Corsair Hydro H75 & H105 CPU Coolers Review

[AkG]

It may not seem like it, but it has now been over a year since Corsair released their cutting edge H80i and H100i All In One CPU water coolers. Now it’s time for an update as the Hydro H75 and H105 are being rolled out.

In many ways the H80i and H100i are still considered among the best solutions available in their respective categories so some may be wondering why they’re being phased out. The answer to tthat is simple: competition breeds innovation. Despite combining a straightforward installation process, user friendly software and excellent -for their class - cooling potential, other companies homed in on the 120mm form factor. Now that market has become exceedingly crowded with everyone from Cooler Master to Silverstone to Antec releasing their own unique designs which typically surpass H80i and H100i in both performance and ease of use.

With such hungry competition methodically eating away at their foothold on the market, it comes as no surprise to see Corsair once again turning their attention back to single and dual 120mm designs. To do this, they are once again looking towards Asetek as their OEM of choice for the H75 and H105. This means we will see many things in common with the H55, H90 and H110. Unfortunately, since Asetek is being used here, these new units lack the “I” suffix which denotes compatibility with Corsair’s LINK application. This means the H75 and H105 will have to rely upon motherboard-based inputs for fan speed control rather than using a convenient Windows centric hub-based design.

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On the positive side both of these new models do use Asetek's latest waterblock and ceramic bearing pump design. The latest trend in the AIO marketplace has really focused on the pump noise versus performance aspects and this new low profile pump promises to boost efficiency while also offering a reduced acoustical profile. It’s really the best of both worlds.
On the fan side of the equation the H75 and H105 come equipped Corsair branded fans but they are not as radically different as previous implementations would lead you to believe. As with the H60 2.0, the H75 comes equipped with the 2000RPM low noise variant of Corsair's SP120 fan series but unlike its lower end sibling it is equipped with two fans. Meanwhile the H105’s units are the same 2700RPM high performance variation found on the H100i.

Corsair may have opted to boost performance of the H75 via the increased airflow dual fans provide but the the H105 makes due without a push/pull configuration. It makes up for this slight handicap by using a thicker '38mm' dual bay radiator instead of the usual '27mm' design that the H100i comes equipped with.

These highly specific refinements and improvements are what Corsair is counting on to allow the $85 H75 and $119 H105 to better compete in two very cluttered segments.

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[AkG]

Closer Look at the H75

Closer Look at the H75

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Unlike previous single 120mm bay Asetek built models, the H75 does not come in a bland shipping container. Rather Corsair has opted for a similar attention getting box which is bold, brash, and festooned with useful information.

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The accessory list is quite comprehensive and includes all of the components required for quick and easy mounting on both AMD and Intel motherboards. There is a lack of Intel Socket 775 support and does not use the same 'all in one' backplate like some other Asetek units do but neither of these points is detrimental. Folks still using 775-based systems likely aren’t looking to upgrade their CPU cooling capabilities at this point and the H75 still makes use of a highly adaptable mounting design.

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Corsair has included two fans along with a Y-cable which allows both to be powered and controlled via one motherboard fan header. The H75’s fans have also been given a significant upgrade over other Asetek-based designs and this will likely prove to be a key differentiator. They are PWM-capable Corsair Air series SP120L units which are rated for a maximum 2000RPM, move 54CFM of air and boast a relatively high 2.36mm static pressure rating. These should help push the H75's performance well beyond the levels achieved by the H55 and H60 and should -at lower heat loads -be able to come close to matching the thicker radiator equipped H80i's cooling abilities.

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Due to its dual fan configuration, on just a cursory glance the H75 seems to share more in common with the H80i than the H60 or H55. However it is still based off of a single 120mm bay, single thickens - 27mm - design. It is only on closer inspection that the H75 and H55's shared pedigree becomes readily apparent as the H75 is a further refinement upon the H55 design. Simply put, Asetek/Corsair have taken what they learned from both the H55 and newer H90 units and applied this knowledge to the H75. However, they have kept the core desing features of the previous generations.

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Unlike CoolIT OEM’d units the H75's radiator sports 11 fluid channels instead of the 12 channels found on the H80i and H60. As with the H55, this has been done to minimized flow restriction and pump head pressure requirements which in turn allows for a lower noise pump to be used.

This low noise philosophy is further carried over into the tubing which, just like the low noise H55 before it, uses thin 3/8 OD tubing made from a special rubber-type compound material.

