Laptops and netbooks are great products, they allow us to take our computer with us easily to do work or just to entertain us. Like any computer though heat is an enemy and it’s best to keep things as cool as possible.
Today for review I’ve got the NZXT Cryo S Notebook Cooler that works very well at keeping your laptop or netbooks cool. I’ve tested it out with two netbooks I’ve got on hand and it performed very well. The Cryo S is all aluminum and has two built-in 120mm fans along with a USB hub and dual power options. So continue on to learn more…
Specifications/Features:
15″ Aluminum notebook cooler
Built with thick, brushed aluminum, the Cryo S houses two adjustable 120mm fans that provide powerful cooling to any notebook up to 15 inches. Its rubber finish lifts the notebook up slightly to remove heat pockets and enhance airflow. The Cryo S can be powered via USB or the included AC adaptor and provides two additional USB ports to give users even more options for media, storage and input devices.
Features:
* Built with 3mm thick aluminum with sturdy construction
* Cools your notebook with two controllable 120mm fans
* Two USB ports for your input and usb thumb drives
* None slip rubberized plastic surface keeps notebooks from sliding
* Tilted surface allows for comfortable and relaxed typing
* Support for all types of notebooks from netbooks to 15″ notebooks
* Ideal for eliminating and reducing heat in performance notebooks
Unboxing:
For the unboxing I’ve got a video for you instead of a bunch of pictures with stuff to read..
I do have still pictures as well though under the video.
Installation, Performance, Comparison:
There’s not much to the installation process, just set your notebook or netbook on it and plug it in via AC power or USB power and then use the USB cable to connect up the USB hub if you wish.
Here’s a few pictures of three netbooks and a laptop on the Cryo S:
For testing I used the OCZ Neutrino and the Acer Aspire One D250 netbooks.
Ambient room temperature during testing was 22C (+/- .3c).
I tested the netbooks first on the table, then on the Cryo S with the fans off and then with the fans on to see what the differences were.
I used CoreTemp to record and log the temperatures and then they were averaged out.
To get the Idle temperature I turned them and and let them sit for 30 minutes doing nothing but running Windows Processes, just like when you turn your system on.
To get load I used Orthos Stress Prime for the same amount of time. Using Orthos stresses the CPU to 100%, so the temperatures we get are the extreme end of the CPU load spectrum. Most likely you won’t be using 100% CPU for 30 minutes straight. Doing this test though allows us to really get an idea of how well the Cryo S cools the netbooks.
First up is the Acer Aspire One D250:
As you can see there isn’t much of a difference between the Idle temperatures, but there is a three degree drop when going from the table to the Cryo S with the fans turned on. The big temperature drop is the six degree difference between the table and the Cryo S with the fans on while the system is under load. Six degrees lower isn’t bad at all.
Next is the OCZ Neutrino results:
Each netbook or laptop is designed differently so the cooling performance of the Cryo S or any cooler will vary between systems. Here we can see a five degree drop for the Idle temperature when going from the table to the Cryo S with the fans on, but only a three degree drop when under load.
Still though a three degree drop proves that the Cryo S does work.
The fan of the Cryo S are a bit loud when turned on full, lowering them to about the middle settings makes them almost silent and really didn’t have much of an impact on performance, about one degree higher actually.
As far as battery life is concerned, the Cryo S did seem to drain the battery a bit quicker than without using it but not much quicker. You can opt for using the included AC adapter instead of power from your computer to run the fans.
Conclusion:
The NZXT Cryo S works well, but it of course depends on the laptop or netbook you’re using. Every laptop and netbook is made differently so your results will vary, but from what I can see the Cryo S does work well at keeping a computer cool.
The Cryo S though is a bit large and rather heavy really to be taking with you, it would work well for someone who intends to leave it in one place though.
The fans are a bit loud on high, but you can lower them and you won’t decrease performance much.
I like the idea of having a dual power option, that way you won’t have to worry about running down your battery at all.
Pros:
+Works well
+Quiet on low speeds with minimal performance difference
+Very well made
+Included AC Adapter for power
Cons:
-A bit heavy and large
-Fans are rather loud on high
Overall: 4 out of 5
Performance: 5
Aesthetic: 4
Build Quality: 5
I would like to thank NZXT for the opportunity to review the Cryo S and for their support of Bona Fide Reviews.
