If you aren't into technical blah blah blah, just read this: do i have a pc case with at least 16cm between the processor and the side of the case? if yes BUY IT, if not replace the case and BUY IT anyway... just buy it even if don't own a pc, just in case you change your mind in the future
I decided to downgrade from "be quiet dark rock 3" which is a top end, top performer cooler, twice as heavy, twice as big and nearly three times more expensive to this, i did it because i were using a horizontal case and migrated my components to a vertical tower case with a vertical layout motherboard and i just wasn't comfortable with a 967g heat-sink pulling down my motherboard risking of bending it or even cracking it, not worth the risk so i went for something lighter, this not only is half the weight, but also allows you to get your fingers around it if you need to push a connector or something, those big boys, once installed, this is it, they are so big you will never see your mother board again, let alone work around it.
Just for the record i have a i5 3.4gz overclocked to 4.4gz (serious heat produced) and I'm sometimes a heavy gamer pushing my pc to the limit
I couldn't happier with the results, my processor is doing light tasks such as facebook/youtube is running as 31c with zero noise from the fan at 750rpm, medium tasks such as prime95 or most games, this thing keep things tidy at 33-40c with zero noise as well at 750rpm, the heaviest task that i could find was a lengthy session on project cars at full resolution pushing everything to the limit including the overall temperature inside the case it kept the processor under 55c at all times which is well under the 84c limit recommended by intel, as for noise, nope, at 900rpm it kept silent and the only noise i could hear was the noise generated by my graphics card.. that was it, even if a manually set the rpm to highest possible 1700rpm it's not a unpleasant noise at all, it's a gentle subtle blow with magical and mystical cooling properties, cars passing by my road with my double glazed windows in between produce more noise than this.
Build quality is top notch, especially at this price, and it comes with long life sleeve bearings that in theory should make it really reliable as well
Installation is fairly easy even for novices, easily found on youtube videos explaining how to, if you are not familiar with it but still want to venture making your pc quieter and cooler
There's only 2 downsides in my opinion, one easily fixed
1- the fan comes as standard "pushing" air against the heatsink, i personally don't like that at all, it's been proven time and time again, even with pre historical people, even before the invention of the wheel that "pulling" air from the heatsink is just as effective, (i guess you just pictured in your mind pre historical people chasing dinosaurs and playing games in the evening didn't you) besides it makes a hell lot easier to shove a vacuum cleaner nozzle inside the case and suck it up the dirt/dust if it isn't trapped between the fan and the heatsink, plus, by pulling air it's a lot easier to direct that hot air directly to my rear exhaust fan making my internal pc case even cooler, but that was easy to "fix" by screwing the plastic brackets that hold the fan onto the sink and turning the fan around, not a big deal
2- the metal bracket that holds the heatsink against the processor comes with a spring loaded system, i guess the reason they make it that way is to be safe proof against inexperienced people as you can't "over screw it" applying too much pressure and damaging your processor or not allowing the heatsink to sit perfectly even on top of the processor causing it to overheat, i get that, i respect that, BUT, if you ever move home, or if you move your pc from one place to another, or its a lan rig and you constantly take it to your friends, i really really reeeeeeally do recommend you to double check it the heatsink is perfectly aligned with the processor before you switch you pc on, there's a risk of the heatsink sliding of place, small risk, but risk is there
overall, i can't recommend this product enough; well priced, well built for the price, great performer, very quiet, very easy to install, should be fairly reliable (the great thing about fans it that they do let you know when they are about to die) and at least in my nearly 25 years build pcs, none of their products that I've encountered ever let me down
| Brand | Cooler Master |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 11.99 x 16 x 8 cm; 450 g |
| Item model number | RR-212E-16PK-R1 |
| Manufacturer | Cooler Master Europe B.V. |
| Series | Hyper 212 EVO |
| Colour | Hyper 212 Evo |
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
| Wattage | 2.28 watts |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Item Weight | 450 g |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