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The largest difference between the H55 and H75 is the waterblock itself. Both may use the same general external design with integrated plastic mounting 'teeth' for the top ring and lack Asetek’s fan controller features but past these superficial items are numerous key differences. Instead of the H55's solid black plastic top the H75 has been given a dash of personality via a silver ring which can be swapped out for a blue or red ring to help it match a wider range of color schemes. Unfortunately on the H75 you’ll need to buy these separately whereas the H105 includes them free of charge.

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The internal structure of the waterblock itself - i.e. the actual important part- has been upgraded and promises to be more effective than the previous generations. The pump has also been upgraded and the new ceramic bearing design should allow for a lower acoustical profile than the H55’s fairly quiet pump.

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As with most of Corsair’s Hydro series, the H75 uses a copper contact plate with pre-applied thermal compound.

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Underneath this TIM is easily the best finishing job we have seen on a Corsair branded AIO and nearly the equal of our gold standard, Cooler Master Seidon 240M. Asetek obviously have spent a lot of time and effort on their quality protocols and it is paying dividends. Or Corsair simply demanded better results.

 

[AkG]

Closer Look at the H105

Closer look at the H105

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The H105’s accessory list mirrors that of the H75 with mounting mechanisms for both Intel and AMD systems but no 775 mounting possibilities. Meanwhile, the two Corsair SP120 fans are very similar to those which come with the H100i. They are a high performance version of the fans which ship with the H75 and as such are rated for 800-2700RPM and at their maximum rotation velocity can move 73cubic feet per minute of air at a very impressive 3.9mm of static pressure.

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This increase in static pressure over H75’s SP120L fans will come in handy since the H105 uses a 37mm thick radiator instead of the typical 27mm 'slim' profile all previous dual bay Corsair AIOs used. By the same token, Corsair has done everything in their power to reduce the static pressure requirements of this radiator. For example, the cooling find ans radiator tubes are only about 31mm deep since each side uses a 3mm fan shroud for directional airflow. This standoff significantly reduces static pressure and removes the dead zone which resides in front of the fans' hubs.

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While it may be physically thicker than any other Hydro series model to date, the H105 radiator actually uses fewer fluid channels. In total there are only eight of these channels, but much like with the H75 this has been done to minimized flow restriction and pump head pressure requirements, which in turn allows for a lower noise pump to be used.

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This low noise philopshy is further carried over into the 3/8” OD tubing which just is made from a special rubber-type compound material. Unfortunately, it is rather short at only 13 inches, which is about the same as a H110 and is about 3 inches less than an NZXT Kraken X60.

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Compared to the H110's waterblock the H105 is a marvel of engineering. Not only have Asetek drastically improved the overall looks of it via removable, interchangeable top rings (all three colors are included here) but they boosted cooling efficiency while lowering the perceived noise profile. Put simply, this is for all intents and purposes the same waterblock which accompanies the H75 so it has a mirror-like surface which will make it excellent for heat transfer.

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Unfortunately, while greatly improved over the Asetek-built H110, the H105 is sorely lacking compared to the similarly priced H100i. As with any Asetek-built Corsair Hydro unit the H105 uses a tooth pattern retention mechanism for its mounting and not the H100i's magnetic system which is the gold standard upon which all AIOs must be judged. We also wish Corsair opted to include Asetek's optional fan controller. This places the H105 at a distinct disadvantage compared to the H100i in the adaptability department.

 

[AkG]

Setup and Installation (Intel & AMD)

Installation (Intel)

The installation procedure for both the H75 and H105 uses Asetek's latest generation mounting hardware but Corsair's own unique twist on things. While still not as user friendly as either H60i or H100i, installing either of these AiO’s is a fairly painless process.

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With that being said there is still room for improvement in one key area: the less than impressive backplate. It os fabricated out of plastic, is quite flimsy and each of the four hollow tubed metal corner posts can easily strip out their respective corner mounts. If this happens you will have to contact Corsair as the unit will never receive proper tensioning again. Corsair did however move towards a slider type affair for the standoffs where the corner brackets can be moved inwards for 115x systems and outwards for 1366/2011 socketed systems.

With this done, gently place the back plate into position so the four hollow, threaded tubes push up through the CPU mounting holes in the motherboard. The next step is installing the four standoff screws. These screw down through the motherboard's CPU cooler mounting holes and into the hollow tubes in the backplate. This securely attaches the backplate to the motherboard and ensures the proper spacing for the waterblock.

