Cooler Master Hyper 412 Slim CPU Cooler Review

The overall aesthetic of the Hyper 412 Slim CPU cooler is dominated by the two 120mm fans. You can see the actual heat sink is quite small compared to what we’d normally expect from a dual 120mm fan CPU cooler.

At the top you can see the four capped U shaped 6mm copper heat pipes. You can also see how slim the two 120mm fans are that Cooler Master have equipped to make this CPU cooler a slim version. Each fan is just 15mm wide, making the total width of the cooler 106mm.

This side view gives a clearer view of the easy fan mounting system that is as easy as sliding the fans on. To remove them simply lift each side’s black clips up slightly and slide off again. You can adjust the fans any way you want to change the direction of the airflow.

The base uses the Cooler Master CDC (Continous Direct Contact) technology which means the copper heat pipes are always in direct contact with the processor. From personal experience I have found that flat plated CPU cooler bases tend to be better than this solution for two reason; the gaps in between the heat pipes can cause performance issues due to thermal paste build up and poor contact, also it is generally more expensive to manufacture the CPU cooler with flattened heat pipes at the base instead of a flat metal plate – thus adding unnecessary cost.

I would of preferred it if Cooler Master had a machined flat Nickel plated copper base, but hopefully the performance numbers will quell my doubts.