The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →HotHardware’s 2024 tests found the Cooler Master Cooling X delivered RTX 4080-class gaming performance, including strong results in several 4K games. CPU performance depended on the workload: the Ryzen 9 7950X3D excelled in some tests, while the higher-clocked Ryzen 9 7950X comparator led in others. The review reported one gaming average—74 FPS in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy—and presented other benchmark scores in charts, so exact chart values should not be inferred from the review text.
Test system and scope
HotHardware reviewed the Cooler Master Cooling X with an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (16 cores, 32 threads), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, 64GB of DDR5 memory, and 4TB of M.2 storage. Cooler Master’s specification identifies the memory as two 32GB DDR5-5600 modules and the storage as two 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 drives. HotHardware’s storage section names the drives as a 2TB Kingston FURY Renegade boot drive and a 2TB Kingston NV2 data drive. HotHardware’s Page 2 review supplies the benchmark observations below; Cooler Master’s product specifications document the listed configuration.
The review covers 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. Its plotted score values appear as images rather than readable text in the page, so this article reports the reviewer’s stated comparisons and only the explicit FPS figure. The results are specific to the review’s hardware comparisons, test versions, and settings; they are not a current cross-generation ranking.
How the CPU performed in productivity tests
Cinebench R23 and Blender 3.3.0
In Cinebench R23, HotHardware says the Cooling X’s Ryzen 9 7950X3D finished just below the standard Ryzen 9 7950X. The reviewer’s explanation is workload-specific: 3D V-Cache offers little benefit in this rendering test, while the standard 7950X’s higher clocks can help its multi-threaded result.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →#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.
Blender 3.3.0 showed a related but not identical outcome. HotHardware describes the 7950X3D result as strong, with only the more power-hungry 7950X doing better among the compared processors. These results illustrate why a single rendering benchmark cannot stand in for all CPU workloads.
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 review also notes that Intel processors were favored by the comparison set at that time. That is the reviewer’s interpretation of this benchmark and this particular lineup, not a general ranking of processor families.
In PCMark 10, the Cooling X configuration landed in the “top quadrant” of the review’s results. The page does not provide a text-readable score in the article body, so the placement is more supportable than an exact numerical comparison.
Rank #2
- 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 5080 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.
Storage results: faster boot drive, slower data drive
The reviewed system pairs a 2TB Kingston FURY Renegade PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 boot drive with a 2TB Kingston NV2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 data drive. HotHardware quotes their advertised sequential read/write ceilings as up to 7,300/7,000 MB/s for the Renegade and up to 3,500/2,800 MB/s for the NV2; these are manufacturer-advertised figures, not HotHardware’s measured results.
In the review’s ATTO Disk Benchmark plots, HotHardware says the boot drive’s sequential performance was more than twice as high. It considers the NV2 adequate for ordinary use, while noting that storage-intensive work or large game and data loads can make the difference more noticeable. The takeaway is a split storage setup: the faster drive serves as the boot drive, with the second drive adding capacity at lower sequential performance.
3DMark graphics benchmarks
Time Spy
In 3DMark Time Spy, a DirectX 12 test, HotHardware says the Cooling X’s overall result was in line with other RTX 4080 systems. The review points to the CPU-related physics component as a factor in the system’s overall position, so the total score should not be read as a graphics-only measure.
Rank #3
- PLAY ANY GAMES: 120+ FPS on High+ Settings on 1440p with GeForce RTX 5080 16GB | AMD RYZEN 7 9800X3D 4.7GHz (5.2GHz Turbo) 8-Core 16-Thread | Gigabyte B850 Motherboard.
- MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE: TD 500 Mesh ARGB Case | 360L Cooler 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
Port Royal
For Port Royal, a ray-tracing benchmark, HotHardware describes the result as expected behavior for an RTX 4080. This supports the view that the system performs as an RTX 4080-class machine in the tested comparison; it does not establish performance against hardware or software configurations outside that review.
4K gaming results
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
At 4K UHD with Maximum settings, the Cooling X ran neck-and-neck with other RTX 4080 systems and was not far behind the review’s RTX 4080 Super comparison system. That places its result close to the expected range for the GPU class in this test, rather than demonstrating a large advantage over other RTX 4080 PCs.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Forza Horizon 5
At 4K with the Extreme preset, the Cooling X ranked second in HotHardware’s chart. The reviewer says it outpaced several RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 Super systems as well as Radeon RX 7900 XTX systems in that particular comparison, and calls its minimum frame rates excellent. These are results within the review’s tested systems and conditions, not a universal ranking of those GPUs.
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.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
With 4K UHD and settings maxed, HotHardware reports an average of 74 FPS across its tests. The reviewer also says minimum performance compared well with its RTX 4080 test bench. The 74 FPS figure applies to this game and these test conditions; the review’s prose does not establish a corresponding average for the other games.
F1 22
At 4K Ultra High with no upscaling, HotHardware reports strong average frame rates and minimum frame rates consistently above 60 FPS. The page’s text does not give a numerical average, so the result is best described using the review’s stated minimum-frame-rate finding rather than an estimated chart value.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the cooling claims do—and do not—show
Cooler Master describes the Cooling X as using a semi-passive, in-house-designed liquid loop. Its stated route runs from the pump through the CPU and GPU blocks, 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’s published design claims, not independent measurements reported in HotHardware’s benchmark page. The cooling design is described in Cooler Master’s technical article.
Best Value
- 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.
Cooler Master 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 sound figure. As with any noise comparison, the number is most useful when the measurement method and conditions are comparable.
How to use these results when comparing PCs
- Match game version, resolution, graphics preset, and upscaling settings before comparing frame rates.
- Separate CPU-heavy work from GPU-heavy gaming: the 7950X3D and 7950X did not lead in the same CPU tests.
- Compare the GPU class and the complete configuration, including memory and storage capacity, rather than relying on a single benchmark total.
- For compact-system comparisons, include case volume and dimensions, but compare noise only when measurement methods and conditions align.
- Check current price and availability separately. Cooler Master’s US product listing showed $3,999.99 and “This item is currently not available” when accessed in 2026; that listing is time-sensitive and does not establish stock or pricing at other sellers.
The manufacturer lists the Cooling X at 14.77 L and 17.3 kg, with Windows 11 Pro and a two-year warranty; these are product specifications, not outcomes measured by the benchmarks. The configuration’s product number is ASP-CXA9-N86CN-R1.
Quick Recap
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.
