OCZ Cryo-Z - leading a lamb to the slaughter

[skinnee]

If the Phase section is anything like the Liquid Cooling section, I'm going to take some lumps for this... but what the hell.

Intro
I somehow managed to get my hands on an OCZ Cryo-Z to play with and verify the new LGA775, LGA1156 and LGA1366 mount plate for Frozen CPU. I am a complete phase noob, so when I got the FedEx tracking information I came right to the Phase section, read through stickies and lots of threads... felt much more prepared, but still a complete noob and nervous as can be.

I didn't believe it until I opened the box... the OCZ Cryo-Z is real and doesn't just exist on a web site. I had heard a variety of different things. But the last I knew was they were available from a retailer in California and the units were pickup only. Now Frozen CPU is making an LGA775 through LGA1366 mount plate. Once I finally got the box open, directly to the manual... quick specification grab from the manual:

• Compressor: ZEL GQY70AD
• Refrigerant: R507
• Max. Stable Load: 120W
• Idle, 0W: -45ºC to -55ºC
• Dimensions (DwWxH): 18.0in x 8.2in x 10.1in
• Weight: 23 kg / 50.6 lbs

Going over the specs of the unit and absorbing what I could in the phase section here, I was trying not to get my hopes to high for the Cryo-Z. After all, the unit was originally planned for the Core 2 and LGA775 platforms. Yeah... guess they didn't make it. Enough negativity out of me regarding the vaporware status of the OCZ Cryo-Z, but I seriously imagined they were all destroyed or never really existed.

After lugging the box from my doorstep down the stairs to the lab, I was surprised by the shock watch stickers all over, and quickly verified all was good. Unit is out, coming with quite a bit of insulation, backplate, mount screws/springs, manual. Was going to be a few days before the Frozen CPU i5/i7 mount plate and backplate were going to arrive, figured I should figure out how to take the collar and plastic stock mount plate off. I don't have any available LGA775 machines to test with quickly either.

Collar/Plate removal
After a day or two of walking by the Cryo-Z, thinking about how I was gonna get that collar and plate off it was finally time to actually figure it out. I started by twisting, seeing if the collar would screw off... nope. Then I started moving the foam at the head around, sure enough there is a c-clip holding the collar back from slipping off. Quick job of the needle nose, pulling one of the side out, then gently pulling the c-clip loose. There ya go, collar should come right off.





Core i5/i7 Mount Plate
I hinted at this above, but want to make sure everyone caught it... the Cryo-Z does not natively support Core i5 (LGA1156) and Core i7 (LGA1366). The Cryo-Z was originally planned for Core 2 and LGA775. Frozen CPU went and whipped up a mount plate that is a perfect replacement for the plastic stock plate. The Frozen CPU plate is aluminum, with the LGA775 to LGA1366 mount holes, use the stock plate if your rocking AMD. Frozen CPU includes a LGA775 to LGA1366 backplate as well, the included 6-32 screws work just fine with the LGA1156 and LGA1366 backplate from Frozen CPU.




Now that we've got the stock plate off, I've got to clean that copper head before going any further. Looks like sitting in a warehouse for 2 years aged the copper surface a bit. Vapor's method of vinegar and salt, a few dips for roughly 90 secs, polished with a brush in between dips. Finish it off with a polish from the Krazy Kloth. With the copper head looking usable again, slip the Frozen CPU mount plate over the copper head and insulation, push the collar back on and ready the clip. You'll notice a small notch/extrusion in the recess where you have to secure the clip. That extrusion is where you want the opening of the c-clip. I was able to get one spot started in the recess and just used my thumb to work the clip back in securing the collar from slipping over the copper head. If you end up with some pinched insulation, just use your fingers to work the insulation out and the clip under.



Bench Setup
With the Cryo-Z all dressed up, time to focus on the board. I didn't get fancy, just used the foam insulation included and called out in the manual, not bad as far as instructions go, some things are left to draw your own conclusion. I ended up cutting quit the sliced up piece of insulation for the board... but it works. Now with the board insulated, have to craft some insulation for the head. For some crazy reason, I forgot to photo my hack job of 3 pieces of 3/8" foam. I cut it for the collar diameter, marked holes and used a drill bit to punch out the mount screws. I went for 3 pieces of 3/8" foam, seemed to do the trick quite well.