In previous Asetek designs the next thing you would have done is prepared the waterblock by attaching the metal mounting ring to it and then securing it in place using the included plastic bottom retention ring. With this new generation, both the H75 and H105 come with the waterblock prepared for Intel systems and you will only have to fuss with the retention rings if you are using an AMD system.

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With all the tedious parts taken care of for you all that is left to do is mount the waterblock. This procedure has also been greatly improved over past generations and is - finally - straightforward. Simply place the waterblock into position while making sure each of the four posts thread up through the open ended mounting bracket corners. After this, it’s just a matter to tightening down the four included thumb screws to provide even mounting pressure. Plug in the 4pin fan cable and the 3 pin waterblock's pump cable and the installation is near complete.

With this accomplished, the radiator and fans need to be installed and due to their different form factors this is where the H75 and H105 installations diverge ever so slightly.

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As a single 120mm bay unit the H75 only requires a case be equipped with a compatible rear exhaust port, though a top mount can be used in a pinch.

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As an aside, and much like the H55, the H75's radiator does not extend too far downwards so it won’t obstruct the top expansion slot. This does give it a slight edge over the ever so slightly taller H60 2.0's radiator which can cause problems in some cases.

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The final installation steps for the H105 are also quite straightforward but its size may cause concern for some users. As with all dual bay units it requires a case that has dual 120mm exhaust ports. Most modern cases come with dual 120mm top mounts but this cooler requires the newer 15mm spacing so make sure your case supports this before installation progresses too far. If it doesn’t, a few modifications will need to be made. Also worth taking into consideration is the short - for its market niche - tubing. The tubing length of 13” is more than adequate for most cases, but those missing inches will limit mounting possibilities and even radiator orientation in certain situations.

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In either the H75 or H105's case, with the radiator installed all that is left to do is install the fans. Since neither unit comes with any built in fan control ability Corsair has thoughtfully included a short dual header fan cable which will allow you to plug both fans into a single fan header.

AMD System Installation

Since the H75 and H105 rely upon the same Asetek hardware, installing them onto AMD AM2, AM3, FM1 and FM2 systems follows the same basic footsteps as the Intel process. The only difference between the two is the hardware components being used and a lot more work as both are preconfigured for Intel systems.

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The first step is to remove the stock AMD top bracket, but keep the stock backplate to thread four standoff screws onto the motherboard.

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With all four standoff screws installed and the backplate once again securely attached to the motherboard the next step is to prep the waterblock. This means first removing the stock Intel mounting hardware. To do this you have to first gently pry four plastic retention clips off the metal top bracket. These retention clips are integrated into the bottom plastic ring and you will have to take care to not break any of them as you will shortly need to reapply the black plastic ring. With the bottom black retaining ring removed the Intel top bracket can be changed out.

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As with the Intel installation, mounting this setup to an AMD motherboard hinges upon the proper alignment of Asetek’s “tooth” setup. The issue here is just getting everything into place since there’s a chance that during the change-out between the two brackets, something will break.

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At this point both the H75 and H105s installation follows exactly the same path as the Intel one. Mount the waterblock, secure with the four thumb screws, install the radiator and plug in the fans. Overall, this complicated procedure makes the AMD installation seem rather antiquated and outdated compared to the H60i or H100i, but it is a step in the right direction compared to previous Asetek built units.

 

[AkG]

Test System & Testing Methodology

Testing Methodology

To ensure that the results from one review to another are not only reproducible but actually pertinent to this review, the Testing Methodology will be the same throughout all water cooling review. If something does change we will be sure to make a special note of it and explain why this change was done and more importantly why things had to be changed or altered.


Thermal Paste and Application Methods:

Arctic Cooling MX-2 thermal paste was used for all water based CPU cooling solutions during these tests unless otherwise noted. Application of thermal paste was in accordance with the TIM manufacturer’s instructions; and while not necessary, the TIM was allowed to cure for 24 hours under moderate to high loads (with periods of low loads) prior to testing.


Fans Used:

120mm:

For all water based CPU Cooling Solutions which do not come standard with a fan, a pair of Noctua NF-P12-1300s and a Scythe S-Flex “G” 1900RPM fan will be used if it accepts 120mm fans. With these two fans we are able to simulate different fan speed conditions as indicated below.


