Corsair H55 CPU Cooler

11 reviews for Corsair H55 CPU Cooler

1. 

   4 out of 5

   John Doe – October 17, 2023

   TL;DR: First unit only lasted a few months, had some difficulty to install, got it replaced with a new unit, warranty recommended

   Longer story:
   I had a similar cooler in my Alienware PC that lasted a while, but then malfunctioned, so I bought this and it was awesome! Not much longer later, I built a new PC and put this in and I’m sure things were fine. Recently, however, I noticed that the LED/RGB on the cooler was red, which (by default) means the temperature has reached a certain level. I checked iCUE and the pump’s RPM was 0. I checked BIOS and saw the same. I did multiple things to troubleshoot the issue with no resolution. It seems apparent that this unit malfunctioned after having it only for a few months (no more than that). I contacted Corsair’s tech support, but they’re kind of slow at responding. I looked over their warranty page and it seemed that I should contact Amazon, since I bought it here. The return window closed, but I did purchase an additional warranty, even though I can’t remember which product that warranty was for since I bought multiple products at the same time. Luckily, Amazon sent me a replacement and I’m happy to have an AIO that works again. Luckily, I still had the stock fan for the CPU, which surprised me by being pretty effective, which I used while I waited all of 2 days or less for the replacement to arrive (on the Sunday before Labor Day, which really impressed me).

   Some one in a review said this product was loud, which it most definitely is not. I run it on the highest speed and either I can’t hear it at all or it’s very quiet. Maybe that person was referring to a different model.

   I docked a star under “easy to install,” because it had some difficulty. In the Alienware, I didn’t need to attach a back plate and this product comes with the Intel mount already installed. However, I had to install a fan on each side of the radiator and one of those fans had to attach to the back of the case. This meant that a long screw had to go through a hole on the back of the case, through one hole on the fan, through an empty space, through the second hole on the fan, into the radiator. By the time it went through the case and fan there was barely any length of the screw left to go into the radiator. This was extremely difficult, but I managed to get it to work. If only there was some kind of guide for the screw between holes on the fans , instead of empty space, this wold have been much easier. Unfortunately, after going through the first hole, it was sometimes difficult to line it up with the second hole.

   The second time I installed the unit (this time in my new PC) was actually easier, even though it required slightly more work for the newer CPU, because I had to install a plastic back plate. The third time I installed it (after receiving a replacement for the one that failed) was slightly difficult, because the back plate wouldn’t stay on very well. I had to hold both sides of it to get the screws in and even then it seemed kind of loose.

   I docked a star from “material quality,” mostly because the first unit I ordered failed after a few months. I really hope the replacement lasts a lot longer. If it doesn’t, I may have to edit this review. Otherwise, I like it, although I’d need to do some testing to see how much cooler my CPU is with this as opposed to the stock (fan only) cooler. At idle, there does’t seem to be much difference.

   I’ve begun to believe that liquid cooling for modern CPUs is pretty much necessary. I’ve also realized AIOs like this one are much easier to install than a full water pump and loop with tubes you have to cut yourself and run through various parts. The AIO makes everything much simpler and doesn’t need any kind of maintenance. I got this one, because I like Corsair’s products and I like that the thick radiator fits between two fans and attaches to the back of the case. This was how the one that came with the Alienware was set up, so maybe I just liked the initial set up and decided to go with it. If you have more money, you could buy another model that is longer and takes up more space, but this one seems good enough. I no longer have a CPU for overclocking, because I’m not interested in that, so this AIO fits my needs perfectly.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   John Doe – October 17, 2023

   Use Case
   I run over two dozen IP cameras in my home setup and was maxing out my 7700K (even overclocked) in my Blue Iris NVR PC. It was time for an upgrade, so I settled on a i7-8086K. The CPU doesn’t come with a cooling solution, and since this particular PC lives in a closet, I figured I’d go for something quiet. The case is on the smaller side (while still accepting a full-ATX board), and has accomodations for both 120x120mm and 240x120mm radiators. Aside from wanting something quiet, I needed something inexpensive, easy to install in a smaller case, with a little thermal overhead for pushing the TDP out to 180W+ (if necessary).

   Packaging/Setup
   The item arrived in an Amazon outer box, with the inner box being a Corsair retail package. Inside, the waterblock and radiator are adequately protected. Since the setup is a maintenance-free, non-user servicable closed loop, everything is already connected. If you were wanting to use the watercooling grommets through your PC’s case, this is not the setup for you. If you want nice, quick-connect fittings, and large ID tubing, you probably just need to roll your own setup. As it is, the combined pump and waterblock unit is attractive and small. The tubing is TINY. The radiator looks adequate, but small. The fans, in a push-pull setup on either side of the radiator look like they’re overkill for the rest of the system. The fittings for the tubing swivel, which makes it easier to place the radiator wherever it will work best, and the waterblock in whatever orientation causes the least binding.

