Jump to content
Corsair Community

H115i Rattling - 5th Corsair in a few years


Yanta

Recommended Posts

My H115i is rattling all of the time. This is the 5th Corsair AIO cooler that has suffered this problem in about 3 years. They seem to get to 6-9 months then start rattling.

 

In Australia our RMA process requires us to send the units back to Taiwan, at around 80% of the cost of the original purchase price of the unit. ($123 AUD vs $155 respectively). So I've just been throwing them in the garbage one after the other. Seems a pointless exercise.

 

I thought it might be my usage patterns that are causing the problems.. I run the pump quiet mode most of the time. It only gets changed to performance when I'm rendering videos or playing games like PUBG.

 

The fans likewise are on very low duty cycles. Most of the time they are at ~ 350RPM. I use 2x Commander Pro's to manage the speeds of the 11 fans as loads increase.

 

Regardless of whether I return the unit to the re-seller or send it to Corsair I'm without a cooler (From my last one I did send back), for around 4-6 weeks. On an overclocked Skylake-X system, I need a capable cooler.

 

Needless to say, I'm starting to lose faith in Corsair coolers.

 

I can't go NZXT because it's incompatible with Avast AV, CAM software is extremely buggy and the telemetry thrashes hard drives/ssds and bogs my system down. And I've got 10 systems all running Corsair. 5 of Which are also using Commander Pro's.. So I have a significant investment in Corsair Products.

 

I would appreciate any advice or thoughts on this matter...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have all the rattlers been H115i (or H110i GTX)?

 

No.

 

2 x H115i (2017, 2018)

2 x 100i v2 (2016, 2017)

1 x H100i (2014)

 

3 of these have been in my PC, the other two were in (a). My Server, and (b). My youngest son's PC.

 

My PC runs H115i, all other PCs currently have H100i v2's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

try 150i pro and see if this can be avoided .

 

Sorry, I don't follow. See if what can be avoided? The constant failure of the Corsair pumps? Why would the H150i be any different... Isn't it the same pump as all other Pro series coolers?

 

Are you suggesting that the 6th gen Pro pumps are better than the 5th Gen pumps?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The prior generation of coolers including your H115i and H100i v2 don't have a great track record when it comes to longevity. I am not sure how to interpret "the rattle". I am assuming pump vibrations, then transmitted to the board which then becomes annoying. There really is just the one OEM for the overwhelming majority of the market and I suspect they like the current business model with little incentive to change or improve production standards. We'll have to see on the gen 6 pumps in the PRO series, but so far it is highly favorable with very few reported failures. You are right about the RMA process. The warranty has greatly diminished value when you wind up paying a king's ransom in shipping. I whine when it's 30% of the unit cost in the US. Obviously your costs are even higher. I would be unlikely to RMA any of the H115i or H100i v2 in your position if all I get back is the same cooler at near full price in shipping expenditures.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, I guess; Go buy another cooler. Take this one back to the retailer, who in 3 - 6 weeks will give me a replacement and then just keep cycling through replacements every 6 - 9 months (I assume the replacement maintains the original Warranty period rather than saying a replacement voids all further warranties).

 

The retailer no longer sells the generation I have - Only the Pro generation, but may be Ingram Micro (The Australian Distributor), or Corsair (where ever the retailer sends it), will have the same cooler I have. But at some point they are going to have to go Pro. I'm guessing they'll ask for me to cover the cost difference, which is about $45 - $50 AUD.

 

If there is only one OEM (Asetek, right?), Then all brands are going to be the same, so it's pointless changing brands.

 

The rattling is in the pump. I can hear it clearly when the system is not under heavy workloads (which is 99% of the time)

 

Or I just get used to paying up to $400 per year every year for coolers? That's crazy - Actually - it's worse than that. I Have 10 PCs all with Corsair coolers.

 

EDIT: According to http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?p=930625 the Pro's were released in the US about Jan 2018. We didn't see them in stores here until March at least. So there's little to no reliability data yet. It's only been 6 months. It will be interesting to see what failure rates occur over the next 6-12 months.

