Review on 💧 Cryorig A40 Hybrid Liquid Cooler: Advanced 240mm Radiator with Bonus Airflow Fan by Deep Echemendia

Summary: What could have been a gimmick turned out to be a nice feature for a remarkably decent AIO waterblock. I didn't intend to build my very first PC with the CRYORIG A40. In fact, I was suspicious of using the AIO given the potential for leakage and reviewers reporting loud pump noise. Unfortunately, the air cooler I wanted for my i7-6700K didn't fit my case (NZXT Phantom 410), which limited the options in my price range. That's when the CRYORIG A40 caught my attention. Relatively new to the market, it has received some very unexpected positive reviews. It offers average cooling performance for its price point, but has one feature (a gimmick, you might say) that sets it apart from other AIO solutions: a heatsink-mounted fan that moves air through the case and directs it to the motherboard components blows. Boards (RAM, in my case). CRYORIG claims that this drastically lowers motherboard temperatures, which can be an issue with other AIO coolers. I don't have the tools to test this claim, and I don't have a baseline to compare my numbers to, but other reviewers have noted that the board's rates have improved significantly. As for the tricks, this one is very functional and definitely upgrades the product. I'm happy with both the cooling efficiency and the airflow inside the case. For a novice builder, installing the A40 was not as quick as CRYORIG claims. To be honest, however, my installation was only difficult because the heatsink and fan mounting solution I chose forced me to remove the installed motherboard to access the screw holes on the top of my case. The included bracket is easy to mount on the back of the motherboard, all fans are easy to plug into their headers and even an extra fan on top of the heatsink is easy to install. I replaced the stock thermal paste with IC Diamond, but I feel like the stock paste would have worked well given the temperatures I've seen. With a conservative overclock to 4.5 GHz, my 6700K pack hits just over 60° under full load, even after over an hour of stress testing. The idle temperature is a decent 19-24°. FYI, the fans in my case (intake and exhaust) are set to minimum speed. The noise level is also worth mentioning - this cooler is very, very quiet. Based on some critical reviews I thought it would be very noisy but I didn't think so. Even with my Phantom 410's sides open, I had to put my ear less than 6 inches from the pump to hear it. When the case is closed, it is almost silent. To be honest, I replaced the stock heatsink fans with Deepcool TF120s, but they're also almost silent. Even though there's no ambient noise in my office, I have to put my ear to the heater to hear it. There is definitely no annoying buzzing, buzzing or any other nasty noise. The only question that remains is the quality of the build and how long it will last before failing - and what that failure might be. Only time will tell this story. For now, I recommend this product as an alternative to larger, noisier AIO coolers.