Cooler Master Hyper N520 - initial inspection
At first glance, Cooler Master's Hyper N520 looks a tad weird as a result of its offset 92mm fans. The idea is that they'll ensure cool air accelerates straight through the heatsink, leaving no dead zones.
The cooler's unique appearance makes it stand out, and we reckon it looks rather good.
The surprising good looks can partly be credited to Cooler Master's choice of fans - both feature translucent grey blades and a Cooler Master hologram.
All is not well, however, as Cooler Master's implementation has resulted in fans with three-pin connectors. Yup, that means they aren't PWM-controlled, and they'll run at full throttle (1,800RPM) unless a a separate rheostat is introduced.
Cooler Master does include a two-way splitter to ensure both fans connect to a single three-pin header, but the inability to automatically throttle down could be a big miss.
Up top is the customary Cooler Master branding, written on the Hyper N520's grey metal casing. Note the unusual fan arrangement.
Down below, we can see the cooler's mirror-finished copper base and five copper heatpipes. Cooler Master doesn't pre-apply thermal paste, but a syringe is included in the bundle.
The cooler is installed using retention mechanisms for both Intel and AMD platforms. A little more work than a push-pin design, as you'll need to remove your motherboard - unless, of course, you've a chassis with a backplate cutout specifically for cooler installation.
It's mostly nice and tidy, but we're puzzled by Cooler Master's decision to attach stickers to the two-way splitter. The cable, connecting the cooler's fans to a motherboard, features an awkward white sticker that reads "warranty void if removed". Sadly, it's in a position that makes it unsightly.
Cooler Master's bundle includes everything you need to get started, including retention mechanisms for all the latest CPU sockets - including Intel LGA775 / LGA1366 and AMD AM3 / AM2+ / AM2. Thermal paste, supplied in a syringe, will need to be manually applied.
