Swiftech H2O-120 Compact and Corsair Nautilus 500: Is Water Better?
by Wesley Fink on September 17, 2007 6:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Swiftech H2O-120 Compact Specifications
Our test system is Intel Socket 775, but the H2O-120 Compact will also mount on socket AM2 as well as socket 754/939/940 and socket F. All accessories for mounting are included, but mounting on AMD/AM2 sockets requires adapting the Apogee drive block by replacing the bottom half of the Apogee with an AMD specific mounting block. The CPU cage is then removed from the motherboard for the two or four screw direct mount of the drive block
The included fan is specified at a high 81.3 CFM at 12V, but it is rated at a bit higher noise than we normally see at this output. The 12V rated noise is 36 dB(A). Lowering the fan voltage to 7V with the included electrical adapter drops the noise to 26 dB(A) with the trade-off of much lower airflow. Sleeve bearings are not noted for a long service life, but Swiftech does not specify an average MTBF for this fan.
The Reservoir/Heat Exchanger utilizes louvered copper fins for best performance. Swiftech claims the system is optimized for high performance at low fan speed where low noise is required.
The Apogee Drive Block is extremely small compared to the size and weight of most of today's better air coolers. This makes the Apogee drive block an easy fit on virtually any motherboard. The only potential issue is the side-mounted 3/8" barbs on the combo block. On some motherboards with tall heatsinks for the power MOSFETs the barbs are potentially not tall enough to clear the tall MOSFET sinks However, we did not encounter this issue with any of the boards we looked at for potential mounting problems.
There are no mounting issues with the EVGA 680i board. Installation was also an easy task on the ASUS Striker and ASUS Commando, and on the two new P35 boards - the ASUS P5K Deluxe and P5K3 Deluxe. The P5K3 Deluxe will likely become a fit test for any motherboard, since the heatpipes completely circle the CPU socket and connect various cooling heatsinks around the CPU socket.
Corsair Nautilus 500 Specifications
The Nautilus 500 was tested on Intel Socket 775. The kit also includes retention brackets for Intel socket 478 and AMD 754/939/940/AM2 sockets. The vinyl tubing for the circulating water is attached to the water block at the factory. The water block remains the same in all possible installations and only the retention mechanism for mounting varies among the different installations. This is an important consideration since this approach ensures that the critical internal water connection is assembled at the factory and already tested for leaks.
The supporting components and self-contained design makes some small differences in the pump specifications between the Corsair and Swiftech designs. Corsair has also selected a different fan to be integrated in the external cooler. The 1800 RPM Nautilus 500 fan has a maximum air flow of 74.4 CFM, which is slightly less than the 81.3 CFM of the Swiftech. However, static pressure is higher on the Corsair fan.
The CPU clock looks very similar to the water block used in the Swiftech H2O-120 Compact. The Corsair design uses a stand-alone water block and does not integrate the block and pump as we saw in the Swiftech. This moves the pump noise from inside the case, as in the Swiftech, to outside the case in the cooling box on the Corsair. Which is the better design is a matter for debate, but as you'll see shortly we consider both designs noisier than the best air cooler designs.
There was no problem with fitting the Nautilus 500 waterblock to any motherboard we tested, and in fact we doubt you can find a motherboard that cannot mount the Corsair water block. Since the water block is standalone in the Corsair design there is no potential issue with side barbs as we saw on the Swiftech
Our test system is Intel Socket 775, but the H2O-120 Compact will also mount on socket AM2 as well as socket 754/939/940 and socket F. All accessories for mounting are included, but mounting on AMD/AM2 sockets requires adapting the Apogee drive block by replacing the bottom half of the Apogee with an AMD specific mounting block. The CPU cage is then removed from the motherboard for the two or four screw direct mount of the drive block
| Apogee Drive Block Specifications | |
| Motor | Electronically commutated, brushless 12V DC, spherical motor |
| Nominal Current | 0.69A |
| Weight | 286g (10.1 ounces) |
| Material | Diamond Pin Matrix copper base plate |
| Fittings | 3/8" barbs fittings for input and output |
| Normal Discharge | 300 LPH |
| Nominal Head | 10 ft |
| MTBF | 50,000 hours |
The included fan is specified at a high 81.3 CFM at 12V, but it is rated at a bit higher noise than we normally see at this output. The 12V rated noise is 36 dB(A). Lowering the fan voltage to 7V with the included electrical adapter drops the noise to 26 dB(A) with the trade-off of much lower airflow. Sleeve bearings are not noted for a long service life, but Swiftech does not specify an average MTBF for this fan.