High Speed:

1900RPM Scythe S-Flex “G”. To be more precise our specific fan runs at 1860RPMs. Any stock fan which comes with the ability of being controlled by means other than the motherboard (e.g. remote fan speed controller, potentiometer, rheostat, etc) will be set to this speed during the High speed test and BOTH sets of performance results will be included.


Dual Fans:

Dual NF-P12-1300s

*Dual fans only used if the cooler comes with the necessary mounting hardware.


92mm Fan:

If the cooler being tested only accepts 92mm fans, a Noctua NF-B9-1600 will be used.

If the given CPU cooling solution comes with a stock fan we will also include its numbers in the closest of the main tests BUT we will also include our standard fan results in that particular tests.


Fan Notes:

- If a water cooling solution cannot mount an aftermarket fan, we will be only including the stock fan results. However, if the stock fan speed can be precisely controlled by means other than the motherboard BIOS (an included remote fan speed controller, potentiometer, rheostat, etc), the cooler will be tested at different fan speeds.

- For dual fan results ALL water coolers capable of mounting two fans (and come with the necessary hardware) will be tested with two NF-P12s and the Dual Fan graph will contain data for other such dual capable fan coolers.

We feel that the combination of multiple speeds and multiple fans will allow us to give you our readers clear and precise idea of the capabilities of a given unit, in an accurate comparison. It will also help eliminate the occasional “zinger” such as when a manufacturer includes an extremely high-speed fan in order to possibly offset poor thermal performance.


Environment:

Except where noted all comparison testing was done inside a closed case with a room ambient temperature of 24c. If at any time the room temperature increased or decreased by more than 1°C, testing was halted until the temperature constant was re-established.


Testbed:

The case chosen for this test bed is a Cooler Master HAF-X. We chose the HAF-X as it a highly adaptable case with not only multiple fan ports but is capable of handling even the largest of AIO coolers. To populate these fan ports we chose Scythe E 120mm units with Sony Fluid Dynamic Bearings. Unless otherwise noted, only one of the top two exhaust fan ports, the rear exhaust port and front fan intake port will be populated. The front fan port will use the stock CM 230mm fan. The rear exhaust port will be populated by the review item's fan and radiator where possible, for the air based cooling alternative used in the review as a counter example another Scythe E will be used.


Warm Up:

Before testing commenced 15 minutes of running Prime95 “small fft” followed by 45 minutes of idling was done. This warm up period was done at stock CPU core frequencies. This additional pretest was done to ensure that the fluid in the liquid CPU cooling solutions were at ambient room temperature and thus the test results would be more indicative of real world scenarios. For all air based cooling solutions the same 15 minutes of heavy load followed by 45 minutes of idle was also done.


Temperature Recording:

Recorded temps were as reported via the Real Temp plug-in for the RivaTuner monitor program.

Max and Average load temps are based on 15 minutes of running Prime95 “small fft” and are taken directly from RivaTuner’s built in capabilities.

The maximum temperatures will be the highest recorded temp displayed for any of the cores during the 15 minute test. While RivaTuner will display each core's average temperature it does not easily show the average of ALL the cores. To this end we will be simply taking the average of all the cores adding them together and then dividing by the number of cores.

If during any test temperatures of 95°C or more are displayed in RivaTuner (for any core) for more than 10 consecutive seconds the testing will be halted and that test run will be considered a "fail".

Idle temperatures are the lowest recorded temperature during idle period as recorded by the RealTemp Rivatuner monitoring program.

All CPU throttling technology was disabled in the BIOS; as was all CPU fan speed control. In addition, Turbo Mode was disabled and Hyperthreading was enabled. All power connectors for the review item are connected directly to Molex connectors to ensure they were running at full speed.

All tests are run a minimum of three times and only the best results are represented.


Charts & Graphs:

Each chart will include the Maximum or “peak” temperature we recorded, the average temperature and the idle temperature.

No passive results will be shown UNLESS manufacturer claims the ability to passively cool a processor. If a manufacturer claims passive capabilities we will include the performance numbers in the charts. The only exception to this is if the review is a “review roundup” and to keep the charts from becoming confusing we may not do so.

All water cooling reviews will also include a air based CPU cooling which best approximates the price range of the water cooling solution being reviewed. This way you will not only know how it compares to other water cooling units but also an Air based CPU cooling solution which is in the same approximate price range.


