- 5 stars: 1 (50%)
- 4 stars: 1 (50%)
- 3 stars: 0 (0%)
- 2 stars: 0 (0%)
- 1 star: 0 (0%)
Xbox One is a fantastic gaming system, but man, does that little black box get hot! Especially after 12-16 hours in Fallout 4. Yes, the XB1 has a large internal fan, but it's lethargic: it draws a small volume of fresh air and pushes out an equally small volume of hot air out the top. Some say this is enough: 'That's way they designed it!' I know, I've read all those articles (and so have you, I'm guessing). But you're reading this review now because, like me, you've come to realize that 'design myth' is just that: a myth. I'm being polite here; you may have another word for it. Put simply: That box is too damn hot. And heat is killer for high-end electronics.
My solution is simple and relatively inexpensive (especially considering the cost of a new XB1). It's also two-pronged:
PART ONE: This fan. Place it on top of the exhaust vent to help pull hot air up and out. (Use a deflector to redirect air flow if your XB1 is in a cramped location like a bookcase.) Fan can use one of the two USB slots on back of XB1.
PART TWO: (and this is important) A side vent fan of some sort. Blowing in. Another 120mm sitting on the outside? Maybe. It's so quiet, I may try that. The fan I chose however was the DOBE integrated side-vent fan. Available on Amazon. (There are several fans of identical design which makes me think there's one manufacturer and many distributors - I chose DOBE because their ad was almost in English). Snap out the old vent/dust cover (use a thin butter knife and throw out the plastic pry included) and then snap in the fan unit. It's a good fit and utilizes the side USB port (I didn't even know it was there). The design gives you back two USB ports to compensate but I haven't tried them (I've read there may be data transfer issues vis-''-vis external HDDs but that's beyond the cooling focus here).
The two fan approach works quite nicely for me: At the end of a 12-hour Fallout 4 session recently, I lifted the top fan off and put my hand right on the exhaust vent and could barely discern the heat. What a difference!
DOWNSIDE? Only from the integrated side-vent fan: A slight fan-hum is audibly discernable even on the low setting. I think I can live with it though given the results. The AC Infinity fan on the other hand is whisper quiet. When the DOBE stops working I may just buy a second 120mm and stick it along the side vent and see how that works. Hope that helps all you XB1 gamers out there have a cool summer! The comfort level exceeded expectations. Very happy with the purchase overall.
Fits perfect and high quality! Clean edge finish that looks high end. Very easy to install! The inside dividers are great design to layout what I need. The comfort level exceeded expectations. Assembly was straightforward.
