So I purchased this after getting an i7-4790k (socket LGA1150), because the stock cooler had the processor running at around 95*c in a 2 minute benchmark test! 95* is unacceptable for a processor. It's barely acceptable for a GPU, i don't care what you say AMD! Anyway, I purchased this with SO MUCH TREPIDATION, because i was not looking forward to ripping out my motherboard. That's a major overhaul for anyone. But after checking out the other air coolers, this one was the best price for the most performance.
So during the shipping wait, i did do some research to determine why my processor was running so hot. Seems like the voltage was set way to high by default, so i turned it down from 1.35 to 1.20, and that dropped the heat by about 10 to 15 degrees in another benchmark, so honestly, running my CPU under load at 80 to 85*c was not that bad. I could almost live with that, so i was starting to regret my purchase.
The next thing i did while waiting for it to arrive was watch the youtube video that demo's the installation, hosted by Corsair themselves. Here it is if you wanna see it http://youtu.be/PUxoFiFuS_g . Okay, so i will say, watching the demo is a MUST, because the directions simply suck. To quote a pirate: "They're more like guidelines, really." So do watch the demo.
The installation was very smooth, other than my annoyance at having to remove the motherboard, which meant ripping out my graphics card, as well as the fan in the back to make room for the new one, unplugging all the peripherals, undoing all my beautiful cable management, and of course, removing the stock cpu fan, and cleaning off the thermal compound (i used 70% rubbing alcohol and about 20 q-tips). It took an hour just to get started! But once i was started, the cooler installed easily with no issues.
Before returning the side panels, i plugged it in and checked to make sure i didn't screw anything up. It booted up to windows, and i turned it off, redid my beautiful cable management, and returned the pc to it's home. I will say the Hydro Series cooler looks very cool in the case, just sleek and smooth. Not that it matters, as i don't have a glass side panel or anything (that stuff is for the cool kids).
Now let's talk about temps. I reran several benchmarks, and instead of peaking at 95*c... i peaked at 60*c, but usually stayed around 40 to 50 which was just shocking to me. I idled around 20*c compared to 55*c, or 45*c after lowering the voltage. So all in all, i am very happy i purchased the cooler and took the time to install it. The lower temps will give me some room to work and relieve any worry about overheating. Highly recommend this product.
Oh, and i got the quiet edition, and I did not notice any "water" sounds or loud fan sounds as other reviewers did. Well i could hear the fan, but it was an acceptable decibel.
| Memory Speed | 1200 MHz |
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