Probably every owner of a personal computer has heard of the existence of a water cooling system for the processor. At least, judging by the reviews of users in the media, this device is increasingly heard. True, not everyone is in a hurry to purchase an interesting accessory, because, in addition to the high cost (it is ten thousand rubles), many users do not understand the principle of its operation.
The focus of this article is a water cooling system called the Corsair H110. The reader is invited to get acquainted with an interesting computer component, find out its technical characteristics, see photos and draw their own conclusions based on feedback from owners and experts.
Clarification
Before starting to get acquainted with the product, you first need to understand what kind of system it is and what its purpose is. In fact, this is an ordinary cooler. The main difference is that it has improved heat dissipation. In the same Corsair H110 system, the principle of operation of the device is quite simple:
- There is an aluminum container with a liquid measuring 28 by 15 centimeters;
- on one side of the tank there is a radiator and powerful fans are installed;
- two tubes are connected to the container itself from different sides;
- on the other side of the two tubes is a copper pad, which is installed on the processor;
- a miniature compressor inside the system causes the fluid to circulate in a circle, thus removing heat from the crystal.
A fairly simple system can not only effectively reduce the temperature of the crystal, but also save the computer owner from noise inside the case. Indeed, in water cooling systems, huge low-speed fans are installed that work very quietly.
First meeting
Users who are already familiar with the Corsair brand will once again emphasize the manufacturer’s individual approach to customers, and all newcomers will be pleasantly surprised not only by the appearance of the product, but also by its excellent configuration. Comes Corsair H110i GT 280mm Extreme Performance in a chic cardboard box, made in red and black colors. All the necessary information about the contents is on the packaging: product photos, technical specifications and a list of spare parts available inside.
So, since we are talking about bundling, the future owner should know that the manufacturer has already worried about the full compatibility of the product with the platform (we are talking about sockets). So, in the box, in addition to the cooling system itself and the instructions, you can find many mounts and adapters for convenient installation of the structure in the computer system unit.
Quality is everything
Corsair H110 water cooling is interesting to customers primarily because it is reliable in operation. After all, the manufacturer guarantees that its product has a high degree of protection against leaks, and promises the user uninterrupted operation without maintenance for five years. This is a serious statement, since it is the build quality in such systems that is a priority.
Compared to products from competitors, Corsair decided not to save on anything and created a really interesting product. Firstly, two fans are removable, which allows the user to create a real passive cooling system. Secondly, the fasteners are made of metal, not plastic, as is implemented in the same Cooler Master or EKL systems. Such minor improvements at first glance are still noticeable and quite effective.
Features of mounting the device
Having removed the water cooling of the Corsair Hydro Series H110 from the box, the user will not have to rejoice at the rich configuration. This is due to the assortment of components that must be correctly grouped and installed on the processor socket. This is where the problems begin.
The manufacturer somehow neglected the description of the assembly kit. In the reviews of owners quite often there is a negative about this. After all, it was possible to number all the elements and prescribe the algorithm for installing the cooling system for each platform.
There are questions to the mounts themselves. Their surface is equipped with double-sided plastic tape, and they themselves are made of very fragile plastic. In fact, installation is one-time. If the user decides to change the processor or motherboard, he should immediately worry about a new set of adapters.
Contact pad system
The operation of any cooling system directly depends on the effectiveness of the contact between the heating element and the cooler. Therefore, the pad of the Corsair Hydro Series H110 is being studied first. In the factory version, there is a small layer of thermal paste on the copper core of the accessory. Apparently, therefore, there is not much information in the media regarding this element of the system, because everywhere there is a photo with a layer of thermal paste applied.
Yes, with a contact pad, the manufacturer clearly framed many users. After all, its quality raises a number of doubts. We are talking about the specularity of the surface, which is not observed at all, as well as the efficiency of touching a flat surface - traces of pressing remain only in the center of the circle. This means that the site has a convex shape. Accordingly, for a reliable fit of the core to the processor, the user will have to use thermal grease with a high degree of viscosity.
Active cooling system
But two huge fans of the device Corsair Hydro Series H110 are bewildering for many users, judging by their numerous reviews. Firstly, only a sticker speaks of belonging to a well-known manufacturer, having removed it, the user will be discouraged. Visual inspection of the accessory will no longer be able to find any name or marking. This fact leads to negative thoughts.
