Cryorig H7 Quad Lumi in review
- Introduction
- unpack
- To incorporate
- Testing method
- Performance
- Relief
- Diplomat
#RGBAllTheThings had already made its way to CPU cooler land, we recently saw the Thermaltake Riing water cooler and found the insanely thick NZXT Kraken with built-in every-second Aer fans all over the internet. RGB air coolers were obviously the next step, and it was Cryorig who first showed us their model with RGB action.
The Cryorig H7 Quad Lumi takes the familiar H7 and improves it a bit, with an additional heat pipe and LED crackers, among other things. What's surprising is the decision to do this together with the NZXT and use the NZXT Cam software integration to control everything; good news for those who already have NZXT Aer fans or the Hue+ RGB kit. Impressive perhaps considering it's something of a competitor to the Kraken water cooler, though they feel like they're so far apart in terms of price and looks that they don't cut their fingers.
At around €69, the H7 Quad Lumi isn't exactly cheap, but you're quickly losing twice as much for a modern Kraken.
Cryorig played in the spotlight very quickly and very prominently a few years back, with a chunky look and exceptionally good attention to every detail. It seemed to me that only poor distribution prevented market dominance. For those who haven't seen the previous Cryorig reviews and it's been a while since the last one, let's go over everything in detail. Starting with the packaging: excellent packaging, good printing, clear specifications, and we immediately see a unique benefit in the world of air coolers: 6-year warranty after registration.
Congratulations also for the packaging of the elegant accessories such as the registration card, the manual, the paste and the clever screws and brackets. It's nice to know that all newer sockets except TR4 for Threadripper are natively supported. So AM4 is here, but also 2066 for X299 motherboards, but more on that later.
The cooler itself doesn't look too extreme at first glance, making the H7 a mid-range in the Cryorig lineup, but it's attractive and stylish. Attractive ear cup finishes, bold neutral top cover to give your rig some extra flair and a few aggressive lines here and there to contrast with the standard concept many air coolers stick to. The limited dimensions are a positive, it can easily accommodate a height of 145mm in most cases and around 700 grams including fan is no challenge for your motherboard.
The fan itself is fairly neutral, with a black bezel, transparent blades, and the famous Cryorig color in the center.
Next, we see four 6mm-wide heat pipes, an indication that this is a mid-range device (higher-end devices tend to have more heat pipes and are thicker), but with a sleek finish. in nickel. . We also see RGB strips come into play.
Cryorig also did the install right and still does. We have to say, it's getting more and more attention, even from manufacturers who sometimes make installation so difficult that you wonder if they want you to install their product (Hey, Scythe, huh?). So the real advantage over most competitors is somewhat diminished, but the Cryorig offers hassle-free installation into all sockets. Remember that to install the S115X, you need to reach to the back of the motherboard to tighten the screws. Before we start, the full specs:
For a change, let's take a look at installing it on an X299 motherboard, the MSI X299 Gaming Pro Carbon. Because? Because it is possible and because together with the MSI GTX 1080 Lightning Z it produces dense images. Installation on this deck couldn't be easier due to fixed screw holes. Screw, hold, squeeze...
…glue on top, cooler on top and screw. Well egg.
After installation, we see that the RAM is completely free, even on the back of this Core Extreme platform, and the first expansion slot is also completely free. So congratulations on the compatibility.
Result? Subjectively, of course, but I like it.
After some motherboard issues with the i7-4770K benchmark tested over the past few years, we had to take a different approach. Heading in the right direction, we tested several coolers on an Intel Core i7-7700K, including the older NZXT Kraken X61 to round out the list above. Note: This does not mean that you can blindly compare between different platforms, it is just a guide. The test is carried out on a test bench without additional refrigeration.
Temps are deltaized (to mistranslate) to 23C ambient, CPU load is from Prime95 (v28.5) Small FFT test which is a CPU and FPU heavy test well beyond the task typical for games or graphics (For an AIO bit, this difference is easily 10 degrees or more.) The reason for this rigorous stress test is to show the underlying differences; a simple test says very little. Temperatures are recorded after they have been stable (with 2°C fluctuations) for at least 10 minutes.
We also continue the line with the 40dBA Fixed Noise Output Test. This is measured with a Voltcraft SL-100 decibel meter at a distance of 30 cm from the dyno. Why 40dBA? 40 dBA on an open dynamometer is a modest audible noise level that would result in an overall design being marginally audible in a suitable enclosure. Of course, given what we've measured under incredibly high processor load, I'd expect this combination to never be audible in practice with normal use and reasonable graphics performance. First of all, therefore, a practical measurement point and a reasonable efficiency test: a manufacturer can "cheat" the pure cooling results with a mega-noisy solution.
