Review Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex review: raising the bar for silent performance

[Admin]

Cooler Master’s Hyper 612 Apex is an impressive little cooler with a big bite! We go hands-on, testing it with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel’s Core i7-14700K CPUs!

Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex review: raising the bar for silent performance : Read more

 

[lmcnabney]

Doesn't seem too different from the Thermalright Royal Knight 120 SE outside of being more than double the price. Also, you can't really compare air coolers against AIO since the radiator is removing the heat from the case while air coolers require more case fans (which also make noise) to accomplish the same.

 

[helper800]

Doesn't seem too different from the Thermalright Royal Knight 120 SE outside of being more than double the price. Also, you can't really compare air coolers against AIO since the radiator is removing the heat from the case while air coolers require more case fans (which also make noise) to accomplish the same.

I agree. If it were 50 dollars or less this would be a great buy. Where I disagree slightly is that this is a single tower cooler that performs near the best dual tower coolers. If CoolerMaster can scale this performance into a dual tower cooler, it may end up being the best air cooler on the market, and they can charge whatever they want for that and people will buy it.

 

[thestryker]

Looks like their performance promises despite being smaller than the original 612 delivered. If they get their new "3DHP" manufacturing squared away I could see another new version coming next year that is potentially cheaper.

I really like the aesthetics on this one and it seems like extra detail went into the design to minimize turbulence. If I was planning on sticking with air cooling I'd probably consider this or some future derivative just for those alone.

 

[bit_user]

I'm most intrigued by the move away from Direct-Touch heat pipes. Is that a recent development, or has Cooler Master been backing away from it, for a while?

Also, I thought their 3D Vapor Chamber was highly innovative and expected to see more of that, or at least more use of vapor chambers at the base of heatsinks. Didn't we hear some announcement of heatsinks incorporating vapor chambers, last year? IIRC, it was probably around the time of the previous Computex, in fact.

 

[bit_user]

you can't really compare air coolers against AIO since the radiator is removing the heat from the case while air coolers require more case fans (which also make noise) to accomplish the same.

@Albert.Thomas tested this inside a case. You could ask how his fan configuration compares, between AIO testing and air coolers. We could then add any delta in fan costs (esp. if they weren't included in the case) and tack that onto the price difference between the air coolers and the AIOs.

I'd guess Albert isn't using any fans that didn't come with the case, or else I think he'd have said so. Also, I think his noise measurements are taken outside of the case, which should include the impact of any additional case fans on noise. If I'm right, then I think it's a 100% fair comparison, with no further adjustments needed.

 

[thestryker]

I'm most intrigued by the move away from Direct-Touch heat pipes. Is that a recent development, or has Cooler Master been backing away from it, for a while?

They've had both for a long time. I had a V8 (the original, not the VC one) for my i7-920 which had the heat pipes going into a plate. I think direct touch was mostly just the 4 heat pipe and/or more budget models.

 

[bit_user]

I think direct touch was mostly just the 4 heat pipe and/or more budget models.

Here's an announcement stating their Cooler Master MA610P RGB has "6 heatpipes and Continuous Direct Contact 2.0 technology."

Cooler Master MasterAir MA610P and MA410P

Strengthen the MasterAir cooling line-up.

hexus.net

Price was listed at £64.99, which seems not flagship-tier, but also not budget.

 

[thestryker]

Here's an announcement stating their Cooler Master MA610P RGB has "6 heatpipes and Continuous Direct Contact 2.0 technology."

​

Cooler Master MasterAir MA610P and MA410P

Strengthen the MasterAir cooling line-up.

hexus.net

​

Price was listed at £64.99, which seems not flagship-tier, but also not budget.

I mean you're not wrong about the price, but that's clearly not a high quality cooler and I'm sure if you looked up reviews you'd find that to be confirmed. I wonder if they shifted back to direct touch for margins as RGB was really becoming a thing. Given how big of an OEM they've been over the years I wouldn't be surprised if they reused a lot of tooling when needed for margins (MA620P and MA620M were dramatically different coolers and price point for example despite being brought to market near one another).

