Corsair H55 Question

[frowertr]

I currently use a H55 coupled with a Kraken G10 to cool my 290X. When gaming, the GPU core never exceeds 55C-58C. This is a pretty common setup and if you look at the official Kraken G10 thread over on overclock.net (http://www.overclock.net/t/1487012/official-nzxt-kraken-g10-owners-club) there are many people using the same or similar setup to water cool their 290Xs. Anyway, I was wanting to purchase another H55 and put it on my i5 2500k. I'm currently using a bay res, a huge 240mm+ rad, two fan, etc... It's just too much/noisy so I want to downsize.

So, I started looking around at reviews for the H55 and I am a little confused on what I found. Just about every review site I looked at showed the H55 struggling to keep an overclocked IB at load under 80C. We are talking about a CPU with a TDP of less than 80w.

So, here is my question. How is it possible that the H55 can easily cool a 290X that has a TDP of 300W to under 60C (mid-50s is common if you check the official Kraken G10 thread) yet struggle to keep an overclocked IB with a TDP three times less than a 290X to under 80C??

Just doesn't make sense. Ideas?

Oh, and I understand there are many variables at play like how the fan is mounted (i.e. push/pull), where the rad/fan is mounted, exterior temp, etc... But all review sites still show the H55 keeping a loaded CPU around ~75C. Also, everyone in the Kraken G10 thread using a H55/60 are able to keep their GPU temps down in the mid-50Cs.

So, how is it that you can have an array of reviewers all with different setup and testing methodologies have the same results for CPU testing AND have a bunch of amateurs over on overclock.net putting H55/60s on their 290Xs and also getting the same results for their GPUs? To me, it seems counterintuitive. One would think the results would be flipped and the H55 would struggle on a GPU with a TDP of 300w.

 

[aigomorla]

bigger die on the gpu... a lot bigger die.

also on a cpu there is a smaller heating center, so the cheap cold plates on AIO's are not that effective over a full bloated waterblock which costs as much as the entire AIO itself.

Then you got pump flow and head pressure.


I dont recommend u butchering up AIO's and trying to recycle them either.
Its mostly an ALU radiator, and when you combine ALU and Copper, it typically spells disaster.

 

[frowertr]

bigger die on the gpu... a lot bigger die.

also on a cpu there is a smaller heating center, so the cheap cold plates on AIO's are not that effective over a full bloated waterblock which costs as much as the entire AIO itself.

Then you got pump flow and head pressure.


I dont recommend u butchering up AIO's and trying to recycle them either.
Its mostly an ALU radiator, and when you combine ALU and Copper, it typically spells disaster.

Ahh. I didn't even think about area size on the GPU/CPU die itself. That does make sense. Thanks for that.