Noisy AIO cooler

[doyll]

You claim I'm 'mistaken' .. how am I 'mistaken' and what data do you have showing what I am 'mistaken' about?

There are many top tier coolers that do not block RAM or fan headers, NH-U14S and TRUE Spirit 140 coolers for example. Most of us do not change our RAM, and only a few upgrade to more RAM. Even if cooler needs to be removed and replaced it only takes a few minutes to do, so it is honestly not a big deal for the few times it needs to be done. Same with fan headers, most are not going to be blocked by cooler. I would much rather deal with the 'it is an obstruction to have a large air cooler' than deal with pump noise, after paying 30-50% or more for a CLC that has 20 fins per inch aluminium radiator that requires powerful & noisy fans to push air through it versus 7 fins per inch air cooler or 9-12 fins per inch on quality AIOs that have copper radiators. And there is also the fact that CLCs last 2, maybe 3-7 years while the life of an air cooler is 10-20+ years.

I understand some people are willing to pay more for equal or less performance .. and I can understand people not caring if their CLC lasts more than 2-3 years before they build a completely new system with all new components. But that does not change the logical suggestions and supporting data I have presented.

 

[Hotwired]

You claim I'm 'mistaken' .. how am I 'mistaken' and what data do you have showing what I am 'mistaken' about?

There are many top tier coolers that do not block RAM or fan headers, NH-U14S and TRUE Spirit 140 coolers for example. Most of us do not change our RAM, and only a few upgrade to more RAM. Even if cooler needs to be removed and replaced it only takes a few minutes to do, so it is honestly not a big deal for the few times it needs to be done. Same with fan headers, most are not going to be blocked by cooler. I would much rather deal with the 'it is an obstruction to have a large air cooler' than deal with pump noise, after paying 30-50% or more for a CLC that has 20 fins per inch aluminium radiator that requires powerful & noisy fans to push air through it versus 7 fins per inch air cooler or 9-12 fins per inch on quality AIOs that have copper radiators. And there is also the fact that CLCs last 2, maybe 3-7 years while the life of an air cooler is 10-20+ years.

I understand some people are willing to pay more for equal or less performance .. and I can understand people not caring if their CLC lasts more than 2-3 years before they build a completely new system with all new components. But that does not change the logical suggestions and supporting data I have presented.

I spelt out that an air cooler is more of an obstruction than an AIO. You did not understand when I said it the first time.

I drew a picture with words now I will link one and I choose a cooler you named specially, the NH-U14S:

A logical person would have replied, yes this is true, it is a downside of large air coolers that they get in the way but no, you wanted to deny everything.

A rational person would not have made a claim of AIO's not lasting 2-7 years then saying 2-3 years to a person who earlier in the thread said he had his for 8 and is in fact posting from that machine with it in.

You're making yourself look bad while trying to make anything positive I say about AIO's look bad.

 

[doyll]

Most of your last post makes no sense .. like what is being blocked by the NH-U14S.
I said most last 2-7 years for most, not all.
I said CLCs, not AIOs, but that's just one of many of my statements you use out of context. You obviously are extremely biased toward your little old CLC, so enjoy it. Have a good day.

 

[Hotwired]

A constant stream of negativity and trying to belittle others. Even when you demand proof you're wrong and get it you deny it all.

What is this lark right here:

I said CLCs, not AIOs, but that's just one of many of my statements you use out of context.

I consistently say AIO, yet you in the post I've quoted swap back and forth using both terms in the same argument and you have the nerve to say I'm misusing terms?

No, you deserve no respect in the way you communicate.

 

[Dave2150]

Pumps make sound and CLC pumps are known to be audible, especially when other thing in system make less sound than pump does. This is one of the reasons many of us do not use CLCs. A good air cooler will cool just as well and make way less sound than a CLC does .. for many reasons .. and for less money.

+1, this.

IMO all AIO's out there have noisy pumps. They are much louder than a high quality air hsf, such as a Noctua UH-12S, or the D14/D15 models.

They may look nice, but that aesthetic is not worth all that noise for me personally.

Custom watercooling loops are the only way to surpass high end air coolers, in terms of performance and noise.

 

[doyll]

What Dave2150 said except not all
AIOs are bad, but all CLCs are AIO. Some readers know this but for those who do not.
AIOs are all "All in One" coolers. CLCs are "Closed Loop Coolers" .. originally called LCLC for "Low Cost Liquid Cooling" by Asetek who hass patents on almost all CLCs being made. http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/asetek-low-cost-liquid-cooling-lclc/

AIOs that are not CLC are more like an assembled and filled kit. Swiftech H series and EK Predator (Predator is discontinued) and AphaCool OEM coolers; (Eisbaer, Kelvin & Silent Loop) are also AIOs that are not CLC. All of these AIOs have copper radiators, proper fittings, fill ports, etc. .. like custom loops.

CLCs are pre-sealed factory assembled loops with no provision for repair or replacement of components. The all have low cost aluminum radiators having very dense fin count and very low powered pumps that even at full speed flow very little coolant.

Swiftech H series have a pump capable of being expanded.

Pump speed control PWM
Pump Speed range 1200 ~ 3000 RPM
Pump nominal voltage 12 VDC
Pump nominal power 6W
Max. Static Pressure 2.8 mH₂O
Max. discharge 11 l/mn (660l/hr) free flow​

Swiftech pump flows 204 L/h (0.9gpm) measured in loop.