Sound Pressure Testing:

To give a more accurate and less of a personal opinion on the noise level of the stock fan which accompanies the heatsink, we have included a new section for sound pressure testing. These tests are done in our open case setup outlined above with the meter positioned 30 inches away from the cooler and mounted on a tripod. To ensure the background noise does not skew the results all tests will start by recording the ambient noise of the room. Only when it meets our standards will the testing commence.

To ensure that no external noise unduly skews the results, the GPU used will be a passively cooled unit and the only active fan will be the one on the cooler while the PSU and HDD are isolated away from the immediate area.

These tests are run late at night when no other people or animals are awake and thus unable to influence the results.

All fans are run at their maximum speed with no voltage or PWM control being used during the sound pressure tests.

The sound pressure meter used is a DT-805 which has been professionally calibrated and NIST certified. We will record the highest levels obtained with said meter and record it as our result. The test will be 15 minutes long and will be run while the fan is running full speed via a Molex connector and the CPU cores are under a full load via Prime 95 Small FFT.


Please note: The Scythe S-Flex G and Noctua NF-P12-1300 (at 1300 and 900rpms) numbers are taken when mounted to a Cooler Master Hyper 212+. We feel that it would be extremely unfair and unrealistic to include noise rating for these after market fans if they were NOT mounted onto a cooler. They are included to help give some sense of proportion to the charts and allow you to more easily compare a stock fan against a known quantity.


Complete Test System:

Case: Cooler Master HAF-X
Processor: Intel i7 920(Intel)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X58-UD3R
Memory: 6GB Mushkin Silverline Stiletto DDR3-1600
Graphics card: EVGA GeForce GT 240
Hard Drive: 1x 240GB Intel 520 SSD
Power Supply: Topower Powerbird 900W

Special thanks to Gigabyte for their support and supplying the i7 motherboard. Special thanks to NZXT for their support and supplying the NZXT 140mm fans.

 

[AkG]

Stock Fan Performance Results

Stock Fan Performance Results

Due to its dual fans, the H75 exhibited excellent performance in every instance, improving upon its predecessor in every way possible. We were actually surprised at how close it came to an H80i at stock and moderate heat loads and only at maximum overclocks does the H80i really pull ahead. Whether the difference is great enough to justify the extra cost of the H80i is debatable, and this in and of itself is remarkable given the lackluster performance of previous Asetek-built Corsair Hydro AIOs.

The H105's performance was quite good as well. The combination of 'a 37mm' rad backstopped by a high performance version of the SP120 fans makes for a very potent combination. When the improved waterblock is taken into account the results make perfect sense and the H105 slots in nicely between the H110 and H100i.

 

[AkG]

High Speed Fan Performance Results

High Speed Fan Performance Results

In these tests, we substitute out the stock fan(s) with a high speed version provided by Scythe. This is to compare apples to apples.

Due to its thinner radiator the H75 is easily able to outperform an H80i in these single fan test results. To be honest this was fully expected and not the true purpose of these tests. Rather, in this apples to apples comparison we were more interested in seeing how the H75 stacks up against a H60 2.0. After all, both use a single bay, standard thickness radiator and both are using the same fan. The only difference in performance will come via differences in the waterblock and as you can see the new Asetek unit is better than CoolIT's design. This is truly a first for these charts and just underscores the fact that Corsair did not need to include two fans to boost performance, the H75 is capable of doing that all on its own.

 

[AkG]

Dual & Quad Fan Performance Results

Dual & Quad Fan Performance Results

Much like in the high speed fan performance results, in these tests we take a look at how dual Noctua and quad Scythe fans can affect these coolers' efficiency. This is not to test the efficiency of fans but rather to get a normalized set of benchmarks on single and dual bay radiators.

Once again in apples to apples comparison the H75 is only slightly better than the H60 2.0 but once again this was to be expected since owners of that lower-end cooler will need to spend some serious money on fan upgrades.

The H105 once again posts good numbers in dual fan configurations and very good performance levels in quad fan scenarios. By that same token the H105 is still not as effective as a H110 or NZXT X60. Obviously a thicker radiator just cannot make up for the smaller surface area those dual 140mm units have over dual 120 units.

