Page 4 - Conclusion
For a relatively compact air cooler, the Cooler Master GeminII S524 Ver.2 does a pretty good job. The heatsink should be able to fit into smaller chassis, especially since it is not very tall. This is not to mention the RAM clearance is good as well, but if you have bigger heatspreaders, such as on the G.Skill RipjawsX model I have, you may have to orientate the cooler differently, or remove the heatspreaders. Luckily, there are four possible different orientations for the cooler. The build quality is also good, with most of the construction being aluminum, and the heatpipes made out of copper for optimal heat transfer. The temperatures the cooler was able to achieve is very good for its size. Although the idle temperature was quite a bit higher than the rest of the compared coolers (Which included a mega-sized Scythe Ninja 4 and a slew of SilverStone closed loop water coolers), but the temperature under load matched that of the Tundra TD03-SLIM -- nice. The included Silencio FP fan was very good and quiet. I was impressed with how quiet the fan was both during idling and under load. The parallel fan orientation also allowed it to blow air through the heatsink and onto the motherboard to help cool electrical components around the socket. The biggest issue I could find was the installation process. The entire procedure could have been simplified with clearer installation steps, as well as keeping the backplate and the cooler in place without the help of another person. The retail price is $42 USD at press time. I think this is very fair and competitive, which will fit into budget builds if you want to move away from the stock cooler. Overall, the Cooler Master GeminII S524 Ver.2 performs well, is quiet, and definitely a great choice for budget builds and/or installation in a smaller chassis.
Cooler Master provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.0/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
Do not be fooled by its size: The Cooler Master GeminII S524 Ver.2 may be smaller, but it is quiet and delivers on cooling.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
