Powering the NZXT Cryo LX laptop cooler

K i've heard of people having trouble powering their Cryo LX, laptops shutting down after showing some voltage error. And even if you dont have any power issues, supposedly doesnt run as fast as its supposed to. Been recommended to use an AC to USB adaptor, that would give it 5V to run on. How about an AC to DC adaptor that gives it 12V? Would that short the cooler or something? Or would it allow the fans to spin faster? Thanks

 

first of all, i would test to see if there is any differences in fan speeds when plugged into different sources. if u have a desktop and/or other notebooks, test the cryo LX with them. if u can't really hear/feel a difference then yur notebook should be just fine.

rule of thumb is that the bigger the fans, the less they will have to spin to move air. with that bein said, the cryo LX's fans weren't designed to run at crazy high speeds. these are just assumptions comin from people that have no experience with the cryo LX and/or don't know what they're talkin about.

i haven't read too many (100%) success stories when usin the AC to USB route. i run my cryo LX thru a AC-powered USB hub, and thats what i recommend. a small 3-4 port USB 2.0 hub is about the same price, or a little more expensive than the AC to USB adapter. with the hub, u can power other things at the same time and downstreamin capabilities let u charge phones, ipods, etc through yur USB hub.

 

Sorry is there a diff between an ac to usb adaptor and an ac to usb hub? Wudnt the power output be abt 5V also?

 

yes, it'll be the same voltage, but there were other's that had problems goin that route. not really sure what the problem really is, but it might have somethin to do with the inner components of some AC to USB adapters.

i really recommend an AC-powered mini-USB hub cuz they cost about the same and is much more reliable/useful.

 

Hey sorry kinda misread your reply. I should have been more explicit I was asking abt an AC to DC adapter that could put 12V through the Cryo LX as opposed to the standard 5V from the USB. Read somewhere that the stock fans provided in the Cryo LX can handle up to 12V.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=315490

I've got a PSP charger, its a 12V 2000mA AC to DC adapter. The guy in the above thread said his adapter was a 12V 1000mA one. Would the difference in the mA matter? (I.e. frying the cooler?) Or would the cooler only draw the amount of current it needs from the adapter, and nothing more?

 

In theory it should work. The cooler should take only the current it needs and it can handle 12v. However, there is always the possibility of something going wrong since there could be more current available than it can accept. The guy on the other thread didn't say anything about whether more current would hurt or not, he only said more voltage would. There really isn't anything protecting it from surges something along those lines so there could a risk of frying it. Sorry if isn't worded very well but it has been a couple years since I took electronics lol. Maybe somebody who has been keeping with it more could answer this better? I was considering buying this myself and noticed nobody had ever answered ya so I thought I would give it a shot.

 

anyone else know where to buy 12v dc adapter? im looking for one too.. gonna see how the fans of the cryo lx would react to 12v dc adapter...

 

u could easily search it online and u'll find plenty of different applications.

 

cause thers alot of 12v dc adapter.. different amps.. im not sure which one would be best? i just looked at the dc adapter that cryo lx comes with.. its 5v and 2k amp

well.. would a 12v 1k amp be able to power 3 12v 120mm fans at max speed?
just wanna see how it helps in cooling compared to stock fans

 

Bypass the DC connector on the Cryo LX's circuit board and create a separate connection to the fans, else you fry some components you don't want to fry with 12 volts. I.E. the four usb ports on the circuit board.

The AC DC adapter that NZXT sent me for the Cryo is 5v 2200mA, but did not change the fan speed compared with USB to DC port or USB to USB.

 

what if ur just gonna use the 12v dc adapter to power the fan? would that still be recommended? planning to swtch the stock fans to a 12v rosewill 120mm fans.. but dunno if it will be able to work at full capacity on the 5v dc adapter that comes with the cryo lx...thats why im asking advice if its advisable to use a 12v dc adapter on the cryo lx just to power the fan? thanks

 

As long as you bypass the circuit card on the Cryo, you'll be just fine with the 12 volt Rosewills.

