INTRODUCTION

   I think it's a given by now that when it comes to CPU cooling some people like to use the classic air coolers (U-type tower designs primarily) while others prefer the newer AIO (all-in-one) liquid cooling models. No matter which of the two segments/teams you belong in however if you're building a powerful new system (or if you already own one and would like to equip it with a new cooler) then you need to go for an equally powerful cooling solution. The good news is that the market is currently filled with powerful CPU coolers of both types but that presents a challenge on its own since consumers may not know which model to walk away with. The R5 released in September last year is the latest CPU air cooler by CRYORIG to hit the market and today it's on my test bench.

   CRYORIG was officially founded in 2013, but took several years in the making. We began our journey right at the start of the first decade of the 2000’s. During what was the most prosperous age of PC DIY and Overclocking. Members of our team have either worked directly or indirectly with brands such as Thermalright, Prolimatech, Phanteks and many more. We ourselves are overclockers and PC modding enthusiasts, with a passion and drive to strive for improvement. With direct knowledge of manufacturing and design as well as holding multiple patents under our collective belt, we decided to make a name for ourselves, and that name is CRYORIG. So what is CRYORIG exactly? CRYORIG is about making the coolest rig possible.

   The R5 is built around a U-Type tower design heatsink (consists by a total of 48 aluminum fins, 6x6mm nickel plated heatpipes and an C1100 pure copper nickel plated base) which CRYORIG has paired with two XF140 HPLN (High Precision Low Noise) bearing 140mm PWM fans (1300RPM/76CFM/1.44mmH2O/23dBA) in push & pull configuration to give it a TDP (thermal design power) of 200W. Just like with previous models by CRYORIG the R5 also features a zero interference design for RAM modules and motherboard components and a plastic frame over its main body (bundled in both black and white colors) which is not only used to improve its looks but also to keep air coming from the front fan from leaking to the sides (thus improving airflow and heat dissipation). So, time to see just how the latest R5 performs against most of its competition today.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A partial product picture is placed at the front of the box right under the company logo and few words about the product itself.

The main features are showcased on the left side of the box.

At the rear we see 4 product drawings showcasing its measurements, the specifications tables and the socket compatibility.

Registering the R5 with CRYORIG expands its warranty to 3 full years as explained by the note you'll see once you open the box.

The entire bundle is placed in two formed pieces of cardboard (the cooler is also wrapped inside a plastic bag).

Aside the R5 (and its two FX140 fans which come pre-mounted) inside the box you'll also find a long Allen key, thermal paste tube, extra plastic frame, 4pin to 3pin fan splitter, alcohol cleaning pad, 4 vibration absorbers, installation guide, backplate and all the necessary bits required to mount the cooler onto Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2 compatible motherboards.

THE R5

Measuring 162.8mm in height, 140mm in width and 98mm in length the R5 is a medium to large sized cooler.

The two fans placed on both the front and rear of the R5 are XF140 HPLN (High Precision Low Noise) bearing 140mm PWM models that can reach speeds up to 1300RPM to produce up to 76CFM of airflow with 1.44mmH2O of air pressure and with just 23dBA of noise.

CRYORIG has used a heatsink that has a total of 48 aluminum fins spaced just 2mm from each other (0.4mm thick each).

As mentioned earlier you can swap the default plastic frame (white) for the bundled one (black) to match the color of the rest of your system.

Even without the frame part of the fins is bend inwards on both sides in order to improve cooling efficiency via optimal airflow.

CRYORIG has placed a hole at the top of the heatsink which goes all the way to its base and allows you to mount the R5 onto your motherboard with ease.

Using a total of six 6mm nickel plated heatpipes seems just about right for a single heatsink model.

The C1100 all copper nickel plated base may not feature a mirror like finish but it's large and flat from side to side.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   We always take things quite seriously when it comes to work so just like with the previous LGA1366 database we will not be testing each CPU Cooler on its own and with different ambient temperature levels and thus we can actually have yet another valid CPU Cooler database. Testing a CPU Cooler automatically means that you need to know where it stands against the immediate competition and to accomplish that we have spent both money and time through the years, something that we plan to continue to do so in order to get the most accurate results for the end consumers who read these lines. Every CPU cooler in this database is tested with the bundled 140mm/120mm/92mm/80mm fans while working at both idle speed and 100% of their speeds for all the temperature tests. CPU Coolers that do not come bundled with a fan/s are measured using a Noctua fan (size dependent on the model) to test for the temperature tests but due to the lack of a stock fan dBA level tests are obviously skipped. Single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests every cooler in the database was measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. The Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste is used with every CPU Cooler in our latest LGA2011 database (although initially this was not the plan, we had to change things to get the most accurate results). Finally, it's very important to point out that just because a CPU Cooler is better than another when tested with our test rig that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures, we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded, we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure is more time consuming than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the CPU Cooler. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here, we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   Once again thanks to the charts it’s very easy to see that the cooling efficiency of the CRYORIG R5 is roughly on par with that of the NH-D15S by Noctua and that’s not a small feat. Of course, in order to match the performance of a dual-heatsink model the R5 needs two fans in push & pull which as you can also tell from the charts are quite a bit louder in comparison. This of course shouldn’t be an issue for most people especially those with high-end graphics cards but still it is what it is. Thanks to CRYORIG's patented MultiSeg quick mount system the R5 can also be installed in under 5 minutes so this too is something this particular CPU cooler does right. As for the two bundled plastic frames well I’m not much into white systems myself but if you happen to be then this could help (partially at least).

   Due to the current state of the market i was unable to find the R5 CPU Cooler by CRYORIG anywhere in the USA but it’s widely available in the EU for a price of roughly 70Euros meaning it’s more or less properly priced. Overall, the CRYORIG R5 may not be the highest performance CPU cooler out there but it does combine very good cooling efficiency with a smaller size (compared to other dual-fan models) and a very easy mounting system and for all of these it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Performance
- Build Quality
- Black & White Plastic Frames
- Dual Fan Solution
- Very Easy Installation
- MultiSeg Mounting System

CONS

- Noise Levels
- Current Availability