Introduction
Up for review today, I have what will hopefully be the start of many CPU Cooler reviews here at Enos Tech. CPU Cooling is one of those highly important things to consider when building a new PC. Not only do you run the risk of damaging the CPU if it gets too hot, it can also ‘throttle’ and not perform as it should. A lot of CPU’s come with adequate coolers if you want to run the CPU at its stock settings, but if you want to overclock or stress the CPU, you will need a better cooling solution.
Today I will be taking a look at the Cryorig H5 which comes in at 160mm tall and features a slimline XT140 fan. Not only is the H5 compatible with most CPU sockets, it also features great RAM compatibility thanks to its design and the slimline fan. The H5 also features a copper nickel plated base and a TDP of up to 160 W to offer the best in cooling performance.
When you open the box up and start to get the cooler out, you will notice the accessories are almost hidden and in fact, they are helping protect the cooler from getting damaged in transit. As you can see in the image below, all the accessories are packed on the sides of the box used to protect the H5.
Getting everything out of the box and as we would imagine, there are a decent amount of accessories that will allow users to mount the H5 on a number of AMD and Intel sockets. Two of the most important accessories are the included screwdriver and the 2nd set of fan retention clips.
Closer Look
Having a closer look at the cooler itself and it is very stylish. You will notice the XT140 fan comes preinstalled and there is no need to remove this unless you, of course, want to. The top of the cooler features a nice white surface with just the CR logo. This is likely to be the part of the cooler that will mostly be in view when it’s installed into a case so it’s nice to keep it simple and clean. 
There is a total of 38 fins that make up the heatsink or tower array of the H5 which allow for great heat dissipation. It is also worth noting that the sides of the heatsink are sort of blocked so air cannot get through, this is to help direct the hot air out of the back of the case in most instances, rather than allowing it to get back into the rest of the case.
As mentioned, the base is pure copper nickel plated and one thing I am a big fan of, is the fact Cryorig have gone ahead and preinstalled the mounting hardware for the cooler, allowing you an easier and quicker installation.
Installation
For testing purpose, I installed this on my X99 socket 2011-3 test system. To get things started, all we need to do is find the correct screws and screw them into the motherboard as seen below. 
Next, add the cooler retention brackets and secure them in place with the included thumb screws.
Now that the motherboard mount is in place, go ahead and apply your thermal paste. Next, set the cooler on top of the CPU and use the included screwdriver to screw the mounting screws on the base of the cooler into the retention brackets on the motherboard and that’s it, job done!
The Cryorig H5 offers great RAM clearance and while my RAM may not be the tallest, there were no problems and plenty of room left for RAM with bigger heatsinks.
Performance and Testing
Our testing procedure for CPU coolers is fairly easy. We run Prime95 for 5 minutes to stress the CPU, then we monitor the temperature with Core Temp, add up the total of all cores, divide by the core count (6 in this case) and subtract the ambient temperature from this, giving us our delta temperature. We also double check the voltages with CPU-Z to make sure everything is accurate. To have the best chance of having like for like results, all testing is done in an open air environment.
Test System
- Windows 10 with all the latest updates (Product page / Amazon UK / Overclockers UK)
- Intel i7 5820K CPU Stock / 4.0GHz @1.300V OC (Product page / Amazon UK / Overclockers UK)
- MSI X99S SLI Plus Motherboard (Product page / Amazon UK / Overclockers UK -X99A)
- 16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 4x4GB @ 2400Mhz RAM (Product page / Amazon UK / Overclockers UK)
- Samsung 840 Evo 250GB SSD (Product page / Amazon UK / Overclockers UK-850)
- Corsair AX760 80+ Platinum Power Supply (Product page / Amazon UK / Overclockers UK)
- ASUS R9 290X 4GB GPU (Product page / Amazon UK )
Programs
Final Thoughts
I’ve put the Cryorig H5 Universal through my testing procedure and we’ve had a closer look, so it’s now time to convey my final thoughts on the cooler itself.
Performance
The performance of the H5 is nothing short of spectacular, especially when given it is a single tower cooler with a slimline fan. While I don’t have any results on hand to compare this too for the website, I have used this cooler before and was well aware of the performance it was going to offer. This is the first air cooler I have tested on my 5820K and I was a bit surprised with the results, in a good way. The 5820K is quite a big CPU and offers lots of performance for enthusiast grade users, so seeing the H5 being able to tame this beast was great.
Design
When it comes to design, Cryorig has hit the ball out of the park with all their coolers if you ask me. There is just something about them, not only do they perform great, they also look good doing so. Cryorig has done their best to think of everything from the pleasing aesthetics, down to the shape of the fins to allow for the best airflow possible. All in all, the design is top notch and that is all there is to it.
Value
Coming in just under £50 here in the UK, the H5 is well worth your hard earned money. While some may feel it is a bit on the expensive side for an air cooler, the performance on offer can’t be faulted and the design is amazing. If you want a top quality air CPU cooler, look no further as Cryorig have a great offering in the H5 Universal.
I would like to thank Cryorig for sending in today’s review sample.
