It's cool, it's quiet, and boy is it big!
Cooler Master has launched its Hyper Z600 passive cooling solution and with it, denounces both noise pollution and power consumption.
The cooler, measuring a mammoth 127.28 x 127.28 x 160 mm, weighs 1045g and promises to passively cool any CPU drawing up to 89 watts. Though that conveniently rules out most of today's 90 watt quad-core chips, Cooler Master states that the Z600 is ideal for CPUs such as Intel's dual-core E8500 and AMD's 5600+.
The Z600, pictured above (dandelion not included, sorry) features interlaced aluminium fins to maximise the dissipation surface and provide superior cooling performance. There are six heat pipes, connected to a mirror-coated copper base to maximise conduction, and Cooler Master claims the unique “X” design creates lower back pressure to make air pass through the heatsink quickly.
It's compatible with Intel's Socket 775 and AMD's Socket 940, AM2 and AM2+. What the above picture doesn't make clear, however, is the sheer size of this thing. To put it into perspective, here it is attached to a motherboard and, bigger still, with two optional 120mm fans attached.
It's a monster alright, particularly when paired with a couple of fans. Expect the Z600 to start showing up at all the usual retailers for around £34.99.
