Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler Review

Installation

[ad#review1038-top]Test Rig
Intel i7 920
Gigabyte EX58-UD4P X58 motherboard
OCZ DDR3-1600 XMP Ready 6GB Triple Channel Kit
Asus Matrix GTX 260 video card
BFG Tech EX Series 1200 Watt power supply
NZXT Tempest Extended midtower
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit

The Corsair H50 is intended to be placed in the opening that the rear chassis fan is in. This opening must be able to accommodate a 120mm fan. (some cases have more than one set of screw holes located there)

A little thought and preparation is required prior to installing the Corsair H50, otherwise installation is about as easy as installing an air cooler. Corsair highly recommends that the fan is used as an intake instead of the traditional exhaust role of the rear fan so that the H50 receives the coolest air possible. That means that you will likely have to make provisions for using another fan for exhaust. There are well-ventilated cases that make this not actually necessary, for example, if the case has a huge expanse of modder’s mesh and/or other venting such as the Thermaltake Xaser VI, or if the case has a large blowhole fan like the NZXT Tempest I am using or the Thermaltake M9.

But generally, most cases will have to have the direction changed on another fan, or other action taken such as removing all of the case’s PCI expansion covers, to prevent the internal case air pressure from being so great as to starve the intake fans, preventing the H50 from getting enough cool air from the outside of the case and greatly hindering its cooling ability. Ideally, there should be roughly an equal amount of intake and exhaust air. I prefer more exhaust than intake, but that’s me.

Installation begins by removal of the existing rear fan in your case. Prep your CPU by cleaning with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth.



Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler

Next, secure the appropriate backplate and place it on the back of the motherboard. The baseplate is configured to go over the existing LGA 1366 backplate. You will probably want to use the adhesive backing, I usually don’t, or I will use only a small area of it, since I am constantly changing coolers and removing a baseplate that has been installed with the adhesive can be a real pain. Secure the appropriate CPU mounting ring/retention bracket, place it on the motherboard, and tighten the screws about 1/2 turn. DO NOT FULLY TIGHTEN SCREWS AT THIS TIME.


Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler

Install the motherboard into the case. (In the case of an AMD installation, remove the existing cooler retention assembly and install the H50’s AMD backplate.)

At this time you will probably want to connect the ATX12V cable from your power supply to your motherboard, it can be pretty tough getting it connected after the fan/radiator is installed.

Using the same screw holes that the rear fan used, utilize the included screws and washers to mount the fan and radiator. The open side of the fan should face the rear of the case and the frame side should face the radiator. With the washer on the outside of the case, thread a screw through the chassis, both fan screw holes, and into the corresponding screwhole in the radiator. Start all of the screws before tightening them.


Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler

Remove the protective plastic shell from the cooler/pump assembly, leaving the thermal interface material in place. (If you are using your own thermal compound, use isopropyl alcohol and a lint free cloth to thoroughly clean the cooler base, then apply thermal compound per the manufacturer’s instructions) I will be using the pre-applied compound.

Press the cooler/pump through the openings on the mounting ring, then twist until the lugs are lined up. You probably want to pay attention to the direction of the Corsair while inserting the base if the final direction will make a difference to you when you’re done.


Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler

Alternatively tighten the screws a little at a time in a diagonal fashion until the unit no longer rotates and feels snug.

Connect the fan to the motherboard’s CPU_FAN header. Using this header will allow the BIOS to control fan speed, otherwise the fan may run at 100% all of the time. Connect the power cable to any other 3-pin fan connector on the motherboard. I needed the extension that was included with the cooler. You may want to make sure this header has not been adjusted in the BIOS to run at less than 100% if you may have changed it in the past.


Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler

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