Review: Cooler Master Hyper N520 vs. Scythe Mugen 2 vs. Xigmatek Achilles S1284C

by Parm Mann on 15 July 2009, 16:51 3.75

Tags: Mugen 2, Achilles S1284C, Hyper N520, Cooler Master, Scythe, Xigmatek

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Contender #1 - Cooler Master Hyper N520

Specifications - Cooler Master Hyper N520

Composition Copper base, five copper heatpipes, aluminium fins
Weight 688g
Dimensions (H x W x D) 122.35mm x 141mm x 62.3mm
Fans included 2 x 92mm
Fan Control None (single 3-pin header)
Fan speeds / noise levels 1,800RPM / 19dBA
Maximum air flow 43.80CFM
Thermal paste? Yes, syringe of Thermal Compound
Intel support LGA775 / LGA1366 / LGA771 (Skulltrail)
AMD support AM3 / AM2+ / AM2 / 940 / 939 / 754
Price £28.16 (SCAN.co.uk)

Cooler Master's Hyper N520 - priced today at roughly £28 - is the cheapest of our three coolers. Featuring dual 92mm fans, it supports a variety of Intel and AMD sockets and on paper promises to provide plenty of bang for buck.

The box is somewhat more consumer-friendly than we're used to seeing. Cooler Master's chosen colour scheme doesn't target the usual male audience, and the box clearly highlights all the important features - including which CPUs are supported, and the cooler's complete specification.

Clear and precise, it does the job.