Introduction:

CoolerMaster Hyper 212 CPU Cooler

    CoolerMaster has a wide assortment of heatpipe-based coolers, and one of their newest releases is the Hyper 212. The construction has multiple heatpipes in a tower design, but not just any tower design. The Hyper 212 sports a dual tower design, with four heatpipes each and increased surface area. The heatpipes use Fluid Mechanics to draw heat away from the copper base and move it to the fins. The Hyper 212 is designed to handle the newer releases of CPU's more efficiently and effectively. 

About the Company:

    Cooler Master was founded with the mission of providing the industry’s best thermal solutions. Since its establishment a decade ago, the company has remained faithful to this mission, emerging as a world leader in products and services for companies dealing with devices where heat issues must be resolved.

In pursuing this mission, Cooler Master is absolutely committed to delivering solutions that precisely meet customer requirements for features, performance, and quality. Moreover, we strive to be a reliable long-term partner for our customers that they can truly depend on. It aims to be the first and foremost name that comes to mind for companies around the world seeking thermal solutions, and seeks to build such a reputation through outstanding technology, sophisticated design, and superior service.

Specifications:

A Closer Look:

Retail Front

Retail Rear

Specs

Plastic Cocoon

    The packaging for the Hyper 212 is large and boasts some weight. The front of the box has a small window cut out that is just large enough to give you a peek at what is inside. One side panel lists the specifications, and the other panel has a list for the applications. The rear of the package has a list of all of the Hyper 212 features.

    The Hyper 212 itself is surrounded in a plastic cocoon, with all the mounting hardware in a separate box at the bottom. After removing the cooler from its cocoon, you now can truly gauge its size and weight. The Hyper 212 is actually two towers on one copper heatsink plate.

Hyper212	Front 3/4 View	Dual Towers	Rear 3/4 View
Top	Copper Base	Smooth and Shiny	Quad Heatpipes

     Starting at the base,  I can see that it is in two parts. The lower half is the copper base and the upper half is made from aluminum. These two halves sandwich four copper heatpipes, creating a total of eight heatpipe risers. These copper risers (four on each side) pass through 56 aluminum fins. Now here is the kicker: on most heatsinks of this type, the fins create one large area of cooling, but on the Hyper212 two distinct towers are created, thus giving you 112 aluminum fins and more surface area for cooling.

120mm Smoked Fan

PFFFT

Mounting Hardware

    As for the cooling, a single 120mm fan on a black aluminum bracket provides the quiet cooling needed for the Hyper 212. A standard 3pin fan header is used to power the fan. Four blue LEDs are incorporated into the frame of the fan and the light shines onto the fan blades, which happen to not be clear but a smoked color, which I think looks nicer than the clear ones. CoolerMaster included an additional fan bracket for the Hyper 212, thus allowing you to have a dual 120mm fan setup.

Installation:

AMD Bracket	Intel Bracket	Side View
Just Enough Clearance	Top View	One Last Angle

    Installation is typical for this type of cooler and no real issues arose. For Intel users, simply screw on the two C-shaped mounting brackets, then thread on the four mounting screws, apply the included thermal paste, and finally mount the whole setup to the motherboard with four hex nuts. For AMD users, the mounting bracket can be rotated 90°, giving you that extra advantage in clearance. Four screws thread on to the bracket, then a supplied back plate is installed on the back of the motherboard, and four hex nuts lock everything down. Installation is simple and easy on motherboards out of the enclosure, but for users with a built system, you will have to remove the motherboard. Perfect time for that spring cleaning and releasing those dust bunnies out into the wild.

Testing:

    For testing, BurnInTest Ver4.0 and Prime95 was used, running a total of three tests in a sequence of ON for one hour at 100% CPU load, then OFF for 30 minutes to cool. The temps are collected and an average temp is calculated.

TEST GEAR:

• ASUS P5E3 Deluxe WiFi-AP@n

• Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 (3.0GHz)

• Kingston 2GB DDR3 PC3 13000 CL7 RAM

• Sapphire HD2600XT Graphics card

• WD 80GB SATA II HDD

• Samsung Super WriteMaster SATA DVD+R DL

• KWI Absolute Power ABT-600CW Power Supply

Conclusion:

    CoolerMaster has been cooling CPU's and other hardware for years, and in each of those years they come up with some rather unique cooling gear. The Hyper 212 is like having two coolers in one housing. The dual tower design creates additional surface area which aids in more efficient cooling. Another feature aiding in the cooling process is the ability to add a second 120mm fan. I didn't run the Hyper212 with a second fan, as I felt it wasn't necessary since I was pleased with the results from the single fan setup.

    Installation is a snap for those of us who have the motherboard removed from the enclosure already; if not, a slightly longer install time will be needed. The mounting brackets keep the Hyper 212 secure to the processor and the included thermal grease creates a positive contact with all surfaces. All in all, the Hyper 212 held its own very well with the newer CPU coolers currently on the market. I would like to thank CoolerMaster for sending this item out for VH to review.

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