ID-Cooling FROZN A620 SLK CPU Cooler Review

TweakTown Rating: 93%

Our Verdict

Those looking for a lot of cooler with little invested need to see the FROZN A620 SLK. A sub-$50 solution with things the price never alludes to.

Pros

• Cost
• Aesthetics
• Easy-to-use hardware
• Availability

Cons

• Noise level
• Heft
• PWM performance

Should you buy it?

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Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

It seems that any cooler manufacturer playing in the big leagues ends up making a Noctua clone. We say that with no disrespect to anyone, but as we recall the timeline, Noctua was the first to push the idea of dualling towers and deliver the trend setter in this category. While ID-Cooling has had a dual-tower configuration or two already, none of what they have put forth, in fact, nothing put forth so far by anyone, has taken the trend to this amount of thought.

You can look anywhere and find two separate towers in coolers with a pair of fans strapped to each half, and to be blunt, many of them work fine. However, there is always room for new ideas and designs to eek every drop of performance from the form factor being dealt with, and it appears ID-Cooling took the idea and ran with it as far as humanly possible, delivering a hybrid design that should be two towers but isn't.

ID-Cooling presents the FROZN A620 SLK, billed as an "innovative hybrid air cooling solution" with a seamless visual design, counter-rotating fans, RAM compatibility, and refined simplicity. While it may sound fantastical, ID-Cooling has shipped the goods, and we are here to give it a whirl. Those of you in the market for your next huge air cooler may want to look at what ID-Cooling is doing rather than copying the trend-setter released in 2009, which everyone has been riding ever since.

The specifications for the FROZN A620 SLK start with a change: ID-Cooling is the first to support LGA1954, along with all other mainstream Intel sockets we are used to, and it also covers AM4 and AM5. These coolers are black only and feature a 260W TDP. Dimensionally, this tower stands 160mm tall, is 122mm wide, and 133mm deep. Included in that are the six 6mm diameter copper heat pipes, the copper and aluminum base, and the stack of fifty-six aluminum fins in a single-stack arrangement. The 1300 grams include the cooler, hardware, and fans.

In front of the tower is a slim 120mm fan, ID-Cooling's AF-120 SLIM. The fan is 15mm thick to avoid RAM interference and spins from 500 to 1850 RPM. At maximum speed, this fan produces 62.2 CFM of airflow, 1.36 mmH2O of pressure, and is rated at 33.9 dB. The AF-120 SLIM spins on a hydraulic bearing, is powered via a 4-pin PWM connector, and can draw 3.36W. The fan centered in the heatsink is the AK-120-K, which counter-rotates with the SLIM. The AK-120-K spins from zero to 2500 RPM, and at maximum speed, delivers 79.7 CFM, 3.69 mmH2) at only 31 dB. Again, this fan is also PWM controlled, has a hydraulic bearing, and draws 3.6W.

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$45.99 USD

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$45.99 USD

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$68.99 USD

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$68.99 USD

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$126.07 CAD

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Lastly, there is availability, cost, and the warranty period. First, we were only able to find these CPU coolers on Amazon, but they are in stock and ready to ship. Second, we found the cost when locating the cooler, and to say we are shocked that ID-Cooling delivers this much cooler for just $49.99 is a bit of an understatement, as we wholeheartedly expected a larger price hike than $10 over the base model A620. Lastly, the warranty: ID-Cooling covers all its FROZN coolers for three years.

Packaging

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ID-Cooling sticks to matte black and bright orange for the packaging, something we are well used to seeing. At the top is the company name and tagline, while the bottom hosts the name and description. The bulk of the panel is covered with an image of the tower done with a shine to help it pop.

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As we spin the box, we find bright orange staring back at us. In all this real estate, ID-Cooling simply offers the FROZN A620 SLK printed in white on this side.

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The back matches the front in color for the backdrop, with six languages delivering the specification titles, while a long sticker provides details for the cooler and sections for both fans.

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We return to orange again on the left side of the packaging, but this time we see the company name at the top, a large open space, and the serial number and socket support shown at the bottom.

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Inside the packaging, we find the FROZN A620 SLK well protected. The tower is in a plastic bag, which is then slid into the dense white foam surrounding all sides. The box of hardware sits on top of the cooler, and the literature is the first thing you find once opened.

