Old H115i vs H115i Platinum for 9900k

Jizzy · 31 Jul 2019 at 10:26

As with most people since its the release, the 9900k is hot, and its hard to keep it cool.

I'm currently using an old H115i, as seen in the link below:
https://www.corsair.com/uk/en/Categ...Performance-Liquid-CPU-Cooler/p/CW-9060027-WW

However they have now a new version of the H115i the Platinum, but what I want to know is if its worth the upgrade from the old to the new?
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...uid-cooler-280mm-cw-9060038-ww-hs-03s-cs.html

From what I can see in the specs, they just changed the fans to the ML140's and added RGB. If this is correct then I'll just buy the fans and put on my old one (not bothered by RGB)

However if the acutal radiator/pump/cooling has improvements then it might be worth purchasing? Anyone know?

Webzta · 31 Jul 2019 at 11:20

Doubt there's a diff worth changing, have you thought about adding push/pull? Made a noticeable difference on my Kraken.

robfosters · 31 Jul 2019 at 11:54

I reckon you’d be a looking at a difference within margin of error tbh.

MassiveJim · 31 Jul 2019 at 12:16

as others have said don't waste your money.

although I'll happily take your old H115 of you for a good price

Jizzy · 31 Jul 2019 at 12:23

Ok, thanks for your comments, I'll buy 4x ML140 pros for improvements over the 2 old fans, and go for push/pull hopefully will help.

MikeTimbers · 31 Jul 2019 at 13:55

I'm not that impressed with ML140s. I guess it depends on your radiator thickness and FPI but for me they haven't really made any difference over the Fractal GF140 I had before.

Jizzy · 31 Jul 2019 at 14:02

I've read online a lot of people upgrade the SP140L fans which I have for the ML140's although I would be open to even better options if anyones got suggestions?

MikeTimbers · 31 Jul 2019 at 21:58

The ML140 are loud (37dba) at full voltage but can push 97cfm with 3mm of static pressure
The SP140 are quiet (29dba) but can only push 50cfm with 1mm of static pressure

What that means is that if you can bear the 37dba (I couldn't) of the ML140 you'll get very strong airflow thru a radiator but you can also use the PWM to control the fan so that you get high flow at a dba level you can tolerate. And if gaming with headphones, you can turn up the fans to full.

I've heard good things about the BeQuiet Silent Wings fans and the Phanteks ones

Jizzy · 2 Aug 2019 at 09:34

MikeTimbers, thanks for this I have purchased the 4x ML140's Pro in black.
I do use headphones most of the time and I'll setup the curve right so if I'm not using headphones when on idle it'll still be silent (or atleast close)

I have also realised what part of my cooling issue was actually air in my H115i which was trapped at the CPU block, when working on it and re-applying thermal paste, I put the case on its side, left the fans and radiator mounted and lifted the block, which meant that the bubbles had been trapped there.
When I checked last night to ensure I had enough space to fit push/pull in my case, I again lay the case on its side and I removed the radiator and heard all the bubbles moving back up the tubes into the radiator.

Using my standard SP140's for 1hour on aida max temp was 80c after moving bubbles which is the best result I've had since building it. I'll let you know the difference when I run the 4 x ML140's in a few days.

MikeTimbers · 2 Aug 2019 at 14:39

It is possible to refill an AIO (videos on YouTube) but you will need suitable fluid.

Jizzy · 3 Aug 2019 at 08:15

MikeTimbers said:
It is possible to refill an AIO (videos on YouTube) but you will need suitable fluid.

Thanks for that MikeTimbers, I didn't even consider that.

A continuation from my last message, I should have been expecting my fans yesterday but for some reason they didn't arrive (not ordered from OC)
Running the same test again, within 38 seconds the temps had gone up to 96c so im still getting inconsistancy, likely to be the bubbles moved back to the cpu again?

