It was placed in a Phanteks P400 case to cool a Ryzen 5600X. The stock Wraith Stealth that came with the processor was running at around 70°C idle and up to 100°C under load. Then I tried the slightly larger Wraith Spire that I had kept and managed to reduce the temperatures by about 10°C until I found something better. I didn't want to go for a liquid cooling solution for various reasons, so I was looking for an air cooler. The reliable solutions from Noctua and Be Quiet were either too big or too expensive, and I didn't like their aesthetics. After doing some research, I came across the AS500, but when I saw that it also came in a Plus model with 2 fans, I preferred the second one for a symmetrical aesthetic.

The packaging is simple but well-made and contains all the necessary components, separated into different envelopes depending on whether they are for Intel or AMD platforms, so you won't have to search for or mix them up. It also includes detailed instructions, a tube of thermal paste for the processor, and 2 extra cables, one for the fans (connects both to a CPU Fan slot if your motherboard doesn't have a CPU Opt) and the other for the LEDs (connects directly to the power supply with a manual controller if there is no 5V LED slot on the motherboard).

The installation is very easy, and I should mention that it fits perfectly in the Phanteks P400, which has a maximum supported cooler height of 160mm (the cooler is 164mm). The only thing you need to be careful about is that the fans should be positioned as far back as possible, unlike in some wider cases where they might protrude by 2-3 millimeters. There are no issues with RAM clearance, although it does pass quite close to the first slot, it doesn't touch it, so you don't need to have low-profile memory.

In terms of appearance, I don't have much to say. It is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, air coolers available, with discreet RGB lighting and no logos that I personally don't like. The fan design is very modern and adds to the overall aesthetic. Additionally, it is also available in white if that suits your build better.

Now, in terms of performance, it runs at around 38°C idle and around 70°C under load, so for the work I do, the games I play, and the money I spent, I am extremely satisfied. I no longer need to constantly monitor temperatures and pause games for a while to let the temperature drop. I should also clarify that all the temperatures I mentioned are for normal operation without any overclocking, with PBO and Resizable Bar enabled.

Except for perhaps the height limitation that restricts the number of cases it can be installed in, I really can't find anything negative to say, and I believe Deepcool has done an amazing job in the price range of 70-80€ where it currently stands, easily competing with more expensive coolers, even in the over 100€ category. It's worth it!