Nothing fancy on the bench for this one, just the same rig used for round 1 and 2 of CPU block testing, Prime95/Bench stable with at least 4.2GHz at 1.315v Vcore:

• CPU: Intel Core i7 920 D0
• Motherboard: Asus Rampage II Extreme
• RAM: Corsair DDR3-1600 6GB
• GPU: EVGA GTX260 SP216
• HDD: Samsung ST3250410AS
• PSU: Corsair HX1000

Popping that sub 0ºC cherry
So I didn't completely kill the weekend just on reading, copper head cleaning and mount plate photos... I actually got to make a first pass on clocks. Most important of all, I got to break my sub 0ºC cherry and that has to be the best part of the bench log. However, I have a lot of clocking to do... I can't just rely on the brute force method (raise Volts, raise bclk until it works) of clocking, time to actually learn and tweak. If the investment (time and money) in sub zero is going to be worth it, time to up the OC'ing game. First, lets revisit that whole expectations thing and remember the Cryo-Z was originally designed for Core 2 heat loads, Core i7 920's can reach well above 250w of heat... OCZ only spec'd a 120w compressor. So don't expect to see DTS sensor temps of -60ºC, that's just not going to happen with a Cryo-Z.

I have 3 of the many screen shots to come as I continue running the Cryo-Z and tweaking. But, the first shot shows 100% BOINC load on 8 threads running 4.2GHz with 1.2875V bios set. Next screen is just to show how bumping the Vcore up by roughly 0.1V means to heat load. Now, please remember that RealTemp and the Core DTS sensors on die aren't great at low and below 0ºC temps are inaccurate --BIOS was -105ºC to 18ºC-- so you can't rely on Tjunction or Tcase for relatively accurate temps. Even still, I'm using RealTemp as my proof of running fully loaded and maintain a temperature colder than 0ºC... don't take my small victory.





Once the initial twitch of being below zero and the expense I could accumulate in case of disaster occured, I gave in to the text messages from Vapor and decided to start running a few benchmarks. Sad thing is, I only got my 3DMark Vantage score baselined and had to call it a night and weekend.




At the present, time to change the Blue Bench (skinnee labs network name) back over to data logging for radiator tests... but I'm leaving as much in place as possible to get benching again before and during the Thanksgiving holiday. I really want a 15k Vantage score with this setup, and I'm having far too much fun just experimenting with something different, even though it isn't an sdumper unit approaching -100ºC... but I have the sense I'll be wanting a larger unit in the not so distant future.

Once again, thanks for the stickies and vast amounts of information in the phase section. You have no idea how valuable it was and will be for me as I cut my teeth on Phase.

[S1N3]

Thats pretty amazing, these units were going for around 299 and I've even seen them cheaper.

[BobyTT]

I am thinking to get one of those... Just not sure yet...

[malkiewicz]

Nice review...

I would love to see the components inside (Open this thing up - take lots of pictures).... What size compressors used & how many decibels does this thing produce under a full load..

[pezcore]

Originally Posted by malkiewicz

Nice review...

I would love to see the components inside (Open this thing up - take lots of pictures).... What size compressors used & how many decibels does this thing produce under a full load..

BAM! http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/377/2 and http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/132...ed/index5.html

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

you need a phenomII !!!! get a 965 c3 and let that puppy scream.

seriously if you've got sub ambient the socket you want is AM3 - not 1156 or 1366

[Buckeye]

I likd this unit a lot, tho was not powerfull enough for C2D Quads so I ended up giving mine away.

Here are some pic's of the insides of mine.

Controller burried deep inside


Little bit sloppy on the wiring




As my Blue Aqua Chily1 handles the Core I5 stuff without a problem I suspect the CRYO-Z will aso, over all a nice unit for the price.

Congratz on the new phase unit !!

[SAE]

It's great to have a watercooling guru here in the phase section.
Great unit... I am wondering if it can handle these 4.5GHz permanently?!

[zalbard]

Just wish these were available outside of US.

[Gautam]

Oooh...nice to see you on the other side of ambient.

[skinnee]

Thanks folks, venturing to a new section of the forum is scary! It was a fun first try below ambient, but I want to stay with phase and this unit until I know that I've reached the limit of the unit and not my hardware and OC skill. Buckeye, I remember you had one and thanks for sharing the internals.

One thing I don't really like is the controller. I'd rather power the unit on and let it reach temp then power the board... I'm a control freak I guess.

As for handling the load permanently, not sure. Once I finish up the five radiators I have, I'll try extended tests but won't have temp monitoring and logging... only stability (OS crashes via eventlog).

