CORSAIR Hydro Series H50 120mm Quiet Edition Liquid CPU Cooler - Intel Only (CW-9060006-WW)

Pros: Installation was fairly simple for an AM3/AM3+ socket. All the components required for installation were included with the product. All that's needed is a phillips-head screwdriver and installation shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. The included fan runs around 1000-1500rpm, but this can be controlled through the system's BIOS configuration (if applicable). I'm running an AMD Phenom X6 1100T and averaging around 25-30 degrees Celsius under full load. The cooler blows away the stock heatsink/fan combo that AMD ships with their CPUs. The Heatsink includes thermal grease, so there's no need for a separate application; however, I believe Arctic Silver's thermal grease can lower the temperatures even further due to better heat conductivity and dissipation. I have yet to try that application, but I will.

Cons: Absolutely none.

Overall Review: Remember to have a motherboard that supports 4pin fan headers for full control of the fan. A 120mm fan bracket is also required for installation. Remember to install the reservoir to the case first before installing the heatsink to the motherboard. Follow the instructions carefully for installing the heatsink.

Pros: small.no clutter,cools efficient and quiet for all normal use and gaming. This is an update after having it for more than a year and it's still quiet and wonderful. Have h70 on a i7-960 works good also

Cons: can't think of any

Overall Review: core i7-875k at 4.187 ghz primary voltage is 1.35v I have my pll,vtt and such just in the middle range for volts (helps keep things cool) room temp is 25c (77f) idle temps are 35,37,38,39c load temps p95 reach up to and hit 84c once during temp for split second hit86c, that's not bad for such a little thing. When I 1st got this my lows were in the lower 40's at lower volts and then my mb freaked last week and now at higher volts it runs cooler ? No clue!! anyhow I use to have external koolance cooling and got so tired of the noise I decided to swap and go down on o.c. and couldn't be happier with my quiet pc and this cooler. I keep the fans adjusted by cpu temp in the bios so it's great. Remember each mb produces different results and in fact mine use to hit 90-92c until the board freaked and crashed. Room temps make a big difference also. mb asus p7p55d-e pro,memory gskill 2000mhx at 9-10-9-24 at 2048mhz,this cooler,cosmos-s case,crucial ssd's for hard drives,amd 6970 graphics

Pros: The H50 is very quiet. Even when the fan ramps up, I do not hear it or am not bothered by it (when gaming, speakers mask the fan noise completely, even at low volume; during artificial CPU load tests, the fan is noticeable due to a lack of ambient noise, but still very low. The performance of the H50 is unquestionable. I overclocked an i7 930 to 3.6 gh - the H50 handles this easily, as the 1700 rpm fan doesn't ramp up to full speed under 1hr load tests - it tops out ~1530 rpm. The weight (or lack thereof) is a beautiful thing. 1 kg (latest gen air cooler + 2 fans) is an insane amount to hang from a Mobo. The H50's pump & heat spreader combined weight is negligible in comparison.

Cons: The fan / rad mounting screws are a tad short (1 & 1/4") and only come in 1 set of 4. Since Corsair actively recommends a push /pull config with the rad, it should come with a second set of mounting screws, as well as a third set to accommodate the 38mm thickness fans.) I'm being VERY picky here.

Overall Review: If you are using the Mobo headers to pwr / manage the pump & fan(s), the fan(s) should be powered from the CPU_FAN header. This makes the fan(s) respond to CPU temp, not Mobo temp - therefore quicker to respond. Note that the pump should run @ full speed @ all times - an unman-aged 12V header will give this. If you go with the push/pull (2 fan) setup, it's best to use identical fans and run them from 1 header via a Y-splitter. This ensures both fans run @ the same speed which eliminates interference with flow & therefore turbulence, which both limits noise and improves performance. (1) Note that one of the fan's reference signal wire (yellow) should be removed from the circuit, as the Mobo can only handle 1 ref signal. (2) These instructions differ for PWM fans. Lastly - why only 4 eggs? There are air coolers that out perform the H50. There are liquid coolers that out perform the H50. However, imo, the H50 is the best combo of $, db, performance and ease of use.

Pros: My first AOI cooling setup, works flawlessly. I have a G3258 at 4.5, never gets above 55 C.

Cons: Women don't seem interested when I mention it.

Overall Review: If you were doing some really serious overclocking with an i5 or i7, you would probably want a larger cooler, like the H100.

Pros: Runs cool, isn't too noisy, and hasn't leaked yet (I have only had it for a few days).

