Cuplex Kryos review

• Introduction
• Package content
• Design features
• Installation
• Testing setup, performance results
• Conclusion

Conclusion

As the testing of the new claimant for the CPU waterblock crown — Cuplex Kryos — has ended, we now can make sum final conclusions.

Pros:

• appearance
• quality of manufacturing
• pressure drop
• efficiency

Cons:

• Large compression fittings can only be installed using additional angle adapters
• Mounting hardware case installation difficulties

Despite some inner design similarities of Cuplex Kryos and Apogee XT, Aqua Computer engineers succeeded in slightly lower pressure drop numbers compared to Swiftech flagship.

Cuplex Kryos incompatibility with large compression fitting can be solved using additional angle adapters. However, today’s manufacturers tend to meet consumers halfway and while majority of consumers prefer to use large OD tubing with compression fittings, Cuplex Kryos’s incompatibility with barbs and fittings for 5/8″ and 3/4″ OD tubing look a bit odd. If you wich to have less connection fittings in you system then take a look at Cuplex Kryos HF — this waterblock version is compatible with compression fittings for up to 5/8″ OD tubing.

Mounting hardware, apart from being a little hard, turned put to conflict with DFI UT x58 (and most probably with EVGA 758-760) motherboard. I suppose, while trying to make a real peace of art, Aqua Computer engineers forgot to check final dimensions, stated in Intel documents. On the other hand, manufacturer promised to fix this bug for production samples of waterblock.

Cuplex Kryos XT appearance deserve an separate discussion. Unfortunately, photos can’t show the full beauty of this waterblock. Those of you who we see Cuplex Kryos XT live, won’t remain indifferent to it — this is a truly eye-catching waterblock. If you are familiar with Bitspower products, then the view of Cuplex Kryos XT will stir up same feeling of joy.

As the test results show, Cuplex Kryos XT did a excellent job on processor cooling task, though Core i7 920 CPU was overclocked greatly and generated 295 W of heat. A small temperature difference while comparing Cuplex Kryos an Apogee XT efficiency can’t be called an advantage of the first one. It looks more like Aqua Computer engineers managed to create a waterblock capable of competing with the best one on the market. Such result is quite predictable — majority of today’s top waterblock have very similar inner structure and as a result — comparable performance. In this case, minor features — outlook, mounting flexibility, pressure drop — come to front. While mounting hardware of Cuplex Kryos stands down in front of Apogee XTs one, the pressure drop of the first one and its outlook gives the go-by to rival.