The Cooler:
Now it is time to check out the cooler itself. The first thing I noticed about the
Cooler Master Hyper N520 CPU cooler is that it was much more compact than some of the other heatpipe towers I have used. While many have standardized on a 120mm fan, using a 92mm fan lets the body of the cooler be a bit shorter. In general you would expect it to be a bit narrower, too, but because the fans have been offset, the body of the cooler is about as wide as it would be if it had used a 120mm. Regardless, those with height constraints in their cases may find the reduced height appealing.
The first set of images show the cooler from above. The 92mm fans are configured in a push-pull arrangement, and the hubs of the fans do not share the same center line. Cooler master claims this design makes sure that the "cool air accelerates straight through the heatsink". A shroud is placed around the edges of the cooler to guide the air through, and the only exposed area of the aluminum fins can be seen on the edges next to the fans.
The 92mm fans each have ten translucent black blades, and the 3-pin power leads from each are tied together so that you only have to make one connection to power this cooler.
A smooth and shiny copper base is found underneath the cooler, where five sets of heatpipes draw the heat up into the aluminum fins. Of interest is that there are two types of heatpipes used. The heatpipes on either end are L shaped, with just one leg that rises up into the fins. The three heatpipes in the middle are U shaped, and feature two legs that rise up into the fins.
The below right image shows the Hyper N520 configured with the Intel LGA775 hardware. You have to reverse thread two screws into the ends of each bracket shown, while two more miniature screws are used to hold each bracket to the base of the cooler.
Overall, the cooler seems to be well made and so far the design intrigues me. The more compact size might be good for HTPCs or other computers with side panel fans that interfere with larger heatpipe towers. I just hope that the two 'smaller' fans can compete with the noise level and cooling performance of a 120mm unit.
