Shortly after the 360 was released, users were completely appalled by overheating issues. Microsoft’s Red Eye of Death was starring people directly in the face, laughing uncontrollably. While Microsoft was slow to fix this horrible problem, Nyko played “Hero,” and stepped up to the plate.
Within the first couple of months of the system’s release, Nyko developed the Intercooler 360, a three fanned unit that attached to the back of the system promising to cool off overheating 360 units. While this piece of hardware was accepted with rave reviews, some random problems popped up in later months such as some short circuiting and arbitrary hot spots. Nyko released a statement soon after claiming that some problems may occur if the AC-Power jack was not firmly connected into the Intercooler unit.
Nyko has now spent a few more development dollars in creating a new model, more specially targeted toward the new 360 Elite. Besides sporting the new gray color, this EX model is a lot more stable than the previous version. There is now a clamp that holds everything together very securely. Because the Intercooler is held so tightly against the console, a resulting chance of a short circuit should be keep to a minimum.
However, removing the unit does require some strength as well as some skill. In order to detach the unit, two release buttons need to be depressed with a good amount of force. Two hands must be used. But this is a worthy price to pay for a high amount of stability.
The unit itself gains power from the AC power supply pass-through. Because it uses genuine AC power, the fans themselves are allowed to spin at a higher RPM than typical USB fans. But this benefit is not without a penalty. Having three spinning fans connected to the back of your 360, a machine that is known for already being loud, now increases the noise production. In fact, you will most likely have to turn the volume up a few notches to compensate for this added sound pollution.
While the unit itself does not feature any type of thermometer, any user can tell that the air intake is drastically cooler than the standard 360 fan. In short, this piece of hardware does what it was meant to do.
This unit sells for $19.99 and can be found in most stores that carry electronics. Buyers should be aware that this gadget will keep your console cool and can very well extend the lifespan of your individual system, but the added noise can be a major annoyance and is the biggest drawback of this device. If your system is housed in a more enclosed environment, then the Intercooler EX should be highly considered.
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