I tested a CPU cooler that looks like a V8 engine — and this air-powered monster performs like one, too

Close‑up of the Cooler Master V8 ACE 3DHP CPU cooler installed inside a test bench, showing its engine‑inspired shroud, curved heat pipes, and fin stack.

I've generally leaned towards all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling for my own custom PC builds for the past decade or so, but air cooling is practically forcing its way back into my habits because it keeps proving its worth via reviews like these. The Cooler Master V8 ACE 3DHP caught my eye mostly because of its "V8 engine" throwback gimmick, but there's a clever secret hiding inside its fins — something that Hyper 212 3DHP cooler owners will recognize.

Cooler Master provided a sample but did not see, nor did it have any input on, the contents of my article before publishing.