Installing a 1kg CPU onto a motherboard that consists of a few layers of PCB is always a challenge, the guys at CRYORIG were able to reduce the amount of installation steps, and if you have access to the back of your motherboard, no motherboard removal is required. In fact the amount of installation tools required is minimal and provided by CRYORIG in the box. The backplate is installed with the provided thumbscrew/standoffs, the metal brackets are than fixed into place with another set of thumb screws. Finally the heatsink drops into place and is secure by using the provided philipshead screwdriver. All in all installation is quick and easy, providing a solid mount for the heavy block of metal.

Despite its huge size the R1 Universal does not pose any issues fitting inside a mid-tower case onto a S775 Gigabyte motherboard, which does offer a whole lot of space around the CPU socket. The R1 clears the obstacles easily and has room to spare. The whole setup lines up nicely with the rear exhaust fan.

Test Setup

Our test setup is nothing too fancy, but no easily cooled platform either. A Pentium D 840 3.2Ghz socket 775 monster, this is a brute of a 90nm CPU with hyperthreading enabled power guzzler, rated at 130W TDP at stock speeds.

- Intel Pentium D 840 3.2Ghz Dual Core Stock
- Gigabyte EP45-UD3P
- 2Gb RAM
- NVIDIA 7900GT With Zalman Cooler @5v
- LANCOOL PC-K58 ATX Case with 2x120mm fans
- MS-Tech 650W ATX PSU (With 120mm fan)

We tested a total of 4 different scenarios:

- CPU @ stock speed - all case fans at 12v
- CPU @ stock speed - only rear case fan @ 5v, front fan disabled
- CPU @ 3.6Ghz - all case fans at 12v
- CPU @ 3.6Ghz - only rear case fan @ 5v, front fan disabled

The case fans we measured at ~1400rpm @ 12v and ~725rpm@5v. It's safe to say that when only the rear case fan is running at 5v, the overall PC is dead quiet.

Measuring gear included:

- iPad Mini with Thermodo sensor for ambient room temperature
- Extech dBA meter 407738 for noise reading

Noise reading was done in a separate room, a passively cooled PSU rigged to power-up without motherboard, and the Heatsink and Fan combo. The sensor was placed at 50cm from the front of the heatsink.

To generate CPU load we used Intel Burn Test v2.54 and SpeedFan to measure CPU die temp.

Onto the results ->