Cooler Master Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB CPU Cooler Review

TweakTown Rating: 89%

Our Verdict

Any cooler under $40 is a steal, but the Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB does it with style, ARGB illumination, and won't blow out your eardrums under PWM control.

Pros

• Cost
• Attractive aesthetic
• 3DHP technology
• Easy to install

Cons

• Thermal performance
• Lower average CPU speed
• Warm VRM thermals

Should you buy it?

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Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

Back when the original Hyper 212 arrived, a few other manufacturers were competing for the lowest-cost workhorse of a tower cooler. While ARCTIC is the only major player still competing for this market, Cooler Master has consistently offered the Hyper 212 in various configurations since its initial release. At the time, anyone building PCs or any economical gamer thought that when the Hyper 212 hit the shelves, it was the best thing since sliced bread.

Over the years, various versions were released, and we only saw a select few, some with direct touch heat pipes, most of them dressed in natural materials, but there was a white version we tested along the way. One thing we noticed is that all previous versions we have seen utilized four heat pipes. Unlike those of the past, the 3DHP technology allows you to use two full heat pipes and incorporate a pair of half pipes, providing an added performance boost.

While fully aware of what the Hyper 212 cooler is, the market it's intended for, and the fact that it costs about as much as a trip through just about any fast-food drive-thru, really changes the rules on how we judge such a cooler. With so little cost, and the fact that the Hyper 212 was never a chart-topping solution, we expect more of the same, but as long as we aren't throttling the CPU, and the VRM is cool enough not to limit the power, we should be good to go with their latest incarnation, the Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB.

From what we gathered in the reviewer's guide, Cooler Master intends to sell two versions right away. There is the Hyper 212 3DHP Black, and there is the Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB version we have with a MAY-T2HP-217PA-R1, where the non-ARGB version ends in 217PK-R1. This murdered-out black tower cooler supports all the latest sockets, as well as many older ones.

The Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB is compact, measuring 133mm in width, 86mm in depth with the fan, and 158mm in height. Oddly, as we saw with the previous cooler from Cooler Master, weight is not disclosed. Lastly, we are shown that the tower has a pair of 3DHP pipes and aluminum fins, but no mention of the copper base.

The fan accompanying this tower tops out at 2050 RPM and is black as night to match the tower. At full speed, the fan will deliver 63.1 CFM and 2.69 mmH2O static pressure. The rest of the specs are essentially the same as the V4 specifications, including the same bearing used, which boasts an over 200,000-hour MTTF and comes with five-year warranty coverage.

Further CPU Air Coolers Reading – Our Latest Reviews

• Scythe Mugen 6 Black Edition CPU Cooler Review
• Scythe Mugen 6 CPU Cooler Review
• Cooler Master V4 Alpha 3DHP Black CPU Cooler Review

We're taking it that the MSRP we were given is for the Hyper 212 3DHP Black at $29.99, which is a steal. We would assume that an ARGB version would cost a bit more, but given the V4's nearly $40 price tag, there isn't much wiggle room. We would hazard a guess that the ARGB version would be placed in the game at $34.99, which is still pennies on the dollar compared to the more extravagant offerings out there.

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	£35.72	£35	£29.45	Buy
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Packaging

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Just as we saw with their V4, the Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB cooler is shipped in a plain cardboard box with a massive sticker on it, which also covers the top of the box, with a tearaway portion acting as the seal. The sticker offers the name of the cooler shown in the center, along with the CM name and logo.

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The right side of the packaging is more cardboard, but this time we see a silkscreened logo and tagline.

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The top of the back panel is the end of the massive sticker, which offers QR codes for the manual and delivery to the Hyper 212 product page. It is also where the model and serial numbers are presented. The lower half covers the CM global addresses and iconography about what is in the box.

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Nothing keeps costs down like reusing materials from another panel. As for the sides of the Hyper 212 packaging, they are identical and to the point.

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As the sticker wraps the top of the box, that area is used to display the specifications, which can plainly be seen in this image. What is presented in the chart is identical to what we discussed earlier in the review.

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First, there is the box we just looked at, and inside of that is a dual-layered inner sleeve, which then has another box inside of it housing the cooler, which is also bagged in plastic. The hardware and paperwork can all be found in the box at the top of the stack, which is what you'll find when opening the packaging.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB

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Seven white blades are backed with ARGB and housed inside a black frame with rubber on all corners to eliminate vibrations. The fan comes attached to the tower, and ours shifted a bit in transit, but that is the worst of what happened to the Hyper 212 on the way to our desk.

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If things didn't look familiar yet, this view may change that, as we are looking at the side of the V4, but this time with only a single fan accompanying the tower. Wire fan clips are used to attach the fan, but they are not connected to the cover on top.

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Looking at the back of the tower, we see the V4 sawtooth pattern, the flat edges, raised sides, and even down to the five fins at the top being notched at either side.

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Capturing airflow is a large part of CPU cooling, and with so few pipes and a set number of fins in the array, it's going to take a few tricks of the trade to keep the Hyper 212 in range of other solutions.

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From the base, the pair of pipes start flatter, and as they curve, they regain their round shape. Under the pair of pipes, you can see another thinner pipe, which is the 3DHP part of the name, where an extra pipe is connected to the existing pipes, as a lower-cost way to add efficiency.

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Looking at the base is a bit strange. The V4 comes with a finely machined copper base, where the Hyper 212 3DHP does not get that level of treatment. Skipping past machining and settling for a convex, yet more natural hunk of copper, is another cost-cutting measure that may not matter as much as you might think.