 

[alchemy69]

Can we please stop refering to the heat pipes as "superconducting"?

 

[bit_user]

Can we please stop refering to the heat pipes as "superconducting"?

It's Cooler Master's fault. They used the term in the product literature.

​

However, you have a point that it should probably be placed in quotes.

It'd be interesting if there would be some sort of "truth in advertising" law that required any claim of superiority to be accompanied by a measurement + baseline, so that the claim is quantifiable and testable. Sadly, I'm not aware of anywhere that has such a law on the books.

 

[Albert.Thomas]

Can we please stop refering to the heat pipes as "superconducting"?

I am only using the term as they describe the product. I do agree that technical marketing leaves much to be desired.

 

[bit_user]

I am only using the term as they describe the product. I do agree that technical marketing leaves much to be desired.

Like I've said when Nvidia describes a desktop mini as a "supercomputer", I would just put such terms in quotes. Any time a manufacturer uses terminology that deviates from the classical definition of the word, it deserves to be called out in some way. I think putting it in quotes is a nice shorthand of implying it's their words, not the author's.

 

[Albert.Thomas]

Like I've said when Nvidia describes a desktop mini as a "supercomputer", I would just put such terms in quotes. Any time a manufacturer uses terminology that deviates from the classical definition of the word, it deserves to be called out in some way. I think putting it in quotes is a nice shorthand of implying it's their words, not the author's.

I believe if we're going by journalistic standards, the proper procedure would be to use the term "so-called". That is not a mockery or insult, merely an acknowledgement that the way the term is being referenced was being used as it was presented by another.

 

[jonaswox]

Can we please stop refering to the heat pipes as "superconducting"?

while I generally agree that any sort of misleading marketing is very bad -

In this scale we are talking , heat pipes are practically superconducting Sure supercritical heat pipes would perform better , but I dont think anyone would want to maintain such pressures inside their pc ;D

Heat pipes in general are almost to be considered magic. I dont know what superconductivity of heat would refer to in the real world as that would be a perfect transfer of heat energy.

With all that said, I have no clue what that slide is suppose to say other than the basic principle of a heat pipe.... then there is some text saying "enhanced" , so I guess this whole graphic was meant to tell that it is enhanced in text 😀

Im getting this vision of a product lead doing the culmination pitch of months of hard work. So the slide comes up; "So you know guys know a heatpipe -- amazing what they can do.... So.... what we did...." - activates animation that spins the word "enhanced" onto the screen - "we enhanced it". - slow cap. "That sure is an amazing invention Greg".

 

[bit_user]

I have no clue what that slide is suppose to say other than the basic principle of a heat pipe.... then there is some text saying "enhanced" , so I guess this whole graphic was meant to tell that it is enhanced in text 😀

I think they simply wanted to highlight that they improved their heatpipes, without giving away exactly what they changed or how. They supposedly optimized their design, through the use of AI.

 

[jonaswox]

I think they simply wanted to highlight that they improved their heatpipes, without giving away exactly what they changed or how. They supposedly optimized their design, through the use of AI.

Sure , but then what is this slide suppose to achieve ? The fun part is the immateriality of making a whole graphic to deliver the message "ai enhanced"

Its just so obvious marketing jargon that its hard to even pretend it is not. I wish for the future journalism in general will a lot more vocally resist these kinds of semantics, instead of requoting them adding a subtle hint that it is weird. Im seriously tired with where the world is going and how every single activity on the planet prioritizes money above EVERYTHING else. It is pathetic on a collective scale I think we have never achieved before. Every single reasoning behind capitalism has been run into the ground ........... by capitalism. The irony. At least the aristocracy understood that this kind of going over the top is only speed running your power into the ground.

And even Aristotle knew that when power starts to consolidate this hard and having to explain itself even towards its own followers -> the beginning of the end has begun.

