NZXT Cryo LX Notebook Cooler

Any computing enthusiast worth their salt knows the name NZXT. Committed to the design, manufacture, and deployment of quality, enthusiast level products, NZXT has been at the forefront of the computing industry providing enthusiasts with power supplies, chassis solutions, and all manner of accessories. Debuting in 2004 in Taipei, Taiwan, NZXT has cultivated a strong relationship with enthusiasts since then, ensuring that they are provided with quality products that are both affordable and rich with features.

"Our objective is to provide every gamer with a case that they can identify with. Combining unique design and case performance, consumers will finally be able to find a quality case that will represent their own style and personality. In the future, NZXT wishes all gamers who desire a personalized case to find it at NZXT. With the unveiling of every product, NZXT improves upon weaknesses and strives for excellence. Achieving perfection is not an easy task, however, NZXT is determined to meet and surpass consumer expectations."  Read more…

With the introduction of their first ever notebook cooler, the Cryo LX, NZXT introduces a new product geared towards enthusiasts that own laptops. In an age where computing components require ever more elaborate cooling solutions, notebook computers are no different. Utilizing all-aluminum, 3mm thick construction, and three adjustable RPM 120mm fans, the Cryo LX is designed to keep your notebook ice cold. Can the Cryo LX deliver? Will NZXT's first foray into the notebook cooling arena be met with standing ovation or bitter defeat? Read on to find out!

Specifications

Model	Cryo LX
Color	Black
Laptop Compatibility	15.4" to 19" notebooks
Dimensions	16.5" x 0.5" - 2.25" x 11.75"  (W x H x L)
Weight	~3 lbs
Cooling	Three 120mm fans with adjustable RPM dial
Connection Ports	Four USB ports
Features	- All aluminum, 3mm thick construction  - Three adjustable 120mm cooling fans  - Folding design for easy portability  - Thick rubber finish lifts notebook for better airflow  - Brushed aluminum finish
Price	$74.99  at  Directron

Bundle

The accessory bundle of the Cryo LX is a rather sparse affair. However, one cannot expect too much from a notebook cooler, although we would have liked to seen warranty documentation or a manual included with our product, both of which were missing from the box. Regardless of the lack of documentation, NZXT does include an AC cord and a length of USB cable in the package.

The AC cord on the right connects to an available USB port on your notebook, while the other end connects directly into the back of the Cryo LX. This powers the three 120mm fans. The USB cord on the left connects to a USB port on your laptop, and the other end to the back of the notebook cooler as well. This provides power to the four USB ports on the device. We found the cord lengths to be more than enough to get the job done.

The top of the Cryo LX is extremely attractive looking with plenty of openings in the metal to provide more than sufficient airflow to the underside of a laptop. The slits that cover the metal mesh in the middle of the cooler hide the three 120mm fans which help to provide further cooling duties.

The black rubber areas on the top of the cooler are dense and very thick, approximately 1/4", and offer plenty of cushion for your laptop to sit on. The black rubber areas perform two tasks. The first is to reduce and absorb vibration from your laptop. The second is to lift your notebook off the top of the cooler in an effort to encourage more airflow to pass beneath your laptop, thus creating an environment that is more conducive in cooling it. We feel that this is a solid design, as it is not only extremely functional, but effective as well.

The sides of the Cryo LX are relatively unremarkable save for the left side which contains the dial to control the speed in which the three 120mm fans operate. The dial does a good job at regulating the speed of the fans, which when pushed to their highest RPM, makes the fans really push out air. One thing to be said about these fans is that they are pretty quiet at their highest setting, barely audible when standing approximately two to three feet away. Setting the fan to its lowest setting makes the fans totally inaudible, although at the cost of cooing performance.

Suffice to say, using the Cryo LX with the fans set at maximum RPM in a classroom or library setting will not disturb others that are close by. One additional item we would like to point out are the steel pins that are used to attach the lower piece of the cooler to the top which allows the cooler to fold in half. These pins are extremely strong, and securely hold the cooler together. There is very little on this product that is made of plastic, and we applaud NZXT for designing a notebook cooler that is made entirely of metal, and will surely last longer than a competitive product which uses plastics in its design.

As we alluded to earlier, the Cryo LX has the ability to fold in half which reduces its footprint when transporting it. NZXT is marketing this product as a mobile notebook cooling device, and although it can be portable, the rather heavy weight of the device can make it a bit awkward to carry around. We feel that the Cryo LX would be better served as a stationary notebook cooler for desktop replacement sized laptops. Nevertheless, the folding feature of the Cryo LX is a nice touch and is executed perfectly.