Note: the results are highly dependent on the quality of the chip used, but also on the package you use it in. Always keep an eye on your temperatures when overclocking, even with very powerful cooling systems. Reviews like these are primarily intended as a comparison of product performance and do not guarantee that you will be able to reach any specific temperature or overclock with any cooler.
First, the above list again to show where we left off:
And then for the new setup with 7700K:
The extra heat pipe or any other tweaks it might contain doesn't seem to lead to the wrong H7. Although it's at the bottom of this table, we've pretty much only seen AIO and only one air cooler model since the new platform, so this line isn't too far off. Performing just below the excellent Mugen 5 and Mugen 5 PCGH isn't a disgrace, and with more air coolers added it seems only natural that the H7 would simply maintain a clean base. While this Cryorig is more expensive than the Mugen, the base model without RGB lighting is not. It's simple: an i7 is good with a little overclocking, and that's the point.
However, the H7 Quad Lumi is a bit loud at full throttle, which is not surprising given the 1600 max rpm. Then at mid range (to get to 40dBA we drive the analog and don't see exactly what the voltage or RPM is (yet)) we drop that 40dBA down and see the temperature rise just one degree, again no shame. And positively for the lover of silence, with at least 330 revolutions per minute you can put even the most sensitive ears to rest. With the caveat that we found a better balance between sound and performance if you let the fan blow a little more, about 100rpm above that minimum won't be heard by anyone either, although it does make a difference of a few degrees.
Well, we usually leave it at that processor, but we put the H7 Quad Lumi on a Core i9 7900X for the photo. That's why we couldn't resist trying it. However, they found that a 4 x 6mm heat pipe air cooler on such a processor is not a good idea. In Cinebench, we saw temperatures immediately climb above 90 degrees and hit 100 degrees as the test progressed. Officially within Intel's maximum limits, but well above what we recommend. In short: we can recommend an Intel i7-7700K (with some OC) or something like an AMD Ryzen 7 (with some OC), but for the i9 range and probably also Threadripper class processors you need more.
And what counts, of course, is the lighting. There's white lighting on the fan, an RGB strip below the fan, and an RGB LED below the Cryorig logo. Cryorig has decided to work with NZXT, a supposed competitor who doesn't really seem to have anything to do with air cooling anymore, except that they already have RGB control on the shelf with their camera system. It has some advantages, there are many interesting options and owners of thick NZXT Aer fans or Hue + LED strips can easily combine the lighting. While I also wonder if it wouldn't have been cheaper to include an RGB LED header that many modern motherboards can directly control, they would also have left out a group of users without that RGB header. In any case, the product can now be used universally.
With the H7, Cryorig already had a powerful, attractive and well-made air cooler in its range. Certainly not the biggest or thickest fridge, but it was attractive (and in my opinion such a medium form factor is attractive anyway), the installation is excellent, and the care from start (packaging) to finish ( 6 year warranty) is also there neatly assembled. However, the additional heat pipe in the H7 seems to set it apart from a slightly faster i7, and of course the price makes us expect a bit more too. You can't start with an Intel Core i9-7900X yet, it's too 'intermediate' for that, but an i7 7700K or Ryzen 7 even moderately overclocked is no problem.
Adding RGB lighting is obviously what matters and what really sets the cooler apart from the competition. You pay for it because it's close in price to high-end air coolers, but you typically lose a similar amount for that optical upgrade or a few conveniently placed LED strips. In other words, you pay double for a chunky RGB water cooler. While that comes with increased cooling performance, you may also be wondering if the average gamer or enthusiast will push the limits of overclocking where this performance really shines. In fact, I think more people buy products like the NZXT Kraken X62 for its looks or lighting than for its overclocking capabilities. And this cooler also has something similarly priced non-RGB water coolers rarely offer: truly inaudible operation.
In other words, I think it's a very good product with an attractive market position for those who want a bit more LED action but find water cooling too expensive or undesirable. Fully stocked with NZT Aer and Hue+ products that go together well, the cost certainly adds up, but it makes an attractive LED party that much more affordable. However, now the ball is back in the hands of Cryorig to ensure that these coolers are actually sold in the Netherlands, which we often tolerate when it comes to Cryorig products. They are very pretty but sometimes make them very difficult to buy. Let's hope they arrive soon.
Some high resolution photos for enthusiasts, click here for the full version:
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