Cooler Master Hyper Z600 Review

The Cooler Master Hyper Z600 is aimed at all three types of users. Whether you are looking for passive cooling, extreme, or a combination, they claim that this cooler will handle all situations. So how does it stack up?

First off, the Hyper Z600 is designed to work with both Intel and AMD processors in the following chipsets:

• Intel Socket LGA 775
• AMD Socket 940/AM/AM+

The Cooler Master Hyper Z600 is definitely not made for small cases. Measuring 128 x 128 x 160 mm, you will want to have at least 7 inches of clearance between your CPU and the door of your case to install this heatsink. Another thing to keep in mind is the weight. At 1045 g, it's not particularly light. That however is taken care of with the mounting brackets included.

The heatsink includes everything you will need to properly mount it:

• Main heatsink unit
• AMD back plate and clip
• Intel back plate and clip
• Fan brackets (for 2 fans)
• Thermal grease
• Mounting screws
• Hexagonal wrench
• Anti-vibration cushion

The Z600 is designed for use with 120 mm fans, and Noctua fans will do a great job of pushing air through the fins, and keeping the system quiet. One of the ways that cpu heatsinks are judged is by the flatness of the base. In the case of the Hyper Z600, the base is nearly perfect, with a nicely machined nickel plated copper finish. Coming from the base are 6 copper heat pipes leading up the nicely spaced aluminum fins. The unique "X" shape of the heatsink was designed to allow more air to pass through for better cooling.

Installation

Installing this monster takes a bit of doing. The first step is to install the clips on the base of the heatsink. They simply screw into place on the base, get them nice and secure. Next, you'll need to install the back plate on the back of your motherboard. Nothing special, just your typical back plate install.

The Cooler Master Hyper Z600 uses a bit of a different approach to installing the main unit. The majority of coolers are installed from the top, by screwing the base unit into the back plate through the motherboard. The Z600 however, is secured by 4 nuts that are secured from the back of the motherboard. Not a big deal, until you want to want to switch out coolers. Fortunately, this will probably be a rare occurrence. Holding the main unit in place, secure it on the back of the motherboard with the 4 nuts using the included hexagonal wrench. The instructions were pretty easy to follow.

Temperature Control

The CPU used for testing was the Intel Quad Q9450 which will put out some good heat with all four cores running full out. When tested under load as a true passive heatsink, the Cooler Master Hyper Z600 performed quite well, maintaining temperatures below 40C when idle, but reaching 62C under load. That is within acceptable levels, but a little higher than I personally prefer. However, once a fan is added, temperatures were maintained at around 39C idle and 53C under load. That is well within acceptable limits, and temperatures that I would be quite happy with. Even when used on an overclocked processor, temperatures were maintained at 55C under full load.

Conclusion

Pros:

• Performs well in passive mode.
• Performs excellent with a single fan installed.
• Universal socket design - can be used with Intel or AMD.
• Quality construction - the main unit's base is flat and smooth.
• Fin design allows for maximum airflow.

Cons:

• Very large size - make sure you have room in the case for this.
• Although there is nice clearance for the pipes, the memory slots may be partially blocked.
• Very heavy, weighing in at just over 1Kg.
• Price is near $100.00, which is on the high end for a heatsink.

Conclusion

It takes a well designed heatsink to perform well in passive mode, and the majority of heatsinks are not designed to do this. The Cooler Master Hyper Z600 however performs very well in passive mode. The ability to install this heatsink on both Intel and AMD chipsets is a very nice feature that helps it to stand out from the crowd. With 6 heat pipes running from the base to the cooling fins, heat is transferred from the CPU to the fins quickly and efficiently. If you are looking for a great heatsink for overclocking, this one will keep you happy. However, if you are not overclocking, the price is high, and you will get decent cooling for much less.

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