Nyko Intercooler for Xbox One review

The original Xbox 360 suffered from tremendous overheating problems at launch. These problems stemmed from a rushed design and production schedule, and eventually cost Microsoft millions of dollars in warranty support. They also led Los Angeles-based accessory manufacturer Nyko to produce an accessory called the Intercooler that purported to improve the 360's cooling.
All these years later, Nyko now offers an Intercooler for the Xbox One console. The Intercooler snaps onto the top of the latest Xbox and blows heat away from the system. How effective is this Intercooler though, and does the Xbox One even need additional cooling? Read our full review with video to find out!
Install me
The Intercooler consists of one primary piece: a black plastic unit measuring approximately 14 x 7.5 x 2.2 inches. The front of the unit has a large vent from which heat will be channeled during use. A chrome lining surrounds the vent. This matches the Xbox One well enough since the console itself has Chrome eject and sync buttons.
To install the unit, you'll simply line it up with the front of the Xbox One's top vent area – right against the front of the console. Once in place, flip the large Lock switch located near the rear of the accessory. This extends a couple of plastic hooks from the Intercooler that will latch into the Xbox One's vent. They hold it in place well, but the Intercooler can still shift ever so slightly if you shake it.
Having latched the Intercooler to the console, you'll then plug it in. The Intercooler draws power from a short USB cable built onto the back of the unit. This cable plugs directly into the Xbox One's top rear USB port. Due to its shortness, it can't be used in the bottom port. A USB pass-through port would have been welcome. But the Intercooler sells for a fairly low price, so it can't have everything.
Use me
The Intercooler comes on automatically along with the Xbox One. It captures the air from the console's top vent and blows it out towards the front of the console. This adds slightly to the noise generated by the console, but I find the volume unobtrusive.
After powering off the console, the Intercooler continues blowing air for about two minutes or so. Presumably, it detects residual heat and keeps going until that heat has sufficiently dissipated.
The Intercooler definitely works, channeling heat away from the console. Put your hand over it and you'll feel the warmth blowing away. The obvious question is whether the Xbox One actually needs the kind of help the Intercooler provides, though.
Justify me
The Xbox One was designed from the ground up to resist overheating. The vents on all sides of the console pull cool air in, the large size of the console allows air to flow efficiently out of the box, and a sizable heatsink and fan protect the chipset and push that hot air out. Hardly anybody's Xbox One is going to suffer heat damage.
Still! Some people's environments might be warmer than others. Entertainment centers and shelves that don't afford the Xbox One a lot of space might end up trapping heat around the system. Such a scenario could lead to long-term damage, especially if the console was left on all the time.
So if you felt like the shelf really doesn't let the Xbox One breathe enough, the Intercooler could prove quite useful. It directs heat towards the front of the system, away from any shelving. The same goes for dust the fan picks up too – it'd be shot out of the shelf instead of back into it. So yeah, the Intercooler has the potential for usefulness.
Truthfully, hardly anybody needs something like the Intercooler for their Xbox Ones. The system is too well-designed to overheat from normal use. But I could see this product providing some extra peace of mind to anyone who worries about the longevity of their consoles. The Intercooler definitely won't harm the Xbox One, and it's cheap - especially at Amazon.
Buy the Nyko Intercooler for Xbox One at Amazon ($19.66) (opens in new tab)
Windows Central Newsletter
Get the best of Windows Central in your inbox, every day!
Paul Acevedo is the Games Editor at Windows Central. A lifelong gamer, he has written about videogames for over 15 years and reviewed over 350 games for our site. Follow him on Twitter @PaulRAcevedo. Don’t hate. Appreciate!
-
Even tho I don't need one, that is cool. And fits to the console's design. Not a bad idea !
-
Seems accurate..
-
Put a dust filter on the intake and you're good to go. Posted via Note 4/Nexus 7 (2013)/Lumia 1020/ Lumia 2520
-
Where I find dust filter
Please tell me the site if it is available online
Thanks for the information -
So a dust filter between the Xbox One and the Intercooler? That doesn't make much sense. The CPU fan is under the cooler and the fan blows air out of the top of the Xbox One.
