Introduction

Corsair launched the Hydro Series H50 high-performance CPU cooler in June 2009, and since then it has taken the cooling market by storm. It has won worldwide critical acclaim for its superior cooling performance, quiet operation, and ease of use. Installing a Corsair H50 in place of your existing CPU cooler will significantly reduce CPU temperatures and allow for higher overclocking flexibility, and will provide better cooling at lower noise levels. But, as good as the H50 is out-of-the-box, it is possible to increase its performance even further with a simple fan upgrade known as ‘Push-Pull’, which uses two identical fans to increase airflow. We will compare the cooling performance of the H50 in single-fan and push-pull mode to that of a Noctua NH-U12P HSF, also in single- and dual-fan configurations. The test system will use an Intel Core i7-870 (Lynnfield) processor at stock settings, overclocked to 4133MHz with Hyper-Threading Off (max frequency) and overclocked to 4GHz with Hyper-Threading On (max multi-threaded performance). The results, summarized below, show that the Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 in a push-pull configuration outperforms the standard H50 by up to 4^oC in the overclocking tests. In addition, it significantly outperforms the Noctua NH-U12P, with temperature reductions of up to 12^oC. This is a significant reduction that will increase overclocking headroom, as well as allowing for minimal noise levels while maintaining low CPU temperatures.

Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 Push-Pull Explained

Push-Pull simply means installing two cooling fans—one on each side of the Hydro Series H50’s radiator unit – as opposed to simply using one fan. The first fan therefore ‘pushes’ air through the radiator’s cooling fins, while the other ‘pulls’ air through from the other side, hence the name. The combined effect of both 120mm fans results in increased airflow over the radiator’s cooling fins, which in turn results in more efficient dissipation of heat and hence lower CPU temperatures. To ensure that the fans do not compete with each other, it’s important to use two identical fans, or two fans with similar airflow characteristics. For this test, I used two Corsair 120mm fans. As these fans are not available on the open market, I would suggest buying a pair of fans with similar specifications: 120mm x 120mm x 25mm dimensions, 12V, approximately 50CFM max airflow. I attached the second fan using 6-32 x 1-¼ inch screws, which are the same as those supplied with the H50. You can buy these (as well as appropriate washers) from hardware stores and also model RC car/airplane stores. Alternatively, you can use cables ties.

Test Configuration

Intel Core i7-870 processor

Asus P7P55D LE motherboard

4GB Corsair Dominator (CMD4GX3M4A1600C8)

Corsair P128 solid-state drive

Corsair HX750W PSU

Corsair Obsidian 800D chassis

Corsair H50 CPU Cooler [Corsair fans]

Noctua NH-U12P HSF [Noctua NF-P12 fans]

MSI R4890 Cyclone graphics

Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Results

1.) Default Setting

At its default settings the Core i7-870 CPU runs at 2.93GHz and has Hyper-Threading enabled, providing 8 logical CPUs. At 100% CPU load, with 8-threads of Prime 95 running In-Place Large FFTs, the H50 in Push-Pull is 7°C cooler than the Noctua NH-U12P in single- and dual-fan mode, and 2°C cooler than the H50 with one fan. With the CPU at Idle the H50 in Push-Pull is still 6°C cooler than the Noctua NH-U12P in single or dual-fan mode.

2.) Overclocked to 4133MHz, HT ON - Max Frequency

The first overclocked test is with the Core i7-870 at 4133MHz with Hyper-Threading OFF. This was achieved via a 24x multiplier, 172MHz Bclock and 1.4V CPU voltage. At 100% load using Prime 95, the H50 in Push-Pull is now 8°C cooler than the NH-U12P in dual-fan mode and 11.5°C cooler than it in single fan mode. The H50 in Push-Pull mode is also 4°C cooler than the H50 with a single fan, a notable drop on what is already a great result.

3.) Overclocked to 4000MHz, HT ON - Max Heat and Performance

The Core i7-870 is now overclocked to 4000MHz (167MHz x 24) with Hyper-Threading ON, resulting in 8 logical CPUs. This setting results in a much higher heat-load, despite the lower clock frequency. At this setting the H50 in Push-Pull is now up to 12°C cooler than the NH-U12P and nearly 3.5°C cooler than the H50 in single fan mode. A H50 in Push-Pull is therefore the ideal solution for effective cooling at high overclocked settings.

Results tables

Results tables (continued)

Summary

The Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 is one of the best CPU coolers on the market, able to convincingly outperform premium-priced, heatpipe-based HSFs at lower noise levels. By upgrading the H50 to Push-Pull mode we were able to further reduce the temperature of a heavily overclocked Intel Core i7-870 processor by an additional 4°C compared to a standard Hydro Series H50 cooler, and up to a massive 12°C compared to a Noctua NH-U12P high-performance HSF. A Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 CPU cooler in Push-Pull mode is therefore a highly effective method of cooling a heavily overclocked quad-core processor.