 

[helper800]

Im seriously tired with where the world is going and how every single activity on the planet prioritizes money above EVERYTHING else. It is pathetic on a collective scale I think we have never achieved before. Every single reasoning behind capitalism has been run into the ground ........... by capitalism. The irony. At least the aristocracy understood that this kind of going over the top is only speed running your power into the ground.

And even Aristotle knew that when power starts to consolidate this hard and having to explain itself even towards its own followers -> the beginning of the end has begun.

The true irony of capitalism is that it has produced the most prosperous and long lived era of human peace in all of history, and people are so hungry for something to complain about that it often finds itself the target of its own beneficiaries criticisms. Sure, just like any system, capitalism has its issues, but they are far and away the least problematic issues of any other system of societal makeup.

I am going to leave that here, and I suggest we both drop the subject less we get flagged from the mods.

 

[bit_user]

Sure , but then what is this slide suppose to achieve ? The fun part is the immateriality of making a whole graphic to deliver the message "ai enhanced"

Its just so obvious marketing jargon that its hard to even pretend it is not. I wish for the future journalism in general will a lot more vocally resist these kinds of semantics, instead of requoting them adding a subtle hint that it is weird.

I think the proper role of a reviewer, with respect to a manufacturer's claims, is to outline the key claims and then attempt to put them to the test. If a manufacturer uses weird terminology, it should always be called out in some way. How far to go in doing that depends somewhat on how extreme their abuse of language is, as well as the potential to mislead consumers.

Personally, I consider the term "superconducting heatpipe" is a somewhat innocuous attempt to highlight their claimed design improvements. I don't worry that anyone will think this heatpipe has zero Ohms of electrical resistance, or will attempt to use it that way. It's also still a conventional heatpipe, which the slide confirms. IMO, all the review needs to do is indicate that it's a meaningless and non-standard term of the manufacturer's own creation. I'd be satisfied with putting it in quotes, but you might be right that a little more should be done to explain that we have no reason to believe they fundamentally overcame traditional limits in heatpipe technology.

In the grand scheme of things, what I care about most is an honest and fair test of products, in ways that are both relevant to prospective users and hopefully shed a little light into the underlying tech of these products (and improvements therewith).

 

[jonaswox]

The true irony of capitalism is that it has produced the most prosperous and long lived era of human peace in all of history, and people are so hungry for something to complain about that it often finds itself the target of its own beneficiaries criticisms. Sure, just like any system, capitalism has its issues, but they are far and away the least problematic issues of any other system of societal makeup.

I am going to leave that here, and I suggest we both drop the subject less we get flagged from the mods.

But nobody is denying that part. I think you completely misunderstand my point. It was not a layup for discussion merely an observation that the efficiency used as ground for its existence is what the system itself is eroding today. When every single product is price gauged, every single product made to fail and so on -> there is not really much of the original spirit of capitalism left.

 

[bit_user]

I think you completely misunderstand my point. It was not a layup for discussion merely an observation that the efficiency used as ground for its existence is what the system itself is eroding today.

Yeah, maybe I am missing something. I think that's okay, as long as you think you've expressed yourself clearly. Perhaps others are getting your point better than I am.

When every single product is price gauged, every single product made to fail and so on -> there is not really much of the original spirit of capitalism left.

All I have to say about this, is that reviewers like Albert are putting in the elbow grease to hold these products accountable, in terms of the value they provide, as well as other practical considerations. He quantitatively compares it to other products, so that their respective value is apparent. This enables people to get the best value for money, or choose the best option in their price range (or make other plans, if no suitable option exists).

What better alternative do you propose?

 

[jonaswox]

Yeah, maybe I am missing something. I think that's okay, as long as you think you've expressed yourself clearly. Perhaps others are getting your point better than I am.


All I have to say about this, is that reviewers like Albert are putting in the elbow grease to hold these products accountable, in terms of the value they provide, as well as other practical considerations. He quantitatively compares it to other products, so that their respective value is apparent. This enables people to get the best value for money, or choose the best option in their price range (or make other plans, if no suitable option exists).

