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Review: Corsair Hydro Series H50 - taking on the air-cooled establishment

by Tarinder Sandhu on 30 June 2009, 09:03 4.0

Tags: Corsair Hydro H50, Corsair

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qasub

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New name, established technology

Based on Asetek's flexible LCLC (low-cost liquid-cooling) system but keeping costs down by having a single head for CPU, Corsair states that it has re-engineered the kit - the head, in particular - for better performance.

The technology isn't new, as it's already been used in big-name projects such as Hewlett Packard's Blackbird 002, but Corsair is hoping to attract enthusiasts whose budget would normally extend to a high-performance air cooler.


The kit houses the head - encompassing cold-plate, reservoir, and pump - connected via two tubes to a single radiator that's cooled by a Corsair-provided 120mm fan.

There's also through-the-motherboard mounting kits for Intel's LGA775 and LGA1366 chips, but you will need to purchase AMD-based kits if that's your wont. Corsair says it will provide the AMD mounting kit for a nominal charge, to cover postage and packing, and expects to bundle in the bracket in the near future.



Keeping matters simple, the two-piece unit is completely self-contained, intimating that it's a fit-and-forget affair. Corsair backs the Hydro H50 with a two-year warranty.

There's a single wire running from the head and terminating in a three-pin fan header. It provides the necessary power to the pump and, via the motherboard's header, reports on the speed of its impeller.



The heat exchanger/radiator is standard fare and is completely covered by the supplied fan; you can see the mounting holes in the corner. The fan fits in-between the radiator and the chassis and, as such, requires a case that can take a 12cm-wide model. 


A look at the other side of the radiator shows how the tubing attaches to it.


There are mounting holes on both sides of the radiator, thereby providing a degree of flexibility.