Epilogue
Cooler Master informed me that the new heat pipes offer a tremendous performance advantage, but I had to test them in my lab to verify this for myself. According to my test results, the Hyper 612 Apex indeed meets the performance of dual-tower coolers with significantly larger dimensions. However, let’s examine the graphs below to provide a more detailed analysis of this product’s performance.
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| 25 dBA – Performance | Prices in the US market as of 15 July 2025 |
At a 25 dBA normalized noise output, a level that won’t bother most users while still allowing for good performance, the Hyper 612 Apex offers similar performance to the Noctua NH-D15 G2 and the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 140. Both of these coolers are significantly larger than the Apex, but while the G2 is substantially more expensive at $180, the Assassin 140 is more affordable at $45! I don’t know how Thermalright managed this, offering a top-performance cooler at such a low price, but it essentially kills the competition in the dual-tower design. Now, if you don’t want such a huge cooler, CM’s offering is the ideal choice. It won’t hurt your pocket at $65, while offering top performance, good build quality, and a pair of quality fans, as well.
Ideally, I would like to be able to mount this cooler on the socket without having to remove both fans, but at least their removal is a straightforward process. Moreover, the lack of ARGB lighting might be a letdown for some of you. I don’t care much about RGB lighting, but this is not the case for many users.
If you’re searching for fans for your AIO or chassis, read my ‘Best Cooling Fans’ article before investing in new cooling solutions. You help me a lot by using my affiliate links, which don’t increase the price of the product. I receive a commission from Amazon every time you do it, which can make a significant difference for me, especially now that I am working independently, exclusively for my media, rather than for someone else.
- High performance
- Compact enough dimensions (for an air cooler)
- Good RAM clearance
- High build quality
- Quality fans (loop dynamic bearing)
- Fans on rails (easy to install/remove)
- Straightforward installation
- 5-year warranty
- No ARGB lighting might let down some users
Thank you for your comment!
No – thank you for all your work!
Hey all,
Just a note on the ‘no ARGB option’ in the ‘cons’ section. The cooler uses Cooler Master Mobius 120P (note the P) fans. These fans actually have an ARGB variant, see coolermaster.com/en-global/products/mobius-120p-argb/
I recently bought one, and easily swapped out the front-facing fan with an ARGB one, using non-ARGB one on the exhaust. You just need to carefully take off the grey face panel. They are really good fans.