 

EDIT 2: The H150i Pro is listed as having a 47cfm airflow and 1.78 mmH2O static pressure. Is the airflow PER fan, or 47cfm total across the 3 fans (so <18cfm per fan). The H115i Pro lists the airflow at 104cfm with a 3.99 static pressure. Are the specs the same - are we comparing apples for apples? If they are apples for apples, how can the H150i with half the static pressure and half the airflow be more efficient, or at least as efficient, as the H115i?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Corsair Employee
So, I guess; Go buy another cooler. Take this one back to the retailer, who in 3 - 6 weeks will give me a replacement and then just keep cycling through replacements every 6 - 9 months (I assume the replacement maintains the original Warranty period rather than saying a replacement voids all further warranties).

 

The retailer no longer sells the generation I have - Only the Pro generation, but may be Ingram Micro (The Australian Distributor), or Corsair (where ever the retailer sends it), will have the same cooler I have. But at some point they are going to have to go Pro. I'm guessing they'll ask for me to cover the cost difference, which is about $45 - $50 AUD.

 

If there is only one OEM (Asetek, right?), Then all brands are going to be the same, so it's pointless changing brands.

 

The rattling is in the pump. I can hear it clearly when the system is not under heavy workloads (which is 99% of the time)

 

Or I just get used to paying up to $400 per year every year for coolers? That's crazy - Actually - it's worse than that. I Have 10 PCs all with Corsair coolers.

 

EDIT: According to http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?p=930625 the Pro's were released in the US about Jan 2018. We didn't see them in stores here until March at least. So there's little to no reliability data yet. It's only been 6 months. It will be interesting to see what failure rates occur over the next 6-12 months.

 

EDIT 2: The H150i Pro is listed as having a 47cfm airflow and 1.78 mmH2O static pressure. Is the airflow PER fan, or 47cfm total across the 3 fans (so <18cfm per fan). The H115i Pro lists the airflow at 104cfm with a 3.99 static pressure. Are the specs the same - are we comparing apples for apples? If they are apples for apples, how can the H150i with half the static pressure and half the airflow be more efficient, or at least as efficient, as the H115i?

 

Mind reaching out to me in a private message? I want to see if I can help with your cooler situation. Sorry for all the trouble you've had.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Well, I thought I'd just update y'all on where this went...

Thanks to Corsair Jam I got a replacement organized which arrived today. That took 4 weeks.

 

To cover the one I sent back I had to go buy another H115i. This was a DOA - Rattled from the minute it was installed. It's going back too!

 

Oct 12th I received the replacement for the cooler that was the initial subject of this thread. Instead of sending me the H115i they sent me the pro. So now I've got to send that back.

 

The original I sent back had to include all parts, so that included the decent SP140L fans. That means if I were to accept the wrong cooler they sent me I'd have to go out and buy two replacement fans for the poor performing fans that come with the Pro cooler. They are $45 each, and to get 2 I have to go to 2 different stores as each only has one fan What a PITA!

 

I can't keep the SP140L's from the replacement I purchased because it's also faulty and has to go back, with all parts.

 

What a nightmare!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's nothing at all wrong with the fans that come with the Pro model - plus they are super-quiet. They are the ML fans - so the bearing is far better than on the SP120L fans.

 

I did have my doubts but the reality is that you don't get much, if any, performance benefit with the coolers with faster fans (I actually tested this for an extended period).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The SP140L fans will only benefit you if you are willing to run them at 1500+ rpm. That would make you a rare person indeed, but I guarantee that will also cover any pump noise. For years everyone put cheap, high rpm fans in cooler boxes to make sure the product won the review by 0.5-1.0C. Corsair finally got off that train and put a useable and appropriate fan in the box. You can run the ML140 at 1100 and it sounds like the SP140L at 700, this in terms of noise per CFM it is better. Only those brave enough to push those out to very high speeds will get more airflow and that still doesn’t mean you will reduce the coolant temp any further. There are diminishing returns as the fan speeds increases. Also keep in mind things like static pressure and volume are rpm dependent. You don’t get your 3.99 anything at 600 rpm.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
I have h100i v2 and from january I got second time rattling fans it is annoying. First unit start rattling after 6 months I have to wait for whole replacement over week. After another 3 months this new aio start rattling again. I think is something wrong with this cooler or some part of it. I am very disappointed
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...