Test methodology
To put the performance of the Hydro H80 and Hydro H100 into perspective, we're testing the units in a high-end Intel Core i7 system and comparing benchmark results with a range of alternative air- and liquid-coolers. A detailed description of our test system and all six comparison coolers can be found in the tables below.
Test Bench |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7 980X (3.33GHz, 12MB L3 cache, hexa-core) | |||||
| Motherboard | ASUS P6X58D Premium | |||||
| Memory | Corsair Dominator 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 @ 1,600MHz | |||||
| Graphics | AMD Radeon HD 5850 1GB | |||||
| Disk drive | 120GB SSD | |||||
| Optical drive | Generic 24x DVD-RW | |||||
| Chassis | Corsair Obsidian Series 800D | |||||
| Power supply | Corsair HX1000W | |||||
| Operating system | Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit | |||||
Comparison Coolers |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooler Type | Fan(s) | Max. fan speed | Radiator dimensions | Pump / Heatsink dimensions (inc. fans) | Approx. price (inc. fans) | |
| Corsair Hydro Series H100 | Liquid | 2x Corsair 120mm | 2,600 RPM | Width: 275mm Height: 122mm Depth: 27mm |
Height: 40mm Width: 65mm Depth: 65mm |
£80 |
| Corsair Hydro Series H80 | Liquid | 2x Corsair 120mm | 2,600 RPM | Width: 120mm Height: 152mm Depth: 38mm |
Height: 40mm Width: 65mm Depth: 65mm |
£70 |
| Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 | Liquid | 2x Antec 120mm | 2,400 RPM | Width: 120mm Height: 151mm Depth: 49mm |
Height: 29mm Diameter: 74mm |
£70 |
| Corsair Hydro Series H70 | Liquid | 2x Corsair 120mm | 2,000 RPM | Width: 120mm Height: 152mm Depth: 48mm |
Height: 30mm Diameter: 74mm |
Discontinued |
| Corsair Hydro Series H60 | Liquid | Corsair 120mm | 1,700 RPM | Width: 120mm Height: 152mm Depth: 27mm |
Height: 30mm Width: 66mm Depth: 66mm |
£55 |
| Corsair Hydro Series H50 | Liquid | Corsair 120mm | 1,700 RPM | Width: 120mm Height: 152mm Depth: 27mm |
Height: 55mm Diameter: 70mm |
Discontinued |
| Noctua NH-D14 | Air | Noctua NF-P14 & Noctua NF-P12 | 1,300 RPM | - | Height: 160mm Width: 140mm Depth: 158mm |
£65 |
| Prolimatech Megahalems Rev B | Air | 2x Akasa Apache Black 120mm | 1,300 RPM | - | Height: 159mm Width: 130mm Depth: 124mm |
£65 |
| Intel DBX-B | Air | Intel 100mm | 1,800 RPM | - | Height: 140mm Width: 100mm Depth: 70mm |
N/A |
Benchmark Process
To get a feel for how well all of the above coolers compare, we start by running the Core i7 980X at its default frequency and record the temperature each minute for 30 minutes whilst the system idles. We then repeat the process with the system under load (defined as Prime95 tasking all 12 threads).
We then do it all over again, only this time with the Core i7 980X processor overclocked to 4.15GHz and CPU voltage increased from 1.2V to 1.35V.
Temperature for each of the CPU's six cores is logged every minute, and in order to provide stabilised readings, we then calculate an average across all cores from the last 10 minutes of testing.
Actual CPU temperature is recorded, but to take into account any temperature fluctuations in our lab, we also graph the delta temperature - that's CPU temperature minus ambient temperature.
To give you an idea of cooler acoustics, we use a PCE-318 noise level meter to measure overall system noise in both the idle and load states.
Notes
During testing, our Corsair Obsidian Series 800D chassis is equipped with its default fan configuration; a 140mm drive-bay fan, a 140mm lower compartment fan and a 140mm rear exhaust. The rear exhaust is removed and replaced by the radiator/fan when testing the rear-mounted liquid coolers.
To get an idea of how the Hydro H80 and Hydro H100 fan modes vary, we test the coolers in two modes; Quiet and Performance, both of which are denoted in our graphs as low and high, respectively.
As per Corsair's recommendation, the Hydro H80 fans are configured to draw cool air in from outside the chassis (hereby ensuring that the delta between the air temperature and the temperature of the radiator is maximized), while the Hydro H100 fans are configured as top exhausts.
All other coolers are configured for optimum cooling performance (high speed), but users should note that Noctua's gargantuan NH-D14 is simply too big to implement horizontally in our Obsidian Series 800D chassis and had to be used with its fans facing upward. As a result, one of its two fans is in close proximity to the GPU and with no top exhaust in our chassis, it delivers sub-optimal results.
