Corsair H50 Watercooling

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

So I recently OC'd my cpu. Running a C2Duo E6400 at stock speed (2.13ghz) before, and hadn't bothered with over clocking as I haven't had a need to until BC2's latest patch.

Now running at 3.16ghz at 1.4v. At first I tried this on the stock Intel HSF. Under 100% load my temps were hitting 65C+ Yikes!

So I decide to upgrade my HSF, which of course no one in my area is selling. However I do happen to run across a really simple water cooling kit in my local Best Buy. The Corsair H50. Consists of a closed pre-filled system for just the CPU. Only $80 so I figured "Ah what the hell, I'll try it and see what happens". Much to my surprise it works really really well.

Under 100% load after an hour my temps haven't gone over 40C. Installation was EXTREMELY easy. Heck it even comes with some decent thermal paste (Shin Etsu) already applied to the water block. Not a cheap thermal pad.

Wanted to throw my quick review for this product for anyone else that might b doing a mild OC of their cpu. This definitely gets the Gumby!!! stamp of approval

http://www.corsair.com/products/h50/default.aspx

[Shadowryche]

Which motherboard you running? When overclocking a CPU, don't forget to watch your chipset temps the northbridge in particular. Some of the ASUS boards I've used lately have left me uncomfortable in how loose the heat sinks are.

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Which motherboard you running? When overclocking a CPU, don't forget to watch your chipset temps the northbridge in particular. Some of the ASUS boards I've used lately have left me uncomfortable in how loose the heat sinks are.

Running an EVGA 680i. Re-thermal pasted the hs on the northbridge with AS5 and added a fan to it. It stays around 45C. IIRC stock it was like 35-40. Seems to be fine. Going to set up the alarms and let Orthos run over night tonight just to be sure I won't ave any long term problem, but from what I'm seeing s far I don't expect any problems.

[SoupyC]

I have a Q6600 that I can push to 3.2 on air easy (on the stock HSF!)...$80 sounds great for a bit more! :)

[atomicbob]

Dang...I thought this was about an F4U motor.

http://warbirdsofww2.tripod.com/images/Corsair082.jpg

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

I have a Q6600 that I can push to 3.2 on air easy (on the stock HSF!)...$80 sounds great for a bit more! :)

For what it is, the stock hsf is wicked good. I have to give Intel credit on that one.


Dang...I thought this was about an F4U motor.

Sorry to disappoint :(

[JustMeBF2]

For what it is, the stock hsf is wicked good. I have to give Intel credit on that one.



Sorry to disappoint :(


Their first one was all aluminum. The good one has a copper core that
can only be seen from the bottom.

[SnaKe]

Nice product and looks easy to install. I watched the video.

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Their first one was all aluminum. The good one has a copper core that
can only be seen from the bottom.

Mine had the copper core. I didn't think they'd shipped any of the all aluminum ones with the launch of the C2Duo line.

[Drayu]

pics?

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

pics?

Sure I'll snap a few when I get home. You'll have to excuse my awful cable management though >< Terrible combo of psu with cabling on the short end and odd case pacement.

[Bonez]

i'm thinking of getting one if i pickup a x4, probally going to go with a push/pull setup on it.

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Just running a pull setup right now. I've got the extra 120mm to do a push/pull, but my case is already a mess, and don't want to add to it unless it's necessary.

[Bonez]

you will also need to get another set of screws

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Another thing I forgot to mention that is fantastic about this setup. Amazingly quiet. There is an HVAC vent about 4-5 feet away from my desk. When It's on I can't here my PC at all.
Here are some pics of the H50 setup in my rig:

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/2464/snc00073g.jpg (http://img442.imageshack.us/i/snc00073g.jpg/)

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5336/snc00075m.jpg (http://img59.imageshack.us/i/snc00075m.jpg/)

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/5798/snc00074.jpg (http://img528.imageshack.us/i/snc00074.jpg/)

They get dusty so fast don't they :(

And here are some window captures of my CPU settings and temps at load:

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3906/systemspecs.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/i/systemspecs.jpg/)

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/2402/systemtemps.jpg (http://img411.imageshack.us/i/systemtemps.jpg/)

[Hellcat]

Dude! I think I might just have to try that out!

[Bonez]

might want to flip the rad over, it will keep any air pockets at the top of the rad.

[SnaKe]

might want to flip the rad over, it will keep any air pockets at the top of the rad.Arent those sealed systems?

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Arent those sealed systems?

It is.

[Bonez]

yea but there is a pocket of air in the system in case of expansion due to heat(since air compresses a whole lot easier then water)

if you flip the system around a bit you can get the pump to gurgle the air pocket.

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Source? I can't find anywhere that states there is a built in air pocket.

That combined with my (imo) fantastic temps and Corsair's demo rig having it setup this way leads me to believe it's perfectly fine.

