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 R1 Universal's fan profile is acceptable. Certainly not the best I have seen, it is still far from noisy. It only truly becomes noticeable at 100% fan speed, where it is quieter than the Phanteks PH-TC14PE out of the box. be quiet!'s Dark Rock Pro 2 manages to retain its title as the quietest high-end air cooler available. When a third fan is added, noise levels increase, but not enough to become intrusive in any way. The CRYORIG R1 Universal remains fairly quiet even when decked out for maximum cooling performance.

Fan Speeds

The RPM readings indicate that the PWM range could in fact be better; however, noise with the fans topping out at 1398 RPM is a bit of a disappointment. I am sure a fluid dynamic bearing could shave another decibel or two off, and should a future update to the R1 line do just that, it may be able to rival the likes of Noctua or be quiet! in terms of noise.

Overall RPM and dBA readings and the cooling performance show that CRYORIG has done an exceptional job in balancing cooling performance and noise output, although a few more tweaks could even further improve upon that.