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HotHardware’s 2024 tests found the Cooler Master Cooling X delivered results broadly in line with other GeForce RTX 4080 systems, including strong 4K gaming performance. Its Ryzen 9 7950X3D did not win every productivity test: outcomes changed with the workload, and the higher-clocked Ryzen 9 7950X led in some rendering comparisons.
Test system and what the results cover
HotHardware reviewed the Cooler Master Cooling X with an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (16 cores, 32 threads), an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, 64GB of DDR5 memory, and 4TB of M.2 storage. Cooler Master’s specification for product number ASP-CXA9-N86CN-R1 identifies two 32GB DDR5-5600 modules and two 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 drives. The review names the drives as a 2TB Kingston FURY Renegade boot drive and a 2TB Kingston NV2 data drive.
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The Page 2 suite includes ATTO Disk Benchmark, Speedometer 2.0, Cinebench R23, Blender 3.3.0, Geekbench 5.4.1, PCMark 10, 3DMark Time Spy and Port Royal, plus four games. HotHardware’s plotted scores are presented in graphics rather than readable text, so the results below use the reviewer’s written descriptions rather than estimated chart values. Comparisons apply to the systems, software versions, settings, and test date in that review; they are not current rankings across all PCs.
Read HotHardware’s Page 2 review and Cooler Master’s Cooling X specifications.
#1 Best Overall
- COMPACT ITX DESIGN: Unleash top-tier performance in a sleek 18.25L system, compact yet powerful for gamers, creators, and professionals—roughly the size of a large shoebox.
- PLAY ANY GAMES: 120+ FPS on High+ Settings on 1440p with GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB | AMD RYZEN 7 9800X3D 4.7GHz (5.2GHz Turbo) 8-Core 16-Thread | Gigabyte B850I AORUS PRO Motherboard.
- MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE: NR200P Max Case | 280mm AIO| 850W 80+ Gold Efficiency Power Supply, unlocks your system to its full cooling & gaming potential.
- SUPERIOR MEMORY: 2TB Gen4 M.2 SSD offers next-gen storage with a Gen 4x4 NVMe controller, delivering high-speed performance for apps, photos, media, and games | 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz RGB RAM w/ heatsink delivering blazing speed, plus vibrant RGB lighting.
- SPECIAL FEATURES: Glass panel or Mesh panel | Type-C | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C| 5x USB 3.2 | No Bloatware | WiFi | Bluetooth | 1x HDMI & 2x Display Port | USB Ports | HD Audio & Mic.
How the Cooling X performed in productivity tests
Cinebench R23 and Blender 3.3.0
In Cinebench R23, HotHardware reports that the Cooling X fell just short of a Ryzen 9 7950X system. The reviewer attributes the difference to the workload: 3D V-Cache offers little help in this rendering test, while the standard 7950X’s higher clock speeds can benefit multi-threaded performance.
Blender 3.3.0 produced a different but related comparison. The review characterizes the 7950X3D result as strong, with only the more power-hungry Ryzen 9 7950X doing better. Taken together, these tests show why one CPU benchmark cannot stand in for all rendering work: performance depends on how the application uses cache, cores, and clock speed.
Geekbench 5.4.1 and PCMark 10
HotHardware calls Geekbench 5.4.1 the first convincing win for the 7950X3D over the 7950X in its test sequence. The reviewer also notes that Intel processors were favored by the comparison set at the time. That is an interpretation of this particular benchmark and comparison group, not a universal CPU ranking.
Rank #2
- PLAY ANY GAMES: 120+ FPS on High+ Settings on 1440p with AMD RX 9070 XT 16GB | AMD RYZEN 7 7800X3D 4.2GHz (5.2GHz Turbo) 8-Core 16-Thread | Gigabyte B650 Motherboard.
- MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE: TD 500 Mesh ARGB Case | 360 Liquid Cooler | MWE Gold 850 V3 80+ Gold Efficiency Power Supply, unlocks your system to its full cooling & gaming potential.
- SUPERIOR MEMORY: 2TB Gen4 M.2 SSD offers next-gen storage with a Gen 4x4 NVMe controller, delivering high-speed performance for apps, photos, media, and games | 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz RGB RAM w/ heatsink delivering blazing speed, plus vibrant RGB lighting.
- SPECIAL FEATURES: Glass panel | Type-C 1x | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 2x| No Bloatware | WiFi | 1x HDMI & 2x Display Port | USB Ports 6x | HD Audio & Mic.
- HASSLE FREE WARRANTY: 1-Year Parts & Labor with Life Time Technical Support | Assembled in the U.S.A.
In PCMark 10, the Cooling X placed in the review’s “top quadrant.” This is a broad result for that test’s mix of everyday computing tasks; it does not establish a specific advantage in every productivity application.
Storage results
HotHardware’s storage section says the Kingston FURY Renegade boot drive delivered more than twice the sequential performance of the Kingston NV2 data drive in the plotted results. The quoted maximum sequential speeds—up to 7,300/7,000 MB/s read/write for the Renegade and up to 3,500/2,800 MB/s for the NV2—are manufacturers’ advertised specifications, not HotHardware’s measured scores. The reviewer considered the NV2 adequate for ordinary use, while noting that storage-heavy work and large game or data loads can expose the difference between the drives.
