X-bit labs

Big Typhoon Squared: Cooler Master GeminII Review (page 8)

Category: Coolers

by Sergey Lepilov

[ 04/04/2007 | 03:05 PM ]

Conclusion

Our today’s tests indicate that overclockers have got another very effective and very quiet air cooler. The Cooler Master GeminII is already selling at a price not much different from the recommended one.

There are only two drawbacks about the new product: no fans included into the package and its limited compatibility with mainboards for AMD processors. The former drawback can be solved easily, but the latter is more serious. I hope the manufacturer will perfect the Socket AM2/939 fastening in such a way that the cooler could be oriented on the CPU socket in the best possible position.

Big weight? It’s not a problem as the GeminII uses threaded fastening through the mainboard which just can be more reliable. The mainboard has to be taken out of the system case to install the cooler, but you have to do the same with every super-cooler, except for Scythe’s (but I should add that the GeminII lacks a back-plate for LGA775 and the mainboard bends under the pressure). Size? The cooler fits into the system case perfectly and does not press against the components around the CPU socket. It does not exhaust hot air outside, but its design just doesn’t imply that.

The rest are indisputable advantages. The GeminII is highly effective and very quiet. It cools the near-socket space on the mainboard. It is not more expensive than its opponents, even including the cost of two fans. And it is already available for purchase! Very good news!

Where could the GeminII progress further? I would suggest the following:

• Remove the top rigidity bars from the fan plate to reduce resistance to airflow
• To reduce the same resistance more, the top edge of the ribbing could be made serrated
• Include fans into the package by default, perhaps fans with speed adjustment up to 2500rpm (this would please an extreme overclocker, but would be useless for those who choose silence)
• Make the heat pipes the same diameter as in the Enzotech Ultra-X (and perhaps use fewer of them)
• Polish the base better

So, I think there is still some work Cooler Master’s engineers might do to make this super-cooler even better than it currently is.