Corsair Hydro H75 CPU Cooler Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. The Corsair Hydro H754. Installing the Corsair H755. Testing Methodology and Overclocking6. Thermal Performance7. Acoustic Performance8. Closing Thoughts9. View All Pages

Today we are going to take the look at the latest product in Corsair's Hydro series of liquid CPU coolers, the H75.  This is a mid-range option, offering a standard 120 mm radiator with twin 120 mm fans.  We have been very impressed with Corsair's previous Hydro models and are very interested to see what this new unit has to offer.

Corsair are one of the longest established players in the liquid CPU cooling market and they have a comprehensive range of products catering to all users.  Their products are highly regarded among enthusiasts thanks to their high quality and class-leading performance. Can the H75 continue the long success story for the company?

Specifications

• Radiator dimensions: 120mm x 152mm x 25mm
• Fan dimensions: 120mm x 120mm x 25mm
• Fan speed: 2000 RPM
• Fan airflow: 54 CFM
• Fan dBA: 31.4 dBA
• Fan static pressure: 2.8 mm/H20

Compatibility

• Intel LGA 1150, 1155, 1156, 1366, and 2011
• AMD sockets FM1, FM2, AM2, and AM3

The H75 is supplied in typical Corsair Hydro series packaging which consists of a compact cardboard box decorated in a simplistic black and blue livery.

The blue aspect of the livery actually identifies that this particular model isn't one of Corsair's ‘i' models which offer an intelligent software control function.

On the top of the box there is a large image of the cooler, with the sides of the box being reserved for technical information, diagrams and details about the features of the cooler.  The box itself feels very good quality and should, in conjunction with the durable cardboard carton within, provide a decent level of protection for the cooler during transit.

Inside the box there are a number of accessories included, most of which are associated with the installation process and form part of the mounting mechanism.  It's worth noting that Corsair supply two SP120L PWM fans in the box.

The basic design of the H75 is very similar to most 120 mm liquid CPU coolers on the market.  It consists of a 120 mm radiator, connecting to a CPU block (with integrated pump) via two rubber tubes.

Corsair have chosen to use a low-profile 27 mm thick radiator for this model to maximise compatibility.  With the two fans installed, this is increased to 75 mm, however it should still fit inside most compact cases.

The H75 features a circular copper CPU block.  Corsair pre apply the thermal paste to the block for ease of installation, however we replaced this with our own for our tests so we could benchmark it fairly against other coolers.  It features a microfin design on the inside to ensure efficient heat transfer between the copper block and the coolant.

Despite the integration of a pump into the CPU block assembly, it remains remarkably low profile.  In fact, when installed, the CPU block lies even lower than the heatspreaders on our memory.  The pump is powered using a 3-pin fan header and must be plugged into a header supplying 12V, either on the motherboard or via an adapter from the power supply.

Corsair thoughtfully pre-attach the Intel retention bracket to the CPU block, which will save some installation time for those who aren't using an AMD platform.

As we mentioned earlier in the review, Corsair supply two SP120L PWM fans with the H75 which are highly regarded as quality models.  They spin between 800 and 2000 RPM, generating a claimed maximum airflow of 54 CFM whilst generating a maximum claimed maximum noise level of 31.4 dBA.

Corsair have had a lot of time to refine their mounting mechanism now and it makes installation very simple indeed.  This particular model is made by Asetek and, consequently, features a slightly different mounting mechanism to some of their other models like the H100i which is made by Cool IT Systems.

Corsair supply a comprehensive installation guide with the cooler which simplifies the installation process.  We will be documenting installation on the Intel Socket 2011 platform.

Firstly we are instructed to install the backplate and stand-offs onto the motherboard, however there isn't a backplate required for the Socket 2011 platform.  So we screwed the stand-offs directly into mounting points integrated into the CPU socket.

Next, the radiator must be secured to the case with the fans on either side.

The CPU block can be secured onto the motherboard using the provided thumbscrews.  Although Corsair claim that the installation process can be completed without tools, we found it much easier to tighten these screws with a screwdriver.

Finally, the fans and pump can be connected up to the motherboard using 4-pin and 3-pin fan headers.

To test the performance of the Corsair Hydro H75, we built a powerful X79 based system on an open test bench to push the cooler to the limits.  As we were testing on an open test bench, we directed a Be Quiet! Shadow Wings 120 mm fan at the VRM circuitry to better simulate the airflow generated in a case.

For our extreme tests, we manually overclocked the i7-3930K to 4.7 GHz by increasing the multiplier to 47x, leaving the baseclock set at 100 MHz.

We set Load Line Calibration to ‘High', and increased the CPU Current Capability to 120% with a minor voltage increase.  Speed stepping was disabled for both stock and overclocked tests.

Coolers Tested

• Corsair H75
• Corsair H110 (fans at 12V)
• Corsair H90 (fan at 12V)
• Phanteks PH-TC14PE (fans at 12V)
• Noctua NH-D14 (fans at 12V)

For our temperature tests we loaded the system for 10 minutes using Prime 95 and recorded the CPU temperature using CPUID HWMonitor.  We then restarted the system and left it idling at the desktop for 10 minutes before recording temperatures. The temperatures recorded are based on an ambient temperature of 20 degrees C.

These temperatures are very impressive for a 120 mm cooler, especially when the system is overclocked to this extent.

In our noise level tests we switched off all the case fans and replaced the AMD Radeon HD 7950 graphics card with a HD 5550 passive model so were  just taking into account the noise generated by the cooler fans themselves.

We measured the noise level with a Digital Noise Level meter at a distance of 1 m from the front of the system.

While the cooler was quite loud in this test, this was with the fans at full speed.  When the fans are in PWM mode, they register under the minimum 30 dBA sensitivity of our noise level meter.

Overall we are very impressed with what the Corsair Hydro H75 brings to the table.  This particular model works without any clever software trickery, relying on our motherboard to control the speed of the fans.

As we have come to expect from Corsair, the build quality of the unit cannot be faulted on any level.  Corsair also include two high quality AF120L fans with the cooler which would cost over £20 separately.  It's clear that Corsair engineers have spent some time refining the mounting mechanism compared to previous models.  This has to be the simplest mounting mechanism we have experienced, so far.

Corsair have designed the H75 to be compatible with all current platforms, both from Intel and AMD.  It is clear that they expect most users to be using Intel based systems as they pre-attach the appropriate bracket to the cooler. AMD users have a little extra work during installation.

The Corsair H75 boasts impressive performance credentials, holding an excellent thermal curve even when an Intel Core i7-3930K was overclocked to 4.7 GHz.  The fans were quite noisy at full speed, however they were almost silent in PWM mode.  The PWM mode is fantastic for those who are looking to sustain a long-term overclock as the fans only spin up when the processor gets hot enough.

The Corsair H75 can be purchased for around £67 inc. VAT from Scan.  This makes it a great alternative to the slightly more expensive H90 which the H75 usurps, both in terms of performance and compatibility.

Pros:

• Impressive cooling performance.
• Compatible with all major platforms.
• High quality fans included.
• 5-year Warranty.

Cons:

• Noisy at full speed.

KitGuru says: A very welcome addition to Corsair's range.

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