bit-tech Shopping: Cooler Master Coolermaster GeminII CPU+Board Cooler

• AMD Socket 754
• AMD Socket 939
• AMD Socket 940
• AMD Socket AM2
• Intel Socket T (LGA775)

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2

Strengths: Excellent cooling with 2 120mm fans, affordable with rebate

Weaknesses: Extremely large heatsink, will not fit on some motherboards (won't work on the DFI Lanparty UT Ultra-D)

Summary: I ended up putting this on my Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard because it would not fit on my DFI Lanparty UT Ultra-D mobo. According to the instructions this heatsink can not be used on a motherboard whose CPU retention bracket screws are mounted horizontally, versus screws that are mounted vertically (think of the motherboard mounted in a mid tower case) a bit hard to explain, but be aware of this won't work on every board. Once mounted on the Asus board, which had to be removed as there is no way to mount this heatsink with the motherboard installed in the case, results were good. With a couple of 120mm fans cooling a FX-55 bumped to FX-57 speeds, temps were in the middle 30's C with load temps tipping 40 C. Not bad for an inexpensive cooler. The Antec window case it sits in, lets just say the heatsink dominates the view. All in all, good buy with a rebate.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 3 Months

Strengths: Massive cooling; useable without fan if not overclocking; very effective; solidly built; fan(s) also cool(s) other components.

Weaknesses: Bulky; might not fit in some small and medium cases; difficult to install.

Summary: RR-CCH-ANU2-GP GeminII Heatsink is the best heat sink I ever had for a desktop PC, particularly HTPC. Adding a 120mm fan running at a very slow speed, I was able to overclock a duo core 1.8 GHz E4300 to a stable 3.1GHz fast performance in a very cool and quiet computing environment. In fact, it could be used reliably without a fan if aggressive overclocking is not required. I like it so much that I had to get another one for a future quad core system. Highly recommended.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2 Months

Strengths: Effective cooling

Weaknesses: With 2 120mm fan, you need to be sure you have space in your case for them. In addition, they may get in the way of accessing certain parts of MB (e.g. memory module slots).

Summary: With 2 120mm fan mountable on the cooler and six cooper heat pipes, the cooling is effective with awesome airflow. It keeps my CPU at about 25 degree C at idles. However, note that the cooler with the 2 120mm fan does take up some space and at times made it difficult for me to access some parts of the motherboard. Removing and installation of memory module was more challenging for example. It does also get in the way of plugging wires. If possible get all the components and wires in place first before installing this monster (unless you are willing to redo thermal paste and cooler re-installation frequently).

Rating: 6

Time with product: 2

Strengths: Supports multiple platforms, allows clearance on most motherboards for memory removal and replacement

Weaknesses: It's big, and I mean big.

Summary: I bought this CPU heatsink for a silent (passive) socket 939 computer system. Wasn't meant to be as I had to mount 2 low speed Yate Loon 120mm low speed fans on the cooler. In all fairness the CPU I'm using draws 89 watts. This would be a better passive cooler for a 65 or 45 watt CPU. I also thought that due to the heatsink size and type of mounting it uses it made for a tedious and "clumsy" installation.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 3

Strengths: Lots of surface area.

Weaknesses: Must purchase two additional fans to make it active rather than passive. Very large.

Summary: This is the mother of all CPU coolers run with fans. The thing is just flat out huge. It provides plenty of surface area to dissipate heat, but you'll have to buy two 120mm fans to take full advantage of the cooling capabilities. Also, because of its size, you may run into problems with nearby components. Usually not a problem, but good to be cognizant of this issue. Cooling is much better than stock fans, but not nearly as good as water cooled solutions. Fine for the average over clocker that is just looking to get better results than the stock fans. Be careful when you install not to over tighten and crack your motherboard. Other than that, a decent cooler at a very good price.