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Review: LGA1156 cooler shootout: Arctic Cooling, Corsair, Scythe and Zalman go head-to-head

by James Smith on 18 December 2009, 17:11 3.3

Tags: Corsair Hydro H50, ARCTIC COOLING Freezer XTREME Rev. 2, Scythe Kabuto, Zalman CNPS10X Flex, Zalman (090120.KQ), Corsair, Scythe, Arctic

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qaveh

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Contender #2 - Corsair Hydro Series H50

Specifications - Corsair Hydro Series H50

Composition Copper base, closed-loop pre-filled water-cooling system with single 120mm wide aluminium radiator
Weight 698g
Dimensions Radiator = 120mm (W) x 152mm (H) x 27mm (D) 
Fans included 1 x 120mm
Fan Control PWM from motherboard 4-pin header
Fan speed 1,700RPM
Maximum air flow 50cfm
Thermal paste? Yes, pre-applied
Intel support LGA775 / LGA1156 /  LGA1366
AMD support AM3 / AM2 
Price Ā£56.89 (Scan)

Although weighing in at just shy of 700g, the bulk of the Corsair Hydro Series H50's weight is mounted away from the CPU - unlike its heatsink-based competitors - in the shape of the 120mm-wide aluminium radiator. Therefore, Intel's 500g maximum heatsink mass for the LGA1156 socket and ILM aren't exceeded.

Even though it has an overall surface area that's smaller than that of its air-cooled competitors, and is one of the most expensive on test, the greater efficiency of water cooling should ensure that the H50 still puts in a decent performance.

Despite being housed in a considerably large box, with the exception of the back of the packaging, the design is quite simple and uncluttered.