Is Water Cooling Worth the Extra $70

[ascalice]

I am building a new PC after I move after April 1st. I only have 1 week to figure out my parts. I have been looking at the Corsair H100i. Also, I have been looking at either the Cooler Master Hyper 212EVO or Pro. Which one should I buy?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Between those choices, the corsair h100i is better in performance, noise level and, cost.

Sorry, you neglected to say where you're buying from.

 

[Tweakin]

Between those choices, the corsair h100i is better in performance, noise level and, cost...

+1

However, I'm not a fan of AIO coolers as they aren't as efficient and are louder for the most part. A simple custom loop is probably double what the AIO costs, but performance wise it will blow the AIO out of the water!

Plus, once your addicted; you can use it as an upgrade to your next system!! Money well spent, IMHO.

 

[ascalice]

Between those choices, the corsair h100i is better in performance, noise level and, cost.

Sorry, you neglected to say where you're buying from.

I'm buying from Newegg although I might look at CPU/Mobo/Mermory combos at Microcenter.

 

[krnmastersgt]

What are you trying to cool? The evo is a great cooler for its price and is more than adequate for most system configurations so I'd say it depends on the system. In terms of raw cooling performance the h100i is better but not a very cost effective cooler if you're not aiming for a hefty overclock.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'll weigh in here with my "unbalanced" experience.

I think I'll agree without much qualification to the comments of Tweakin and Krnmastersgt.

Even if you plan on overclocking, your platform and processor -- barring (perhaps) the X79 socket 2011 "E" processors -- should pretty much allow you to use either air or water. And even an appropriate air-cooler might allow for some overclocking in this latter category.

But if (I were) OCing your platform on air-cooling, I'd be inclined to pick a top-end heatpipe cooler.

If I were doing it on water-cooling, I think I'd skip the AIO coolers like the H100(I) and various competitors, and I would build a simple custom-loop, as Tweakin suggests.

The AiO or CLC coolers as they're called, seem to best the top-end air-coolers in benchmark reviews by maybe 10C to 14C degrees. There are ways to partly close that gap, because the reviews only consider the bundled stock fans, run-of-the-mill TIM greases, case cooling strategies (and without even low-tech enhancements). I'd pick "air" over these AiO coolers because there have been reports of failing pumps and hoses coming loose. The chances this would happen to you may fall well below 10% probability, but it is still worth thinking about, although I'm sure many people using these new AiO products will swear by them. Even so, I've seen some of those complain about noisy fans.

Here's another thought. Noctua is poised to release a new "double-tower" cooler next month (April) or shortly thereafter. For a heatsink base, they will deploy a composite of copper and nano-diamond, and they insist this increases the thermal conductivity of the base by 25% over the usual solid copper bases used by all extant heatpipe coolers.

Some players in the industry noted that they don't understand why waterblock manufacturers aren't all over this innovation like flies on a dead bunny, but if the cooler proves itself, that too will happen.

If the "so-called D15" Noctua proves out, it is possible it may equal or surpass these AiO coolers -- at least those now on the market. If Noctua has an exclusive patent on the heatsink base, their competitors may purchase a license to use it, or find an alternative. There are also some new coolers appearing which employ "phase change" with heatpipes or something similar to that description: like a common cavity inside the heatsink base.

On the new anticipated Noctua, nano-diamond doesn't cost all that much, and the manufacturing process may not be such an important cost factor to Noctua -- but demand may set the price. Even so, I'd think it unlikely that the cooler will cost more than an AiO/CLC water-cooling unit, and likely to also cost somewhat less than custom water kits.

So, as krnmastersgt said, you might spend the $30 for a CM Hyper 212 EVO now, then see what happens between next month and this summer.

 

[DigDog]

i have a very efficient and very loud AIO, and tbh, i think i should have stuck with a H212, more so when a haswell returns so little OC on voltages. i'm at 4Ghz and could have gone with the 212, without the money, noise or hassle of the AIO.

but maybe my experience is out of the ordinary - i hear many people are very happy with the h100i.

 

[coffeejunkee]

Simple answer: no.

If you want the complex answer, list your parts and whether you will overclock or not.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Simple answer: no.

If you want the complex answer, list your parts and whether you will overclock or not.

You know . . . that's what it boils down to. The cost of water-cooling isn't all that prohibitive, just like high-end heatpipe coolers are even less so.

Lord knows -- I have the itch. Lord knows -- I do overclock, and I explore the limits of air-cooling to the hilt. The overclocking puts an itch in my wallet pocket; common-sense and fiscal priorities are the foot-powder I sprinkle in there. And I'm still sayin' -- I wanna hex-core Haswell and I wanna build a bong-cooler. To build a bong-cooler, I need first a conventional water-cooling strategy.

But just for cooling -- even for overclocking -- the advantage may be as much as 20C and as little as 10C. With my SB-K system, I'm only voltage-limited in OC'ing for my own choices, and I haven't quite used up my margin for being thermally-limited. And since even an OC'd system will never hold those high temperature values even under gaming use or abuse, you can do what you want -- whatevah-whatevah . . .

