Copyright 2010 - K.S. Studios - All rights reserved
Model No.
CWCH50
Application
Includes mounting brackets for Intel LGA775, Intel LGA1366, AMD socket AM2 and AMD socket AM3 motherboards.
Cold Plate Material
Copper
Cooling System
1 x 120mm 1700 RPM fan
Radiator Material
Aluminum
The H50 Hydro Series is Corsair's first all-in-one internal liquid cooled system. Corsair teamed up with Asetek and modified their OEM only cooler so they could deliver it to the masses. In 2002, Corsair released their HydroCool 200 and followed up two years later with the Nautilus 500 water cooler. Both devices fared well, but were external devices that required hoses to be run outside the PC. Corsair wanted the H50 to cater to a larger audience and be able to fit inside a typical PC case. Coolers like this have been around for a while but were usually only available from boutique vendors when purchased with a new computer system. The H50 comes with a CPU block/pump attached to a small radiator and one 120mm fan. The H50 is going for about $80 at retailers.

Specs

Corsair Hydro Series

H50 CPU Water Cooler

Features

  • Pre-filled, closed-loop system is easy to install
  • Copper CPU cooling plate for maximum cooling performance
  • Integrated pump and reservoir is sealed for zero maintenance and improved leakage protection
  • Large 120mm radiator for fast heat dispersion
  • High-efficiency, low-noise 120mm fan for drawing cool air across the radiator
  • Two-year warranty

Accessories

The H50 comes with Intel and AMD backplates and mounting brackets supporting Intel LGA775, Intel LGA1366, AMD socket AM2 and AMD socket AM3 motherboards. Four fan screws are included for mounting the 120mm fan to the radiator. There are no extra screws for attaching a second fan.

Curiously, there were four extra screws included for mounting the CPU block that ended up being threaded too large to fit the backplate. This problem was noted on various forum posts. If these screws are used, damage to the backplate may occur. We would advise buyers to test fit the screws before installing to make sure the correct ones are being used.

The included fan is easy to install and very quiet while running. Corsair recommends installing the radiator/fan in place of the case's rear exhaust fan but with the fan blowing in so cool air from outside the case blows over the radiator. Or tests confirmed this method to produce better cooling results. The H50 hoses are very rigid, so careful installation is required to avoid bending at sharp angles.
The copper block comes with pre-applied thermal paste that works well. The screw holes around the copper part are traps for paste when trying to clean the block between installs.

Installation

The silver screw pieces are installed into different backplate holes depending on the socket you are using.
The socket 775 backplate was slightly difficult to install in the Fortress 2 (FT02) case we used for this test. The CPU cutout hole was not centered perfectly for this backplate. Installing this while the board is outside the case may be necessary depending on the case and board used. The mounting ring is installed loosely at first. Once the CPU block is in place, the ring is tightened the rest of the way. The radiator and fan must be attached to the case at the same time. We had no trouble installing the unit to the top fan on the FT02.
The attached CPU block fit well on our test motherboard (ASUS Rampage Formula). The FT02 case top fan usually exhausts out through the top of the case. That configuration was not ideal for the H50 at all. The fan had to be reversed to an intake fan for the CPU temps to drop to expected temps. That method did raise temps inside the case however, as the FT02 positive air pressure design was altered. The H50 cooler works best in cases with a traditional rear case fan. The radiator can be mounted in place of one of the bottom case intake fans, but again, interrupts the case airflow design a little bit.

Conclusion

Overall, the H50 performs admirably for stock speeds and mild overclocks. The fan speed is not adjustable unless you control it from the motherboard. The performance is better than a stock CPU fan and much quieter than many aftermarket coolers as well. Modest overclocking temps were good, but you may want to go with a custom water cooled system if higher clocks are desired. For $80, the H50 is a great cooler that costs around the same as other aftermarket performance coolers, but performs better than many of them.

Our tests showed idle temps around 10 degrees cooler than the stock fan and load temps around 25+ degrees cooler. The performance is excellent for a device this small. The fact that no maintenance is needed is definitely a bonus because that is the worst part about owning a water cooled rig.

1/28/09 -Keith Soreghen-