Cooler Master Hyper 612S CPU Cooler Review

1. Cooler Master2. Packaging and Bundle3. The Cooler Master Hyper 612S4. Installing the Cooler Master Hyper 612S5. Testing Methodology and Performance6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Cooler Master are well known for producing a range of high quality CPU coolers that offer excellent performance at competitive price points.  Today we are going to look at one of their latest CPU coolers, the Hyper 612S which on paper should deliver a decent level of cooling without breaking the bank.

Not everyone can afford the class leading Noctua NH D14 and today we will find out of the 612S is a viable lower cost alternative for an enthusiast user who still demands good overclocking capabilities.

Specification

• CPU Socket: LGA 1366 / 1156 / 115 5 /775, AMD AM3 / AM2+ / AM2
• Dimensions: 140 x 128 x 163mm
• Heatsink Dimensions: 136 x 100 x 163mm
• Heatink Material: Copper Base / fins / 6 Heatpipes
• Heatsink Weight: 806g
• Fan Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
• Fan Speed: 1300 rpm +/- 10% (900 RPM with silent mode adapter)
• Fan Airflow: 52.6 CFM (36.4 CFM @900RPM)
• Fan Air Pressure: 1.14 mmH2O (0.55 mmH2O @900RPM)
• Fan Life Expectancy: 40 000 hours
• Bearing Type: Lon Life Sleeve Bearing
• Connector: 3-pin
• Noise Level: 22.5 dBA (16.1 dBA @900RPM)
• Rated Voltage: 12V DC
• Operating Voltage: 6.0 – 13.2 V
• Rated Current: 0.10A
• Input Power: 1.2W
• Fan Weight: 102g

Cooler Master supply the Hyper 612S within an attractively designed purple and white box which features a large image of the cooler on the front.

The sides and rear of the box contain details of the specifications in a number of languages.  There are also a series of diagrams illustrating the dimensions of the cooler.

Inside the box we find an inner box which contains all the necessary items for installation.  Cooler Master have chosen to include a small tube of thermal paste, rather than pre-applying it to the block.

Cooler Master have opted for a simple tower design for the Hyper 612S which consists of a stack of 49 aluminium fins which are arranged around eight U-shaped copper heatpipes.  Even though there is only a single stack of fins, it is very thick, meaning it provides a comparable surface area to many double-stack coolers currently available.

The main area in which manufacturers are forced to compromise when creating a single stack cooler (rather than a double stack cooler) is that there isn't space for as many fans.  With the Hyper 612S, there is only one fan included but there is a spare set of brackets in the box should you wish to add a supplementary fan on the other side.

Unlike many coolers on the market, the Hyper 612S is supplied with the fan pre-attached which is going to simplify the installation process slightly.  The fan that Cooler Master include is a 120mm model which spins at a constant speed of 1,300rpm.  The glossy black finish of the fan is sure to compliment other components aesthetically.

Cooler Master have decided to use a copper CPU block for the Hyper 612S which comes into close contact with the six copper heatpipes.  It doesn't have a mirror finish like some CPU blocks we've seen but the engineering standards are high quality.

For our testing today we are going to be using a AMD Phenom II X6 1090T CPU in conjunction with the latest ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional motherboard.  We will be documenting the installation procedure with an AMD system.

The first step of the installation procedure required us to attach two small brackets to the bottom of the CPU block.  There are a number of different brackets included and it is necessary select the pair that correspond to the socket type of your motherboard.

Once these have been attached, you can apply the thermal paste and place the cooler onto the CPU block, making sure the screw threads pass through the holes in the motherboard.  Then we secured the cooler down to the motherboard using the four provided nuts.  Cooler Master include a small screwdriver adapter for tightening these, to ensure the best possible contact between the block and processor.

As we have found with most sizeable CPU coolers in the past, the Cooler Master Hyper 612S did block some of the RAM slots on our motherboard.  The fan can be removed however to fit memory.

Overall the installation procedure was quite simple.  This was thanks, in part, to the detailed installation guide that Cooler Master supply.  We can foresee some users running into issues installing the cooler when the motherboard is already installed into the system, however.  This is because we must secure the cooler on the back of the motherboard while holding the cooler in place, on the other side.

To test the Cooler Master Hyper 612S we used an ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional motherboard combined with an AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Processor. For our overclocked results, the CPU was clocked to 4.0 GHz using a baseclock of 200MHz, a multiplier of 20x and a core voltage of 1.45V.

Test System

Processor: AMD Phenom II X6 1090T
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional
Memory: 4 GB (2x 2GB) Kingston HyperX Genesis DDR3 1600MHz
Thermal Paste: Arctic Cooling MX-3
Graphics Card: HIS Radeon 5550 Silence

For our temperature tests we set both fans to maximum and loaded the system for 15 minutes using Prime 95. We then restarted the system and left it idling at the desktop for 15 minutes before recording temperatures. Room temperature was maintained at 20 degrees Celsius for the duration of the tests.

The temperatures we recorded are very impressive for a £35 cooler.

To test noise level emissions we switched off all the case fans so we are just taking into account the noise generated by the cooler itself.  Even when the fan was on full speed, it still didn't reach the 30 dBA minimum sensitivity of our noise level meter.  This means the cooler is very quiet indeed, making it ideal for users who want a quiet system build.

Overall, we are very impressed with the Cooler Master Hyper 612S CPU cooler.  We were very satisfied with the cooling performance, as it coped with heat from the AMD Phenom II X6 1090T processor with ease, even when in an overclocked state.

Despite the excellent cooling performance from the Hyper 612S, we can't help but feel this is overshadowed by the cooler's excellent performance in the noise level tests.  Even without the included noise reducing adapter, the emissions registered below the 30 dBA minimum sensitivity of our meter.  In real world terms, this cooler will be close to silent when installed into a system.

Even though Cooler Master include a second set of fan mountings for the cooler, we don't think these are necessary, which is a pleasant surprise. That said, if you wanted improved cooling performance, you could always switch the included fan for a high performance model … or even add another. Just be prepared to deal with higher noise levels.

The Cooler Master Hyper 612S isn't on sale yet in the UK but we have been advised by Cooler Master that it will be retailing for around £35 inc. VAT.  We think this makes very good value, especially for those who want to overclock without having an excessively noisy system.

Pros

• Near silent operation.
• Good cooling performance.
• Excellent Value.
• Simple mounting mechanism.

Cons

• Fan doesn't shift much air.

KitGuru says: An excellent cooler that is very easy on the ears!

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