INTRODUCTION

   Like we mentioned a few days ago although the largest piece of the AIO sales pie belongs to dual/tri-fan 240/280/360mm liquid CPU coolers lately we've seen a few single fan 120/140mm models get released by some of the top players in the market. The brand new Antec Kuhler H2O model we reviewed last week is among them and although it may not be what we were hoping it would in terms of cooling efficiency there are definitely consumers out there looking to get a low-cost AIO liquid CPU cooler that's also quite silent. Instead of launching an entirely new product Corsair decided on revamping their old Hydro H60 model and today we're checking the 2018 version out.

   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 new Hydro H60 2018 AIO liquid CPU cooler is actually the third product by CORSAIR to bear that name after the 2011 and 2013 models (both where co-developed with CoolIT systems and judging by the radiator used this is too - although some of their latest models like the H115i were co-developed with Asetek). Now we have no reason to go as far back as the 2011 model so compared to the 2013 model the new 2018 Hydro H60 has changed in several areas. The more noticeable differences are with the longer radiator (152x120x27mm - 157x120x27mm), different 120mm PWM fan (2000RPM/54CFM/2.36mmH2O/30.85dBA - 1700RPM/54.2CFM/2.08mmH2O/28.3dBA), brand new pump (LED illuminated top) and the cold plate (different shape). Unfortunately once again CORSAIR doesn't provide the exact specifications of the pump used but judging by the design of the pump/waterblock combo it should be identical with the ones used in their new H115i/H150 Pro RGB models (up to 2850RPM).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Once again a large product picture is placed at the front of the box along with the company logo and the main product features.

A few words about the product are placed on the base of the box in 6 languages.

The package contents and mainboard compatibility are printed at the top of the box again in 6 languages.

Another product picture is located on the left side right beneath the main product features.

Several images placed at the rear of the box are used to showcase both the main product features and the specifications of the brand new H60.

Typically the entire bundle is wrapped inside plastic bags and placed in a formed piece of cardboard.

Aside the Hydro H60 you will also get a 120mm PWM fan, backplate, warranty guide, warranty information paper, quick start guide and all the necessary pieces needed to install the cooler onto Intel LGA1150/1151/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2/FM2+ compatible mainboards.

THE HYDRO H60 (2018)

Once again we find ourselves looking at the usual AIO configuration so the Hydro H60 is nothing new in terms of design.

The radiator used this time over is roughly 27mm thick and features an FPI (fins per inch) count of 18.

CORSAIR has equipped the latest Hydro H60 with 230mm long low permeation rubber tubes.

Just like the H115i/H150 Pro RGB models the new Hydro H60 shares the same pump/waterblock combo.

A small fill/drain port is located on the left side of the pump (not ment to be used by end users).

To make your life easier when installing the cooler both tubes can rotate from the pump/waterblock combo as seen above.

The copper coldplate comes ready with a pre-applied layer of thermal conductive material.

Although similar in design to the fan used with the 2013 version this time over the SP series 120mm PWM fan used can reach speeds of up to 1700RPM to produce up to 54.2CFM of airflow with just 28.3dBA of noise.

With the fan mounted the radiator thickness climbs to roughly 52mm (for maximum cooling results you can have the fan suck air from the outside - providing of course that your system has top exhaust fans).

Here we see the white LED illuminated CORSAIR logo ontop of the pump/waterblock combo (remember to always power the AIO prior to mounting it on your system. Leakage issues are indeed extremely rare but possible).

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

   When we finished testing the Antec K120 AIO model a few days back we weren’t really impressed with its cooling performance so since next in line was the new Hydro H60 revision naturally our hopes fell on that and in a way we got exactly what we were expecting. Certainly when you have two almost identical models it mostly comes down to the fan used (RPM/Airflow/Pressure) so although the Hydro H60 did outperform the K120 its SP series 120mm PWM fan was quite a bit noisier. True it wasn’t by much but for some people it just might be enough for them to choose something else. Unfortunately the Hydro H60 is not compatible with CORSAIR’s LINK software so you can’t access different cooling modes but honestly when you get a single fan 120/140mm AIO performance mode (100%) is the way to go.

   CORSAIR always had a rather aggressive pricing policy and that is especially evident in the new Hydro H60 AIO (CW-9060036-WW) since you can currently get one for just USD69.99 in the USA (Amazon.com) and for 79.90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Of course for roughly the same amount one can opt for the NH-D15 by Noctua or the Dark Rock Pro 4 by be quiet! both of which offer slightly better cooling performance. At the end of the day however the latest revision of the Hydro H60 AIO liquid CPU cooler really delivers and that’s why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Good Cooling Efficiency
- White Pump LED
- Compatibility (120mm AIO Model)
- Easy Installation

CONS

- Not LINK Compatible