-
Looks stupid. Completely not needed. Waste of time and money. Vac the vents every 2 months.
-
Have you ever heard of static? You go right ahead with that idea....
-
I do it all the time, never had a problem with my consoles.
-
reall mine is in an entertainmant center (solid oak) and it was getting so hot that the wood on top was appoximatly 100 degrees. not if the self above it on the oppisite side is that hot imagine how little air is getting out. in some cases it is needed your comment is stupid and not needed and a waste of space its not aways about dirt its about the heat mine produce that it cant get away from, even with 2 inches of space above it.
-
I have one installed on my Xbox one, it works great, I use my Xbox 24-7 as a whole home entertainment system as it was intended. Due to my entertainment center constraints it pulls heat away as intended. I can hardly hear it at all, unless your right next to it. I think its great design and is worth the low price. I paid 19.00 on Amazon.
-
Thanks
-
Plus the price of a USB3 HUB that's needed to return the stolen port :)
-
you're*
-
The Nyko fans killed two of My 360's...never again will I buy a Nyko fan.
-
What makes you say they did it?
-
They had a gun and tensions were high!
-
Haha
-
I actually almost commented earlier about the same thing. When you have two fans moving at different speeds/RPM they have the possibility of creating pressure on each other, like they working against each other, creating a vacuum. I am a little concerned by this one too as the fan in the One is HUGE.
-
Is that scientifically proven or did you pull that from a single article you read on Yahoo! news? (tabloids) I only ask because the Xbox One is not completely sealed, the obviously open CD drive for starters...
-
The 360 intercooler design used a passthrough on the power supply connection. That passthrough was poorly designed, and more than a few of them melted or even caught on fire. The Xbox One intercooler uses USB power, and thus should not have that same issue. There's still concern of ruining the fan, but that's probably much less likely than the melted power connector issues on the 360.
-
Bing or Google it. The original 360 Nyko fans were responsible for killing quite a few 360's before Nyko pulled the original model and released a new one that didn't break systems.
-
Now that is nifty! I had one in my 360! It made the difference until I modified my 360 by overheating it on purpose. Didn't need it after that. I will look into checking my temperature of my xbox one. I will also look to request a system stat to show internal temperatures from xbox. We may very well need this and not even know.
-
The xbox one has no heat issues whatsoever. Microsoft designed the xbox one so that the 360 issues would never happen. The xbox one also has built in the ability to switch into standby if the heat becomes to much. I have mine on 24/7 as a full media device. Never once triggered the in built safety feature.
-
Lol isn't that a feature of 360 e as well?
-
Not in the same vain. Late 360 slim models had a small window of it. Xbox one was designed with it from the get go.
-
I do wonder if, in warm climates, the fan might actually prevent the console from any potential throttling? I mean, could it boost performance for us in tropical countries?
-
Review should measure the heat at the top of the console with and without the intercooler so we can see how much it's really doing. (not that I think that the average Xbox One actually needs one of these things)
-
If I had a device which could do that, I totally would have done so.
-
ive used a cheap thermal laser reader, i was getting temps about 40-50c maybe less depending on the game and sometimes even 60 depending on game and room temp.. how accurate it really is though idk.. if its running at those temps though it should be fine with out the cooler..
-
Depending on the version of Windows 10 the Xbox one gets maybe you can measure it through an application
-
People you don't need this. The xbox one has heat safety features built in. So does the ps4. The xbox one was designed by Microsoft to be on 24/7. There is no heat issue like the early 360 models. Its a waste of money and looks terrible.
-
Well we all know AMD CPUs run hot unlike intel
-
My PS4 regularly shuts down with the overheat message. Its in the same room as one of my Ones in the open (not in an entertainment case) and the One has never missed a beat. Sony really screwed up the cooling, seemingly using a hair dryer blower that sounds like a jet taking off. The heat pouring out the back of the PS4 is worrying, especially compared to the slightly warm wafting from the Xbox One.
