This is the AeroActive Cooler X. Yes, they jumped from AeroActive Cooler 7 all the way to X now. Not sure if it’s supposed to be 10 or X, but that’s what we have now. With this new cooler comes a lot of changes. Some may say it’s for the worse, some may say it’s for the better. Most importantly, is it worth your money? Let’s talk about this.
So the AeroActive Cooler X is included with the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition. Remember, the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition is the one with the fancy box with the cooler in the box, but the phone itself is the exact same as the ROG Phone 8 Pro.
Design
This new cooler now has a sleeker design with 29% volume decrease and 10% weight reduction, but a bigger surface contact area and also a larger fan.
Personally, I don’t really care much about the size and whatnot – but I want to highlight one thing – the phone’s power button is somewhat difficult to press once the cooler has been installed.
Does it actually help?
Let’s answer the one big question first – is the cooler necessary for the ROG Phone 8? Is the phone that hot that we need a cooler for it? Well, it depends on what we’re doing. Let’s take Genshin Impact for example. Even though I don’t know the render resolution, it can reach 60fps consistently at the highest graphical settings as shown in our gaming test video. The phone did get warm to about 42°C at the surface but is still considered very safe. A cooler is not needed as it’ll just be warm to the touch.
If we are going to run some more demanding tasks like 3DMark Solar Bay stress test for example, then the phone can actually reach 60°C and thermal throttle. It’ll be too hot to touch, and that’s when the AeroActive Cooler X is needed. Actually, even with a cooler, the phone is still very hot.
And how much does it actually help? Surprisingly, quite a lot. Once the AeroActive Cooler X is attached, we can select 4 different cooling modes, which are the same as the previous generations.
I used 3DMark Solar Bay and did the test on both the ROG Phone 8 and also the ROG Phone 8 Pro. Now, we can see that this cooler is doing a lot of work to help keep the temperature in check.
We did the test with all different cooling modes using 3DMark Solar Bay stress test, and this is the result.
Realistically speaking though, no one is going to buy the ROG Phone 8 and this AeroActive Cooler X just to run benchmarks all day. So for gaming, I think you’re once again getting this cooler just for the sake of those two extra shoulder buttons.
Buttons
Now, you might have realized that there are less buttons available to press – and you’re correct. ROG has removed the back pedal buttons and we only have the two shoulder buttons now.
Honestly speaking, I ended up not using the AirTrigger and just using those two buttons on the cooler. I just like physical buttons more.
And I’m not sure why they removed the button but at least we can press the shoulder buttons at an off-angle now and it’ll register. I mostly will press it downwards because that’s how my finger is oriented.
Ergonomics
In terms of ergonomics, it definitely has improved. I don’t have to have to place my grip weirdly on the phone to get the back pedals and the shoulder buttons pressed, but it doesn’t solve the grip issue. You see, if I just press the shoulder buttons, then the phone will most definitely be pushed downwards. That will cause the phone to slip down further, especially if my palm is sweaty.
I still wish there is some sort of grip at my palm. Maybe some sort of foldable mechanism that can be flipped out from a phone case?
Subwoofer?
Also, ROG has removed the subwoofer! Yes, one of the main highlights from last year’s ROG Phone 7 with the AeroActive Cooler 7 was these pogo pins that activates the subwoofer. It’s just gone now. Here’s a sound comparison to let you know how it affects the sound quality. As a quick mention, the speaker placement of the ROG Phone 8 series has also changed, so it will sound even more different compared to the ROG Phone 7 series or older.
Watch our video to know how different the new ROG Phone 8 series with AeroActive Cooler X sounds compared to the previous generation.
Ports
The ports though, remain the same as the previous generation. We still have an audio jack and also a USB-C port. However, just like before, the side USB-C will be degraded to become only a charging port. That means no display output over this port if the cooler is attach. That’s quite a bummer since I thought it would at least be a passthrough of some kind so I can use the phone with the cooler while playing it on a big screen or streaming to Twitch or something via a capture card.
Compatibility
Okay, is the new AeroActive Cooler X compatible with the older generations of ROG Phone? Absolutely not – for a few reasons, actually. First, because the ROG Phone 8 has a different dimension than before, and the cooler just doesn’t fit.
Secondly, the phone now has a flat frame instead of a rounded one. The cooler won’t fit.
The old AeroActive Cooler 7 isn’t compatible with the ROG Phone 8 for the same reasons too, in case you’re wondering.
Use with a case!
Oh – one last thing. With this new ROG Phone 8, they also collaborated with Devilcase once more and we have this new Devilcase Guardian Gaming. The main highlight of this case is the compatibility of the AeroActive Cooler X because this back piece here is removable!
It’s not the easiest to remove but we can do it, then snap the cooler onto the phone. That one side of the phone is entirely exposed, though – and this is a hardshell case so I’m not sure how much protection it’ll provide if the phone is dropped.
Another question I want to ask is – if you don’t want to use the removable back cover, then why buy this Devilcase in the first place? Because the included base in the box (which I always call it as the bikini case) that is included in the box is already doing the same thing, just with a different material.
Is it worth buying this AeroActive Cooler X?
Once again, the AeroActive Cooler X is included in the box if we’re getting the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition – but we can still buy this cooler separately. I don’t have the price now – but whether it’s worth the price or not – that’s up to you to judge. If it helps you in your gaming experience thanks to those two shoulder buttons, then go for it.
The cooling capabilities are good to have but they aren’t necessary unless you’re constantly running synthetic benchmarks to push the phone to its highest potential.
For this Devilcase Guardian Gaming, I don’t have the price yet.
If you’re getting the ROG Phone 8 – either the Pro or the non-Pro version – are you going to get this cooler? Do you think the removal of the back pedal buttons is a mistake?
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