INTRODUCTION

   This summer has been the hottest one to date where we're located so as expected really many readers, friends and family members have reached out to us asking what we feel is the best way for them to cool their systems (one particular friend told me that his system would shut down after just 5 minutes due to extreme CPU temperatures). Well although there are many worthy CPU air coolers in the market today the fact of the matter is that not many can compete with water cooling solutions whether these are closed loop AIO (all-in-one) or custom loop models. Now although custom water cooling loops do cost quite a bit and are still not as popular AIO models are far more affordable and in some cases have little to be jealous in terms of cooling efficiency. CORSAIR introduced their Hydro Series AIO Liquid CPU Cooler line few years back and today we're testing the H115i which is not only their latest but is also their top of the line model.

   Founded in 1994, CORSAIR supplies high-performance products purchased primarily by PC gaming enthusiasts who build their own PCs or buy pre-assembled customized systems. The company's award-winning products include DDR3 and DDR4 memory upgrades, computer cases, PC cooling products, gaming headsets, gaming keyboards, gaming mice, power supply units, USB flash drives, solid-state drives and system monitoring and control devices.

   The Hydro Series H115i is part of CORSAIR's V2 line of AIO liquid CPU coolers (manufactured in cooperation with Asetek) and is based on a wide 280mm dual fan aluminum radiator which places it right between 240mm dual fan and 360mm tri-fan models (both in size and performance). Two high-speed SP140L 140mm PWM fans (2400RPM/104.65CFM airflow/3.99mmH2O static pressure/40dBA noise) with two 350mm long braided/sleeved tubes and a high-speed pump/coldplate waterblock combo (up to 2820RPM) complete this high-performance closed loop. CORSAIR also offers their LINK software (USB connection) which makes it possible for the end user not only to control the speed of both the fans and the pump (or use one of the available presets) but also to change the color of the LED placed ontop of the pump (RGB LED). Time to see what the Hydro Series H115i AIO liquid CPU cooler by our friends over at CORSAIR is all about.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 A large product picture is placed at the front of the box right over the main product features and of course the somewhat impressive 5 year warranty offered by CORSAIR.

The main product features are also listed on the left side of the box right over a small product picture.

Both the CPU compatibility list and the bundle contents are listed at the top of the box in 6 languages.

Moving at the bottom we see the features list and a few words about the LINK software again in 6 languages.

At the rear we find the product features and technical specifications.

As usual the cooler is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed in a formed piece of cardboard.

Along with the Hydro Series H115i radiator, its two SP140L 140mm PWM fans and their mounting screws you will also receive a miniUSB to mainboard USB cable (for use with LINK), warranty guide, warranty information for Australian buyers and all the necessary hardware for mounting the cooler onto Intel LGA1150/1151/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-3 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2/FM2+ mainboards.

THE HYDRO SERIES H115I

Nothing really new in terms of looks since most AIO models in the market today are very similar (the 312mm long and 140mm wide radiator however is not something we see often).

CORSAIR opted for a 26mm thick radiator on the sides of which they have placed their logo.

The aluminum radiator used with the H115i has an FPI (fins per inch) count of 20.

Unlike most AIO models in the market CORSAIR has used two very long (350mm) braided/sleeved large-diameter, low permeability tubes.

The CORSAIR logo is placed on the pump/waterblock combo as seen above.

For good or bad the tubes are fixed onto the pump/waterblock combo.

If you decide to use the LINK software you will need to connect the mini USB port placed on the right side with your mainboard.

The coldplate waterblock comes ready with a thin layer of thermal conductive material as seen above.

Two 4-pin male fan connectors, one 3-pin female fan connector and a eSATA female power connector are hardwired into the pump (connect the two SP140L fans with the male connectors, your mainboard with the female connector and a eSATA female power connector with the male one to provide power for both the fans and the pump).

The SP140L 140mm PWM fans may not feature anything unique in terms of blade design and frame but thanks to their very high speed of up 2400RPM (CORSAIR says these can go up to 2000RPM +-10% but their LINK softwaree indicates 2400RPM) they can produce up to 104.65CFM of airflow and 3.99mmH2O of static pressure with just 40dBA of noise.

CORSAIR could have chosen a better color combination (why not black and yellow?) but that's just us.

With the fans installed the radiator now measures 51mm in thickness.

CORSAIR LINK

To use the LINK software by CORSAIR you will need to visit their download page as seen above.

The main screen gives you a rundown on the temperature of the system, CPU and GPU and informs you of the H115i status.

CORSAIR has created several presets in their LINK software but we only care about two so in this review we’ll be testing the H115i with their Balanced (1800RPM for the fans and 1900RPM for the pump) and Performance (2400RPM for the fans and 2820RPM for the pump) modes.

By default the top LED changes color according to the temperature levels but you can adjust that from the LINK software.

Although there are more presets available by default CORSAIR gives you three options from the drop down menu (Performance, Balanced and Quiet).

You can also adjust several secondary settings from the options tab as seen above.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since we want all of you to be able to compare similar products we created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. When testing complete water cooling kits we use the Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste. Finally much like when testing CPU Coolers it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with our test rig (when we test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

……

CONCLUSION

   Much like CPU Air Coolers it seems that we’ve reached the limit of AIO liquid CPU coolers in terms of cooling efficiency. Of course we do need to realize that radiator technology (or heat-exchange technology as some call it) is not new since it’s been used for over 150 years (although aluminum radiators have been around for roughly 50) so reaching its limit is not something that should surprise anyone. Many manufacturers seem to also be aware of this so the “easiest” way out is to pair a radiator with high-speed fans and pumps and in the case of the H115i this worked like a charm since when tested in performance mode it managed to land right next to the much more expensive EK-XLC Predator 280 while at the same time leaving other similar models far behind. Of course higher RPM almost always translates into higher dBA and so with the two SP140L fans and the high-performance pump rotating at 2400RPM and 2820RPM respectively we recorded noise levels which almost hit 66dBA making the H115i the second loudest AIO model in our charts after the Kuhler H2O 1250 by Antec. This may not be a bad thing for people who place performance above all else (especially since Balanced mode is nowhere near as impressive in terms of cooling performance) but it’s definitely not a positive thing. As for the LINK software I think CORSAIR could have made it slightly easier to use/navigate (a larger LED on top of the pump would be nice to see too) but having control over the speed of the fans and pump is great regardless.

   Currently the Hydro Series H115i Liquid CPU Cooler by CORSAIR retails for just USD139.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 135Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) so once again you can have great cooling efficiency without spending a whole lot in the process (as long as you don’t mind the noise that is). So purely from a price/performance standpoint the Hydro Series H115i is perhaps the best AIO you can get your hands on today. Sure the high noise levels don’t go unnoticed but they are not enough for us to keep our Platinum Award away from it.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Excellent Cooling Efficiency (Performance Mode)
- LINK Control Software
- Temperature Controlled RGB LED (Can Be Adjusted Manually)
- 350mm Long & Large Braided / Sleeved Tubes
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Noise Levels (Performance Mode)