ID-Cooling FROZN A620 SLK

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Then, looking at the front of the FROZN A620 SLK, you can only see the AF-120 SLIM fan and the plastic clips that hold it to the tower behind it. The eleven-blade fan is black-on-black with large isolation pads on both sides, and it is on a short lead, as seen below the fan.

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From the side, the view is more black-on-black, but this time we see the plastic from the fan clips and the cover, with 55 fins stacked, with some of the smallest gaps between fins in the game.

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The leading and trailing edges are all the same, even those cut in the center. As seen, the fins are flat across their width, with no edge designs or special gaps to aid in fan performance.

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We love that each fin has the ends bent to capture all airflow through the tower, and the tabs along the front and back lock the spacing between them. Should you desire a fan change, there are grooves front and back, but no extra hardware is provided.

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Under the cooler, we can see that the aluminum fins are pressed onto the heat pipes, which are spread evenly in a straight line, both in front of and behind the fan. Should you toss the box and run into an issue, your serial number is also here.

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The base is made of copper on the bottom, the six heat pipes in the middle, and the aluminum pre-cooler, all of which are soldered together. Above the pre-cooler is a crossbar mounting mechanism for the cooler with special access. We can also see the asymmetric pipe design, bent gently on one side, and nearly kinked on the other.

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Once we removed the protective sticker, we got a view of the base and the screws attaching the crossbar above. After circular machining, the base is nickel-plated, leaving it slightly convex.

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The central fan lower bracket has been showing up in a few images, and while it hangs below the cooler and close to the mounting screws, it keeps the lower half of the frame still and keeps it from dangling from the top and vibrating like crazy. Also, notice how short the fan leads are and that a Y-splitter cable is attached for easier installation.

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The top of the FROZN A620 SLK is sleek and aesthetically as clean as it gets. A ton of matte black, two straight body lines running top to bottom, and the plaque near the bottom with FROZN on it.

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The blue tab we saw is attached to the underside of the removable central portion of the cover, and once removed, we get what you see here. ID-Cooling added texture via grooves; it shows airflow direction at the back, shows where the GPU should be, and has a screwdriver icon between two holes to access the mounting screws.

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Taking out four screws allowed us to remove the fan after disconnecting the splitter cable. Inside, we find the ID12025M12S, or AM-120, not AK-120-K. This seven-bladed fan spins in the opposite direction to the SLIM on the front and is the heavy lifter for cooling this tower.

Accessories and Documentation

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Opening the hardware box offered us a close look at what ships with the FROZN A620 SLK. Easing installation and keeping costs down, they offer a universal set of mounting brackets compatible with both Intel and AMD installations. Intel still requires a backplate for mainstream socket support, which is provided with its adjustable threaded ends.

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Whether using AMD or Intel, the same standoffs apply. The plastic end with larger threads goes into the backplate, isolating the motherboard, while the finer threads accept the knurled nuts to secure the brackets we just looked at. On the right is a plastic tube with tabs at the wide end that grab the standoffs, ensuring they're screwed in tight enough.

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Due to the specialized access required to mount the FROZN A620 SLK, ID-Cooling provides a rubber-sleeved Phillips screwdriver that slides into the cooler and allows the knurled nuts to be locked down. Along with the cooler ships a tube of Frost X45, worth an attempt or two at mounting this tower.

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We did not forget about the front fan, and after comparing what we have to the specifications, we can confirm that the ID12015M12S is the AF-120 SLIM we were promised, attached to the plastic frame, which is screwed to the front of the tower.

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The guide starts with a parts list and descriptions, then moves through Intel and AMD before showing how to remove the cover and access the screws. It then shows how to plug in the fan cable and addresses what to do should you have questions.

Installation and Finished Product

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As shown in the guide, for AMD, we placed the brackets above and below the socket, ensuring they are inside the standoffs. We then secure it all until we can no longer tighten the nuts.

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After squirting out some X45 onto the CPU, we set the cooler onto the hardware. Gently sliding the screwdriver into the fin stack, it eventually bottoms out on the heads of the screws in the crossbar. Alternating holes, we gave the driver a full rotation at each hole, repeating until we ran out of threads.

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With everything hiding behind the fan, and the lower portion now behind the RAM, its size is still undersold in our images. This tank of a cooler is big, and while affording great access around it, it eats every millimeter of space it can.

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As described, this enormous single tower that should be a dual tower, sits well clear of the RAM thanks to the use of the AK-120 SLIM. Not only can we have the tallest RAM in the game, but we also have access to all four DIMM slots for all the density one can afford.