 

ill just use scythe . cause the wiring of the rosewills were wrapped and its hard to put the circuit board back in and screw it in... scythes 3pin connecter is easier to move around.. cause its not wrapped i have ordered 3 of them.. the 1900 rpm ones.. ill see how it goes when i get it on wednesday

 

PSP Chargers is 5 Volt not 12 I would know I own 3 of them. The PSP would blow its non user replaceable fuse on a 12 volt. Ive used a hacked usb cable to charge a phat by taping the wires to the dock power points on the charger port.

PSP Charger = 5 Volt 2000 mah

 

I've been waiting for a review and havent heard anything so I took it into my own hands.

This experience is meant for people who just want to cool the laptop by the best means possible.

Bought the Scythes just like this dood mauric3. I installed them and they didnt do a darn thing cause it was still being underpowered just like the generic fans. I researched everything from splicing the wires to adding molex connectors. Finally, I went to radio shack and bought a universal ac to dc adapter thats rated at 3-12v and 1 amp (1000mA). You also need a 1.3mm tip thats at least 3 or 3.4mm in length.
What can I say... it works like a champ. You can throttle the power to whatever your need is. The fans are decent in noise pending on how much power youre pushing through. This is way better than the adapter that NZXT sends you or the usb power cable that youre given.

I have a Gateway 7811FX that i play cod4, wow, and ghost recon on. This cooler now lives up to my expectation.

I dont use the usb hub so i dont care about the board on it getting fried. I only care about cooling the laptop. If the board does go then I'll splice the wires and create a plug in connection to the power supply that i just bought.

Cheers

 

Well I'm running it at 9v AC/DC from a universal adaptor I bought for $5 on Ebay. I didn't bypass the circuit board so that might be broken. Will test it out right now to see if there's any damage.

Edit: Like the user above, I have no need for additional USB ports.

No damage for the 30mins that I had it running at 9V and 3 min at 12V. Will update within a week to see if that did anything.

 

Hi Penrod,
How did you bypass the circuit board for your cooler? What components are required to do that?

 

bit of a strange question but:-

if i suspect that i've fried my circuit board in some way (yeah, one of the stock fans started smoking and a strong smell of burning occurred!), will the fans still run at max speed (depending on X volts) or not at all?

thanks.

 

i don't think the fan would run at all if u really did fry the board. cuz the current or power wouldn't even be able to pass through that particular part that got fried. i'm no electrician tho, so u might want a 2nd opinion. let us know how it goes.

 

well as a precautionary measure, I've swapped out all 3 stock fans with scythe s-flex 1600rpm fans. Trouble is I have no way of telling whether the scythe s-flex are running at max speed ie. 1600rpm, even when i'm pumping 12v (1250mA) through them....i have no point of comparison.

they seem very quiet....a low hum. The dial on the side does have an effect on the fans but like i said, i have no point of comparison so i dont really know if the s-flex fans are underpowered or whether it is the board itself that is causing the problem.

 

could u goto yur local automotive store or hardware store and rent a volt meter?

 

you can buy a cheap voltmeter for $5 at fry's or radio shack should have them but it'll be more expensive than fry's.

hello moto - it's not a bad idea to buy a volt meter and see what kind of current is running through the circuits. also, scythe fans are quiet.

 

Im also searching to mod the Cryo, so i was just browsing and found the following,

http://www.coolerguys.com/cabinetfaq.html

Since you claim your PSU is 12v (1250mA), and the SFLEX 1600rpm (SFF21F) are rated 0.20A (200mA), for 3 should be 600mA. All should be runing at max.

 

I am planning on picking up a 3-12V 1000mA adapter to power the Cryo LX. I'm hoping to power the three fans to full and not fry them. I don't care about the USB board as I don't use them. Is there anything I should be aware of before trying this?

 

yeah dont try connecting the USB to USB whilst 12v is being pumped through the cooler!

thanks for the advice and link. Will try and find a cheap voltmeter to test the Cryo with.

 

So what kind of ac to dc adapter is best to power the stock Cryo LX fans to their maximum without frying them?

 

Can I bump this question? Anyone know?

 

I settled for 3x 1600rpm Scythe s-flex fans mod on the LX as they were the only ones that i could find over here in the UK. Going by their specs, each fan consumes 1.2W (W= voltage x current). Therefore 3x fans = 3.6W.