The rear of the Cryo LX showcases five USB ports and a DC power input. The USB port to the left is used to power the remaining four USB ports on the right. Simply connect the provided cable from a USB port on your notebook to the one on the cooler, and presto! You have four additional powered USB ports to play around with.

The DC power cable that connects from an available laptop USB port to the back of the Cryo LX is specifically used to provide power to the three 120mm fans. One thing to understand is that the USB ports on the Cryo LX and its cooling solution are powered solely by your laptop. If you are running on notebook battery power, you can expect a certain amount of battery life to be lost because of it. We conducted several rounds of testing with the Cryo LX and available laptop battery power when using the three 120mm fans. Our testing consisted of an HP dv6500t Special Edition notebook with the following specifications:

Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor
Intel Crestline GL960/GM965/PM965 motherboard
2GB of DDR2-667 RAM
Fujitsu 250GB 5,400RPM SATA HDD
nVidia GeForce 8400M GS (128MB)
Intel Pro/Wireless 4965A/G/N NIC + Bluetooth
LightScribe SuperMulti 8x DVD+/-RW
15.4" WXGA BrightView Glossy Widescreen
Windows Vista Home Edition (32-bit version)

During our testing, we used two batteries with our laptop: a 6 cell Lithium-Ion and a 12 cell version of the same battery. Battery performance was set to "Balanced" in Windows Vista, and the LCD set at half brightness with wireless turned on. The Cryo LX's three 120mm fans were set to maximum RPM.


Battery Life Drain Test - Non Cooler

6 cell Lithium-Ion battery	3 hours, 36 minutes
12 cell Lithium-Ion battery	6 hours, 48 minutes

Battery Life Drain Test - Cryo LX Cooler max RPM

6 cell Lithium-Ion battery	3 hours, 2 minutes
12 cell Lithium-Ion battery	6 hours, 11 minutes

The final results were particularly surprising, as we expected the three 120mm fans to drain more battery power than they did. With approximately 35 minutes of battery power lost to the Cryo LX's cooling solution, we can safely say that this one of the few notebook coolers on the market that not only keeps your laptop cool, but does not kill your battery at the same time.

Taking a peek at the underside of the Cryo LX notebook cooler shows off its massive cooling potential. Three 120mm fans make no effort to hide what this device is designed to do. The fans have seven blades each, with each fan blade canted at an aggressive angle to catch and expel as much air as possible.

The "feet" of the Cryo LX utilize thick, dense rubber which help to absorb vibration and prevents the cooler from being slid easily across surfaces. The rubber feet are just over a 1/4" thick and are glued in place. We did experience one of the rubber feet on our review sample peeling off, but with a bit of enthusiast glue, we re-attached it without incident.

Our Recommendation

When all is said and done, we found the NZXT Cryo LX to be a solid performing notebook cooling solution. With its heavy-duty, solid aluminum frame and three variable RPM 120mm cooling fans, NZXT has designed a superb product that is both versatile and capable of cooling your notebook computer. During our time with the product, we found the Cryo LX to comfortably accommodate and support laptops up to 17" in size with room to spare. With four externally powered USB ports and the ability to fold itself into a more easily transportable form, the Cryo LX is one of the best engineered and designed notebook coolers on the market today.

However, this product is not without its Achilles heel. While we love the fact that this sturdy laptop cooler is made completely of 3mm thick aluminum, it is also on the heavy side and thus makes it a less than ideal mobile solution. If left up to us, we would declare the Cryo LX to be a wonderful desktop replacement notebook cooler; but, if enthusiasts don't mind a little extra weight, the Cryo LX can make a decent mobile cooler as well.

We feel that NZXT, famous for its forward thinking and vision in creating quality computing products, has a real winner in the Cryo LX. With features galore and a pioneering design sure to woo even the most jaded enthusiast, the Cryo LX is our top pick for a notebook cooling solution, and thus earns our coveted Great Innovation award.

Pros:
 - Solid aluminum construction
 - Three 120mm cooling fans with adjustable RPM
 - Great cooling solution for desktop replacement notebooks
 - Dense rubber areas to prevent laptop from slipping


Cons:
 - A bit of the heavy and bulky side to be truly mobile
 - No manual or warranty information in the box
 - Rubber feet may be prone to peeling off

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Interested in the sexy notebook that we used for testing purposes? Read the full review HERE at HardwareLogic.com!
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Other Reviews of Note

It's always nice to have more than one opinion on a component before you spend your hard earned money. For one, we may see something others missed, or vice versa. As with all reviews published at HardwareLogic, we'll not only give you our recommendation, but also point out reviews from some other great sites around the web.

DreamwareComputers.com
BenchmarkReviews.com
OCIA.net