Features and Specifications

This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.

  • Model number: Aero 7+ (ASB-V73)
  • The Aero 7+ is an improved version of the original Aero 7
  • Improved thumb-clip should no longer interfere with PSU or RAM modules
  • Cooler Master 80 mm Aero V variable speed fan (blower)
  • Blower produces greater air pressure (2X) than traditional axial fans
  • External fan speed control with both PCI and 3.5” drive bay mounting brackets
  • Designed to work with AMD Socket A and Intel Socket 370 CPUs
  • Solid copper, skived fin heatsink construction
  • Heatsink dimensions: 80 mm x 80 mm x 51 mm (with fan shroud)
  • Fan type: Dual squirrel-cage blower, variable speed
  • Fan dimensions: 80 mm x 80 mm x 70 mm
  • Rated voltage: 7 to 13.8 VDC
  • Rated speed: 1,900 to 3,500 RPM
  • Rated airflow: 10.9 to 20.0 CFM
  • Rated air pressure: 2.9 to 10.7 mm water column
  • Weight: 498 g (heatsink and shroud), 595 g (with blower)

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The solid copper, skived fin heatsink is the same one used on both the original Aero 7 and XDream SE coolers. The skiving process allows manufacturing a heatsink from a solid block of material with no soldered or pressed together joints between the fins and base. This allows for a contiguous path for heat flow without mechanical barriers getting in the way.

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The Aero 7+ heatsink incorporates the same 80 mm fan shroud used on the XDream SE. The fan shroud is aluminum and is copper-color anodized to match the heatsink. The only noticeable difference in the Aero 7+ heatsink is the revised 3-lug clip. The new tool-less clip handle has been shortened so it doesn’t stick out as far as the original one did so it should not cause any more interference problems with closely located power supplies or RAM modules.

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The base comes with a bright red protective label installed, which must be removed before installation. The surface finish is uniform and appears flat but just like the original Aero 7 is still a bit rough for my tastes.

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The most unique feature of the Aero 7+ is the squirrel-cage blower. The new 80 mm blower appears to be almost identical to the original blower except for a slightly larger mounting flange. The maximum speed has also been reduced on the Aero 7+ to 3,500 RPM, down from the original Aero 7’s maximum speed of 4,500 RPM. This makes the Aero 7+ much quieter at full speed, but also compromises performance on the high end. The blower has also been rotated 90° on the heatsink base. This could be a disadvantage for some people if the blower sucks hot air from the back-side of a hot video card or has to fight a closely mounted power supply intake fan for air. Luckily the blower can be easily repositioned by removing four mounting screws.

By design, a blower-style fan has the potential to produce more static air pressure than the traditional axial fans used on most PC heatsinks. Static air pressure is the driver that causes air to flow (it can be thought of as a fans discharge pressure). Just because a fan is rated at 60 CFM free flow, doesn’t mean it will actually move anywhere near that amount of air when physical objects (like densely spaced heatsink fins) get in the way and resist the flow of air. It takes pressure to overcome flow resistance so even though the Aero blower has a much lower airflow rating, it may actually move more air than a higher rated axial fan. I will be testing the Aero 7+ blower side-by-side with several other popular axial fans to see how they compare.

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Lower speed also typically means less noise. Cooler Master has included a variable speed control circuit into the Aero V blower so each user can dial-in his or her own desired balance of performance and noise.

The speed control consists of a small potentiometer (pot) wired into the blower’s built-in speed control circuit with 20” long wires. A set of 4-pin Molex pass-thru connectors are used to supply power and a separate 3-pin connector is used to provide a tach signal to a motherboard fan header. Two mounting options are supplied for the fan speed control pot. If you want it hidden and out of the way then using the PCI slot bracket is the way to go. If you prefer to have it up front and accessible then using the aluminum 3.5” drive bay cover should make you happy.

Another advantage that Cooler Master claims for the blower style fan is more even distribution of airflow over the top surface of the heatsink. Axial fans typically have a dead spot in the center, which the blower eliminates.

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