also above average, and the mounting hardware is solid and exceptionally easy to work with, regardless of your system platform of choice.

In regards to performance, it falls neatly between DeepCool's AK620 and AK400. The former delivers better performance, but it is, of course, more expensive, while the AK400 falls behind due to its smaller size and fewer heat pipes. The AK500 wasn't able to handle our AMD test bench with its Ryzen 9 3900X in the 45 dBA FPU OC test, it did handle all other tests just fine. It also had no issues keeping our Intel Core i9-10900K below the thermal throttle point in all tests. In terms of noise profile, the cooler can get a touch loud at max RPM, hitting 52 dBA, but it stays quiet or near silent in all other situations. Better yet, DeepCool also includes a low noise adapter which essentially equals our 45 dBA testing in regards to performance. Meaning if low noise is a necessity for your system DeepCool provides that option, with performance and noise falling into the proverbial sweet spot.

In general, DeepCool has been executing exceptionally well in regard to air coolers over the last few years, and the AK500 continues that trend. The negative aspects of the cooler are minimal; in fact, it was a challenge to come up with any. The lack of ARGB is a personal preference, and while the performance falling short in the AMD FPU OC test at 45 dBA is legitimate, it is not a test most coolers sub $65 can handle regardless, as it is a workload most users will never encounter. Therefore I have no problems recommending the AK500. It can handle higher TDP processors within reason and should prove to be a fantastic option for mid-range builds, be it AMD or Intel.