Can You Air-Cool a Core Ultra 9 CPU? - In-Depth Testing

Air-cooling a Core Ultra 9 285K will sound crazy to some people and totally normal to others. In this video I’m testing the Alseye i600 Pro, a dual-tower air cooler with an LCD screen, to see if it can really handle Intel’s flagship on LGA 1851. We’ll look at the mounting process, temperature numbers in Prime95, Fire Strike and Cinebench, plus how it behaves in a closed case with an RTX 5080 dumping heat into it. I also compare the experience to a 360mm AIO and talk about when it still makes sense to go air-cooled in 2025/2026. If you’ve tried a big air cooler on a high-end CPU, let me know your experience in the comments! 0:00 Intro – air vs water 0:28 The Alsai i600 Pro 1:25 Test setup (Core Ultra 9 285K) 2:26 Prime95 & stress temps 3:28 Fire Strike, Cinebench & VRM temps 4:40 Air cooling vs 360 AIO 5:32 Final thoughts & comments 📷 Follow me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imwateringpsus Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/imwateringpsus ⚙️ Gear & Recommendations: Thermal Paste I use: https://amzn.to/4l646mG Electric screwdriver for PC building: https://amzn.to/3IRfndi Mini Air Duster for PC cleaning: https://amzn.to/4l12fzx Deskmat: https://deskmat.io/imwateringpsus DISCLOSURE: Some links are affiliate links, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. #intel #alseye #aircooled