-
Not a bad thing to have options. But as the article says: I don't think most will need it. Sure, a few might, and that's great for them. But the Xbox One has a massive heat sink (I mean, that's the reason it has its oft-critiqued VCR-like design), the odds of it overheating seem pretty slim unless you're blocking all the exhaust ports.
-
Y'know, now that the MS hardware team has gotten their liquid cooling tech from tablets to phones, I feel like they should add it to the Xbox and then release a slightly mod version with just a slightly lower profile...that could work, right? =p
-
It could! That would be awesome. And I'm sure a slim Xbox One will be released within 1-2 years. Liquid cooling would be a welcome feature for such a system.
-
All liquid cooling does is move the heat about faster, it DOESN'T do anything to get rid of the heat, just moves it to where a heatsink might be better placed.
-
I have my xbox is an enclosed space and while it got warm i never had a problem with it overheating. However i picked up a 2TB external recently and transfered a lot of my games over to it and since i've done that i've had it overheat twice while playing a game that was on the external. So i would definitely be interested to see if this makes a difference or not.
-
See, in that situation I would actually recommend grabbing one of these. Let us know if you do and it works out for you.
-
I've had alot of bad experiences with nyko fans with my 360, never again
-
Something worth mentioning in your article. As follows : The top vent on xbox one is designed to blow air upwards at an angle away from the console. The vents in the sides and back aren't for heat to escape. They are for drawing cold air in. As the fan sucks the heat air out of the console and out the top, cold air is sucked in the vents from the sides and back. The fan already in the xbox one remains on for a few minutes after shut down at a very low level when it needs to. Not every time. This all negates any need for this intercooler add on. Which I may add had a much smaller intake area in your pictures in comparison to the very large vent on top of the xbox one. Surely some of the original vent is blocked by this bad design ? Lastly xbox one has built in auto shutdown feature if for any reason the xbox is getting to hot.
-
Thanks man. Adjusted the final section a bit. I do not think this product impedes the performance of the main vent, regardless of the product's necessity.
-
No worries. Basically as you already mentioned in article, Microsoft took no chances this time. I have mine on 24/7. My cable box runs through the xbox one, so even watching tv my xbox is always on. I've never had the xbox shut down automatically due to it being close to a damaging heat level. It just feels like to me this add on is a money grab for absolutely no reason. To put into perspective the ps4 has already had more heat issues than the xbox one with its design.
-
Ps. Saw the changes. Article is now perfect. Love windows central.
-
The only way something like this might matter is if your top fan can't breathe in the entertainment center. If that's the case, there wouldn't be room to fit this on your console in the first place. Just seems like a product to prey on the fears of former RRoD victims who don't understand technology
-
Just was gonna post this. Thebsize of the device means you need room above the console. To which point the large fan and vent will circulate heat away and cold in the sides and back just fine.
-
This product is like an inch or so thick. You want more then an inch of space above the XBO to get that heat away properly. This product is very useful in those scenarios. You shouldn't put your Xbox somewhere where there isn't enough space for this guy to fit on top as well. That's just asking for it to throttle itself.
-
Its actually 2 inches thick according to amazon dimensions. There's others available to. Some sit 3 inches off. That's crazy. Also read some issues of third party fans killing consoles as they dont stop the existing fan from spinning. Lots of people complaining of broken machines after coolers been used.
-
Here is an article explaining why this intercooler is just money wasted.
http://gizmodo.com/the-xbox-one-can-tell-when-its-overheating-and-power-... -
Why don't you just post a link to the One teardown, and be quiet for now.
-
Easy fella. I'm trying to save people money. A company has made a product for a product that has absolutely no need for an issue that doesn't exist with it. The xbox one during full gaming runs at an average of 40-43 degrees Celsius. 15 degrees less than the ps4. Largely thanks to the psu being seperate and not in the console itslef. Would you buy an extra radiator for your car that doesn't need it whatsoever?
-
Can we get a review on the Antec X-1 Cooler? Having USB pass through, I feel that this would be a better accessory.
-
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll reach out to them and we'll see how it goes.