What better alternative do you propose?

Nobody is critisizing albert of the review in general. Im talking about the fact I think we should more actively call out this behavior. Everytime we slide easy past it, someone will get fooled. And as long as it is profitable to just lie and say endless bs (which is illegal btw) - well then they will keep doing it. Either one should just not even engage in this language or point out that it is a baseless claim. Just like saying "my new super recipe".

In regard to the first part of your answer; this was not even remotely intented for you. I was trying to let the Mr know that I was not being in opposition to capitalism in general, but to where capitalism have driven itself in todays era. A place where not even the capitalists can recognize what is going on anymore - and not a single of their original reasonings for why this system is good applies anymore - because of their abuse and blind chasing of profits. -> So that is the part where im saying that capitalists actually managed to destroy capitalism themselves. Im not saying the concept in general is useless.

Dupont has poisoned every single living organism on the planet and is somehow still in the chemical business. You cant make shit like this up. Its not even a crime towards humanity, its a freaking crime towards life. This is just to paint a picture of the general situation. Nothing is truly illegal if you are rich enough.

 

[bit_user]

Im talking about the fact I think we should more actively call out this behavior. Everytime we slide easy past it, someone will get fooled. And as long as it is profitable to just lie and say endless bs (which is illegal btw) - well then they will keep doing it. Either one should just not even engage in this language or point out that it is a baseless claim. Just like saying "my new super recipe".

I think you can't realistically legislate against marketing mumbo jumbo. As long as the terms are sufficiently meaningless, at least in the context where they're used, it's not really regarded as a problem.

One well-known example that comes to mind is the "Hemi" engine. When the term was originally coined, it was used to describe the shape of the cylinder heads. Since then, it's lost its meaning and has long since degenerated to being nothing more than a trademarked marketing name.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Hemi_engine
​

I was not being in opposition to capitalism in general, but to where capitalism have driven itself in todays era.

I don't really want to get onto this tangent, but if you know your history, we've been in similar (and in some ways worse) places, before.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilded_Age
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Sometimes, these things work like a pendulum. A swing too far in one direction can provoke a corrective reaction. But, that's as far as I go, because I really don't see how it has anything to do with the article or its subject matter.

 

[jonaswox]

And I am a bit sad that you does not even react to my "enhanced" sketch 😀

The spirit of my post is to bash the manufactors stupid claims and stupid slides that is all made to give a perception of something substantial where there is nothing substantial.

It was never to critisize the review in general. Its just a super technical detail from a journalist pov, not really remotely the most important part of the job. But I was trying to talk about this trend of sliding past stuff like this frictionless, when it should be called out for the bs that it is. Or not even mentioned.

It was never my intend to discuss history of society or capitalism. Merely the observation that the biggest danger to capitalism currently is itself. -> ie irresponsible behavior all over the palette.

You are totally spot on about the marketing stuff. But that is even more grounds for not playing into their semantics game Also the spirit of the law is clear. Also contract law is VERY clear about the fact that the moment you have bought something even remotely not exactly what you THOUGHT you bought, it is grounds for cancellation of the contract. Sure again , "prove it". But that does not change the fact it is illegal behavior and should not be supported in any shape or form culturally. Doing so is just enabling at this point.

 

[bit_user]

The spirit of my post is to bash the manufactors stupid claims and stupid slides that is all made to give a perception of something substantial where there is nothing substantial.

Albert's data indeed shows whether or not it's insubstantial marketing fluff. Furthermore, what he actually said was:

"Cooler Master claims its performance is enabled by new superconducting heatpipe. And while normally I would ignore such claims as marketing fluff, the Hyper 612 Apex has the performance to back it up!"
​

While he didn't do a proper tear-down and measure each component part of the heatsink, as would be needed to see how much of the outstanding performance was indeed due to the heatpipe improvements, the overall result was a proper step-change.