// PC GAMER — GAMING
Cooler Master V8 Ace 3DHP review
The Cooler Master V8 Ace 3DHP is exceptional for a single-tower cooler. It deals with high thermal loads with ease, often matching dual-tower coolers. The only downside is that those extra degrees cost a whole lotta money compared to other coolers that are good enough. And I suppose if you don't like the car-inspired look, you'd better look elsewhere. I like its vehicular style, anyways.
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It's not often we see serious innovation in air cooling; many merely spin on tried and tested formulae. That's not the case here, however, as the Cooler Master V8 Ace 3DHP is offering something new to PC builders: 3DHP technology.
I first glimpsed the 3DHP (3D Heat Pipe) tech in a backroom of Cooler Master's Taipei HQ in 2025. I was under a strict oath not to talk about anything I saw in that room, which was easy enough, as it was almost empty except for a pair of air coolers: one using a traditional U-shape heatpipe design and the other using 3DHP. The 3DHP design includes an additional heatpipe at the centre of the U-shape.
The benefit of this extra heatpipe is clear through a thermal imaging camera: there's no deadzone (cool patch) in the middle of the cooler. For the V8 Ace, in particular, 3DHP is used on two of its six heatpipes—the two big ones in the middle—with the other four in a more traditional layout. Altogether, there are a lot of heatpipes running through every part of this single-tower cooler.
That's the thing to remember when looking over the results from my testing with the V8 Ace 3DHP below. It's a single-tower cooler competing with the very best dual-tower coolers I've tested. That's a huge success, and just goes to show, there's still performance on the table even for an air cooler.
✅ You want the best single-tower around: The V8 Ace reaches new heights for a single-tower cooler, even closing in on very capable dual-tower coolers, such as the Noctua NH-D15 G2 and Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120.
✅ You really love cars: You won't find a cooler more befitting of a car themed build than this. I've definitely seen a few special edition cases inspired by F1 teams—make it happen.
❌ You're happy with a less polished cooler: The Thermalright Peerless Assassin is once again peerless in terms of value for money here. It's running circles around most other coolers at this level, from Cooler Master, Noctua, and Be Quiet!. It's just a bit rougher around the edges.
❌ You'd pay extra for peace and quiet: The competing Noctua NH-D15 G2 is a very quiet cooler that's proven itself tough to beat in most tests. It's huge, and expensive, but it's excellent.