CORSAIR H80 or NH-D14?

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TweakCrazy

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I have been planning my next overclocking project, aiming for 5GHz+ with the 2500K and Z68 Asus motherboard.

I've always been told, by everyone, that self-contained "ready to go" watercooling solutions totally suck, and the new one's are about as good as the best air coolers. I only have personal experience with self-made watercooling, will I be disappointed with the H80?

I have not been able to find any reviews.... only on the H50, H60, and H70... I am also considering the H100, but it might not fit in my case. I also have looked at Thermalright's products. I really want the best cooling money can buy without having to assemble my own stuff, and it also needs to fit in my case, I have the XigmaTek Utgard for this project.

Please help me out....

Tweak!
 
They pretty much are just about as good as the best air solutions. I can't say for sure with the H100 since I haven't seen the NH-D14 or the Silver Arrow compared to it (it's not out yet after all) but from what I have seen the NH-D14 is better than the H70 and the H80 (as far as I can tell) is just the H70 with the Corsair digital link stuff. The Silver Arrow is supposed to be even better than the NH-D14 too.

Unless you want to drop the cash for a proper water cooling setup, just stick with air.
 
Self-contained WC like the H80 has the same performance with top-end air coolers in general.Their main advantage over air coolers,especially dual-tower ones (NH-D14 or SA) is that they don't have memory compability issues.Meaning you can use all RAM slots with high RAM (Corsair Dominator GT/Vengeance) without worrying about the cooler takes up some RAM slots.
 
H100 if you can do it. H80 or H50 with two fans (I would recommend the H50 with two fans over the H80) if you want to place less stress on your motherboard and avoid memory clearance issues. Prolimatech Genesis would get my vote as an air cooler if it fits.
 
The H50 is really cheap these days, but I would be worried about the performance compared to the H80... I have already looked at higher CFM, 120mm fans on newegg... I just wonder how much performance gain I'll get from using better fans, of course, I'll be pushing all the air out, not in.

I really wish they made better pre-made watercooling kits. Something for really high performance, the H100 does look promising, but I can't wait for it to hit the market and I doubt it will even fit in my case.

How do the H50, H60, H70, and H80 really compare? I know the reviews talk about a few C lower etc.... but in the real world.... for overclocking....
 
visionviper said:
They pretty much are just about as good as the best air solutions. I can't say for sure with the H100 since I haven't seen the NH-D14 or the Silver Arrow compared to it (it's not out yet after all) but from what I have seen the NH-D14 is better than the H70 and the H80 (as far as I can tell) is just the H70 with the Corsair digital link stuff. The Silver Arrow is supposed to be even better than the NH-D14 too.

Unless you want to drop the cash for a proper water cooling setup, just stick with air.
Click to expand...

The H80 outperforms the H70 by a few degrees and in the end user tests I've seen so far the H80 outperforms the NH-D14 when using the Performance setting for the fans.

link to EM2J's h80 vs nh-d14 vs nh-c14 result

link to Munkypoo7's h80 vs h70 result
 
Don't forget the Antec Kuhler 920. This is a great setup and I really like being able to control the fan settings using their software. Not sure if the H80 has this function.

I'm currently running 4.5ghz on a 2600k and with 100% load in Prime95 my temps are solid at 64-65 with fan settings on low. Put it to high and it will easily drop a few more.
 
The other things that the water coolers offer is removing the heat from your chassis, and not letting your box get hot. That plus the quiet operation, using fans on low here, makes it much better than an air cooler for me. I just wish there was an alarm for a pump failure or leaks.
 
Since the H50 uses a high FPI radiator, it will perform much better with an additional fan, and faster fans. The radiator design is not really for low speed fans. That's why when you put the same high speed fans on the H50 and H70, the H50 outperforms the H70. It's just that stock, the H70 is better, as stock H80 is better than stock H70.
 
I went to 3dgameman.com to check out a review of the Antec 920 Watercooling system. The review started with "the box is wrapped in plastic"...... Is this guy serious? I almost fell over laughing... I did manage to find a good review somewhere else.

Anyway, the H50 is really cheap, but so is the H60.... The H80 costs more, but with better fans (I might get some crazy CFM Delta's), it could work I guess. I'm about ready to just drop the money on a real watercooling setup... help!!! I'm trying to go over 5GHz here, I'm tweaked and confused!!!

