Cooler Master MasterAir MA624 Stealth Review: Cool, Quiet and Covert

Cooler Master’s Stealth Fighter

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Cooler Master MasterAir MA624 Stealth
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Tom's Hardware Verdict

The Cooler Master MasterAir MA624 Stealth showcases a handsome, all-black finish and whisper-silent operation, along with excellent cooling performance to tame your favorite AMD or Intel enthusiast-grade desktop CPU.

Pros

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    + Great cooling performance

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    + Sleek, blacked-out design

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    + Integrated center fan simplifies install

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    + Additional 120mm fan for tall DIMMs

Cons

  • -

    Premium price

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Cooler Master is a name synonymous with mainstream cooling products, ranging from heatpipe air towers to performance liquid cooling AIOs, many of which feature RGB lighting as a focal point. However, the large, dual-fan MasterAir MA624 Stealth comes ready to impress while being completely devoid of lighting accents. Instead, it features an all-blck color scheme for an imposing look for those who favor their flair without the flash. It also makes use of some smart integrated mounting and includes a third (bonus!) 120mm fan to allow a bit more flexibility for systems with tall memory DIMMs.

Striking an appealing balance somewhere between thermal mitigation and aesthetic prominence, the Cooler Master MasterAir MA624 Stealth is a sharp-looking performer.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Height6.5" / 165.1mm
Width Depth5.88" / 149.4mm
Depth5.0" / 127.0 mm (6.125" / 155.6mm w/fan)
Base Height1.25" / 31.8mm
Assy. Offset0.0 (centered), 1.125" / 28.6mm w/ front fan)
Cooling Fans(2) 140 x 25mm
Row 6 - Cell 0 (1) 120 x 25mm
Connectors(2) 4-pin PWM
Weight46.3 oz / 1312g
Intel Sockets1366, 115x, 1200, 2011x, 2066
AMD SocketsFM2(+), FM1, AM2(+), AM3(+), AM4
Warranty5 years
Web Price$100

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Cooler Master’s MasterAir MA624 Stealth comes with a healthy installation kit which supports nearly all current-gen Intel and AMD desktop processors--with the exception of Threadripper silicon. Mounting hardware includes plated brackets, standoffs and tension screws, as well as universal backplate. A small tube of MasterGel accompanies a universal Phillips screwdriver and 2-way PWM fan splitter.

Cooler Master covers the MasterAir MA624 Stealth with a 5 year warranty.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The MasterAir MA624 Stealth utilizes six copper heatpipes, which run from the base up through a pair of cooling fin stacks, which sit astride an integrated 140mm SickleFlow fan that’s capped below a brushed-aluminum top. A pair of spring-tensioned mounting bolts extend from the top of the cooler down through the base mount to secure the cooler against the motherboard cross brackets.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Cooler Master includes a pair of 140mm SickleFlow fans (center + front) as well as an extra 120mm for alternate setups. This allows the MA624 Stealth to function as a silent single-fan (center) setup for maximum memory clearance, or in the standard installation of push+pull using the 140mm front-mount SickleFlow fan.

Swapping the snap brackets to the additional 120mm SickleFlow fan allows for better memory clearance while still allowing a push+pull setup. The extra 120mm or 140mm fan can be used for push+pull+pull cooler setup (with an additional fan mount), or as a chassis fan for airflow elsewhere.

Cooler Master rates the 140mm fans up to 1400 RPM, while the 120mm is expected to see speeds up to 1800 RPM.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The base of the Cooler Master MasterAir MA624 Stealth sandwiches all six copper heatpipes between the mounting block and the 40mm x 40mm milled cooler cold plate.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The cold plate is milled flat and shows zero sign of any background lighting peeking between the cooler and our steel ruler.

From this view, the integrated mounting arms and spring tension screws are easily seen, while the center-mounted 140mm SickleFlow fan seats down into a clever notch carved into the mounting system.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Even tension makes for an evenly distributed thermal compound spread, compressing and dispersing our application of Arctic MX-4 during installation.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Mounting the Cooler Master MasterAir MA624 Stealth is relatively simple: Once the backplate or appropriate offsets are secured, the motherboard cross mounts are laid over and then tensioned into place. The pair of vertical spring tension screws align over the cross mounts, which align directly over threaded holes below. Single fan only (center-mount) is complete, or the front-mount 140mm (or 120mm) can be snapped to the front of the MA624 Stealth to complete the standard push+pull installation.

Garrett Carver
Garrett Carver
CPU Cooling Reviewer

Garrett Carver is a contributor for Tom’s Hardware, primarily covering thermal compound comparisons and CPU cooling reviews; both air and liquid, including multiple variations of each.