| 120mm Fan Specifications | |
| Model | RDM1225S |
| Fan Size | 120mm x 120mm x 25mm |
| Fan Type | Low Noise Sleeve Bearing |
| Maximum Fan Speed | 2000 RPM |
| Maximum Noise Level | 36 dB(A) @ 12V, 26 dB(A) @ 7V |
| Maximum Airflow | 81.3 CFM |
| Current | 0.23A |
| Static Pressure | 27mm H2O |
The Reservoir/Heat Exchanger utilizes louvered copper fins for best performance. Swiftech claims the system is optimized for high performance at low fan speed where low noise is required.
| Radiator/Reservoir Specification | |
| Model | MCR120-Res Heat Exchanger |
| Description | 120mm Class Radiator with built-in reservoir. Designed for sealed system with 5 years between refilling |
| Dimensions | 7in x 5in x 1-3/8in (2" thick including barbs) |
| Material | Louvered copper fins, brass tubes & body |
| Design | Optimized for high performance at low fan speed for low noise operations |
| Fittings | Built-in 3/8 in barbs |
The Apogee Drive Block is extremely small compared to the size and weight of most of today's better air coolers. This makes the Apogee drive block an easy fit on virtually any motherboard. The only potential issue is the side-mounted 3/8" barbs on the combo block. On some motherboards with tall heatsinks for the power MOSFETs the barbs are potentially not tall enough to clear the tall MOSFET sinks However, we did not encounter this issue with any of the boards we looked at for potential mounting problems.
There are no mounting issues with the EVGA 680i board. Installation was also an easy task on the ASUS Striker and ASUS Commando, and on the two new P35 boards - the ASUS P5K Deluxe and P5K3 Deluxe. The P5K3 Deluxe will likely become a fit test for any motherboard, since the heatpipes completely circle the CPU socket and connect various cooling heatsinks around the CPU socket.
Corsair Nautilus 500 Specifications
The Nautilus 500 was tested on Intel Socket 775. The kit also includes retention brackets for Intel socket 478 and AMD 754/939/940/AM2 sockets. The vinyl tubing for the circulating water is attached to the water block at the factory. The water block remains the same in all possible installations and only the retention mechanism for mounting varies among the different installations. This is an important consideration since this approach ensures that the critical internal water connection is assembled at the factory and already tested for leaks.
| Water Pump | |
| Motor | Electronically commutated, brushless 12V DC, spherical Motor |
| Voltage Range | 8V to 13.2V |
| Max Static Pressure | 22 PSI |
| Normal Discharge | 350 LPH (@12V) |
| Nominal Head | 13.05 ft |
The supporting components and self-contained design makes some small differences in the pump specifications between the Corsair and Swiftech designs. Corsair has also selected a different fan to be integrated in the external cooler. The 1800 RPM Nautilus 500 fan has a maximum air flow of 74.4 CFM, which is slightly less than the 81.3 CFM of the Swiftech. However, static pressure is higher on the Corsair fan.
| 120mm Fan Specifications | |
| Fan Size | 120mm x 120mm x 25mm |
| Maximum Fan Speed | 1800 RPM |
| Maximum Airflow | 74.4 CFM |
| Current | 0.3A |
| Static Pressure | 32mm H2O |
| CPU Block | |
| Description | 100% solid copper supporting Delphi Micro-Channel Technology |
| Material | Solid Copper |
| Fittings | Built-in 3/8 in barbs |
The CPU clock looks very similar to the water block used in the Swiftech H2O-120 Compact. The Corsair design uses a stand-alone water block and does not integrate the block and pump as we saw in the Swiftech. This moves the pump noise from inside the case, as in the Swiftech, to outside the case in the cooling box on the Corsair. Which is the better design is a matter for debate, but as you'll see shortly we consider both designs noisier than the best air cooler designs.