   The only real work to be done, for LGA 1151 anyway, is to put the motherboard backplate on, attach the proper standoffs, and then put on the mounting block. There is pre-applied TIM on the waterblock. It’s easy enough to remove if you think you have something better. I took it off just to measure the flatness of the waterblock (it was 8/10, but I wet sanded it to 9.5/10). The mounting bracket for the LGA 1151 essentially acts as a spring, so there’s not much that can go wrong. I can’t really say I like the fan mounting method… essentially, you use machine screws and washers to attach the fans directly to the radiator. Presumably, attach the screws (on one side) through the case. As thin as the aluminum on the radiator is, I would really prefer it if the screws were longer and went all the way through the fan-radiator-fan sandwich; I wouldn’t worry about inadvertently tearing it up by accident. The radiator CORE is 120x120mm, but the full unit is not square, as the fittings are on one side and the loopback aluminum tubing is on the other side. Depending on the size of your case, that may limit you to two (instead of four) orientation choices.

   Performance
   Powering up the system was uneventful. There are PWM headers for the fans, a header for the pump speed (?), and a SATA power header for the pump. The pump speed header may be a Hall-effect sensor of some sort, but the general idea is the same as when you have a failure on your CPU HSF. The system is very quiet, and kept temperatures in check. Since it wasn’t really my build was about, I didn’t try to see what the limit was, but I did get a completely stable (100% load for 4 hours) 400Mhz overclock. Temperatures only increased a little over stock.

   Conclusion
   I bought this system with a tight space and monetary budget in mind. I feel like I got a good value for what I spent. Since I just recently started using this, I can’t really speak to the longevity of the pump over time, but my previous experience with Corsair watercooling all-in-ones has all been positive. Highly recommended.

3. 

   5 out of 5

   John Doe – October 17, 2023

   Thanks seller will purchase again

4. 

   5 out of 5

   John Doe – October 17, 2023

   Muito bom

5. 

   5 out of 5

   John Doe – October 17, 2023

   Redujo de manera considerable la temperatura del CPU, además, es muy fácil de instalar y tienen incluida la pasta térmica.

6. 

   3 out of 5

   John Doe – October 17, 2023

   No trae las 3 piezas que dice la caja

7. 

   5 out of 5

   John Doe – October 17, 2023

   The product is good but the problem is that the thing is quite tricky to install that’s why many people failed to install it and returned it on the first day they received, if you have no experience in this things then I would recommend you better go for a another cooler and also don’t forget to read the reviews before buying a stuff on Amazon or in other electronic stores. For your information, the box comes with the cooler and also there’s a small packet of thermal paste inside.

8. 

   4 out of 5

   John Doe – October 17, 2023

   I m using a ryzen 3 1200 and it was hitting nearly 70 degrees on full load with the stock cooler. now its down to 62. much better cooling and also maintains a lower idel temp now. you will need your motherbords brackets if u are on am4 (or the amd platform?) the clip was difficult to get on the board. if u have the time take the motherbord off the case before mounting it as it was very difficult to do while in the case. they dont mention it but u need to apply a ton of force to get both the clips to catch the bracket. but now that its mounted i think it was by design so it doesnt just fall off. i just wish the heatsink was bigger or atlest there was a bracket to attach another fan. the heatsink is still 2 times the size of the amd stealth cooler, still its 1k rs so i cant ask for too much.

9. 

   5 out of 5

   John Doe – October 17, 2023

   It is effective and silent.
   Need better fittings at the radiator, that twist for better hose positioning and to avoid kicking.

10. 

    5 out of 5

    John Doe – October 17, 2023

    Suspected the TH120 would not handle the cooling needed for an Intel i9-12900K processor – retuned it and purchased the TH240 model – it’s better, but not perfect. Also, this it’s one of the few aio coolers that actually ship with a LGA1700 mounting plate, in this price point.
    knocking off one-star as the mounting screws for the fans are ~1mm too long, and the fans rattle – had to add washers to all the screws.

11. 

    4 out of 5

    John Doe – October 17, 2023

    Installed new motherboard and cpu and started overheating. Installed this unit and cooled down to previous temperatures. One month I’m and no issues.