Noise Levels & Fan Speeds

Testing Procedure

Fan noise testing is done at 25%, 50%, and 100% fan speed, with the dBA level being recorded by a Pyle PSPL25 sound pressure level meter at a distance of 30 cm. The fan(s) RPM results are taken at the same 25%, 50%, and 100% settings. The selected speeds are handled by MSI's Command Center software, and a Lamptron FC6 fan controller is also used as a secondary method of confirming RPM and dBA readings in case MSI's Command Center cannot control the fan(s), which ensures that proper results can still be obtained if the software fails. To give users the noise profile of the tested CPU cooler, testing is done using fan speed percentages instead of various load levels.

Noise Levels

The CRYORIG C7 is quiet, which is surprising for a cooler of this size. I expected the fan to be louder and to have a much more obnoxious sound profile. Instead, I was mildly shocked to be proven wrong. At 25% and 50%, the fan is near-silent. It is nearly impossible to hear over any other system component. At 100%, the fan does become noticeable, but the noise profile is a soft hum that is tolerable to my ears.

Fan Speeds

The RPM readings show a fantastic PWM range on the included fan. With a minimum of 600 and a maximum of 2500 RPM, the fan does the job well and features a similar RPM and noise-level curve to Noctua's NH-L9x65. So while it's not silent at 100% fan speed, it's quiet enough to be unobtrusive.