-
This makes a lot of sense if your Xbox is in a cupboard or a setup where there isn't enough open space around it. This cooler would push the air out the front where most shelves would allow lots of free flowing air so it should keep the xbox nice and cool inside a home theatre stand for example. Other then that though it would be pointless to get this.
-
"The Intercooler snaps onto the top of the latest Xbox and blows head away from the system." Is the wording in the last part intentional? Or am I learning a new phrase?
-
Thanks, it was fixed.
-
While I agree with some of the commenters that the Intercooler is not necessary for typical use, this product IS appropriate for shelved home entertainment centers. Redirection of air to escape out the front (the most likely opening in a shelved entertainment center) is vital with a top-vented device. Just because it shuts down when it overheats doesn't mean it is good to push it to that point! I have overheated my xbox once (my daughter put a magazine on the top vent) and it was insanely hot when it finally gave the warning, hotter than any of my gaming PCs ever did.
-
Do you know of digital foundry? They looked at this nyko intercooler, and said even in incredibly cramped entertainment units its overkill. According to them Microsoft gave to much attention to system cooling going over the top on xbox one. They changed the pipe work, inside the console has to much air space and the fan is 3 times bigger than what's needed. Basically according to their tests a 3rd party cooler even for an entertainment unit is only going to give you extra noise. Their technical outcome? If you want to waste money buy a mcdonalnds. Also worth noting they aren't sure if 2 fans at different speeds is healthy for the fan inside the console itself. Lots of reports of broken consoles after add ons have been used.
-
I have it and it works well. I got it because my entertainment center also stores my cable box/DVR, which also generates some heat. Having this intercooler helps blow heat away from the entire center. Every little bit helps.
-
Final piece of advice. Beware most coolers don't last much past 6 months according to user reviews of all types. If it stops during use be sure its not broken. Because in a not working state it will act as a magazine or book on top of your console. Heating it up exceptionally quick as there's no way for the hot air to get out. Sure the xbox one will shut down to protect itself, but its still risky regardless. And your warranty for your xbox is gone as its a 3rd party peripheral.
-
LOL make your VCR look like an Inkjet Printer! XD All jokes aside I love my XB1. :)
-
Nonsense. If the engineering design standard cooling system in Xbox One enough good... then this add it's only for take out extra money if not we have incomplete and faulty device.
-
No thanks. I'll have that console though.
-
It's as useful as putting a scoop and spoiler on your toyota prius
-
hahaha
-
Completely redundant product. Now for the PS4 somehting similar is a MUST HAVE.
-
I still have my Day One Xbox One and use it as my entertainment device. Movies and TV as well as games. I wouldn't say 24/7, but close on weekends. I haven't had any problems with heat.
-
Fugly! Straight to bin.
-
I thought I needed it because sometime last Christmas/Holiday, my XB1 crashed during Halo MCC game session 5hrs+ and feld the unit was running hot. For now Metro Redux is the one doing it even with this Intercooler attached. Maybe not because of the heat but the game itself.
-
The Xbox One has the worst cheapest fan, I've have 5 of them and they've all been the same, I sent my Xbox One back for a replacement 3 times because of it before the warranty ran out. I sold it, bought another, took it back and got another... the fan always makes the same annoying noise. I wish they just frigging designed it so the fan sits under a grill like the HDD on the 360, then you could unscrew it and put your own one on that doesn't make a sound.
-
What Id on't get though is how these systems only run at like 40-50c, so how can they overheat? The last gen had the problem with the CPUs and GPUs getting dry joints, so why don't they just use better solder? I've had GPUs run for 6 years just fine, my old X1950xtx from 2006ish ran at 90-105c until I replaced it in 2010 and it still works today if I was to boot up the old PC it's in. My CPU is currently at 65c and my GPU is at 80c running a game and I've had it for 3 years now without a hitch.
-
I use my Xbox to heat my room in these cold fall/winter/spring months. I couldn't be the only one, could I? Regardless, in my cold climate this is for the most part uneeded for the majority of the year. It's nice to see that it is available though and is fairly inexpensive.