We all know heat is one of the greatest enemies of electronics, what might not kill it right away could lead to a shorter life span for your device.
The Xbox One can get pretty hot under general use, according to Microsoft the Xbox One has built-in features to deal with heat issues. One of those features includes the ability to monitor temperature and when under thermal duress will either increase internal fan speed and/or reduce power usage, much like how a PC deals with heat. Although it’s nice to know it won’t kill itself with heat, if always hot the result will be a constant power reduction which will impact performance. In short, if it resides in an always warm cabinet then you’ll never see the full performance of your Xbox One.
There are ways to reduce the amount of heat with third-party cooling fans such as the Nyko Intercooler or the Antec X-1 Cooler which can dissipate the heat coming out of the Xbox One. Fans do generate noise, some maybe more/less than others and depending on your setup i.e. behind a closed-door there’s a chance you’ll hear the fan at some point, it might be during a quiet moment in a movie or a show or while your Xbox is in standby mode. Both the Antec and Nyko coolers only activate after the temperature breaches a certain threshold so the fan won’t always be on but there’s been times I’ve noticed the fan come on randomly.
Nyko Intercooler ~ $25USD
My Xbox One sits on a shelve with the front exposed so logically I thought the Nyko Intercooler with a front facing exhaust was the better choice. I hadn’t considered the fan would be pointed directly at me on the couch which led to increased fan noise but did dissipate the more effectively. The Nyko Intercooler blended very nicely with the front of the Xbox and could be locked into place by sliding a guide forward which extended hooks that latched into the Xbox’s vents preventing it from moving around. It’s got an integrated USB cord that easily plugs into a free USB slot on the back of the Xbox.
Antec X-1 Cooler ~ $30USD
The Antec X-1 Cooler sits perfectly flush with the front of your Xbox blending quite nicely. It has grips on the bottom there’s nothing really more holding it in place. The fan exhaust points to the rear of the Xbox One which in my case pretty much wasn’t as ideal as the Nyko Intercooler. The Antec X-1 Cooler has a USB and a Micro-USB port on the back which prevents the loss of a USB port. The Antec X-1 Cooler does have a temperature display on the top, it didn’t emit a ton of light and I couldn’t find a way to turn it off; honestly I didn’t ever find myself checking the temp this way ever. My first Antec X-1 Cooler was really loud and after contacting Antec they RMA’d it for another which was not as loud.
Summary
So do you really need a cooler for your Xbox One? Maybe, I think it depends on the situation. I use my Xbox One for gaming, a media center and for TV pass-through on my main TV so it gets a lot of use; In my case I think it I’d benefit by using one especially with it being boxed in, where if not boxed in I might hesitate to use one. I’ve used each of the coolers above for two weeks and then nothing for the last two weeks and I can tell you without a doubt I’ve noticed a decrease in the performance of my Xbox One. For under $30USD it might be worth the investment. Here’s a great article on just how hot the Xbox One gets – http://www.ps3hax.net/2013/11/how-hot-does-the-xbox-one-get/
I’m giving away your choice of cooler to one lucky reader(US Residents Only), just enter the Rafflecopter contest below. Winner will need to respond with their choice in 24 hours to secure your prize.
Since nobody entered and/or maybe a Rafflecopter glitch occurred I’m going to re-do this with a different entry service. Still restricted to US residents, ends February 1, 2016 @ 10am ET, Winner has 3 days to respond. Good Luck!