10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • NightHawkRMX
    However, the large, dual-fan MasterAir MA624 Stealth comes ready to impress while being completely devoid of lighting accents. Instead, it features an all-blck color scheme for an imposing look for those who favor their flair without the flash.

    I believe you meant all-black.
    Reply
  • NightHawkRMX
    Looks like a decent cooler, but overpriced. It is as expensive as the BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 4 and the Noctua NH-D15, both of which are better coolers.

    I would be interested in seeing a review of some of Thermalright's models, such as this
    https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CwqPxr/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-peerless-assassin-1206 heatpipes, 2 fin stacks, 2 fans. All for just $41.
    Reply
  • rubix_1011
    This cooler essentially performs as-well as the Dark Rock Pro 4, even a bit better at 50% fan speed. The ~1C difference between them at 100% is nearly negligible making them equal performers (or better in terms of the Cooler Master considering 50% fan performance).

    I would be happy to cover the Thermalright - I can attempt to reach out to their marketing department to get a sample, but typically we are approached by companies to cover their merchandise and we use this opportunity to compare with other components under the same testing criteria.
    Reply
  • NightHawkRMX
    Okay, sounds great!
    Reply
  • VforV
    NightHawkRMX said:
    I would be interested in seeing a review of some of Thermalright's models, such as this
    https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CwqPxr/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-peerless-assassin-1206 heatpipes, 2 fin stacks, 2 fans. All for just $41.
    Looks like it's in the same price tier as Arctic Freezer 34 Esports Duo, which has this review from 2020 > https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/arctic-freezer-34-esports-duo-cooler,6352.html
    I have that Arctic cooler on my Ryzen 3600 OC to 4.4Ghz and it's cool and quiet. It really is the best budget cooler as the article says.

    That being said I would like to see the review of the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 too. I'm always looking for a better budget CPU cooler :)
    Reply
  • NightHawkRMX
    I own the Freezer 34 Esports One on my R5 3600. Its a good cooler.

    However the esports duo has 2 less heatpipes and a lot less fin surface area compared to the Thermalright by the looks.

    I have a feeling the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 may be very good for its price, by looks alone.
    Reply
  • hotaru251
    anything priced within reach of the NH-D15 needs to beat it by a decent amount.

    Noctua's warranty/free future mounting brackets/etc are just too good a value to go anywhere else for same price.
    Reply
  • rubix_1011
    hotaru251 said:
    anything priced within reach of the NH-D15 needs to beat it by a decent amount.

    Noctua's warranty/free future mounting brackets/etc are just too good a value to go anywhere else for same price.

    Regardless, there are some instances where Noctua's color scheme is just too polarizing for some people, making these other alternatives/comparisons valid.

    To put this all into perspective, our result temps are under 100% CPU utilization for sustained periods of time (2 hrs), which is pretty much the worst type of hell for a cooler to contend with. In real-world applications, this is almost rarely the case and there would be minimal difference between many cooling options at intermittent loads over the same time duration. Considerably less difference if someone is not pushing all-core overclocks on higher core-count CPUs and running this on a factory clocked 4, 6 or 8 core processor.
    Reply
  • KoutsiDK
    hotaru251 said:
    anything priced within reach of the NH-D15 needs to beat it by a decent amount.

    Noctua's warranty/free future mounting brackets/etc are just too good a value to go anywhere else for same price.

    Not really. The D15 is old, so way cheaper than its starting price, and its extremely big and ugly as sin. Also, it is not painted. Painting the cooler fully black adds 2-3 degrees. So no, the pricing is fine for the Coolermaster
    Reply
  • hotaru251
    KoutsiDK said:
    Painting the cooler fully black adds 2-3 degrees.
    its been tested and they are effectively same (within margin of error) and actual differences are more often than not fan related (as all fans have an accepted variance from what they are listed at)

    KoutsiDK said:
    The D15 is old, so way cheaper than its starting price,
    original msrp when it debuted in 2014: $99.90 (if u doubt it check their sites article of when they 1st announced it) same as it is today.
    because something is "old" doesnt mean it gets cheaper. a top of the line product has no reason to depreciate in value until it has a replacement.

    KoutsiDK said:
    its extremely big and ugly as sin.
    can get it in black. (and ur saying the mastercooler one with the ugly top plate is better? well everyone does have different tastes i guess)
    KoutsiDK said:
    So no, the pricing is fine for the Coolermaster
    noctua has the best mounting hardware in industry. (everyone should adopt that as its simple)
    afaik best warranty in the industry (they ship you for free a new bracket if a new socket comes out as well)
    some of (not the best ever) the best fans in the industry.



    is it fine for a high end cooler? sure. However noctua's perks make it best choice if you dont mind getting nh-d15.
    Reply