Conclusion:
We have earlier drawn comparisons with the Prolimatech Megahalems. The fin design is very unique but also very different from the Megahalems. The twin tower design draws it’s advantage from the fact that usually in the center of the fan is the worst airflow ratio. We are glad to see that Spire has not stopped there with the development for the Gemini Rev 2. The Gemini Rev 2 uses good materials and is a solid build. Considering that the Spire Gemini Rev 2 is substantially more affordable makes this very difficult to pass up.
The Spire Gemini Rev 2 performed well and stood against the fully loaded i7 960 @ 4.0GHz well enough to keep it in the early 80′s degrees. Considering that most future platforms will use less power and produce less heat we believe it is safe to say that this cooler will perform well even with 2011 socket. Our review model did not contain the 2011 socket but future releases will do so. The improvement of the mounting mechanism was meant well, but the execution left us hoping and wishing. The long screws that are used to attach the backplate to the board do not properly latch with the backplate which causes them to spin in place when we tried to remove the thumb nuts. This might not be much of an issue if you only install the cooler once or twice but if you do it 10, 20 or 30 times or more like we do here in the lab then this minor issue can turn into a major. Also the springs that we have mentioned earlier are not flattened which keeps getting them stuck and makes it and even harder to remove them. However, we did like the pre-attached upper mounting bracket that works universally across all socket configurations. It makes installation easier but it also causes Spire to have to continue to release revisions for the cooler to stay updated with new socket releases. Now this doesn’t happen too often but it is something to keep in mind.
Analyzing the bench testing results for the Spire Gemini Rev 2 shows not only that there is still more potential left in this cooler but also room for improvement. The 2nd fan attached makes a difference as the Gemini Rev 2 can make good use of the added airflow. The results with the SanAce fan show very clearly the appetite for CFM by the Gemini Rev 2. The Gemini Rev 2 passed all tests with flying colors even with the slower fans.
All in all the Spire Gemini Rev 2 is impressive and surprised us with it’s performance. There are still a few kinks that need to be worked out but Spire is on the right track. The Gemini Rev 2 is now in Rev 3 and we hope to hear more new and good things about it.
The Spire Gemini Rev 2 is available in worldwide markets. The current MSRP is $58.99 USD. The performance of this cooler makes this a good value at this price. The Spire Gemini Rev 2 supports and includes a dual fan configuration but can also be operated with a single fan.
The Spire Gemini Rev 2 receives the TechREACTION.net Silver Silicon Award!
We would like to thank Spire for making this review possible and our readers for the continued support.
1 Comment
Very nice review, well done!