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Cooler Master GeminII S
| Caractéristiques | |||
| Type | heatsink and fan | ||
| Compatibility | 775 / AM2 / 940 / 939 / 754 | ||
| Material | copper and aluminium | ||
| Fan size | |||
| PWM | yes | ||
 Show all specifications
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| Dimensions | 124 x 120 x 87 mm |
| Weight | |
 Hide specifications | |
Régis Jehl
Test date: January 8, 2009
Test date: January 8, 2009
Compatibility, Installation and Accessories
Cooler Master's GeminII S is compatible with a wide variety of socket architectures: 775, AM2, 939, 940 and 754 are all supported. To use a 1366 socket, you'll need a separate support system.
Although it's simple enough, installing it takes quite a while as you need to attach the mount to the heatsink, before adding a plate behind the motherboard (which needs to be removed for thie part) and finally screwing the two parts together.
Apart from all of the parts you'll need to install it, you'll also find a tube of thermal paste and an installation manaual in the box, which is very clear about how to fit your new heatsink.
Although it's simple enough, installing it takes quite a while as you need to attach the mount to the heatsink, before adding a plate behind the motherboard (which needs to be removed for thie part) and finally screwing the two parts together.
Apart from all of the parts you'll need to install it, you'll also find a tube of thermal paste and an installation manaual in the box, which is very clear about how to fit your new heatsink.
This heatsink--the Cooler Master GeminII S--is a mini version of the earlier GeminII.
Not only is it smaller, but it also includes a different fan, which we'll discuss further below.
Compare this heatsink's performance
charts in our Product Face-Off: Heatsinks
charts in our Product Face-Off: Heatsinks
One thing you need to know is that although this fan fits perfectly onto the 120 mm heatsink , a special support is included allowing you to attach a pair of 92 mm fans if you prefer. Going down this route won't give you much extra cooling power, but it does mean some cold air can pass over the motherboard and RAM as well as the CPU.
Technically speaking, the GeminII S has a classic design, with plenty of vertical aluminium fins. Five heatpipes create a more even distribution of heat over the whole heat exchanging surface, whose base is made from copper. The 120 mm fan that's included has nine thin, curved blades.
Fan Makes Itself Heard
The GeminII S performs reasonably well it comes to cooling, and can handle just about any type of processor. Our main criticism is focused not on its cooling power, though, but rather the amount of noise it makes while doing it. Running at half-speed and above, the fan quickly moves from a mild irritation to something that's unacceptably loud.
Pluses
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Efficient at cooling processors that don't produce too much heat
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Doesn't take up too much space
Minuses
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Very loud for the amount of cooling it provides
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Noise from fan quickly becomes annoying
Although compact heatsinks regularly garner a lot of attention, this particular model didn't manage to impress us. The major problem was a fan that's too loud and cooling power that just won't do for power users.
