Intel gives up on Cryo Cooling tech for 14th-gen CPUs & beyond

Intel is shutting down its Cryo Cooling Technology just before the launch of the Raptor Lake 14th Gen CPU refresh, ending one of the few sub-ambient cooling options on the market.

As every computer science student learns early on, silicon works best when it is kept cold. As such systems for keeping your PC components cool are one of the more critical parts of a gaming PC rig. So technology that can cool a CPU right down to a chilly 0 degrees Celsius seems on paper to be a tempting prospect.

Unfortunately, Intel is in the process of shutting down Cryo Cooling Technology, removing one of the few remaining sub-ambient cooling options from the market.

Intel shuts down Cryo Cooling tech

According to TechPowerUp, the Cryo Cooling Technology was officially discontinued by Intel as of July 1, 2023. Intel will maintain updates for Cryo Cooling hardware until December 31, 2023. The upcoming 14 Gen Intel CPUs will not support the hardware.

Cooler Master

An official reason for the shutdown has not been released by Intel, but it has been speculated that Intel wanted to shift R&D funds elsewhere, considering the relatively poor uptake of the Cryo Cooling technology by the wider industry.

In practice, the highly specialized cooling hardware produced by Cryo Cooling did not see widespread adoption. Only a few products integrated the technology, such as the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 Sub-Zero and the EKWB EK-QuantumX Delta TECwaterblocks. In an interesting twist, a well-known overclocker and CPU tinkerer der8auer managed to get Cryo Cooler hardware up and running on an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, though with a few modifications added in order to make it function correctly.

Liquid cooling seems to be falling out of favor amongst some PC builders since even flagship CPUs are able to run with excellent performance figures using only air cooling and without the maintenance headaches of a liquid cooling loop.