Final Thoughts and Conclusions
It would be hard to call the Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU cooler the be all and end all of tower coolers, especially for a company like Cooler Master that is always improving and innovating. The engineering and design behind the Hyper 212 does put forth some interesting ideas, including the separate cooling towers and dual fans. The blue LEDs are a nice touch, and they have been known to attract hardware monkeys like a moth to flame. Performance wise, the Cooler Master is what you would expect from it’s class of coolers. It puts up numbers that are good enough to turn heads, and has enough overclocking overhead to keep the turned. But this isn’t a performance cooler.
The major benefit of the Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU cooler, and it major point of interest, is that it’s quiet. Like many other tower coolers, the claim to fame of the Hyper 212 is it’s acoustics. Yes it can be used as a performance cooler in a pinch, but if you are the type who is seeking performance cooling, you likely are looking higher up Cooler Masters line and deeper into your pocket book. At $49.99 USD ($60.99 CDN) this is an inexpensive cooler that could easily fit into performance rig and keep it cool while keeping your sanity intact.
The Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU cooler isn’t without it’s issues though. The minor annoyance of reverse threading the screws and not detailing it in the manual can cause you to loose 10 minutes of installation time, or it can cause you to loose your cool when you can’t figure out why the screws aren’t going in. As for the numbers posted, they are only slightly above average for a cooler in this range. This is most likely due to dual tower design, as many coolers in the same price class do tend to benefit from a solid design.
In the end those looking for an inexpensive quiet cooler that performs well and might give them a little overclocking overhead should they be feeling naughty one day will have a hard time turning away from the Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU cooler. The Hyper 212 adds one more good cooling solution to the market, and it’s from a company known for good cooling solutions.
Pros
- New spin on the old tower cooler design
- Full array of accessories included
- Remains quiet while still posting good numbers
- Excellent price to performance ratio
- Oh, pretty lights
Cons
- Not much different from other tower coolers
- Performance numbers are only slightly above average
- New design hampers cooling performance
- Undocumented reverse threaded screws
Overall Rating: 8.0 / 10.0
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Shop LIke a PRO!