Eclipse Examination:

After removing the cooler from the plastic packaging, we can finally see exactly what makes this cooler different.


The first picture shows the cooler from the side with the heat pipes and the fan intake. In the second picture you can see the opposite side which includes the heat pipe terminations and the fan mounts. There is a large plastic housing over the cooler which allows you to direct the exhaust airflow a little, and also gives it a rather unique appearance.


The plastic housing is removable and adjustable. Here you can see the fan intake side with the plastic housing removed. At the top of the cooler are five square holes that are used to secure the plastic housing in the position you want. Moving down you can see the four copper heat pipes. Usually these are the same size, but Cooler Master has varied the length of these heat pipes. The second picture shows you the other side which has the ends of the heat pipes. The top two heat pipes also act as a guide for the plastic housing. The fan is on the inside of the cooler and can be removed (good for cleaning). At the bottom of the cooler there are two holes that are used to mount the cooler on AMD based motherboards.


Turning the cooler to the side, you can see all the fins. These are held apart by spacers across the top, as well as holes through the cooler with the excess aluminum from the holes acting as a support. In this view you can also see that the fins are two different sizes.