INTRODUCTION

   Popularity of HTPC systems may have dropped considerably lately (always compared to even just 5 years ago) but there are always consumers out there with severe space limitations and using even a small mid-tower is not really an option for them (there are also some who want or need to carry their systems around with them). Such people (and even professionals since small form factor systems are used in many areas of the industry) are pretty much the ones driving the mini-ITX and micro-ATX market and although not many products are getting released as of late targeting regular consumers some manufacturers still do their very best in order to cater to their needs. CRYORIG is without doubt one such manufacturer and after testing their C7 Cu and H7 Plus CPU Coolers (both of which performed extremely well on our test bench) today with us we have their latest C7 RGB model.

   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.

   Just like the C7 Cu the C7 RGB is a low-profile top-down CPU air cooler aimed specifically for use inside compact mini-ITX and/or micro-ATX cases (zero clearance issues with mainboard components and RAM height). Also as the name clearly states that the C7 RGB is part of the C7 family of CPU air coolers (C7 and C7 Cu before it) it's actually pretty much identical to the very first C7 model released back in 2015 (both feature a TDP of 100W) and so it features 57 fins all made out of aluminum, four 6mm nickel plated copper heatpipes, C1100 pure copper base, measures 97x97x47mm (fan included) and weighs a total of 295g (fan excluded). As a matter of fact the sole difference between the original C7 and the C7 RGB seems to be the 12V RGB LEDs of the 92mm PWM fan (you will need either a compatible mainboard or an RGB controller for that) and nothing else since again the specifications of the fan used here are identical (minus to weight due to the RGB LEDs) to those of the one used with the original C7 and the C7 Cu after that (can reach speeds of up to 2500RPM to produce 40.5CFM of airflow and 2.8mmH2O of air pressure with 30dBA of noise). So, time to see just how the brand new C7 RGB CPU Cooler by CRYORIG performs on our test system.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We received the C7 RGB inside a very small box that has a product picture at the front, company logo and a few words about its main features (namely its height of just 47mm and its RGB fan).

The main product features are also listed on the left side of the box.

Both the specifications of the cooler and its socket compatibility are printed at the rear.

Once you open the box you will find the usual registration note by CRYORIG with which you can expand the warranty to 3 years.

Inside the box you will find the C7 RGB cooler, X-Bar backplate, 4 hex nuts, 4 white washers, CP-7 tube, screw driver with a yellow paper instructing you how to properly use it and the installation guide (the C7 RGB is compatible with Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AMD4/FM1/FM2/FM2+ mainboards).

THE C7 RGB

The C7 RGB is a compact top-down CPU Cooler that measures just 97mm in diameter and 47mm in height and weighs just 357g (fan included).

CRYORIG has once again used a 92mm PWM fan with the C7 RGB that can spin up to 2500RPM to produce 40.5CFM of airflow and 2.8mmH2O of air pressure with just 30dBA of noise.

This fan is powered by a 4pin connector and its RGB feature can be controlled via its 12V connector.

The main body of the C7 RGB heatsink is made by a total of 57 aluminum fins.

Each side of the C7 RGB features two 6mm nickel plated all-copper heatpipes (4 in total).

The C1100 pure copper base is not only nickel plated but it's also polished (doesn't feature a mirror like finish however).

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   As we have stated in the past the Intel I7-3770k system is not located in our lab and so it's obviously not our primary choice when testing CPU Coolers. Still since HTPC/SFF models shouldn’t be used with our overclocked Core I7-3930k we have decided to take this path whenever one such model lands at our doorstep. As always our first concern is ambient temperatures so once again we keep the room temperature to around 21-23 degrees (not really hard but unfortunately not 100% accurate as in our lab) and as always to successfully record the load temperatures we use the latest OCCT application (for around 6-10 minutes) to push the processor to its limits so we can record its temperatures. After that is done, 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 was then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results were off. As many of you have pointed out time and again this procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures are 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.

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   Not having tested the original C7 model released back in 2015 means we can't compare the C7 RGB to it directly but judging by their specifications we'd say that performance should be nearly identical. However, we can compare it to the more recently released C7 Cu model and as you can tell from our charts there's a 5+ degrees Celsius gap between these two coolers at load so if you plan on overclocking your system or if you'd just like a better alternative the C7 Cu if a far better choice (unless that is RGB illumination is more important to you than cooling efficiency). Also, since the 92mm fan used with the C7 RGB is identical (minus the RGB LEDs) to that used with the C7 Cu noise levels are similar (LED fans are always slightly louder and that's probably the case here as well) but again the C7 Cu comes up on top. Installation took us less than 4 minutes to complete actually (just like with the C7 Cu) so if you want an extremely easy to use low-profile CPU cooler the C7 RGB is a good choice.

   At the time of our review the C7 RGB low-profile CPU Cooler by CRYORIG can be found for around 36Euros inside the EU but unfortunately availability is very limited everywhere we looked (and neither on Amazon or Newegg) so it may become even more affordable later on. With that out of the way however although thanks to its 12V RGB fan the C7 RGB does look better than both the C7 and the C7 Cu and for that we do recommend checking it out at the end of the day it just doesn’t do very well in terms of cooling performance and that coupled with its limited available deny it any of our awards.

PROS

- Build Quality
- 12V RGB Fan
- Zero Interference Model (Just 47mm In Height)
- Bundle
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Current Availability
- Noise Levels