Best performing close loop CPU water cooler

[Gamer Dude]

Just wondering what is the best performing 120mm closed loop water cooler for a potential matx SFF build around an AMD BD-FX 8150/20 plus is there any good OCing board for Bull Dozer that are Micro ATX form factor you would recommend.

 

[Guest]

I like the Antec Kuhler H2O 920 hybrid. Some like the Corsair equivalent (H80) probably because of the name. I've used in the past & still have a CoolIt hybrid (CoolIt makes the hybrids used by Corsair). I like the Asetek hybrids used by Antec than the Corsair.

Both Corsair & Antec hybrids are almost the same but I prefer the way the Antec hybrid implements its USB based, software controlled fan speed adjustment setting.

 

[alyoshka]

If I was looking at the FX8150 I wouldn't go for the 120mm Rad cooler... I'd go for a H100 with 4 Fans....

 

[rubix_1011]

Both Corsair & Antec hybrids are almost the same but I prefer the way the Antec hybrid implements its USB based, software controlled fan speed adjustment setting.

CoolIt was supposedly working on something similar, although based on bluetooth or wireless...they might have resorted to USB to save costs. It was essentially a front-panel interface to control fan and pump speed as well as act as a reporting console. Not sure if that ever got created or not- someone else might have more info on it.

 

[Guest]

Both Corsair & Antec hybrids are almost the same but I prefer the way the Antec hybrid implements its USB based, software controlled fan speed adjustment setting.

CoolIt was supposedly working on something similar, although based on bluetooth or wireless...they might have resorted to USB to save costs. It was essentially a front-panel interface to control fan and pump speed as well as act as a reporting console. Not sure if that ever got created or not- someone else might have more info on it.

By the end of 2010 CoolIt pulled out from retail business to concentrate selling it product for wholesale to such brand as Corsair. The end of its retail business also marked the end of futher development of its already started products. One of the product is the Maestro wireless software controller. Maestro is almost similar to Asetek's implementation of its USB based software controller but in CoolIt's case, they try to make it as an add on. It's costly & more complicated compared to the cheap & simple way Asetek implemented it on its products.

 

[rubix_1011]

That's odd- I was contacted sometime last year about testing something and never heard back. This is probably due to them changing focus, but also a little different of a timeline.

 

[Guest]

Here's 1 article that I saw in the net on CoolIt pulling out from retail business.

CoolIt pulling out...


In CPU Mag Nov 2011 edition (page 23) they conducted a review on different CPU coolers including the (2) Corsair hybrids as well as the Antec Kuhler. The difference is very slim. I'm surprised that the bigger dual 120 mm rad H100 performed almost the same as the Antec Kuhler.

There's a big difference on how Corsair set up the fans to suck warm air into the case, which is opposite to Antec's recommendation. The CPU mag reviewer tested it on Corsair Graphite 600T case & found no difference in temp (by the way, the case has 200 mm exhaust fan at the top). If you have a small case then you have to think carefully in going with the Corsair hybrid.

I have similar set up with my front radiator fans sucking up warm air into the case & found no problem with it.

 

[Gamer Dude]

If I was looking at the FX8150 I wouldn't go for the 120mm Rad cooler... I'd go for a H100 with 4 Fans....

Tho I could probably swing it the H100 will mean that in the SFF case I am looking at building in I would have to forgo both 120mm intakes and I only have two to work with and the H100 would take up both of them leaving me no fresh air intake for the GPUs. PS the H100 sucks and needs two more fan for the pull that do not come included like they should so that ups the already stupid high price for a par cooler like the H100 is plus I dont need a 5ghz OC.

 

[Gamer Dude]

Here's 1 article that I saw in the net on CoolIt pulling out from retail business.

http://www.overclockers.com/coolit-systems-leaves-retail-market/


In CPU Mag Nov 2011 edition they conducted a review on different CPU coolers including the (2) Corsair hybrids as well as the Antec Kuhler. The difference is very slim. I'm surprised that the bigger dual 120 mm rad H100 performed almost the same as the Antec Kuhler.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg23/scaled.php?server=23&filename=cpumag.png&res=medium

There's a big difference on how Corsair set up the fans to suck outside air into the case, which is opposite to Antec's recommendation. The CPU mag reviewer tested it on Corsair Graphite 600T case & found no difference in temp. If you have a small case then you have to think carefully in going with the Corsair hybrid.

I have similar set up with my front radiator fans sucking up warm air into the case & found no problem with it.

Looks like H80 it is and the H100 is a POS marketing ploy imo and I will tell you why it doesn't perform relatively well as it should because 1 it doesn't have a think rad and two it only comes stock with push fans = H100 can and will never perform that well and is overpriced and marketed to people whom think bigger is better. Thanx for the info looks like H80 it is.