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At the other end of the tower, a much thicker cover sits atop the aluminum fins. Although highly textured, Cooler Master's design strikes a balance between smooth and rough, showcasing the CM name and logo while maintaining a stealthy appearance.

Accessories and Documentation

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With AMD brackets on the left and Intel adjustable brackets on the right, along with the adjustable Intel backplate, all the mounting hardware is right here, minus a pair of screws.

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Along with this tube of CryoFuze, containing enough paste for a few mounts, is the pair of screws used to secure the brackets to the base of the Hyper 212.

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The literature covers both versions of the Hyper 212 3DHP. A parts list explains what you need to use, and various sets of instructions guide you through one of the easiest cooler mounts in the game. The other insert shows what Cooler Master covers over the five years of the warranty.

Installation and Finished Product

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We installed the AMD brackets to the base of the 212 3DHP, stopping when we ran out of threads, but ensuring that the bumps in the brackets face inward.

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To prepare the rest of the system, we are instructed to remove the plastic retention clips that the factory ships with the board, and this is also an ideal time to apply the thermal paste.

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With paste on the CPU, we set the cooler on gently, aligning the screws with the factory backplate studs. Alternating between the four screws, we sent them all the way, making sure no threads were left.

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While keeping the fan below the top cover, we see that it mounts above our RAM, leaving a few millimeters of room. With the fan reattached and centered, we see it covers the bulk of the array, and, based on the V4 performance, should be more than sufficient to prevent throttling.

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We encountered the same issue with the V4, and since we are using the same tower, we find that the fourth DIMM slot is encroached upon. Short RAM will solve the population issue, but for two-stick kits, the sky is the limit.

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Without a second fan, access is significantly better than with the V4, and with both coolers, locking the wire clips onto the tower is straightforward once the cooler is mounted correctly. You could add a second fan to this tower, although there are no fan clips, essentially making a V4 from your Hyper 212 3DHP.

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As we backed away from the chassis to gain perspective once powered, we love the way the black blends into the theme, yet there is a gap between the fan and the tower that allows a view of the ARGB.

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For a better view, we wrapped around the front of the cooler, and now we see how the hub of the fan is illuminated. While the circular frame connecting all the blades is structural, it is primarily used as a reflector of the light provided by the hub, with the white around the edge serving this purpose. While a bit lower end for ARGB implementation, it does follow the motherboard to a tee.

Test System Setup, Thermal Tests, and Noise Results

Chad's CPU Cooler Test System Specifications

To see our testing methodology and to find out what goes into making our charts, please refer to our 2025 CPU Cooler Testing and Methodology article for more information.

Thermal Results

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The average idle temperature is better than we expected, as the Hyper 212 was never a winner for the lowest temps in the game award. Considering the be quiet! competition it rides with, we cannot be mad at this 44.1°C result.

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Knowing what the V4 delivered with a pair of fans, we knew ahead of time that thermals were going to be higher on average, and at 75.6°C at the bottom of the chart, that is clearly visible to all.

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Although the V4 wasn't particularly hot in average package temperatures, it demonstrated its merit in the maximum temperature chart. Without the second fan, the Hyper 212 3DHP achieved a maximum result of 78 °C.

CPU Speed

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With less airflow comes more heat. With more heat comes slower CPU speed, and at 10 MHz slower than the V4, the 5187 MHz from the Hyper 212 3DHP is the slowest we have seen thus far.

VRM Thermal Results

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At this point, we must assume that the core design of this tower is too tall to cool our VRM effectively. At 63°C, we're not worried about anything bad happening, but when others can keep them 11°C cooler, it makes you think twice before buying the cheapest option.

Fan Speed and Noise Levels

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Another factor to consider is that the fan on this Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB must spin faster than any other cooler on the chart to keep up with others, under PWM control. At 1652 RPM, the maximum during the test, you can also assume there is a bit more noise involved.

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While not the worst, by far, when looking at the chart, 37 dB seems bad, but it is still within a manageable range, where a chassis will eliminate most of it, and even in the open office, it would be hard to hear over a NAS or a TV in the other room.

Final Thoughts

While it took us a second to realize the V4 and this new Hyper 212 were so closely linked, it is almost scary that we called the V4 a big brother to the Hyper 212 and a little brother to the V10. Well, there is an apparent reason, considering the fin array, pipe arrangement, and base used are all the same, although the base on the V4 3DHP is machined, whereas this is not. Other than that, it comes down to fan choice. If you like ARGB, the choice is more obvious. If you are looking for outright performance, the decision based on performance per dollar gets tougher to make. The top of this tower is entirely different, and to be honest, we prefer the Hyper 212 3DHP aesthetic.

As we stated early on, we did not expect much from this cooler, as history has shown us what these are all about. For those looking for a cooler that is easy to install, doesn't cost too much, keeps our CPU from throttling, and, while audible, is still better than many coolers we have tested, this could be it. The fact that we get that much, along with ARGB for less than $40, feels like a decent deal when considering all the pros and cons.

In the end, for those looking for a shockingly low price on a cooler to help shift money to better storage or more PSU power, we get it, and the Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB is a solid offering. For system builders seeking long-term profitability, opting for these models with extended warranty coverage and 200,000 hours of fan life can provide peace of mind, especially if you will be responsible for maintenance. There are very few coolers in this price range that offer both style and substance. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 3DHP Black ARGB is one such cooler, and as long as you don't plan on record-breaking overclocks, it should be sufficient for cooling your CPU.