Tweak!

P.S. Is the H50 better than the H60?
 
I say H50 if you plan to replace the fans. The H60 was able to be comparable to the H50 while being much quieter. I don't know whether this is due to a different radiator design or the fact that the H60 used a better fan.
 
Tsumi said:
Since the H50 uses a high FPI radiator, it will perform much better with an additional fan, and faster fans. The radiator design is not really for low speed fans. That's why when you put the same high speed fans on the H50 and H70, the H50 outperforms the H70. It's just that stock, the H70 is better, as stock H80 is better than stock H70.
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The H70 only has 9 fin arrays compared to the H50 having 12 which is why with high speed fans the H50 to compete with the H70. The H80 however has 13 fin arrays the same as the H60 so the H80 has a higher FPI radiator than the H50 along with being thicker so I'm pretty sure its going to outperform it by a decent amount no matter what fans you use.
 
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burningrave101 said:
The H70 only has 9 fin arrays compared to the H50 having 12 which is why with high speed fans the H50 to compete with the H70. The H80 however has 13 fin arrays the same as the H60 so the H80 has a higher FPI radiator than the H50 along with being thicker so I'm pretty sure its going to outperform it by a decent amount no matter what fans you use.
Click to expand...

12 to 13 is not going to make any appreciable difference. And at the high-end fan speed spectrum, all the results are very close to each other anyways (at or above 2000 RPM). Now, if it's 12 to 13, and it is thicker, then it's going to be more of a difference.
 
TweakCrazy said:
I have been planning my next overclocking project, aiming for 5GHz+ with the 2500K and Z68 Asus motherboard.

I've always been told, by everyone, that self-contained "ready to go" watercooling solutions totally suck, and the new one's are about as good as the best air coolers. I only have personal experience with self-made watercooling, will I be disappointed with the H80?

I have not been able to find any reviews.... only on the H50, H60, and H70... I am also considering the H100, but it might not fit in my case. I also have looked at Thermalright's products. I really want the best cooling money can buy without having to assemble my own stuff, and it also needs to fit in my case, I have the XigmaTek Utgard for this project.

Please help me out....

Tweak!
Click to expand...

First H80 review in comparison of Antec's and a "top" air cooler. http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1218/pg1/corsair-h80-vs-antec-kuhler-h2o-920-review-introduction.html

visionviper said:
They pretty much are just about as good as the best air solutions.
Click to expand...

Wrong.

Silent Knight said:
Self-contained WC like the H80 has the same performance with top-end air coolers in general.
Click to expand...

Wrong again.

Just installed my H80 today and it's already 5 degrees cooler than my old H50. Once my IC Diamond cures, I'm sure it will be even better.
 
Tsumi said:
12 to 13 is not going to make any appreciable difference. And at the high-end fan speed spectrum, all the results are very close to each other anyways (at or above 2000 RPM). Now, if it's 12 to 13, and it is thicker, then it's going to be more of a difference.
Click to expand...

Exactly, the H80 has the same higher number of fin arrays as the H60 while also having a 38mm thick rad compared to the H50's 25mm thick.
 
burningrave101 said:
Exactly, the H80 has the same higher number of fin arrays as the H60 while also having a 38mm thick rad compared to the H50's 25mm thick.
Click to expand...

Well, I haven't seen the H80 yet, so thanks for informing me :p I pay more attention to real watercooling stuff.

WarLust said:
snip

Wrong again.

Just installed my H80 today and it's already 5 degrees cooler than my old H50. Once my IC Diamond cures, I'm sure it will be even better.
Click to expand...

What? You're comparing two self-contained water coolers, not the H80 to a top-end air cooler. Come back once again once you've tested out a top-end air cooler (like NH-D14 or Prolimatech Genesis). And I wouldn't call a 3 C difference a significant difference, it is almost within the margin of error.

As it is, there has been no proper review of the H80 comparing to other coolers yet, so that call cannot be made. However, simple law of physics states that if the surface area for dissipating heat is the same, and the materials used are similar, then the temps will be the same. What matters most is how effectively these coolers are able to transfer heat from the CPU to the heatpipe (water in the case of all-in-one watercooling solutions) and how quickly they can transfer from the heatpipe or water to the fins.