Eisbaer pump is not really powerful enough to be classified as 'expandable' in my book.

The Alphacool pump is the same basic pump used in the quiet Siltent Loop and Fractal Design Kelvin AIOs. All three are Aphacool OEM. I have not used the Aphacool, but I am using a Silent Loop 280mm and like it a lot. As far as I know it has the best pump of all Alphacool OEM AIOs with . Improvements like no swivel fittings means less chance of leaks.
Pump = Alphacool DC-LT 2600 Ultra low noise Ceramic:
Speed: 2600 RPM
Voltage: 7-13.5V DC
Power consumption: 4W
Maximum flow rate: 70L/hr (free flow)
Maximum head: 0.85m
​

Swiftech pump uses 50% more power (6w vs 4w) and flows many times more coolant. Even when installed in the loop it's measured flow rate is almost 3 times as much flow (through CPU block, radiator, fitting and hose) as Alphacool pump open flow rate (no other restrictions).

Last time I looked Corsair didn't even list pump power rating and the few people who have tested pump flow rate say it is about 0.11G/m (24.98 L/h) versus Swiftech H series flowing 660 L/m.

For comparison a well know and probably the most used custom loop pump is the D5 with a power rating of 23w at 12v and flows 1200 L/h.

To sum it all up CLCs are low quality low cost imitations of real water cooling loops that cost more then air coolers that cool as well or better for much less money and last much longer.

AIOs that are not CLCs are the only decent quality pre-assembled and filled loops available on the market today.

 

[varkanoid]

Whooaa getting out of hand.

I think one thing that needs to be considered that always gets missed in these type of threads is - Where do you have your case ? If its on the desk then yes you will hear "noise" more because its probably nearer to ear height. I have mine under the desk to the right in a front/back open space. I have two AIO's or CLC or whatever you want to call them. A Corsair H80 and a NZXT X41. I can not hear any pump noise whatsoever. All I can hear are my fans at a normal low fan noise. Another thing you might want to ask which admittedly not everyone uses but I game with headphones. Thus blocks out the noise more.

So when you see someone query pump noise first thing you should ask really is where is your case and can you move it away from your ears

 

[doyll]

Granted, case placement and headphones can mask pump noise as well as other noises, but that does not lower the pump noise .. it only masks it with distance and/or other noise/noise canceling.

Almost every time a forum member changes back from CLC to air comments on how much quieter their new air cooled system now is compared to the CLC they removed.

 

[ste91]

OP did you manage to resolve the noise issue? I have the same problem with mine.

Didn't realise this thread was still going lol, to be honest I've just sort of got used to the noise, eventually going to upgrade to a full WC loop.

As for the other posts on here debating AIO coolers - the only reason I opted for an all in one water cooler instead of an air cooler is because my case is too narrow to fit any of the popular/well reviewed air coolers within the budget I wanted to stick to and the H45 was on offer at a decent price.
Aside from the noise though the H45 is very good considering it's only a single 120 radiator my CPU temps are right down compared to the standard intel cooler, idle around 20-22 C and hasn't ever gone above 45 C at full load (i5-6500).

 

[elrasho]

Just so you know I fixed it. Basically the fan on the Corsair H45 has to go in the CPU_FAN2 slot. If it goes in any other slot the radiator makes that horrible murmuring/screeching sound. Not sure why this is the case as the fan has no connection to the radiator other than the 4 screws that connect it.

So to fix it I simply took the fan off, rotated it 180 degrees and now the cable reaches CPU_FAN2 Very strange but works.

 

[doyll]

Just so you know I fixed it. Basically the fan on the Corsair H45 has to go in the CPU_FAN2 slot. If it goes in any other slot the radiator makes that horrible murmuring/screeching sound. Not sure why this is the case as the fan has no connection to the radiator other than the 4 screws that connect it.

So to fix it I simply took the fan off, rotated it 180 degrees and now the cable reaches CPU_FAN2 Very strange but works.

What fan header did you have it on before? Changing fan headers can only change fan speed and changed from variable voltage to PWM or PWM to variable voltage. My guess is fan was running at 100% before and now it is speed controlled.

 

[elrasho]

It was on CHASSIS_FAN2 which is also speed controlled. I think it was to do with voltages, CHASSIS_FAN2 sending too many volts to the fan maybe

 

[doyll]

LIke I said, fan headers are either variable voltage or PWM. No idea what your sys-fan or CPU-2 header voltages range are, but I can't think of anything else that could have caused the noise except fan speed. Still even with 12v full power which is maximum either header can supply, at full speed both should make the same sounds .. unless turning / remounting the fan somehow changed how the fan was being twisted when tightened down. Like you said, strange .. must be your computer gremlins having some fun with your mind.

 

[andy_mk3]

My Corsair H105 pump was noisy. I have it on a fan controller to pull the pump rpm down a couple of hundred rpm, it's now virtually silent and keeps my 2600k at 60C under load in games all the time.

 

[gbgt2]

The pump on my H115i is quiet and I have it running at full whack as well. I also replaced the stock fans with some Noctua NF-A14's.

 

[iBSOD]

Set the pump to quiet mode in Link software. When my pump is running in 'performance mode' its pretty noisy, tho the temperature doesn't change much considering the change in the reported rpm