Cooler Master Hyper N620 LGA 1366 Ready CPU Cooler Review

Installation

Test Rig:
Intel i7 920
Gigabyte EX58-UD4P X58 motherboard
OCZ XMP Ready DDR3-1600 6GB Triple Channel Kit
Asus Matrix geForce GTX 260 video card
BFG 1200 Watt power supply
NZXT Tempest extended midtower
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit

Though I will be using the Hyper N620 for LGA 1366 installation, I should mention that this cooler, like other upper-end CPU coolers, requires removal of the existing cooler installation lugs for AMD application. It really isn’t a big deal, I’ve done it more than once, but removing parts from a motherboard can be a little scary for the squeamish. I still feel a little weird when having to remove the Intel baseplate from an X58 board. (the N620 does not require that)

Installation for LGA 1366 is a little different from what most of us are accustomed to, rather than installing a baseplate and mounting the cooler on top, the cooler is mounted first, then the baseplate is fastened underneath the motherboard. It really isn’t a big deal, I prefer to mount the cooler prior to installing the motherboard anyway. But it does make for a larger operation if you want to merely reseat the cooler or reapply thermal compound.

First, secure all of the hardware required for LGA 1366 installation. The retention plates and baseplate are clearly marked.

Place the four mounting screws into the two retention plates and tighten them snugly. The “LGA 1366” text will be facing down. Note that the screws and plates have LEFT HAND threads.

Install the retention plates onto the base of the cooler. You may want to remove the protective plastic from the cooler base, if you don’t, make sure that none of it is under the retention plates before you tighten the screws. Again, the text will be facing away from the cooler. I had to use a #1 Phillips head for this, the #2 Phillips I use for pretty much everything else was too large.

Remove the adhesive backing and install the anti-vibration spacers over the mounting screws. Do not skip this step, these spacers will also protect your motherboard from the protruding threads on the retention plates. Make sure the spacers go over the protruding threads, you may have to twist them slightly.

Prep the cooler base and CPU surface with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth.

Apply thermal compound onto the CPU surface per manufacturer’s instructions.

Determine how you want the cooler oriented in your rig. The fan without braces is the intake, the fan with the braces is the exhaust. If the cooler exhausts towards the rear of the case, the CM logo on the top of the cooler will be “right-side-up”. Place the mounting screws into the holes on the motherboard, carefully placing the cooler base onto the CPU. Slightly twist the cooler back and forth to eliminate bubbles in the thermal compound.

Flip the motherboard over, being very careful to keep the cooler in place. Place the baseplate over the four screws. Start the four mounting nuts on the mounting screws. Take the included wrench (small cylinder with screw slots on one end) and alternatively tighten each screw 1/2 turn in a diagonal fashion until all four are snug.

Plug fan connector into your motherboard’s CPU_FAN header. Install the motherboard, wire things up, install your video card, and that’s it!

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