As such, I bought myself a switched mode 12v AC adapter rated @ 1250mA (1.25A). This has a max power output of 15W which far exceeds what is required. Basically, so long as you get an adapter capable of outputting in excess of 3.6W then it's fine. This is what i have:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=96864

 

I`m in the uk and i bought a Cryo LX recently, ive had a lot of problems with the fan control wheel since day 1, this is the 3rd Cryo LX that the company has sent me and touch wood this one seems to be ok.

I have an M1730, on the 2 previous Cryo LX`s i had the fan control switch wouldn`t work on one, on the 2nd one the fan wouldn`t change speed until the fan control wheel had moved till at least half way but even then their wasn`t much change in the speed, it idled very high as well.

This 3rd one seems to be ok at the min, its doing everything i expected it would do before i bought it. From what ive read on the net and through my own experiences it seems to be a lottery in getting a good one that functions perfectly, quite a lot of people have to run theirs from a mains adapter because the USB ports on their laptops don`t have enough power to power the Cryo LX properly.

One thing that NZXT should design into the next Cryo LX is a power ON/OFF switch which would be very easy to do, that would save on having to disconnect the USB cables everytime you want to turn it off, that would be ideal for when your just using your laptop to brows the net and in other situations where it doesn`t need extra cooling.

 

2 Quick questions--I plan to buy a 12v adapter off of ebay.

What I would like to know about is:

1. I understand that most people are using 1.5a-2a ac adapters. Is it ok if the adapter I start using for the NZXT is 4-5amp? Will this overheat my cooler?

2. Are all AC adapter endings the same?

 

No. In fact, had you read above (Reference Post #15, this thread) you would know that what you need is a 1.3mm tip thats at least 3 or 3.4mm in length.

 

hi i was just wondering if anyone knows if my laptop's usb ports would be able to power all three fans on high without any additional add ons or adustments. i have four usb ports which can each draw 500ma individually. and i dont kno if this matters or helps but my laptop is an hp dv7-3085dx model so its very up to date. it heats up to around 70 degrees Celsius when i run high end games and i need a really good cooler to counter this and this seemed like the best option from what ive seen. any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

Welcome to NBR

Yes it will power it fine @ the typical 5V. You can however boost the speed of the fans by more than 50% by purchasing a 12V 2500ma + universal power adapter and use that to power the cooler. I have done this and it is VERY effective.

 

o excellent. i heard using that type of adapter is only an alternative power source and wont boost fan performance but i guess it makes sense that more power=more efficiency so ill take your word for it. and i couldnt really find any good adapters matching that description online so would you be able to give a link for what you use? thanks for your time and help!

 

Take the cryo's usb to dc cable with you so you can identify the correct tip to your local fry's (or whatever your local computer/electronics store is) and look for the universal adaptor section of the shop. You are looking for 12V and between 2000-3000ma. Because it is universal it will come with several interchangeable tips, one of which will fit your cooler. Will probably cost you 20-30 bucks. I live in the UK and bought mine at Maplin's cost me £20.

 

okay will do thanks a bunch for your help i appreciate it

 

I have a Cryo S (the version with only two fans). I also wish to increase its output on stock fans. I don't care if the fans wear out faster since they are cheap to replace, but I don't want to loose the control board for the fans (I don't care about the USB ports). Since I only have two fans, will using a 12v 2,000ma charger be overkill?

I did this with my crappy targus cooler (two small fans) and the change was ridiculous. Any thoughts?

 

I have not read every page, so if I am repeating this, forgive me. I have the Cryo, and as of August, they were issuing free 115 v (Home wall plug) power supply. Shipping is free, but you must provide your reciept. Heres the link.
http://www.nzxt.com/faq/cryo_lx/
All the new Cryo's ship with it now.
R

 

Yea you should only need 1000ma at most and I tried it. Its going to fry your board. So don't.

 

ok thanks for the heads up on the 1000ma!

 

anyone knows the inner and outer diameter of the dc output of the official ac to dc adapter than cryo offers?

 

hi guys, i have a question. Just say i use the ac adapter to power the cyro LX and I have my laptop attached to the cooler with USB-to-USB. Is the cyro LX drawing power from my power outlet or the notebook? I want to use the cyro LX as a USB hub, but not while taking power from my notebook.

Thanks for your help guys