Next, I tested the Cryo S’s effect on laptop CPU temperatures. I first tested the cooler on the MSI Wind U-100, but the tests were a wash: with and without the cooler, the netbook’s internal fan was enough to manage the heat produced by the 24% overclocked Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor.

As a substitute, I tested a Dell Latitude D420 laptop. To test temperatures, I again loaded the processor with OCCT 3.1.0 CPU stress test, and recorded the highest temperature of either core of the processor, an Intel Core Duo U2500 @ 1.2GHz (stock). I tested four scenarios: Cryo S fans 100%, Cryo S fans at the lowest setting, Cryo S with unpowered fans, and, as a control, the laptop with no cooler. Between each trial, the laptop was allowed to cool entirely and moved to a different spot on the desk to prevent heat build-up beneath the laptop. A test is halted and considered failed if and when the CPU reaches 80C.


Here, we have some very solid evidence that the Cryo S is an extremely effective laptop cooler. I’m amazed that the internal Dell cooler allowed the CPU to get that hot, and this suggests to me that they simply assume people won’t be driving their laptops very hard. No wonder they call them “notebooks”!

Usage and conclusions just ahead.