 

[Guest]

Go with Antec Kuhler. It's the same as H80 & performs better (though very insignificant) as reviewed by CPU mag. The software control is simplier & much more refined.

 

[rubix_1011]

I never understood the design of the H100 to use a thin dual rad, vs, the thicker, single 120mm rads used by their other coolers. You really almost end up with similar volume and surface areas when you start comparing them in that sense.

Push/pull almost always outperforms single fans on a radiator, but this depends on fans used in each situation and on high FPI rads, it tends to make a larger difference.

 

[Gamer Dude]

Go with Antec Kuhler. It's the same as H80 & performs better (though very insignificant) as reviewed by CPU mag. The software control is simplier & much more refined.

Ya Antec is an option as well but I might just get a true 240mm RASA kit for almost the same price just a bit more than an H100 and get some decent cooling for 5ghz BD FX - 8150 24/7 stable.

 

[Guest]

To mention also, Asetek (maker of Antec Kuhler) also makes hybrid liquid cooling products for Corsair. So if someone thinks that Corsair is a good product cuz its Corsair. Check closely who makes the hybrid products for Corsair. It's not so surprising, it's both Asetek & CoolIt.

 

[vollman1]

Most tests/reviews for the H100 run only the 2 included fans, not push/pull.

Was that cpu mag review run with 2 or 4 fans for the H100?

 

[rubix_1011]

Correct- almost every review does (and should, honestly) only review a product as it comes packaged.

Optional would be the 'what if I did this' kinds of scenarios.

 

[vollman1]

So the H100 allows the option of simply adding 2 more fans to improve performance. Or, you have the option of upgrading the stock fans as well giving even more cooling.

I don't think that the Antec Kuhler has the same potential cooling that the H100 has.

 

[rubix_1011]

Yes and no...it isn't exactly an apples to apples comparison. The H100 is a dual, thin radiator where most of the current single rads are fairly thick. One of the biggest considerations you have to account for is the surface area of the fins and tubes between these two designs.

 

[vollman1]

I can see space/size as being the defining factor of which to go with.

But just looking at maximum cooling potential, I think that its 'advantage H100.'

 

[rubix_1011]

Yes, that's my point- are you considering the surface area due to increased thickness over the smaller radiators as part of this?

There might actually be a closer value to total fin/tube area with a thick 120 and that thin 240 than you might think.

 

[vollman1]

I think the cooling advantage goes to a thinner rad though, right?

I mean, all things being equal, wouldn't the volume of air flowing over a thin rad would be slightly cooler than it passing through a thick one?

 

[rubix_1011]

Higher cooling potential goes to the radiator with greater overall surface area, whether it be length x width, or LxWxH.

For instance, if you have a 240 and a 360 of the exact same make/model of radiator, the 360 has greater surface area due to having the extra 120mm in total area LxWxH.

If you have two rads, say an RS240 and an RX240, the RX is better because it's much thicker, even though they have the same LxW area...it is around 40% thicker and therefore has extra fin/tube surface area.

Same concepts as the volume of a rectanglar box and the volume of a cube. The rectangle might be thinner and longer, but overall, might have less total volume than the cube, depending on actual dimensions.

 

[vollman1]

Are the areas of the Antec 920 and H100 not the same? I thought that the 920 was just double the thickness of the H100 and half the length.

Edit:

Ahh I see you are talking about surface area over the fins. I am not sure which of the 2 have more area there.

 

[rubix_1011]

Even if you had identical volume of LxWxH of radiator cores, you still could have greater efficiency of one rad over another simply due to fin density...adding more fins essentially adds more surface area to dissipate heat in the same given area.

 

[Guest]

This rads on hybrids from both CoolIt & Asetek have more or less the same fin density. The rad fins are not as densed as those 2nd generation ultra high fin rads made by HWLabs that I've used. But from my experienced with this (2) hybrids that I've mentioned, they performed better. The fans that come with this products have maximum of 2,500 rpm. The denser the fins the stronger the fan speed needed to achieve maximum performance to allow the airflow to pass through this dense fins.

I've used HWLabs Black Ice GT Stealth rads Gen 2 in my set up with ultra-high 30 FPI & found that it doesn't always perform to the max if you don't maintain it regularly. Dusts sets in & sometimes clogs the spaces inbetween the fins hence they're so small. I probably will go with rads with slighly less densed fins similar to the rads used on this hybrids if I can do it over.

 

[vollman1]

I think that I have heard someone else say that you have to choose between high density, high cfm, high noise and low density, low-medium cfm, low noise with custom sets. Not to mention the blockage factor like you stated.

So yeah, I guess both have their benefits and consequences.