[TheKarmakazi]

Originally Posted by SNiiPE_DoGG

you need a phenomII !!!! get a 965 c3 and let that puppy scream.

seriously if you've got sub ambient the socket you want is AM3 - not 1156 or 1366

What do you base that on? AM3 scales much better the colder it gets. Cryo Z under AM3 quad load would be maybe -20°... not alot of headroom? Youd get a better OC on an i7 and a more powerful machine at the same time, albeit temps would still be -20 or higher

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

I never got the impression the cryo was a terribly powerful phase unit - seems to me that the heatload of an PHII would suit it better is all

[lalPOOO]

Unit looks good, for something that seemed like a myth. Evap head and everything about it looks pure chilly1, with no mention of his name...

[sdumper]

Lalpooo, theres only so many ways you can make an evap face and almost all of them have round faces.

Personally if I were going to purchase a production SS unit I would only buy a CoolerExpress.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/73...l?tl=g49#blank

[Jor3lBR]

I have one and all I can say these units are much more then the specs. OCZ was very conservetive when they listed those.

They run strong and keep it cold till 4700Mhz on a Q9650 with heavy stability tests like Linx and Prime95. Much more then I wished for really.

I'm moving to Ln2 soon so keep an eye for a nice unit with very little use shipped anywhere in USA with the upgraded Duniek hold down plate on the FS thread.

[lowfat]

Originally Posted by lalPOOO

Unit looks good, for something that seemed like a myth. Evap head and everything about it looks pure chilly1, with no mention of his name...

Pretty sure it is a chilly1. I do believe he did work w/ OCZ on it when they were first announced.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

yeah I'm 90% sure they licensed the design from chilly

[HDCHOPPER]

Exellent little review on Cryo-Z Skinnee ! thanks I have my eye on it for a while and want to get one also my Asus I7 build has 775 holes

And thanks buckeye for the inside shots

cant wait for you Jor3lBR really hate to make a run over to Cali to pick one up on my bike all that vibration & bungee cords lol ,would have to steal the womans cage to make the run

[lalPOOO]

Originally Posted by sdumper

Lalpooo, theres only so many ways you can make an evap face and almost all of them have round faces.

Personally if I were going to purchase a production SS unit I would only buy a CoolerExpress.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/73...l?tl=g49#blank

I agree with you, there are only so many different possibilities, and I'm not trying to start trouble as I do like OCZ as a company. However, when you look at the 2 pictures I've attached you'll probably understand what I'm talking about.

Also, that dual evap unit looks sweet

[n00b 0f l337]

If my knowledge is correct;
The evaporator is a spiral bound design, matches a "Chilly1" as we call them.
The mount is a muff and plate design with snap ring, it is basically a 3rd generation mounting setup for Chilly1 evaporators. Nothing new or extraordinary.
Luckily those mounts are super easy to make for people with basic machines.
You go out, you buy a PVC end cap for 3" tubing, you flatten the front end out, and take off material for the plate to sit on. Incredibly easy on a lathe or a rotatory sander/cuff.

[Buckeye]

Well not all Phase units are monster units but the CRYO-Z is a pretty nice package overall. You can have a lot of fun with this unit doing all kinds of things.

Yes its not a heavy duty benching Phase but its still a nice unit for the price.

I do not like the controller with it tho, I am trying to remember where I saw how to bypass it...

[hadyn5]

This Cryo-Z has 1 aspect that worries me, namely the build quality. Looking at the pictures at Tweaktown, I wonder why OCZ would still release this batch to the public. I also read the (ongoing) review in Skinnee lab, the fact that the copper head needs cleaning doesnt look good. I also checked Frozencpu and they only give out a 30-day after day of purchase as warranty.

I am keeping an eye out for the Thermaltake RCB400 which makes its debut early this year and is supposed to go on sale Q2 this year. Obviously it has not. Has anyone heard anything about it?

[SAE]

I only know that crappy thing here:

http://www.caseking.de/shop/catalog/...ck::12860.html

I can imagine what quality that one has considering the build/material quality of TT's watercooling parts

[Olivon]

OCZ starts shipping Cryo-Z phase change cooler

Some years ago there was a relatively large market for compressor cooling. Compared to heatsinks and water cooling it was a small market, but it was there and several companies developed their own phase change coolers. The market has more or less vanished since then as both air and water cooling have become more advanced and efficient. OCZ Technology has tried to breath some life back into the market with its Cryo-Z cooler, now available at FrozenCPU.com.

OCZ Cryo-Z will do temperatures around -45 to -50 grader Celsius on the evaporator and supports AM3 and LGA775 from factory. FrozenCPU has added a custom mounting kit for LGA1366 and LGA1156 platforms.

FrozenCPU.com sells OCZ Cryo-Z at $379.99.