Corsair H60 Compact Watercooler Review
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Thursday, November 29, 2012
Benchmarks
The Corsair H60 is designed for Intel Socket LGA 1366 / 1156 / 1155 and Athlon 64 processors using a combination of the included hardware and stock mounting brackets. Here is an overview of the system and testing methodology.
The system as it was tested
Asus P8Z68 Deluze Gen3 Intel Z68 Chipset
Intel Core i7 2600K (3.5Ghz) Quad Core 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache
Corsair H60
Intel OEM Heatsink
The CPUID System Monitor was used to obtain and record system temperature data and being that this is a quad core processor we need something that will work across all of the cores at once. For this task we're using a new version of Prime95 (p95v255a) that will allow you to spawn (n) instances to test with.
Intel Core i7 2600K (3.5Ghz) Quad Core 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache
Corsair H60
Intel OEM Heatsink
The CPUID System Monitor was used to obtain and record system temperature data and being that this is a quad core processor we need something that will work across all of the cores at once. For this task we're using a new version of Prime95 (p95v255a) that will allow you to spawn (n) instances to test with.
Editors note: Even though the Windows 7 task manager reported 100% processor usage we could never attain a 100% of the rated heat output as documented by Intel (see above) when using Prime95 as a basis for that heat production. Knowing this we ran the stress test until the maximum temperature was attainted and stabilized.
Other things to consider when judging software induced heat output.
a) Clock throttling by the processor at high temperatures.
b) Normal software isn't designed to produce maximum heat output.
c) Variances of cooling temperature.
d) Variances in CPU load.
e) Inaccuracies in thermal diode readouts.
Of course the list goes on..
Our testing methodology is aimed to provide a real world look into this heatsink given the test system provided.
Other things to consider when judging software induced heat output.
a) Clock throttling by the processor at high temperatures.
b) Normal software isn't designed to produce maximum heat output.
c) Variances of cooling temperature.
d) Variances in CPU load.
e) Inaccuracies in thermal diode readouts.
Of course the list goes on..
Our testing methodology is aimed to provide a real world look into this heatsink given the test system provided.
Default Speed
A C/W rating can quickly be calculated using this formula.
C/W = (CPU temp - Ambient temp)/(Variance(%) * CPU Watts)
Allowed variance for this test = 85%
CPU Watts = 95W
0.21 C/W = (39C - 22C)/(.85(95W))
C/W = (CPU temp - Ambient temp)/(Variance(%) * CPU Watts)
Allowed variance for this test = 85%
CPU Watts = 95W
0.21 C/W = (39C - 22C)/(.85(95W))
Overclocked
For this next test the CPU speed was cranked up to 4.4Ghz and the test was re-run.
To calculate a new C/W rating for this test we will need to factor in the increased processor wattage. The formula and constants for this are listed below.
ocC/W = dCPU Watts * (ocMhz / dMhz) * (ocVcore / dVcore)2
ocMhz = 4400
dMhz = 3500
ocVcore = 1.31
dVcore = 1.2
The variance still applies for our C/W calculation
Allowed variance for this test = 85%
CPU Watts = 142W
0.24 C/W = (51C - 22C)/(.85(142W))
ocC/W = dCPU Watts * (ocMhz / dMhz) * (ocVcore / dVcore)2
ocMhz = 4400
dMhz = 3500
ocVcore = 1.31
dVcore = 1.2
The variance still applies for our C/W calculation
Allowed variance for this test = 85%
CPU Watts = 142W
0.24 C/W = (51C - 22C)/(.85(142W))
Benchmark Conclusion
In our heatsink and waterblock tests we don't really focus on overall load temperatures but rather how well the product can remove heat given a specified heat load. Since this is a real world testing method we need to take into consideration real world variables and estimate tolerances. This is why we normally only apply 85% of the total wattage output to our heat calculations.
The resulting C/W number is used to rate how efficient a heatsink or waterblock is based on the given heat load. These numbers can be used to determine heat capacity, the larger the difference the less efficient the heatsink is. (aka not good for overclocking)
Typically with watercoolers we want to see zero change in the C/W numbers between the default and overclock tests so, what happened with the Corsair H60? Well there are a couple of factors impacting performance and the first is the cooling fan. This particular fan is designed for silent operation and at stock speeds does just that. Sadly, the fan just wasn't able to keep up when it came to our overclocking tests so the C/W number went up slightly. We did get a 36c load temperature under the default test by running the fan at 100%. Unfortunately, this drop in temperature didn't translate to the overclocking tests as the fan was already running at 100% under the turbo fan profile. We tried a vareity of fans including the Noctua NF-F12 and noticed a better noise profile but no significant change in load temperatures which brings us to the second part of the equation, the hose diameter.
Hose diameter impacts flow and when backed by a powerful pump can cause the liquid to move rather quickly thru the system. Normally this is a good thing provided you increase the surface area of your radiator or it can short circuit your cooling system. We suspect that to better the Micro Fin block performance the pump was tuned up slightly and caused the water to circulate faster than what the radiator could dissipate.
Keep in mind these calculations are provided for demonstration purposes only and may not reflect the actual lab tested C/W rating, but we're pretty close.
The resulting C/W number is used to rate how efficient a heatsink or waterblock is based on the given heat load. These numbers can be used to determine heat capacity, the larger the difference the less efficient the heatsink is. (aka not good for overclocking)
Typically with watercoolers we want to see zero change in the C/W numbers between the default and overclock tests so, what happened with the Corsair H60? Well there are a couple of factors impacting performance and the first is the cooling fan. This particular fan is designed for silent operation and at stock speeds does just that. Sadly, the fan just wasn't able to keep up when it came to our overclocking tests so the C/W number went up slightly. We did get a 36c load temperature under the default test by running the fan at 100%. Unfortunately, this drop in temperature didn't translate to the overclocking tests as the fan was already running at 100% under the turbo fan profile. We tried a vareity of fans including the Noctua NF-F12 and noticed a better noise profile but no significant change in load temperatures which brings us to the second part of the equation, the hose diameter.
Hose diameter impacts flow and when backed by a powerful pump can cause the liquid to move rather quickly thru the system. Normally this is a good thing provided you increase the surface area of your radiator or it can short circuit your cooling system. We suspect that to better the Micro Fin block performance the pump was tuned up slightly and caused the water to circulate faster than what the radiator could dissipate.
Keep in mind these calculations are provided for demonstration purposes only and may not reflect the actual lab tested C/W rating, but we're pretty close.