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This is when its size gains perspective. The FROZN A620 SLK isn't a typical fat single-tower design. It eats up all the space a dual-tower would, but with fan choices and fins left intact, they can hopefully pull out some performance we haven't seen from this class of air coolers.

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If you are looking for fancy lights and bold colors, the FROZN A620 SLK may not be for you. ID-Cooling went with a murdered-out design, keeping things simple yet somehow looking clean, almost elegant.

Test System Setup, Thermal Tests, and Noise Results

Chad's CPU Cooler Test System Specifications

To see our testing methodology and to find out what goes into making our charts, please refer to our 2025 CPU Cooler Testing and Methodology article for more information.

Thermal Results

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Starting things out with an idle temperature of 42.8 °C is decent, considering the SLIM was spinning at 848 RPM, with the middle fan turning at 850 RPM on average, and very little audible noise from the SLK.

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With the CPU now under stress, results could be better or worse, as shown in the chart. At 72.3°C, a few perform better, but while cost may be similar, clearance and ease of installation may not be.

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What we love to see is a very small difference between the average and maximum temperatures, as it not only shows its thermal capabilities but also how well the PWM signaling is programmed and whether it can handle the demands we put on it.

CPU Speed

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Keeping our 9900X in the 5.2 GHz range is all we require to say we are happy with the CPU speed, averaged across all twelve cores. While the FROZN A620 SLK just slides past that metric, we have seen larger coolers like this do worse.

VRM Thermal Results

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Typically, air-cooled CPU coolers deliver quite a bit of airflow to the VRM in our system, and the best results are achieved with an air cooler. Some 8 degrees warmer than the best option won't hurt anything, except it's part of what can throttle your overall CPU speed.

Fan Speed and Noise Levels

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For the chart, we used the findings from the SLIM fan, as ID-Cooling ships the cooler with that fan connected to the Y-splitter's RPM sense wire. In our test, we saw the 120 SLIM average at 1413 RPM, and delivered very little noise to the office. However, the middle fan spun at 1605 on average, with peaks in the 2300 RPM range, producing a lot of noise.

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By no means is the 52 dB result an ear-splitting number, but you will certainly hear this CPU cooler under load, and you will certainly hear it when the fans need to catch up to the heat. The noise is mainly from the central fan, where the SLIM never got past 44dB, but we know those who prefer silence are already packing things up and going home.

Final Thoughts

Starting with the obvious, we think ID-Cooling is onto something here. The hybrid design versus a dual-tower layout gives ID-Cooling much more surface area to work with out of the gate, leaving it with one mass rather than two. With more fins and less spacing between them, ID-Cooling again provides more surface area than most others in this size category. Two fans to cool the tower are common, but using counterrotation as a disturbance tool is a different approach. Typically, we see teeth or valleys in fin design, but with flat edges, they needed an answer and came up with this solution. Installation is as easy as it could be, takes very little time, and, with the tools provided, you are good to go once the box is opened.

The fans do need their own section, so here we go. The front fan, we get it, you need clearance, but the 15mm thick fan seems to do very little to help in the greater cause. While it's worth a degree or two, it is the central fan doing all the work. Able to spin up to 2500 RPM, and we're hitting close to that with AIDA64 stress testing, we can say this cooler will not stay silent long. The saddest part for us is that, with all that noise, come average numbers. If it were us, and we were already in the 50dB range, we would have found another solution using fans to bring those temperatures down. Seems like a bit of a lost opportunity for what could have been a flagship product for ID-Cooling. Could it have handled its business a bit differently?

We adore the all-black theme because we appreciate the murdered-out look. The blacks match better than most others, too. The paint on the fins and the plastics used for the cover and the fan mounting all blend seamlessly, with only two lines and a small FROZN badge to break it all up. It's a huge step up from the dual-tower solutions we are all used to, and for such an affordable cooler, it's unexpected.

While it seems like we bashed the SLK for its lackluster thermals and slightly warmer VRM temperatures, we do have to step back and take in all the bullet points. Compared to our charts with no budget, yeah, ID-Cooling could have done better to run with the bigger known players, but those players are also charging well over $100 in many instances. ID-Cooling brought forth a pretty serious amount of cooler for the money. At less than fifty dollars, we expected more, since we expect every cooler to do well. But with such a limited investment, and all the concessions made and what ID-Cooling packs into the FROZN A620 SLK, we find it a fair deal for those willing to give it a go.