There was no problem with fitting the Nautilus 500 waterblock to any motherboard we tested, and in fact we doubt you can find a motherboard that cannot mount the Corsair water block. Since the water block is standalone in the Corsair design there is no potential issue with side barbs as we saw on the Swiftech
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rallycobra - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
I'm building a new quad system, and I was going to go with the swiftech kit, and upgrade to a 120x3 radiator in the future. For now, I'm going to stick to air.Can you run the test again with a quad? Another site says that the swiftech outperforms all air solutions, but I trust your methodology a lot more.
Watercooling is elegant if you have the radiator outside the case, and you can cool the cpu, chipset and vga. It keeps the inside cool, and gets all of the heat out.
aigomorla - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
Your upgrading to 3x the cooling power this article previewed.So if there saying a 120x1 will match a ultra120extreme, your saying 3x that cooling power isnt worth the migration.
*scratches my head*
This is what i mean about this article screwing people up in water migration.
poisondeathray - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
Thanks for the interesting review.Given the increasing prevalence of quad-cores, it might be interesting to repeat the tests with an overclocked quad core configuration.
Although the testbed was different, at least 1 other hardware site got better results with similar watercooling vs. Tuniq.
gingerstewart55 - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
I wonder what was wrong with your setups and your pumps. Having had the Corsair Nautilus 500 unit, and the pump the Swiftech kit is based upon, something is/was seriously wrong with your setup or pumps.The Corsair unit's fan, at least in the one I used, drowned out the pump completely.
The Laing pump in the Swiftech kit, the same pump in the Corsair kit by the way, is sitting in my computer and is utterly silent....completely drowned out by any of the four fans in the case....three Scythe S-Flex "E" fans, at 22 dBA on full speed, and an Antec SpotCooler on lowest speed (the Antec is the loudest fan in the case, btw.)
I'd almost hazard a guess that both kits, after being set up, still had a bubble/pocket of air in the pump. The Laing pump can get quite noisy if no completely bled of air.
Otherwise, there was a mechanical fault in both your kits' pumps as the Laing is almost completely silent when working as attested to by the hundreds of people using those pumps and hearing absolutely nothing from them when being used.
Nickel020 - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
You need at mod top for the Laing pump, it's unbearable without one, but if decoupled almost unhearable with a good top.Wesley Fink - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
We tested both systems as provided by Swiftech and Corsair. Both units are provided as complete kits and both manufacturers are familiar with our cooler test methods.Modding everything we test defeats the purpose of our comparative testing.
We are not finished with water cooling reviews, and we will be reviewing more water cooling systems in the future.
Nickel020 - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
That's not hwo I meant it, of course you shouldn't mod the kits for testing. I was just saying that the Laing is not a bad pump for custom setups, in fact, it's pretty much the best pump for most setups if you use a mod top, which makes a big difference. I don't think I've ever seen a pic om someone using it without a mod top, but dozens with all kinds of mod tops.Wesley Fink - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
I first thought there was a pump defect as well. So I acquired FIVE Apogee drive blocks from different sources and all measured similar dbA noise levels. There was also the 6th pump in the Corsair Nautilus 500.Subjectively the pumps were relatively quiet because the noise frequencies appear to fall in a freqency range that is not particularly annoying. However, our standard sound meter said measured noise was pretty high. We stated this in the review and also commented the pump noise was not annoying to our ears, but it may be to others. Measure the noise of your system and let us know what you find.
psychotix11 - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
These two set-ups do not represent the top end of water cooling. It's long been past the point where a single 120mm rad is enough for a CPU.Toss these out and replace them with a custom set up with a dtek fuzion CPU block, 2x 120mm fan rad, ddc pump with petras top, and 1/2 id tubing and then see where it gets you.
Also liquid cool the chipset and then see if stock air can keep up (after), it won't.
You're taking two premade kits made for the user that has never water cooled before. It's simply not in the same category as the higher end custom kits.
Wesley Fink - Monday, September 17, 2007 - link
We did not state water cooling was always inferior to the top air coolers. We said, based on these test results and others we have run recently, that you would need to spend more than $300 on a water cooling system that might outperform the best air coolers.At more than 4 to 6 times the price of a top air cooler most readers would not conseder that good value.
I actually agree with your comments, but please tell us the total cost of the water cooling setup you say is needed to beat the best air coolers.