This product caught my eye immediately - and as with any consumer item, that’s already half the battle. The Gigabyte G-Power II Pro boasts of an extravagant wing-shape and chromed design that looks fabulous, so the only thing left to determine is how ell such a unique design can perform.

                                              This is the price of being the first in the Philippines to have the G-Power II Pro.

Even though I say it’s a unique design, the basic components and orientation is standard – meaning it has all the requisites of a modern air-cooling appliance that’s designed for the current crop of multi-core processors. As such, it has cooling fins, it has heatpipes, a large fan and aluminum / copper construction. The main difference with the G-Power though is that everything is magnified 40 to 50%.

                                             More than motherboards.

A prime example is the number of fins employed. The Cooler Master Geminii S reviewed for the January issue of HWM has 51 thin fins in an area measuring roughly a 120mm fan’s worth, while this G-Power has roughly twice the number of fins, with 50% larger area. For both models, 5 heatpipes take care of cooling duties, although in the case of the G-Power, the heatpipes are roughly 50% thicker and quite longer than normal, making that component look even more like a car radiator.

                                             The heatpipes stretch from the contact block to the top part - and are much longer than normal.

To continue with the G-Power’s positives, the unique look also translates directly to an effective cooling orientation, specifically the 85 degree spread of the cooling fins – from nearly vertical to nearly horizontal. The fins arranged in a fan shape are also accompanied by the heatpipes running along at the center of the fins. The spread of the fins is also designed to give more cooling to the components surrounding the CPU.

                                             Seemingly dwarfing the test-bench MSI P35, the G-Power is quite large.

It uses a 120mm, quiet 2 speed fan, but the shroud effectively concentrates cooling air over the aforementioned larger area of swept fins, making for a cooling area roughly twice that of a regular, horizontally-oriented cooler. Unfortunately, the negatives start here. This same unique shape and orientation, plus (we suspect) – the hard – plastic shroud, combines to give off a strange, low-frequency noise that may be irritating for some users. While noise levels are quite low compared to recently reviewed coolers (including Gigabyte’s own Volar), this does not detract from a noise that is distinct and perhaps distracting.

                                             An impressive number of fins and a large cooling area are obvious features in this shot. So is the reflected image of the cameraman.

Another sticking factor is the sheer size of the setup. While the size was one of the factors that made the appearance of the cooler so distinct at first glance, the same factor requires that the user make careful measurements of their rig and motherboard component clearance to be sure that the G-Power will fit. Compounding this is the strange mounting method used – a second set of hands is invaluable in fitting this cooler onto a motherboard, since the screws are integrated onto the bracket and must be held against the mounting plate while it is screwed down. It makes for a very fiddly installation process - for  the Intel platform at least. AMD types will need only  a minute to snap on the included retention clip.

                                             The 120mm fan is quiet, but noise output is affected by the shroud.

Another disappointment is in the installed fan – the design makes it difficult to replace in the future. I have to admit though that I’ve never had to replace a cooler fan before, the reason I mention this now is because I was spoiled by the Cooler Master Geminii S, which had multiple mounting options for different fan sizes.

                                             The height of the cooler makes for a dizzying view.

In the final analysis though, the looks of this cooler wins me over every time, especially since the overall design theme of my rig is aluminum and carbon fibre and shiny, shiny stuff – making this cooler a perfect match, plus the excellent performance compared to stock – with 10-11 degree celcius deltas during @ load testing. This doesn’t remove the negatives from the equation, but these factors balances out at the sum line, adding up to a great looking fan with excellent cooling weighed down a bit by the installation, size and noise issues. An acceptable result, if you ask me.

More pictures to follow.

                                              One of the three blue LEDS behind  the fan.
 

                                             The wing shape is very distinct.

                                             Thick heatpipes sprout from the base.

                                             The soft metal and strange design of the mounting screws made for difficult installations.