Introduction:

NZXT Cryo LX Aluminum Notebook Cooler

    We've seen many laptop/notebook coolers here at VH since we started getting into reviewing mobile items awhile back. Some decent, most not so decent. Well today I have for you a new entry into the notebook cooler segment from NZXT called the Cryo LX. The beauty is definitely unique. Not just because it'll support a 17" widescreen notebook with ease, or because it sports three 120mm fans, or even because it's made of aluminum. What makes this unit unique is the ability to fold it virtually in half! That's just a few of the nice features of this new Cryo LX. Let's check out some more...

Features and Specifications: 

• Built with thick aluminum with sturdy construction
• Brushed Aluminum finish
• Rubber finish lifts the notebook up to allow less heat pockets and better airflow
• Cools your notebook with three adjustable large 120mm fans
• Four USB ports for your media, storage, and input devices
• Ability to power devices such as external hard drives.
• Folding design for easy storage and transportation
• Support for power notebooks with 15", 17" and 19" wide screens
• Dimensions (W x D): 16.6" x 11.6"

Packaging:

   The NZXT Cyro LX comes in a nice fold open box with the unit securely held inside. It's also shipped in the folded position to save room.

A Closer Look:

   Taking the Cryo LX out of the box, you'll immediately notice the good looks and quality feel of the unit. It feels very beefy and solid and when opened it really looks like the perfect laptop cooler. You can see all the cooling slits in the top and the tacky, rubbery top area to grip your laptop.

A quick look around the rear of the unit and you'll see a slew of USB ports ready to serve. The Cryo LX comes with a USB power cable which connects to your laptop to power the 3 massive 120mm cooling fans on the unit and also a USB > USB cable for your own use.

    Above you can see I dis-assembled the fan cage holding the 3x120mm fans. It was very easy and comes undone with the removal of just a few screws, then slides sideways out. The fans that come with this Cryo LX are super quiet, but if you wanted to switch them out, you easily could.

Installation:

   Installation...well if you need help with this part you might as well turn off your PC now and take up another hobby :) Simply slide it under your laptop and plug the Cryo LX into an available USB port. Done. In this example, I'll be using my 17" HP DV9500T Widescreen Notebook. It's larger than the industry standard 15" notebooks so it'll give you a good idea on what this unit can handle.

Conclusion:

   Since this is a fairly simple review, I'll just put the testing section here in the conclusion. In summary, powering on the Cryo LX was uneventful. So much so in fact I had to put my hand next to it to see if it was pushing any air. And it was. It was dead silent on both it's highest and lowest settings since there is a little dial on the right side to turn the fans up and down. I didn't notice any noise difference between high and low and the air flow was probably twice as much on high as low, but still not really blowing.

Having 3 large 120mm fans sucking air directly off the bottom of your laptop, there's no doubt it's cool, even if the fans are slow and silent. I can only imagine the cooling power of this Cryo LX if it had 3 high power fans in it. It would be incredible!

However even with it's stock fans, this unit is fantastic and what I believe is the best laptop cooler we've ever reviewed here and possibly that I've ever even seen on the market for any price. I have total confidence in this unit providing enough cooling power to cool any laptop but even those of you out there with super hot 17" Dell XPS and Alienware Gaming laptops would find this laptop cooler fantastic. And if you really think you need more cooling power, just grab one of these and replace the fans with something more powerful. However 99% of you out there will love the cool, quiet and silent performance of the Cryo LX under your laptops!

If you like what you see here, and I know I do, you can pick up one of these fantastic NZXT Cryo LX laptop coolers right over at Acoustic PC while they're in stock. The price is $79.95 at the time of this review, and although a little high, I think in this case you actually get what you pay for. It's a great quality product.

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