Mars Examination (continued):
Turning our attention to the copper base, it is another area where the Mars continues to impress. As you can see here, the base of the Mars is protected by a piece of plastic. Removing the protective cover reveals that the base of the cooler is perfect! Not a scratch or smudge on it!
Most of the accessories for the Mars are the same as the Eclipse. The only difference is the AMD mounting bracket. While the Eclipse uses a clip to mount to the standard AMD bracket, the Mars uses a custom clip, and in order to use it you have to have access to the back of your motherboard. This is a big drawback to this cooler, and so far is my biggest complaint. As you can see here, Cooler Master does include everything you need for the Intel or AMD platforms (for the supported CPUs). There is a detailed installation manual, Cooler Master thermal grease, AMD and Intel mounting brackets with all the necessary screws, washers, and nuts. Cooler Master has also included a unique screwdriver adapter to secure the nuts.
Since I'll be installing the cooler on an AMD CPU, I have attached the AMD bracket to the bottom of the cooler. Like the Eclipse, you can install the Mars in two different directions.
Like the Eclipse, the Mars includes an integrated fan speed selector. The first is "Performance Mode", in this mode the fan speed is approximately 3000 RPM and is also louder than I expceted, however it did not seem as loud as the Eclipse. The second setting is "Silent Mode", in this mode the fan speed is approximately 1800 RPM. The final setting is "PWM", which will adjust the fan depending on your motherboard or other fan controller, in this mode the can can be adjusted from a low of 900 RPM to a maximum of 2500 RPM. The power connector uses a four pin plug.
Mars Installed:
Due to the design of the cooler, the installation orientation really makes no difference. Just be sure you have plenty of clearance around the cooler so it does not interfere with any other components. The worst part of the installation is requiring you to have access to the bottom of your motherboard.
