CRYORIG certainly knows how to design an air cooler, and when it comes to liquid coolers, they definitely cannot be called shy. Rather than sticking to a plain, boring design, the A80 uses that same unique design as the A40 Ultimate, but with a larger 280 mm radiator. So it gets points for uniqueness, but more of a surprise is that the A80 beats the A40 Ultimate when it comes to performance and noise levels. While the differences are minor, they do elevate the A80, making it the better offering. It even managed to give the much more expensive EK Predator 240 and Swiftech H220x2 a hard time. Offering performance that is on par while being less expensive is always nice to see. The unique cooling element in the 70 mm hybrid airflow fan is a nice addition, even if somewhat gimmicky and less than amazing on mainstream sockets. However, it could prove useful on overclocked AM3+ or LGA2011 systems or those who make use of heavily overclocked system memory.

Installation is simple and easy, thanks to the MultiSeg mounting system from CRYORIG. Pair that with the good build quality and you have a solid unit. What makes it all the sweeter is the good warranty that comes in at 3 years by default, but is extended to 6 years with product registration. All in all, CRYORIG has another solid all-in-one liquid cooler that increases the amount of choice consumers have without it just being another clone.

A few things could be improved upon. The price is high when looking at air coolers, especially CRYORIG's very own R1 Universal, which, while offering 5% less performance, offers 30% + better performance per dollar. However, this is also a slippery slope. Still seldom are those all-in-one liquid cooling units bought for their performance-to-price ratio only. They are, rather, purchased because of their ease of use and superior clearance, which is still a valid point here as its $125 price tag on Newegg means it is not a cooler for the masses.

While its noise profile is slightly better than with the A40 Ultimate, it is still a touch loud for my taste at 100% PWM, but it does thankfully stay below the 50 dBA threshold. The optional airflow fan is a unique addition, but adds next to nothing on mainstream sockets or systems with good airflow from a performance perspective, reducing temperatures on the motherboard's VRM and system memory by just 1°C. Granted, Skylake uses very little power, and on a motherboard with a large heatsink and good VRM, it is not likely to do much to begin with. On an AMD FX system with a heavy overclock or LGA2011 that could very well be drastically different. The same goes for heavily overclocked system memory; however, on the test system I use, it just didn't really offer a noticeable difference at all. The only other issue is the pump design: It is polarizing in that you will either love or hate it depending on whether the airflow fan appeals to you.

Overall, I am genuinely impressed by what CRYORIG offers with the A80. Its unique feature sets it apart from the competition, but it all still boils down to whether potential buyers decide that the hybrid airflow fan is a useful addition or not. The only other thing that springs to mind is the lack of software control. While I myself find such software unnecessary, some might miss the feature. I should also mention that if you are looking for RGB LEDs to light things up, you will want to look elsewhere.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with the CRYORIG A80 since it manages to hold its own in a cut-throat liquid-cooler market while bringing something new to the table.