 

[AkG]

Sound Level Testing

Sound Level Testing

While everyone "hears" noise differently there is one easy way to remove all subjectivness and easily compare different fans: use a sound level meter. This way you can easily compare the various fans noise envelopes without us coloring the results and see what fans fit within your personal comfort level. Of course, we will endeavor to try and explain the various results (which are taken at a 30 inch distance) to help you our readers get an even better understanding of how loud a cooler's stock fan is, but even if you discount our personal opinions, the fact remains numbers don't lie. All fans are tested with both voltage regulation / PWM turned off.

One greatest weakness all previous Asetek-built Corsair Hydro units suffered from was their fans. Put bluntly they were either whisper quiet and anemic performers or loud and mediocre performers. Thankfully the H75 and to a lesser extent the H105 break this cycle of abuse due to their awesome fans.

Due to the H75's addition of two fans, its noise profile ( at least on paper) is greater than the H60 which also uses - a single - SP120L fan. However, this doubling up allows both to run at lower RPMs to achieve better results. This means that while the absolute noise levels are greater, for most real world scenarios the H75 will be noticeably quieter than a H60.

The H105's fans are also capable of a lot of noise, but they will spend the majority of their lifespan at downright whisper quiet levels. Unfortunately, since the H105 lacks the razor sharp RPM control that the H100i's LINK software offers, it is going to be noticeably louder in most real world scenarios.

 

[AkG]

Conclusion

Conclusion H75

Believe it or not, our expectations going into the H75 review weren’t exactly high. The reason for this was simple: while Asetek has proven to be an excellent OEM in the past, in Corsair’s stable at least, CoolIT-designed units have historically boasted more feature and better performance. Take the H55 and H110 as examples of this. Both were very well received in their own rights but ultimately failed to offer much differentiation from their competitors. With this in mind the Hydro H75 was facing a somewhat uphill battle against the H60 and H80i, but actually came out well ahead on a number of fronts.

While the H75 may lack the advanced, highly sought-after fan control abilities of the H80i, its performance threshold is quite similar. Granted the Asetek-designed unit does start to lose steam at higher heat loads but it still remains very competitive against the more expensive H80i. Meanwhile, it has no problems handling the H60 2.0 at every level we tested. All of this was accomplished while offering a suitably low acoustical profile.

In our opinion the Hydro H75’s most appealing feature is its price. At just $85 it offers an excellent price / performance ratio when compared to the $110 H80i when sales aren’t taken into account. This situation may become less cut and dry when sales are taken into account but even with reasonably comparable costs, the H75 still holds a slight edge. This is a fitting complementary product for the H60 2.0 and slots in perfectly between Corsair’s lower end single bay units and the more expensive i-series.

The sub-$100 price point all in one segment is extremely important for Corsair and the new H75 is a fitting refresh for a lineup that was beginning to show its age. It combines easy installation, plug-and-play compatibility and excellent performance into a package that’s quite affordable. That’s an impressive accomplishment and exactly what’s needed to better compete against the likes of newcomers like Cooler Master, Silverstone and NZXT.

Conclusion H105

If you have been reading other cooler reviews here on HWC, it’s obvious the dual bay 240mm all-in-one segment seems to have hit a plateau as of late. This means that squeezing an infinitesimal amount of additional performance out of these large units without high RPM fans requires some drastic out-of-box thinking. While the H105 does take some steps in the right direction, there’s a lot of sameness here as well.

With a thick radiator, extremely well conceived water block / pump design and excellent fans, Corsair has given the Hydro H105 a great set of features in an effort to distinguish it from the outside competition and their own H100i. To a great extent these items work in concert to offer a performance threshold that’s marginally better than the Antec Kuhler 1250 and H100i while operating at similar fan speeds and much better results than Cooler Master’s Seidon 240M. Naturally, dual bay 280mm units offer lower temperatures but have the added complication of limited compatibility.

The performance situation we describe is great to see but the word “marginal” isn’t something that benefits Corsair’s H105 in this case. Some folks, including us, appreciate the direct onboard fan control offered by the similarly priced H100i and attach a certain amount of value to that. Considering both Corsair units have the exact same price (again that may vary with sales), we’d sacrifice a degree or so and choose the H100i.

This is not to say the newcomer doesn’t have a place in the Hydro lineup because it actually cements Corsair’s place as one of the best in the AIO market. As a matter of fact, if you’re looking for a plug and play water-based cooler that doesn’t require software to squeeze the most out of it, the H105 may be the perfect fit.