Cooler Master GeminII S524 & Hyper 612 PWM Review - PAGE 1

When it comes to keeping the processor cool, there are a few enthusiasts that opt for extreme methods such as liquid nitrogen, dry-ice and the more widely used water cooling. However, only one of the three options is viable in a system used on a daily basis, and that method is still fairly expensive and complicated to set up. This gives most users only one real option; traditional air cooling. Since air cooled heatsinks are the most widely used cooling method, companies continue to improve their designs and release new products with more advanced thermal performance.

Today we are going to be looking at two of the latest air cooling heatsinks to hit the market, and though they are both designed by Cooler Master and set to launch within a few weeks of each other, they both use vastly different designs.

The first of the two heatsinks is the Hyper 612 PWM, which an beefier version of the Hyper 212 Plus. The biggest differences between the two models is that the new Hyper 612 is much larger, giving it a substantial surface area and ample room to accommodate more heatpipes. The heatpipes on the 612 PWM have also been rotated 90°, which extends the six pipes through the front and back of the array as opposed to the sides. With its larger size and updated heatpipe placement, the Hyper 612 PWM could be a solid performer that gives even top-tier heatsinks a run for their money.

The second heatsink we are examining today is the GeminII, which is also an updated version of an older Cooler Master design. Unlike the Hyper 612 PWM, the GeminII is a top-flow heatsink that positions the cooling array and fan lengthwise across the motherboard. This directs the airflow downward, allowing the fan to not only cool the heatsink, but the surrounding on-board motherboard components as well. Top-flow heatsinks have replaced for the most part been by tower style coolers, but their low-profile still makes them a perfect fit for small cases and home theater PCs.

Both the Cooler Master Hyper 612 PWM and Gemin II S524 are designed to offer excellent thermal performance without breaking the bank. At launch the Hyper 612 will have an MSRP of $49.99, which is inexpensive these days for a large tower cooler. The GeminII we assume is going to be slightly less expensive, but the exact retail pricing is still TBA. However, we assume the final MSRP will be around $39.99.