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Cooler Master Geminii S524 VER.2 CPU Cooler Review

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CPU Cooler Final Thoughts

I have always enjoyed Cooler Master releases, not only do they keep their products simple, but they are innovative and have a reputation that has been build with years of providing enthusiasts with cooling solutions. Every product they release, including the Cooler Master GeminII S524 Ver.2, has extensive support online, and shows the expertise engineers at Cooler Master have gained with the many new products they release each month. The GeminII S524 Ver.2 is impressive, as it managed to keep our overclocked i5 4670k with remarkable temperatures and still have a unique semi-low profile design. There is still some room for improvement, specially in regards to the mounting system which should be simplified with less small pieces that can be easily lost.

CM-Geminii-S524-Logo

Cooler Master GeminII S524 VER.2 Ultimate Conclusion

Although when compared to other coolers released this year the performance of the GeminII S524 Ver.2 is low, we should take into account that the bar has been set high this year from the likes of Raijintek and Scythe. However, Cooler Master is taking a different approach by bringing in the most performance per height in a heatsink, something HTPC and SFF users will find useful.

Unfortunately, it is impossible for us to test the reliability of most of the products we review. However, the Cooler Master GeminII S524 Ver. 2 shows some very positive signs when it comes to it’s overall construction. The mounting mechanism is sturdy and showed no signs of flex. The fins on the heatsink were not easily bent, and are protected by the fan at the top. There were also no flaws on the base plate of our sample, which should result in better performance.

The design of the Cooler Master GeminII S524 Ver. 2 is in very simple terms smart. The low profile ensures that you will have compatibility with most cases, including some of the small SFF ones with more than 105.4 mm of height, the elevated design ensures that you have 47 mm of ram clearance, and it still has no PCI clearance issues. The bracket at the top also allows for 140 mm fans to be installed, however we found that the included Silencio 120 mm PWM fan is a great add-on.

Our last score pertains to the value of the product at hand. The Cooler Master GeminII S524 Ver.2 is priced online for $42.71 (Newegg l B&HAmazon) at the time of this review which is average for any aftermarket cooler. Although the performance is not incredible, the GeminII S524 Ver. 2 has a very specific target, managing adequate cooling that even allows for a modest overclock with an included fan that is silent and a design that allows for compatibility with most systems.

Pros:Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award Logo (Small)

+ Simple, small design ensures compatibility.
+ 2-Year warranty.
+ Included Silencio 120 mm PWM fan.

Cons:

– Performance is not impressive..
– Mounting system is over-complicated.

Ratings:

  • Performance: 8.0
  • Appearance: 9.0
  • Construction: 9.5
  • Functionality: 9.0
  • Value: 8.5

Final Score: 8.8 out of 10.

NewEgg.com

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