Corsair Hydro Series H105 Review

👤by David Mitchelson Comments 📅22-02-14
Conclusion

It’s quite evident that H105 (just like the Hydro coolers before it) can achieve some of the best thermal performance results in both the liquid and air cooling arena. As we have demonstrated throughout our rigorous tests, at both stock and overclocked performance the H105 was able to effectively cool our Intel Core i7-3930K and top the cooling charts.

In this next phase, Corsair has given H105 a new mounting bracket design which translates to a quick and easy install. Certainly for LGA 2011 we were up and running in around 15 minutes. But it isn’t just the efficiency of the installation process that has impressed us, the build quality and extensive mounting accessories leave you completely satisfied. Furthermore, all of this is backed by a confident 5 years warranty should anything go wrong.



The extreme performance does come at a cost though – by having the fan speed adjust automatically via PWM the noise levels sore, particularly when a substantial overclock is applied. Pushing the limits of our Intel Core i7-3930K meant the cooling fans almost maxed out at 2600RPM. But of course, these cooling fans can be connected to PWM headers and the speeds can be adjusted to the user’s needs and setting the fan speeds to 1200-1500RPM will still achieve good results but will bring down the noise to tolerable levels.

At a cost of £87 GBP / $129 USD, H105 is in line with other 240mm liquid CPU coolers and quite frankly Corsair’s offering manages to outperform all of the options we have reviewed and we have no qualms in recommending you buy one of these units.

The Hydro Series is now a well-established division for Corsair, and it’s clear to see why. H105 tops our cooling charts, comes with a much improved mounting mechanism and is backed by a satisfying 5 years warranty. We have no reservations in handing out our prestigious gold award.

Pros
+ Excellent thermal performance
+ Great build quality
+ Quick and easy to install
+ Interchangeable pump accent rings
+ 5 Years warranty
+ Support for multiple sockets

Cons
- Quite loud when fans operate between 1700-2700RPM



Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.


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