NZXT Cryo S Aluminum Notebook Cooler Review


Check Out the Massive Fans

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I’ve reviewed a number of notebook coolers in my day and the vast majority of those that use fans tend to use smaller fans. These are less power-hungry, but may not be as good at dissipating the heat of your laptop. The Cryo S, on the other hand, decided to go big rather than go home.

Other laptop cooling stands may stick to 60mm fans (give or take), but you get two 120mm fans with this NZXT offering. They’re positively huge! Thankfully, NZXT has also included proper protection as to avoid chopped fingers.

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Good for Your Xbox 360 Too

I don’t remember exactly where I first heard about this type of application, but it makes perfect sense. The Microsoft Xbox 360 is really just a computer, so it goes through the same kinds of trials and tribulations as a computer… like overheating. Too much heat is one of the most common causes of the Red Ring of Death (RROD).

People say that having your Xbox 360 oriented vertically can help with the heat situation, but that may not be possible with all entertainment units. Orienting the gaming console horizontally, you can then make use of a notebook cooler to keep the cool air funneling in from underneath.

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And it just so happens that the NZXT Cryo S is a near perfect fit! Since power can come by way of USB, you can use one of the three USB ports (one in the back, two in the front) on the Xbox 360 to keep the fans going.

However, even standby power on the 360 is enough to power the fans. In this way, I would have liked to see a power switch to the Cryo S located either on the front or the side. As it stands, as soon as it gets power, it turns on.

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