Graphics and gaming results
3DMark Time Spy and Port Royal
In 3DMark Time Spy, a DirectX 12 test, HotHardware describes the Cooling X’s overall result as in line with other RTX 4080 systems. Its CPU-related physics component influenced where the system landed in the overall comparison. Port Royal, a ray-tracing test, showed what the reviewer considered expected RTX 4080 behavior.
Rank #3
- PLAY ANY GAMES: 120+ FPS on High+ Settings on 1440p with GeForce RTX 5070 16GB | AMD RYZEN 7 7800X3D 4.2GHz (5.0G Hz Turbo) 8-Core 16-Thread | Gigabyte B650 Motherboard.
- MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE: HAF 500 ARGB Case | Hyper 212 Halo ARGB Air Cooler | 200mm ARGB Fans | 650W 80+ Gold Efficiency Power Supply, unlocks your system to its full cooling & gaming potential.
- SUPERIOR MEMORY: 2TB Gen4 M.2 SSD offers next-gen storage with a Gen 4x4 NVMe controller, delivering high-speed performance for apps, photos, media, and games | 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz RGB RAM w/ heatsink delivering blazing speed, plus vibrant RGB lighting.
- SPECIAL FEATURES: Glass panel | Type-C 1x | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 2x| No Bloatware | WiFi | 1x HDMI & 2x Display Port | USB Ports 6x | HD Audio & Mic. Devastator 3 RGB Keyboard and Mouse Combo included.
- HASSLE FREE WARRANTY: 1-Year Parts & Labor with Life Time Technical Support | Assembled in the U.S.A.
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
At 4K UHD with the Maximum preset, the Cooling X ran neck-and-neck with other RTX 4080 systems and was not far behind the comparison system using an RTX 4080 Super. This result is specific to the review’s test and settings; it does not establish how the system performs in other games or newer versions.
Forza Horizon 5
At 4K resolution and the Extreme preset, the Cooling X placed second in HotHardware’s comparison chart. It outpaced several RTX 4080- and RTX 4080 Super-based systems, as well as Radeon RX 7900 XTX systems in that particular comparison. The reviewer also described its minimum frame rates as excellent. The chart position should be read as a result within that tested group, not a general ranking of those graphics cards.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
With 4K UHD and settings maxed, HotHardware reports an average of 74 FPS across its tests. The reviewer said minimum performance compared well with its RTX 4080 test bench. The 74 FPS figure is the review’s reported average under those conditions, not a guarantee for different game versions, scenes, or settings.
Rank #4
- Cool for R7 | i7: Four heat pipes and a copper base ensure optimal cooling performance for AMD R7 and Intel i7.
- Quiet Cooling Fan: SickleFlow 120 Edge with Dynamic PWM control (690–2,500 RPM), designed for low noise and peak cooling performance.
- Simplify Brackets: Redesigned brackets simplify installation on AM5 and LGA 1851|1700 platforms.
- Versatile Compatibility: 152mm tall design offers performance with wide chassis compatibility.
- Easy Installation: Easy to install with included thermal paste for hassle-free setup and optimal cooling performance.
F1 22
At 4K, Ultra High settings, and without upscaling, the reviewer describes the Cooling X’s average frame rate as strong and its minimum frame rates as consistently above 60 FPS. The text does not provide an exact average, so none can be inferred from the chart.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the compact liquid-cooling design does—and what the review establishes
Cooler Master describes the Cooling X as using a semi-passive liquid loop designed in-house. Its stated path runs from the pump through the CPU and GPU blocks, then through a side panel, a rear 240 mm radiator with two Mobius fans, the other side panel, and back to the pump. The manufacturer says the side panels provide 8,512 cm² of heat-dissipation surface and that the system holds 147% more coolant than a typical 240 mm AIO. These are Cooler Master specifications and claims, not independent measurements reported on HotHardware’s Page 2.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Cooler Master’s technical article states: “The Cooling X operates quietly, with ambient sound levels peaking at 28 decibels, even during intensive tasks like rendering.” That is the manufacturer’s claim; HotHardware Page 2 does not independently confirm the noise figure. The page also does not establish that the cooling design caused a particular benchmark result.
The physical specifications help put “compact” in context: Cooler Master lists a 14.77 L volume and dimensions of 276.1 × 175 × 379.84 mm including protrusions, or 276.1 × 138.5 × 379.84 mm excluding them. Its listed weight is 17.3 kg. These are manufacturer figures, not measurements from the benchmark results. See the Cooler Master technical article on the Cooling X design.
Quick Recap
How to use these results when comparing PCs
- Match the game, version, resolution, graphics preset, and upscaling settings before comparing frame rates.
- Separate CPU-heavy from GPU-heavy tasks. Cinebench and Blender did not produce the same CPU comparison, while the game and 3DMark results were primarily discussed in relation to RTX 4080-class graphics performance.
- Compare the full configuration, including GPU, memory, and storage capacity, rather than relying on the CPU or GPU name alone.
- For a compact-system comparison, include case volume and dimensions. Compare noise only when measurements use comparable methods; the 28 dB figure here is Cooler Master’s claim.
- Check current price and availability directly. Cooler Master’s US listing showed $3,999.99 and marked the item unavailable when accessed in 2026; that snapshot does not establish current stock or prices at other sellers.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