I'm certainly not a thermo/fluid dynamics genius, but introducing an air pocket to a closed liquid system seems extremely counter productive. At least one big enough to make a difference in this instance.

Sure even with the extremely low permeability of the hosing, you will eventually get some small amount of evaporation. I can't believe it would be enough to be an issue anytime before I'm ready to replace this machine anyway.

*Edit* That came across with a bit more attitude than I intended. Soz :(

[Bonez]

read it on their forum, it's there for heat expansion purposes(kinda like a heat pipe is full of air and a fluid medium)

it's the same method as behind a cars cooling system, there IS an air pocket because as i said air is easier to compress then water is, and if there was thermal expansion in the system it would rupture the fittings and cause a rather large amount of damage inside the PC.

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=84925

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

read it on their forum, it's there for heat expansion purposes(kinda like a heat pipe is full of air and a fluid medium)

it's the same method as behind a cars cooling system
http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=84925

Not to be rude, but that is patently absurd. Air pockets in a car's coolant system is a bad thing. They are designed to have a blow over canister for events resulting in an over pressurized system. e.g. Overheating due to air pockets in your coolant system. Further heat pipes do not have an air/liquid (in the manner you suggest) mixed system. It is a partially liquid filled tube; where the unfilled portion is vacuum. The cooling is provided by the liquids constant evaporation, rise from the heat surface, and condensation upon contact with the cooling surfaces. Simplified, but you get the idea I'm sure.

As for this system in question, unless they're using a oddball solution that has a high alcohol content, a well distilled water based solution is not going to have a large enough expansion coefficient at the temperatures it operates at to cause any problems. We're talking hundredths to maybe tenths of a percentile of total volume.

I still haven't found where a corsair rep said there are air pockets in the system. Everything I see from them says orientation doesn't matter in most instance. Like I said before, a certain amount evaporation of is going to occur which can eventually cause a bubble big enough to cause a problem, but, in most instances, this wouldn't be until well after a typical user of a system like this has replaced the unit or the pc. Barring any defects from the manufacturer of course. e.g. Using a liquid that hasn't been properly distilled and thus has air suspended in the solution which then falls out during operation.

[Bonez]

you restated what i basically said with a bit more accuracy, since i tried to over-simplify the concept behind them so other people understand it easier.

next time I'll post the patient diagrams.

and there are a couple people stating that if you wiggle the system around you can get the pump to "gargle" which is essentially the pump choking on an air bubble.

and as for a cars cooling system, there's always going to be air, air heated expands, expanded heated air increases pressure in the system hence "pressurized system" it also helps keep it sealed, that's why they tell you to NEVER open the rad warm(trust me i got the 5 inch burn scar on my arm from a overflow tank blowing apart)

[z3speed4me]

Hmmmm might try this for my 2nd pc, the main one has a swiftech kit which kicks ass!

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

you restated what i basically said with a bit more accuracy...,
Heh, it seems what I wrote and what you read are two different things.


Hmmmm might try this for my 2nd pc, the main one has a swiftech kit which kicks ass!

Aye, the H50 certainly can't compete with a full blown liquid cooling kit, but, for what it is, I think it rocks.

[Drayu]

Well, after searching and searching for a i7 cooler that I liked....I ended up with this one :D I got it for $39 at buy.com (only because I had $44 in credits there).

I'm excited :)

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Nice. Let us know how it works out.

[Drayu]

what case are you using Gumby?

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

An Antec 900. 1st Revision

[Drayu]

cool, me too :)

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Sweet. The 2nd revision was a bit better, but as is I love my case. Get your cooler in yet?

[Drayu]

no still waiting on delivery of all new parts

[Drayu]

Installing now, and going to install with stock fan. But I was thinking, I have an antec tri cool, why not use that? I can have three different settings of fan speed, and all the stock fan is, is a 120mm fan.

yes no?

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Installing now, and going to install with stock fan. But I was thinking, I have an antec tri cool, why not use that? I can have three different settings of fan speed, and all the stock fan is, is a 120mm fan.

yes no?

I can't imagine it being a problem other then maybe if you left it on the lowest setting and it didn't provide enough airflow the keep the radiator from getting heat soaked? Not sure what the cfm difference is between the stock and that antec fan. If you've get the space and the extra fan, you could always go push/pull.

[Drayu]

not sure what push/pull is :(

and...I used the stock fan for now....

newegg description

The Antec TriCool 120 LED case fan is a variable speed (1200/1600/2000RPM) 120mm fan that moves a lot of air (39/56/79 CFM). It comes with 3 and 4 pin connectors so you can connect it to either your motherboard or your power supply. The blue LEDs give your system an otherworldly glow. A double ball bearing motor increases fan life. Keep cool in the hottest action with Antec!

[JustMeBF2]

push pull is having the fan on a certain side.

Push blows
Pull sucks

Or have a fan on boths sides. One pushing and one pulling.

How is teh variable speed controlled?

[Drayu]

it is controlled by a switch, you choose H M L