Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler

Submitted by Peter on Tue, 2011-04-26 19:19

technology:

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler is quieter than the original Intel/AMD CPU fan and is easy to install when building a new computer. Installation can be painful in an existing computer.

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Compatibility

AMD

AMD socket AM2, socket AM2+, and socket AM3. AMD Phenom™ II X4, Phenom™ II X3, Phenom™ II X2, Phenom™ X4, Phenom™ X3, Athlon™ II X4, Athlon™ II X3, Athlon™ II X2, Athlon™ X2, Athlon™, and Sempron™.

Intel

Intel socket LGA775, socket LGA1155, socket LGA1156, and socket LGA1366. Intel Core™ I7 Extreme, Core™ I7, Core™ I5, Core™ I3, Core™2 Extreme, Core™2 Quad, Core™2 Duo, Pentium®, and Celeron®.

Cooling tower

The metal part is 158.5mm tall from the top of the processor. All my tower style cases can fit the 158.5mm height. My slimmest tower case just fits the 158.5mm height and would not fit a similar style cooling tower with a larger fan.

The width is 120mm to match the 120mm fan. All my tower cases and ATX motherboards can fit the 120mm width.

The thickness is 51mm. You have to add at least one fan, typically 25mm, producing a final thickness of 77mm. There are thinner fans available if space is tight but the thinner fans can be hard to find and might not be as quiet. My smaller tower case could fit only one fan on the cooler because of the position of a disk.

Fan

Large slow moving fans are quieter than small fast fans. The fan is 120mm in diameter, about the biggest you get on a CPU cooler, and significantly larger than the 80mm or smaller fan on most CPU coolers supplied with CPUs. the fan is 25mm thick and has to be taken into account when space is tight inside a case. If you add a second fan, you are adding a second 25mm.

Some CPU coolers have 135mm fans and do not fit within a standard computer case. Some of the extra large coolers have their hardware bent at odd angles to squeeze into a standard case but then push up against add-on cards, disks, and the power supply. Of the few coolers with 135mm fans, I did not find a cooler to fit my medium size computer case. The might fit my large computer case if the case had a large motherboard with the processor in the right position.

The fan runs from 600 rpm up to 2000 rpm. 2000 rpm produces an annoying whine no matter how quiet the fan is. Smaller fans rev up to 3000 or 3500 rpm. 2000 rpm is better than 3000 rpm. Slowing down to 600 rpm is better and is less annoying. A good case fan and the fan in a good power supply will both be 120mm and revolve at a similar slow speed. The CPU cooler fan should produce noise down at the level of the case fan and power supply fan.

My subjective test, without accurate measurement, says the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus is worth the upgrade from the standard AMD fan. I performed the upgrade on a computer where the case is a bit tight on space and some of the larger CPU coolers would not fit. The medium size case is the smallest case that fits a decent size motherboard and several disks. There is a small clearance over the top of the cooler and a small clearance from the cooler to the power supply and also a small clearance from the cooler to the nearest disk. The clearances are enough to run cables. To make it work, Ii had to move the fan from the original position to the other side of the cooler.

A fan is preinstalled on the cooler. There are brackets on the fan that grip the cooler. You remove the fan by pushing the brackets out slightly then sliding the fan up the cooler. Installing the cooler is easier with the fan off.

The fan has a mark to indicate the airflow direction. The airflow was in the wrong direction when installed on the side of the cooler with enough space. I had to remove the brackets from the fan and install them on the other side of the fan to mount the fan on the cooler with the airflow in the right direction.

Second fan

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus is shown in most pictures with two fans, one at the back and one in front. There is only one fan in the packet and it is enough for regular use. If you overclock your CPU, a dangerous thing to do, you need a second fan. The package includes the mounting bracket for the second fan. The second fan would be connected direct to a power cable to run full blast all the time while the original cycles up and down based on the CPU temperature.

Weight

The Hyper 212 Plus weighs in around 600 grams while the competition weights in over 700 grams. The Hyper 212 Plus is the lightest fan in its class, where the class covers single fan coolers with high effectiveness and low noise when cooling CPUs that are not overclocked. Some competitors have a second fan included in the package. If you overclock, you need the second fan and that increases both the weight and cost, pushing the Hyper 212 Plus up toward the nearest competitor.

Easy installation

The weight of the Hyper 212 Plus and the competitors all exceed the weight recommendation for the standard plastic mounting brackets on motherboards. You have to remove the existing bracket and install a replacement metal bracket. The installation is easy when the motherboard is out of the case, which is the normal situation when building a new computer. If you replace the cooler in an existing computer, you have to remove the motherboard to install the new mounting bracket. Removing and reinstalling a motherboard can be painful.

Instructions

The instructions have adequate diagrams, if you are experienced with computer hardware, and few words. You have to position some bolts and screws in the right spot for each type of socket. Everything is much easier when the motherboard is completely out of the case and you can move everything around to line up the parts.

Air flow

Most cases have a large fan at the back near the processor. The case fans suck the hot air out. You want the fan on the cooler pushing the air in the same direction. If the air flows in any other direction, the fans fight each other and have to speed up to move enough air to cool the computer. You then have the fans whining at a higher speed. Some of the alternatives blow the air from the motherboard out to the side of the case then the case fan has to drag the air in another direction. In theory the Hyper 212 Plus should line up with the case fan and produce the maximum air flow from the minimum fan effort.

Overall noise

Based on making several computers quieter over several years, you need to make changes in this sequence.

Replace your CPU fan because they make the most noise when your computer is busy for a while and has a chance to heat up.
The next noise is the disk going click, click, click. Replace your Hitachi and Western Digital disks with Samsung or Seagate. They all have noisier and quieter models. Check their noise rating.
Power supply fans can be noisy. Antec make quiet cases with quiet power supplies. If you choose another brand of case, choose one without a power supply then buy a quiet power supply from Antec or a similar brand.
Case fans are often large but not speed controlled. If your case fan is not 120mm, move up to a 120mm fan and make sure it can be controlled from the motherboard.
Clean the dust out of your computer each year. Dust slows down heat transfer from cooling fins to air. Your CPU cooling fan will slowly speed up due to the dust. Keep the cooling fins clean.

Conclusion

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler is all you need for quieter CPU cooling, quieter to the point where the CPU fan will no longer be noticeable compared to the case and power supply fans.