Modified NZXT Cryo LX Notebook Cooler for Dell M1730

Yes it's very unfortunate that NZXT decided to use plates with slits covering in, imo it severely cuts down on the air flow especially the side fans. Don't know if you'd be able to convert it to an aluminum mesh, seems like its all made from one piece, but I'll take a closer look.

 

i was just gonna wait and see where my next laptop's vents will be and just cut open the top, where the slits are. the fans are in their own mesh-like cage so they won't be exposed. yur laptop will never sit on the cut part either so i don't think there will be any structural complications after the cuts.

 

how do you plan on cutting a solid block of aluminum?

 

hmmm...haven't exactly drawn out an elaborate plan or anything of that nature yet cuz i feel that it'll be a straight forward modification.

looks like all i'll need to do is disassemble, tape the area(s) that i want to cut, take a dremmel to it, and then put everything back together.

 

Damn, I don't have the balls to take a dremmel to my laptop cooler. I think I'd rather utilize some other kind of frame and utilize the nzxt cooler guts, it's pretty self contained.

 

i don't really mind cuz u won't be able to see the cut area anyways. plus the cryo LX's full aluminum body is a cooling feature in itself. the whole cooler is like a huge heat sink, so i want to utilize all of the cryo LX's strengths if i modified it later on.

 

I hope it don't follow the trend of the 200mm + coolers.... i find one of the best assets of the cryo is is folding design.... cooling wise is great, but its probably the only cooler i can take on my gaming backpack.... a 200mm fan will probably allow folding, while i still don't consider it fully portable, it works, at least for me.

 

Well I fried the fan controller running a 12v 2 amp power supply to it. So skipped the fan controller and even with the 3 fans at high power it doesn't seem like theres too much air flow from stock. I think theres just too much stuff blocking it in the front.

 

I havent fried my fan controler with 1.5amp 12v psu... but i never used the usb ports, some have reported trying to do it at the same time while using 12v psu will fry it.

In my experience there was a huge increase in noise and airflow going from 5v to 12v, not so much changing the stock fans, as they are 1900rpm at 12v. This dont mean it cools so much better, just i did see an increase in airflow over stock. But if i do again.... i would probably keep the stock fans, and just get 12v psu.

 

well, its just like overvolting anything...

i have been building a cooler, and im thinking of just using a 9v psu. its smaller and is probably a decent mix of airflow and noise.

another thing ive been thinking of however is using some car adapters i have laying around... gotta find one that does 20v to 12 or something. get it hooked up somehow to my 19.5v laptop PSU

considering that fan controllers work in pretty much the same way however, it would probably work GREAT to get a 24v fan controller hooked up directly to 19.5v and just dont push it much past halfway.

actually theres this little thing about just plain old resistors that relates to the whole industry...
they wouldnt keep the voltage at all regulated @ 12v, and you couldnt possibly use them for a fan controller.
HOWEVER if you know the exact amperage, i think you can get it to work very easily. so maybe all these fans need as far as power from the laptop is a single resistor (or potentiometer) as long as you dont switch up the power source.

if this was fully implemented you could use your cooler as a power dock as well.

there seem to be limitless options for cooler mods... i honestly dont know what ill do but it will be something today... probably post a new thread about it, as most of what ive said here isnt necessarily related. LOL

in any case, hope ive inspired some ideas or something.

 

NZXT just offered to send me a new fan controller. Their support is absolutely fantastic. I'm pretty sure I'm out of warranty and I bought it second hand, yet they still sent me an wall adapter and new fan controller unit.

This company gets an A+ in my books.

As for modding my fan cooler I think I'm going to revert back to stock and perhaps make one from scratch out of plexi glass or something.

 

hey guy, i just received the cryo lx and i wan to mod it. Many people in this topic have prblem witht he power, i wonder what could i do with this and if i have 3 120mm 12v fan, will i be alble to run them at full speed when i mod this cooler or should i do st witht he power to, like buying a new ac plug? Give me some advices. THank you

 

I hope you read through 6 pages of this thread before posting this question. But just to let you know, replacing the 120mm fans is very simple. You'll figure it out once you actually got the screw drivers in your hand. For the 12v adapters, you can get a universal one with multiple plugs option (see link below to my thread), but I recommend you get one with "regulated" voltage. One last important note though, do not use the USB hub and connected to your laptop while you're on 12v, or it'll screw up your laptop due to the huge voltage jump. Try to get an adapter with rated current about 1000mA to 1500mA.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/accessories/530107-cryo-lx-12v-adapters.html

 

The fans on the cryo were able to run at 12v, just use another psu but dont use the usb hub or you will burn it or even worst your laptop, so if you planing on using another psu just dont use the usb hub.

