The Mounting Mechanism & Installation:
For our test bed we will use the Intel mounting set.
There are several installation options on the backplate for both Intel and AMD. This means that you will have to use the included backplate for whichever platform your system is based on. All modern sockets are supported. However, the 2011 and 1155 were not specifically supported with our review model. The product page shows support for 1155 and 2011.
The installation process for this cooler and this mounting mechanism is fairly straight forward. It actually reminds us of the installation of a water cooling block.
We start with turning the motherboard upside down and placing the backplate over the holes.
The installation package includes 4 long screws which attach the backplate of the cooler.
We now turn the board back around and place the washers to protect the motherboard from trace damage. The screws are fastened with 4 knurled nuts on the topside of the motherboard.
None of the screws are able to escape and we can continue with the installation with piece of mind. You could actually go ahead now and install the motherboard in the case.
After installing the CPU and applying TIM we are ready to seat the cooler.
The thumb nuts are spring loaded and it appears as the springs are attached to the thumb nuts, but they are removable. There are also no metal washers for the springs which would be needed for this installation as the springs are not cut precisely nor have they been edged to be flat at the ends. You will need a flat screwdriver for the thumb nuts, instead of the phillips screwdriver. Because of the non edged springs it makes it more difficult to tighten the thumb nuts and we recommend using a screwdriver.
We are pretty much done at this point and only need to attach the fans and plug in the molex and we are ready to go, but lets review our installation.
The Gemini Rev 2 is hanging a little low but there should be enough clearance for a chipset cooler.
Let’s continue with the fan installation.
The fan clips have a very snug fit and it is not easy to align them properly to have them snap in place. It seems that they have been measured to secure a fan without the corner padding; however, the padding does add 2-3mm.
1 Comment
Very nice review, well done!