 

[krnmastersgt]

It's really the surface area that benefits most of the AIOs, something like an H80 which is just a 140mm iirc rad + fan isn't all that better than a good 120/140mm mass air cooler. The H100/i, H110, Seidon 240, etc. all beat pretty much every standard air cooler on the market because they get that double fan radiator which means a lot more surface area plus the water to move the heat more efficiently. If someone made a mass air cooler that could fit 2 120mm fans side by side I wouldn't be surprised if the temps weren't that far off of the AIOs in terms of temps.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

It's really the surface area that benefits most of the AIOs, something like an H80 which is just a 140mm iirc rad + fan isn't all that better than a good 120/140mm mass air cooler. The H100/i, H110, Seidon 240, etc. all beat pretty much every standard air cooler on the market because they get that double fan radiator which means a lot more surface area plus the water to move the heat more efficiently. If someone made a mass air cooler that could fit 2 120mm fans side by side I wouldn't be surprised if the temps weren't that far off of the AIOs in terms of temps.

Yup. I looked into the comparisons at Frosty-Tech -- particularly a review of the Nepton 280L compared to about fifty AiO and heatpipe coolers.

If one doesn't mind working with the bulky double-towers -- and I don't mind myself -- the release of a "D15" may be an eye-opener. If it actually matches or comes close to a Nepton, then Corsair, CoolerMaster, maker of the Seidon and some others are going to counter with simply more effective water coolers. The prices might rise to accommodate the additional costs, but there's some room to improve the AiO units, and there should be a whole spate of better heatpipe coolers unless Noctua refuses to license its composite heatsink base. With that heatsink base, you could really build some good water-blocks for a custom water-cooled setup, and there might be a whole new ballgame all around.

We'll have to wait and see. It also boils down to what people are willing to pay. Nano-diamond might not add all that much to the cost, but the cost of making a composite base is likely somewhat higher than just solid copper.

 

[SimsReaper]

I'm gonna throw my 2 cents in here. I skipped the AiO water coolers and went straight into a custom loop setup. And now, well, I will never go back to air. I really do enjoy the extra hands-on experience that seemed to come with that.

This is a little of topic for the OP, but I say this because I experienced a steep learning curve, and more than a few "Oh, I hope I did that right!" moments when setting up my first loop. An AiO may be a nice intro step, should the OP feel the need or desire to take that extra step into the custom loop cooling. I'd say give er a whirl. Hells, people are even taking the nicer AiO and converting them into a custom loop setup without to much difficulty. I know its not recommended, but it doesn't appear to be impossible.

 

[guskline]

I am building a new PC after I move after April 1st. I only have 1 week to figure out my parts. I have been looking at the Corsair H100i. Also, I have been looking at either the Cooler Master Hyper 212EVO or Pro. Which one should I buy?

Tell us the cpu you want to cool, whether or not you will OC and what case you will use. This info is needed to give a reasonable answer.

PS. I've used the Hyper 212+ and EVO, H60, H80, H100, Thermaltake Personal, Pro and Extreme, Kraken X60 and have a custom water cooling rig with 2 360 rads so I have a "bit" of personal experience.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm gonna throw my 2 cents in here. I skipped the AiO water coolers and went straight into a custom loop setup. And now, well, I will never go back to air. I really do enjoy the extra hands-on experience that seemed to come with that.

This is a little of topic for the OP, but I say this because I experienced a steep learning curve, and more than a few "Oh, I hope I did that right!" moments when setting up my first loop. An AiO may be a nice intro step, should the OP feel the need or desire to take that extra step into the custom loop cooling. I'd say give er a whirl. Hells, people are even taking the nicer AiO and converting them into a custom loop setup without to much difficulty. I know its not recommended, but it doesn't appear to be impossible.

That's why, for deferring my own experience with water-cooling, I've avoided the AiO coolers. But the news you bring also confirms my suspicion -- they can be modded.

I've said many times in posts over the last few months: I'm going to water-cool my next build, and I have a year to plan and procure. But I'm still interested in the forthcoming Noctua D15 release.

 

[A5]

I'm not a big fan of the performance I'm getting from the H212, FWIW. I've been meaning to swap in my Noctua U14 for 3 months now but haven't gotten around to clearing an afternoon for rebuilding my system

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm not a big fan of the performance I'm getting from the H212, FWIW. I've been meaning to swap in my Noctua U14 for 3 months now but haven't gotten around to clearing an afternoon for rebuilding my system

You could only go so far with the H212, + or EVO. On the plus side: they're "direct touch" with the heatpipes exposed to the IHS.

I use them in just about everything except my SB-K OC'd speed-demon, even if it's still in the "minor leagues" of overclocking wonderfulness.

So -- great! You got the NH-U14S, as far as I can tell. In Frosty-Tech benchies, it beats my D14 by ~4 to 5C. But I'm already 5C ahead of the U14 with my old defunct D14.

Whether it's the H212's or the U14 -- you can probably squeeze a few more C's out of its performance. I can post the e-mail if this is some sort of congressional hearing -- but a Noctua Tech-support engineer told me that you'll never get the full performance potential out of a Noctua cooler with a Noctua fan. That's only one thing, though. Between heatsink paste, lapping-to-copper and one additional lo-tech mod to focus your airflow, you could probably improve thermal performance by up to 10C.

Of course, different bottlenecks come into play when you eliminate others, so . . . YMMV . . .