Cons: 1.PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS LGA COMPATIBLE BUT NOT LISTED AS SO IN THE INSTRUCTIONS: Many people have purchased this product thinking that it was LGA 1150 compatible because that is what it said on Newegg. They would then open it up, look at the instructions, see no mention of LGA 1150 (only mention of 1366, 1155, and 1156) and then return it because it isn't compatible with their system. IF YOU ARE GOING TO INSTALL THIS INTO AN LGA 1150 SYSTEM THEN FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR LGA 1156 AND IT WILL WORK PERFECTLY FINE. Like many others I was going to return mine, but unlike many others I did some measurements and found that LGA 1156 is the same fan mounting size as LGA 1150. 2.There is a small plastic ring included in the box, but absolutely no mention of it in the instruction manual. This ring is used to attach the CPU block to the retention ring before you attach the retention ring to the motherboard (this allows you to install it all at once and may be easier for you than if you were to do it the way listed in the manual). The other option (the only one shown in the manual) is that you first attach the retention ring to the motherboard and then fiddle with the CPU block until it fits into the retention ring. 3.The instruction manual states that it is recommended to blow the hot air from the heat sink into your case (in a push configuration), and they provide no extra screws if you want to actually blow the hot air out of your case instead of in. I had to find some extra case screws that kind of fit, just in order to have a fan configuration that actually makes sense (Corsair could have easily supplied a few extra screws)

Overall Review: I am not pleased with the absolutely terrible user manual provided by Corsair. After some research, I found out that there was an older version of this cooler, and I believe that when corsair made changes to this older cooler they forgot to give it a new instructions manual because the current one is trash.

Pros: * After experimentation, I am able to reduce my idle temps by 18-20C over stock air cooling on an i7 860 in an Antec 900, perhaps more in the long run. * Keeps an overclocked i7 860 at 3.66GHz at 49C idle (not great, but much much better than stock air cooling) * With all case fans on low (not important to me) it is very quiet and only sacrifices a few degrees (3-5c) in idle temps.

Cons: * Probably not a lot better than a high end / equally priced air cooler. * To become really effective, the H50 requires additional fans that are more powerful (higher CFM). Using two fans of different CFM ratings was not as effective as using two with the same CFM rating. * With the H50 in stock setup, reduced the idle temps by only 6-8C with fan either drawing air in or blowing air out.

Overall Review: Antec 900 case with 2x front fans on low and 1x side fan pulling air into the case, while H50 fans and top exhaust on high blow air out of the case. Ambient temperature between 70-72F. H50 in a push/pull configuration blowing out of the case. The fans in the push/pull are Antec Tri-Cool on the highest (loud) setting. The processor is overclocked to 3.66GHz and idles at 49C after one day of use with the H50 (perhaps lower after thermal paste is more effective). Note that the fans in the push / pull configuration are rated at the same air flow rate (CFM). Traditional case air flow of cool air in the front of the case and hot air out of the back / top works best for me) (FYI for new folk: Push / Pull Configuration is setup as = Fan | Radiator | Fan with both fans blowing in the same direction.) (Specs Listed For Comparison) Intel i7 860 XFX 9800GTX 8GB GSkill Ripjaws @ 1600MHz Antec 900 128GB SSD 4x Sata Hard Drives

Pros: The H50 is very quiet. Even when the fan ramps up, I do not hear it or am not bothered by it (when gaming, speakers mask the fan noise completely, even at low volume; during artificial CPU load tests, the fan is noticeable due to a lack of ambient noise, but still very low. The performance of the H50 is unquestionable. I overclocked an i7 930 to 3.6 gh - the H50 handles this easily, as the 1700 rpm fan doesn't ramp up to full speed under 1hr load tests - it tops out ~1530 rpm. The weight (or lack thereof) is a beautiful thing. 1 kg (latest gen air cooler + 2 fans) is an insane amount to hang from a Mobo. The H50's pump & heat spreader combined weight is negligible in comparison.

Cons: The fan / rad mounting screws are a tad short (1 & 1/4") and only come in 1 set of 4. Since Corsair actively recommends a push /pull config with the rad, it should come with a second set of mounting screws, as well as a third set to accommodate the 38mm thickness fans.) I'm being VERY picky here.

Overall Review: If you are using the Mobo headers to pwr / manage the pump & fan(s), the fan(s) should be powered from the CPU_FAN header. This makes the fan(s) respond to CPU temp, not Mobo temp - therefore quicker to respond. Note that the pump should run @ full speed @ all times - an unman-aged 12V header will give this. If you go with the push/pull (2 fan) setup, it's best to use identical fans and run them from 1 header via a Y-splitter. This ensures both fans run @ the same speed which eliminates interference with flow & therefore turbulence, which both limits noise and improves performance. (1) Note that one of the fan's reference signal wire (yellow) should be removed from the circuit, as the Mobo can only handle 1 ref signal. (2) These instructions differ for PWM fans. Lastly - why only 4 eggs? There are air coolers that out perform the H50. There are liquid coolers that out perform the H50. However, imo, the H50 is the best combo of $, db, performance and ease of use.

Pros: Keeps my temps around 28-32C under normal load, looks clean in the case.

Cons: None yet

Overall Review: This does fit on 1151 chipset motherboards. You just have to line up the holes on the backplate that are marked 1156. It looks a little crooked on the backside, but you never see that. The holes line up perfectly, no force was needed to align it all. I put the backplate and mount on the board to have access if fiddling was needed (which wasn't needed) then put the board in the case and attached the pump and fan once the board was in.