As for the manufacturing quality of fans, there are questions to the manufacturer. For example, the impeller blades are visually the same, but during the rotation process an imbalance is observed, which in the future will cause the cooler to start humming. The only good news is the presence of a built-in speed controller, which perfectly copes with the task. True, the limited frequency (700-1500 revolutions per minute) confuses. I would like a larger range from the manufacturer. So enthusiasts will have to modify this mechanism manually. At the same time, you can add a toggle switch to completely turn off the fans.
Features of fluid circulation
The Corsair H110 cooling system is equipped with short tubes at first glance. Many potential buyers believe that such a system is simply impossible to take outside the computer case. What will be the surprise of the user when he finds out that nothing needs to be output, the device is an element of the system unit and simply must be inside the system.
Yes, for such a device you will need a large ATX-format case, in which there is a platform in the upper part for installing such systems. Alternatively, you can extend the tubes themselves, however, this is already being done at the user's own risk.
As for the compressor for moving the liquid inside the system, here the opinions of the owners are divided. Some are satisfied with the location of the pump directly in the core. Others believe that the power cable for the compressor spoils the appearance of the structure. And experts even assure that the core pump allows you to upgrade the system by connecting a larger tank with liquid.
Real measurements
We continue to carry out the Corsair H110 water cooling system review. Many potential buyers are interested in seeing data that can clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the platform. First of all, such a product is interesting to fans of overclocking the processor to improve platform performance, so we will talk about heat dissipation. In fact, the cooling device in normal mode, as shown by the test results, can reduce the temperature of the crystal by half. For example, the same AMD FX-8300 crystal, having an operating temperature in acceleration of about ninety degrees Celsius, will be cooled to forty degrees. This is a good result, but there are side effects.
We are talking about the noiselessness of the work - it is completely absent. For two fans operating at 1,500 rpm, a 40 decibel hum seems unacceptable. But a decrease in speed leads to a drop in cooling efficiency - the temperature of the processor smoothly but surely begins to rise up to seventy degrees Celsius.
Games with fans
The next challenge for any enthusiast is to eliminate the hum of fans in the Corsair Hydro H110 cooling system. Indeed, for most users, in addition to noiselessness, the low temperature of the processor is also important. There are few exits, and the best solution is to replace the standard impellers with something more efficient. The best fans on the market are Scythe fans, and it is precisely them that are recommended to be used by almost all IT experts.
The result of such a revision is quite easy to predict. Along with complete noiseless operation (31 decibels), the user will get an excellent result for cooling the crystal. Scythe’s powerful impeller airflow to the aluminum heatsink prevents the overclocked AMD FX-8300 from heating up above 35 degrees. Owners of "cold" Intel crystals to draw their own conclusions will not be difficult.
Feedback
About the cooling system Corsair H110i GT 280mm user reviews are versatile. The main negative that all device owners pay attention to is the overpriced. For ten thousand rubles you can buy a motherboard or processor. And the accessory simply should not be worth it. There are complaints about the cooler. It is completely incomprehensible what the manufacturer was thinking about when he equipped such a gadget with cheap fans. Their work was found to be unsatisfactory by all users. In fact, the impeller resource is literally enough for one year of use, after which the cooler begins to rattle and howl.
And to the merits, all buyers attributed the cooling efficiency of the processor. The Corsair H110 system perfectly copes with the task. True, not everyone is satisfied with the length of the tubes, but this is not a problem for enthusiasts who simply can lengthen them, because the design of the device is collapsible. There are no complaints about the build quality - nothing flows, everything has been done reliably and beautifully.
Finally
The Corsair H110 product can be safely recommended to all overclockers, especially this recommendation applies to owners of crystals created at the AMD factory. The cooling system perfectly copes with heat dissipation, which is required for any acceleration. However, fans of demanding toys should know that the water system is not intended for frequent disassembly-assembly. There are serious problems with plastic adapters for the processor socket, which are actually disposable. Yes, and the future owner should also prepare thermal paste, since it is quite difficult to seat the core on the crystal the first time.