Cooler Master Hyper 6+: Universal Heatpipe Tower

Final Words

Cooler Master manufactures a huge array of cases and cooling products that cover the full range from basic CPU air cooling to a range of water cooling solutions for processors. Their product line even extends to cooling for hard drives, VGA cards, and RAM, as well as cooling solutions for notebook computers. The Hyper 6+ fits in that product line as a top air cooling solution. This is reflected is a suggested retail price of around $50, although we have seen the popular Hyper 6+ on sale in the $30 to $35 price range in recent weeks. Whatever the final price, the Hyper 6+ is designed to compete in the high-end air cooling category.

The Cooler Master Hyper 6+ competes well against other high-end air coolers. It was second in our overclocking tests of air coolers - just 30 MHz behind the class-leading Tuniq Tower 120. The rework of the fan on the Hyper 6+ is also effective, making it one of the quietest large towers we have tested. That is genuine praise for low noise since the tower coolers as a class are very quiet coolers.

The Tuniq Tower 120 is still the best air cooler tested so far at AnandTech, and the $89 TEC/air hybrid Monsoon II tops the overclocking charts. However, the Cooler Master Hyper 6+ is definitely a top air cooler worth considering. It is generally more widely available than the Tuniq and easier to find. Recently it has also been an outstanding value, with prices more in line with value heatpipe towers. The Hyper 6+ is also a bit smaller than the Tuniq making it an easier fit in some case designs. The shrouded cooling fin system on the Hyper 6+ also makes it easier to handle during installation, with less risk of cutting yourself on the sharp fins on a cooler like the Tuniq.

Another plus is the universal installation of the Hyper 6+. It fits just about everything except the AM2, and the installation system devised by Cooler Master is really effective in creating a solid installation on almost any processor. It would be even better if the installation instructions reached the same high standard as the engineering, but once you get the hang of the installation design the Hyper 6+ is an easy install.

Our only complaint about the Hyper 6+ is the fact that Cooler Master chose a 100mm fan for this cooler. The included 100mm fan is excellent, but if users want to beef up cooling or go for extreme quiet they will not have many other fans to choose from. 100mm is not a standard size, and the fan options would have been much improved if the Hyper 6+ used a 120mm or 92mm fan instead. If the stock fan meets your needs completely then this will not be an important consideration, but using a standard fan size is something Cooler Master should definitely consider in future updates to this cooler.

There is also the missing AM2 compatibility. The Cooler Master Hyper 6+ was designed before the AM2 processor was released, but the claim of universal fit should definitely include an adapter plate for AM2. Cooler Master will certainly correct this in an upgrade to the Hyper 6+, but for now AM2 users will need to look elsewhere for a CPU cooler.

The Cooler Master Hyper 6+ is not the best cooler we have tested, but it is definitely one of the best. It competes well in overclocking capabilities and low noise. Buyers will be pleased with the secure installation on a wide range of processors, the slightly smaller foot print, the quality of the cooler, and the very low noise with the Cooler Master Hyper 6+. It is definitely one of the best air heatpipe towers on the market today, and for many buyers it will be a great choice in a heatpipe tower cooler for their computer system.