Cooler Master GeminII S524 CPU Cooler

Manufacturer: Cooler Master
Product Name: GeminII S524
Model: RR-G524-18PK-R1
Price As Tested: $39.99 (Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Cooler Master

I've said before that since the coolers included with retail CPUs are both quiet and effective at stock clock speeds, overclocking is the only reason anyone should buy a third party CPU cooler. Well, this isn't strictly true: not all third party CPU coolers are designed to handle ultra-high overclocks in massive tower systems; sometimes, what you need is a cooler that is more effective than the retail cooler in specific situations, such as the tight confines of a micro-ATX or HTPC case. When airflow's at a premium, a properly designed cooler that can fit into a tight space can be a big help. Benchmark Reviews looks at Cooler Master's new GeminII S524 cooler, which is designed for just such applications.

The GeminII is a "blow down" style cooler, as are the stock Intel and AMD coolers. A fan blows air down over an array of fins, rather than out the back or top of the computer as most third party coolers do.

The design used to be more popular, but has largely been replaced by "tower" style coolers which offer more effective cooling since they can be physically larger.

Cooler Master GeminII S524 CPU Cooler Specifications

• Cooler Dimensions: 144 x 144 x 105 mm (5.7 x 5.7 x 4.1 inch)
• Cooler weight: 490g (1.08 lb) (heatsink only)
• Heatsink material: Copper Base / 5 Heat Pipes / Aluminum Fins
• Fan: 120 x 120 x 25 mm, 800-1800RPM
• Fan airflow: 34.2 - 77.7 CFM ± 10%
• Fan noise level: 15.1 - 31.6 dBA
• Fan life: 40,000 hours

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