Conclusion:
As expected, Cooler Master did a great job with the design of these coolers. Either one of them would be a great choice for your computer. If I was to choose one of these coolers it would be the Eclipse, and this is mainly due to the fact that I would not need to have access to the bottom of my motherboard to install it.
Both of these coolers feature unique designs which definitely grab your attention, as well as providing respectable cooling performance. In "Performance Mode", the noise from either cooler is easily recognizable over the other noises in the test system. However, in "Silent Mode", they could not be detected and are all but silent. Both of these coolers performed much better than the stock AMD cooler, and allowed my CPU to be kept cool even while overclocked.
The biggest issue with the Eclipse is the size of it. It is much larger than I expected, and could potentially interfere with other components. If this is not an issue, then the Eclipse would be a great choice. The only other complaint I have with the Eclipse (which is more of a personal preference) is the lack of LEDs.
The Mars works very well, in fact, the only negatives I can list are the necessity to remove the motherboard for installation, and that the fan is not easily cleanable. We all know how much dust gathers on computer fans. I wouldn't mind seeing a couple additional blue LEDs on it so that the lights would be all around it, instead of just the two locations. I can see some incredible mod opportunities with this cooler.
A search of PriceGrabber shows that the Eclipse is currently available for pre-order only, and carries a price tag of around $55 US. The Mars is a good deal cheaper, coming in at just over $40 US.
Given the performance, unique designs, and quality features I award both coolers the rating of "Highly Recommended".
Pros:
» Great Cooling
» Silent in "Silent Mode"
» Integrated fan controller
» Nice/Different design
Cons:
» Loud in "Performance Mode"
» Potential issues with surrounding components
» Eclipse - No LEDs
» Mars could use a few additional LEDs
Special thanks to Cooler Master for providing the Cooler Master Mars and Eclipse CPU Coolers to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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