 

Thanks for ur answe r, i will mod mine on monday

 

Just did the modification. I bought the powerline universal adapter with 1300ma on amazon and 2 led antec fwn and 1 scythe s flex. Everything was fine at first. I plug the 12v in and the usb b started smoking. The little part behind the dc power in started to melth and felt apart. But it was fine, no more smoke. I continue. After put the 3 fans together, i plug the cable in at 6v and everything wqs perfect, until i turn the powerline cable to 2v, for about 1 miunte. The fan was fantastic and loud. But then it stopped suddenly, the controller started to smell and when i touch it, it is very hot. Can anybody tell me what should i do now? How can i get a new usb and control board from the seller, i bought my just last week

 

How did you connected the PSU? i was reading on the powerline and has USB plug, pls dont tell me you went 12v and conected through USB.

In my case i only use the universal plugs directly to the round connector, avoiding the usb pcb.

If you call NXZT you probably can ask them to sell you the usb hub again.

 

I was waiting to find one of these broken or refurb just to do the same mod the OP did, since it uses regular 120mm fans and they are easy to access its almost not really a mod just a part replacement.

Never did do it though because $70 is just way too high when I am going to scrap half of it and spend more on fans & parts. So may build my own from parts when time comes that I find I need a cooler.

 

I pkug the round connector, not the usb. How can i get a new controller and the new usb hub? Thx for the reply, can u give me someadvice. I dont want to receive the new part and break it again. I plug the connector in at 12v at first and somke come out until a little black square part behind the dc melt and fell off on the usb board, then when im done and plug the fan in, it went smoothly and loud at 12v for1 min until it died as i turn the power knob up. Can u help me please. People say that this fan can handle 12v but i diesnt seem so

 

Oh....my second Cryo LX arrived yesterday and, once again, smoked too after 5 seconds of plugging in the 12V power. I got sick of the cheap NZXT electronics and assume that it would happen again no matter how many times I get the replacement. So I did my own by-pass trick to skip the electronics and supply the power straight into the 3 pins. It's about an hour worth of work & soldering.

 

Can u tell me how to
By pass the thing. I just went on nzxt wrbsite and send their support a msg for replacement

 

I assume you already opened up the Cryo LX and observe the two electronics board inside (one is speed controller, the other is USB/power hub)? Do you see how the connector from the USB/power board is connected to and supply power to the speed controller? The speed controller also has three other identical ports for three fans to connect to, now plug the connector (between USB/power & speed-controller) to one of those 3 fan ports. Then connect the fans to the remaining two, you'll see that the fan runs fine. What I did (others might have done differently) was soldering the connector that's going from the USB/power board straight to the middle of the three ports, but I solder on the bottom of it (other side of the controller board) to save that port for fan use. You just have to becareful not lose track of where the wires should go.

 

That mean u can power only two fan what aboutthe other one?

 

No...that's why I cut one end of the connector and solder the wires to the "feet" on the bottom of the middle port on the speed controller. That way, the top of it still has its port available for all 3 fans.

 

Oh. I got it, ill try to do it. Thanks for the help. I send the nzxt tech guy a msg so if i can get the replacement part i will try again

 

Why try it on the replacement part? Try it on the defective/burned one and save the new electronic board in case you want to revert back to the 5v with speed adjuster . If I were to go back, I would definitely find a way to solder into the potentiometer so that I can adjust the speed. For some reason, I feel that the original settings weren't really run on 5v - because with 5v adapter connecting straight to the fans now...it spins very slow. Therefore I suspect that there might be a transformer or something that boost the 5v up?

 

I just cut the cable and tape it to the bottom to test it, the fan was well and i tape eveyrthing back. I ate something, then turn the fan on for final test, at first the fan didnt blow so i rer adjust by moving the cable a little bit, then it works, and stop and works again and smking smell come out. I disconnect the power and check wherre the smell come from, it came from the fan, did i just fried my fan, how could that be possible. Anyway, the tech guy sent me a msg and nzxt r going to send me the replacement part, ive never done the solder thing before so im planning on buying a new fan if this fan is fried and try to solder it. Anyone know how to by pass the board put still have 3 plugs for the fan?

 

I'd like to know how the fans in my Cryo LX just started making sounds like they're out of oil, It hasn't even been 6 months =\

Not that the fans really helped that much in the first place... bah. Maybe I should have waited for the U3.

 

Found my issue, it was actually the top fan mesh pushing down on the fan. I just ended up taking it off entirely, along with the plastic things on the top side of the cooler, so now my laptop sits directly on the metal. Adding in some useless Ni-MH batteries under the backside to raise it up also. Now I'm getting 35/45 cpu/gpu with normal use in my 25c room