Corsair 650D: what type of cooling is better?

[Slq]

Dear friends, in the next few days I am going to buy a new system, whose components are specified in my profile. I am going to run CPU overclocked to approx. 4.4 GHz to do some intensive math calculations. In this regard I am wondering, what is the best way to cool the CPU? I am choosing between water cooling, specifically, Corsair H110, and some top air cooler (Noctua NH-D14). I am in doubt because I heard that 650D is not very efficient in the case of air-cooling, but I am not sure whether this test was accurate.

 

Would you please advise me on more efficient solution for 650D? If air-cooling is better in your opinion, would you please give me some additional details, such as the orientation of the air-cooler (to the back side or upwards), the direction of air motion through 120 and 200 mm fans, etc. Thank you very much in advance!

[wytnyt]

i dont understand how a case is deemed not good in air cooling so long as proper fan control is used to dispel heat.

i can say that hydro cooling beats air hands down especially under long hard loads.

i think going hydro is the only way to go as ive converted all my builds to hydro

using corsair coolers of course.;):

in all honesty and having no experience with the 4770k pushing 4.4 may be a tad much,,probably 4.3 will be a confy zone.

[hurricane28]

i dont understand how a case is deemed not good in air cooling so long as proper fan control is used to dispel heat.

i can say that hydro cooling beats air hands down especially under long hard loads.

i think going hydro is the only way to go as ive converted all my builds to hydro

using corsair coolers of course.;):

in all honesty and having no experience with the 4770k pushing 4.4 may be a tad much,,probably 4.3 will be a confy zone.

 

Well that is not correct sir, i have the H100I and it does not perform that much better compare to a high end air cooler in some cases even worse.

 

Also when you want to put the PWM fans on the h100i pump they make a weird noise even with the newest firmware update.

 

I have the 650D too and the airflow is not that great to be honest and i have one of the most powerful fans in the front Bitfenix specter pro 200mm fan..

 

Ive had some problems too with the products of Corsair, first the fans were making a terrible noise and they were sloppy and i could move the fan up and down of its socket.

Second problem was my 650D case that had an big bulge in the window so it would not close properly.

 

The service is outstanding tho because within a week i had new fans an a new side panel.

 

I do not want to bash on Corsair tho but i think twice of buying their products again.

[Bryman]

i agree the hydro isnt that much better than a good aftermarket air cooler BUT it is smaller and you can monitor the liquid temps so 'sall good

 

the air coolers that are good the heatsinks are MASSIVE...thats where the hydro coolers come in :)

[wytnyt]

a company can make,market ,sell and distribute their products but in the end its ultimately up to the user to have the ability to install,operate ,troubleshoot and maintain said products.

and with any product there will be a % of failures ,but corsairs rate is within a very acceptable margin.

one policy i have is never judge my decision on buying on a disgruntled user simply because one never knows how that product was used .

its most unfortunate you had problems but is very biased to subject your experiences on others.

[wytnyt]

i agree the hydro isnt that much better than a good aftermarket air cooler BUT it is smaller and you can monitor the liquid temps so 'sall good

 

the air coolers that are good the heatsinks are MASSIVE...thats where the hydro coolers come in :)

 

not really so,there is a noticeable difference when subjected to a hard continous load

but thats just my experience on my builds

[Slq]

The question is whether hydro is better than air for this particular case, 650D. Maybe, Corsair representatives do have some quantitative arguments here, don't they?

[Speed]

I don't get where reviewers come to the conclusion that 650Ds are crap when it comes to air flow. The thing is huge. Sure, there won't be a concentrated vortex of air going through there... it's huge. My system is set up like this: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=117122 and it works quite well. Others have confirmed. It's a great case with lots of room. Ultimate cooling depends upon the physics involved. If the physics isn't fully understood, well, all bets are off as regards the validity of "observations".

[wytnyt]

Corsair representatives do have some quantitative arguments here, don't they?

 

not Corsair representatives but corsair users

theres a difference

 

its ridiculous to say a certain case doesnt cool well

most every cases have the same basic structure,a hole in front,top,rear and sometimes the bottom.

its what you put in the holes,in what cfm,direction and what installed components that mainly determine cooling ability.

[Slq]

not Corsair representatives but corsair users

theres a difference

Of course, each and every advice and input is gratefully acknowledged. But, being here, I would expect an official response, too.

 

its ridiculous to say a certain case doesnt cool well

It's clear that I was talking about the stock cooling. After all, it is all about the temp/noise ratio. Sure, you can plug in 200 mm fans with, say, 2000 rpm, and get decent cooling with 60dB noise, but who needs it? I am looking for a good balance between the two.

[wytnyt]

one of my builds is a Obsidian Series® 550D Mid-Tower Quiet Case which is a noise reduction type case

i have 7 stock h100i fans in it.i can run an 80% load 24/7 on low rpm fans and is dead quiet. and load temps never exceed mid 50's. and this is an 4.3 Oc

its really all in how everything is setup

oh and one doesnt really see a ''stock'' setup here.;):

[Slq]

My system is set up like this: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=117122 and it works quite well.

Thank you, I've seen your topic already, it's quite inspiring. I would be grateful for a couple of clarifications, though:

1. How do you fix the dust filter for the rear fan?

2. What are the rpms of your fans you finally set them to?

[Speed]

Thank you, I've seen your topic already, it's quite inspiring.

 

Thanks.

 

I would be grateful for a couple of clarifications, though:

1. How do you fix the dust filter for the rear fan?

 

As is fully outlined in the post, it's a custom built filter. It is made entirely from open cell foam and covers the upper section of the case rear. This provides more surface area in the filter than the fan port in the case draws. Therefore, the fan isn't starved by the filter. The weight of the filter is supported by a magnet and the filter top is held to the case by simple wire struts that attach through the top case vent perforations.

 

2. What are the rpms of your fans you finally set them to?

 

They all vary according to the temperature probes or devices that they are grouped with. They are all governed by temperature/RPM curves. Depending upon the load or ambient, as the case may be, they all spool up and down in response to the stimulus.

 

I know that's not the specific answer you are looking for, but the subject is complex and the relationships are dynamic. There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer. Each system is different. Each CPU is different; even having the same numbers. All I can provide is a guideline to lead people to a great solution for their particular system and environment.

[Slq]

Thank you! Everything is clear.