You can only have so much surface area with a single 120mm fan. That's why true watercooling solutions are very effective because of the ability to install large radiators, dramatically increasing the surface area available.
 
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I'm weighing this exact question as well. I've never really given any thought to a true WC setup, but these closed loop systems seem pretty reliable. I really want to see how the H80 stacks up with the NH-D14.

Let's see some more reviews!!
 
Silver arrow is still the best general setup you can get, in performance and price.

I'm using an FT02 so all the hot air that the cooler blows up is just exiting straight out the case, leaving the box cool.

Only bother with a more expensive WC setup if you're going to need the extra RAM slots (heatspreaders won't fit, RAM sticks themselves will though if you move the fan up a bit)
 
I too am using a FT02

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Perhaps the H80 (and other similar systems) performs well, but one must take into account the fan RPM and noise. At equal noise levels, the larger heatsinks may remain competitive or on top - we'd need to see that test.
 
Archmage said:
Perhaps the H80 (and other similar systems) performs well, but one must take into account the fan RPM and noise. At equal noise levels, the larger heatsinks may remain competitive or on top - we'd need to see that test.
Click to expand...

Bingo, we have a winner.

In a good comparison you want to eliminate as many variables as possible. I know that I have better fans than what comes with any of these coolers just sitting around.

You should check out the Hardware Canucks H60 review where an H50 actually performs better than an H70 when using the same 1900rpm S-flex fans in push/pull and performance was about the same with a single fan.
 
Noctua aims at providing the highest possible level of dependability and convenience by offering a warranty period of up to 72 months and direct, fast and straightforward RMA service.

Try getting a 6 year warranty from Corsair, or any of these self contained water coolers I think they're like 2 years at best... which is no peace of mind for my system stability IMO.

Wait it looks like the newer ones get a 5 year... that is better than 2, but when I was shopping last year they were 2 years warranty tops, so I went with Noctua. Still glad I did too. But if I was looking today I would get a case that supports the H-100 it's only 120.00 whereas I did save 40.00 dollars with my Noctua, but the H-100 was just released this month. Anyhow I will have to see how they perform (especially on a BD 8 core) ;), any review links yet guys?

Cooling Products

Hydro Series™ (Models H60, H80, and H100) have a 5 year warranty
Hydro Series™ (Models H50 and H70) have a 2 year warranty
Air Series™ products (Models A50 and A70) have a 2 year warranty
 
teletran8 said:
Noctua aims at providing the highest possible level of dependability and convenience by offering a warranty period of up to 72 months and direct, fast and straightforward RMA service.

Try getting a 6 year warranty from Corsair, or any of these self contained water coolers I think they're like 2 years at best... which is no peace of mind for my system stability IMO.

Wait it looks like the newer ones get a 5 year... that is better than 2, but when I was shopping last year they were 2 years warranty tops, so I went with Noctua. Still glad I did too. But if I was looking today I would get a case that supports the H-100 it's only 120.00 whereas I did save 40.00 dollars with my Noctua, but the H-100 was just released this month. Anyhow I will have to see how they perform (especially on a BD 8 core) ;), any review links yet guys?

Cooling Products

Hydro Series™ (Models H60, H80, and H100) have a 5 year warranty
Hydro Series™ (Models H50 and H70) have a 2 year warranty
Air Series™ products (Models A50 and A70) have a 2 year warranty
Click to expand...

Warranty on self-contained watercooling kits? Yes, they matter, you don't want the pump giving out on you.

Warranty on regular heatpipe coolers? Unless it's totally crappy construction where it corrodes, the contact surface bends after an extended amount of time, or it's not properly sealed and the thing used inside the heatpipe leaks out, heatpipe coolers will last forever. Warranty is completely useless for traditional heatpipe coolers, and that's why most people prefer air cooling. There's minimal maintenance, just dust it out once in a while and replace the fan if it fails.
 
Tsumi said:
Warranty on self-contained watercooling kits? Yes, they matter, you don't want the pump giving out on you.
Click to expand...

sure the pump going out is bad but its much worst if it starts to leak and zap there goes your MB luckily corsair replaces any fried hardware from leaks
 
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