These are, by far, the best CPU cooler I have ever seen for this price, and I've gone through about a dozen different kinds over the years.
The heatsink is solidly made and feels very sturdy, and cable is a high-quality braided sleeve, not just three cheap little wires flailing around loosely. The fan is unbelievably quiet, too, for something that performs this well; more on that later.
These aren't just a simple heatsink package; Cryorig also provides you a copious amount of thermal paste, and a solid steel tool for tightening the hex nuts on the rear mounting plate. Installation is, for that matter, extremely easy, assuming you read the provided directions (which include QR codes for video demonstrations), and while the bracket defaults to the Intel LGA configuration it can be quickly converted to the AMD configuration by simply moving one screw and the mounting nut on each arm.
For performance: this cooler has been tested on an i5-4690 four-core CPU in a cramped, 2U rackmount chassis with about half an inch of clearance over the CPU cooler, not even an inch away from cheap RAM with no heatsink on a Micro ATX motherboard; in other words, a high-end CPU in a VERY unfriendly environment. Initially, I used the stock Intel cooler on the CPU, thinking that would be sufficient; hah, there's a good joke. Testing the CPU under Prime95 made it climb to 97 degrees C in under 30 seconds, at which point I pulled the plug on the test and ordered this cooler.
With this cooler installed, I left Prime95 running as a reference while writing this review; it stabilized at around 89 degrees, and took about three minutes of continuous load to get there. Under normal operation (this computer runs a couple of gaming servers, Minecraft, Terraria, etc) the CPU never passes 50 degrees, and it idles at 29-32. Again, this is in an extremely cramped space with only two 80mm case fans at the far front of the unit, so you literally could not find a more hostile setup to test this thing in. In any real-world situation in a proper-sized tower, this little compact cooler would blow away the competition... I'll see myself out.
As a final note, Cryorig also provides a small, sturdy product registration card with the cooler, packaged inside a pretty little foil wrapper. Don't toss it out! Register the cooler on their website instead, and they will provide you with an incredible five-year warranty. I can't express how impressed I am with Cryorig for making such an affordable product feel so premium, and the thoughtful treatment they provide with it.
| Brand | Cryorig |
|---|---|
| Item model number | MICOCR-C7 |
| Item Weight | 12.6 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 3.94 x 1.97 x 3.94 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.94 x 1.97 x 3.94 inches |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR3 SDRAM |
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
| Manufacturer | CRYORIG |
| ASIN | B0177GTV9U |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | October 27, 2015 |