MikeTimbers · 3 Aug 2019 at 09:43

It's not uncommon for these AIO over a long time to lose fluid thru permeation. As a result the heat transfer from cpu to heatplate to fluid doesn't then really move the heat to the radiator so poor cooling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fobND-PZUg&t=4s

Jizzy · 3 Aug 2019 at 16:29

Received the ML140's now, will be putting them on shortly so maybe I'll have better cooling.
I'm considering taking the gamble (i've never done it before so its a gamble for me) and converting my whole system into one large loop. The complex thing with my setup is that I have the H115i for my cpu, but I also have 2 of the MSI Seahawk 1080ti's that have AIO's attached already, so in essence I have another 2 H55's (or H60's I can't remember which they are on these)

So its like:
3 x pumps
1 x 280mm radiator
2 x 120mm radiators

So all I need to do is get a reservoir and tubing a loop them up? (if only it was that simple)

Ross Thomson · 3 Aug 2019 at 21:27

Jizzy said:
Ok, thanks for your comments, I'll buy 4x ML140 pros for improvements over the 2 old fans, and go for push/pull hopefully will help.

push pull will make very little difference, at most 5c on a thin AIO rad. 4x ML140's wouldn't have been cheap. unless you are running your fans at max rpm I would have gone for arctic P14 PWM fans

MikeTimbers · 3 Aug 2019 at 23:33

Linking them up with a res and new tubing is certainly doable but not to be undertaken lightly. There are a few videos on replacing the tubing on an AIO, the most doable being cutting the tubing just above the barb and then putting new larger tubing over the stub of the old tubing and using clamps to hold the new tube in place. Having three pump/blocks may potentially work against you but should be OK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvfSj6cZf5Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDeDnm3V3j4

Jizzy · 4 Aug 2019 at 00:12

MikeTimbers said:
Linking them up with a res and new tubing is certainly doable but not to be undertaken lightly. There are a few videos on replacing the tubing on an AIO, the most doable being cutting the tubing just above the barb and then putting new larger tubing over the stub of the old tubing and using clamps to hold the new tube in place. Having three pump/blocks may potentially work against you but should be OK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvfSj6cZf5Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDeDnm3V3j4

Thanks Mike, I've spent some of the day on Youtube watching videos, and I've watched both of them.
I'm getting more and more tempted to do it, but my worry is the plastic barbs and them breaking or damaging them removing or adding the tubes, I wonder if I could remove the barbs and and use proper watercooler connectors?

MikeTimbers · 4 Aug 2019 at 19:38

I think if it were possible these guys would have done it. Cutting the tubing so it's only an inch long means you shouldn't be in danger of breaking the original fitting. Then use standard soft tubing of whatever size you need and a clamp. I'm not convinced that in linking them all you'd see any overall performance improvement by the way.

Jizzy · 4 Aug 2019 at 22:25

MikeTimbers said:
I think if it were possible these guys would have done it. Cutting the tubing so it's only an inch long means you shouldn't be in danger of breaking the original fitting. Then use standard soft tubing of whatever size you need and a clamp. I'm not convinced that in linking them all you'd see any overall performance improvement by the way.

I'm starting to think that way as well. My graphics cards don't have any issues with heat, so why touch them? I think I was getting a head of myself after watching all these videos. I suppose the only thing is that eventually my graphics cards may end up with air in too?
My cpu is the issue at the moment, or well my cpu cooler is, so I could either try refilling the H115i, buy a new AIO or do a loop only for CPU.

My only thoughts about looping everything together is that if I did that I could have a 280mm radiator on top and a 360mm on front, and get some of the thicker ones rather then the standard aio thickness ones.

MikeTimbers · 5 Aug 2019 at 12:07

Custom is always going to be "better" but the question is always is it so much better as to be worth it. I have two completely custom rigs and two that use AIO. The custom ones are both dual GPU, dual rad, etc. and yeah, they're nice but one of them is much noisier than I'd like and the other one keeps getting bubbles in the same place. The two that use AIO for cpu and G10+AIO for the GPU are relatively stress-free and quiet and much cheaper!

Jizzy · 5 Aug 2019 at 16:59

MikeTimbers said:
Custom is always going to be "better" but the question is always is it so much better as to be worth it. I have two completely custom rigs and two that use AIO. The custom ones are both dual GPU, dual rad, etc. and yeah, they're nice but one of them is much noisier than I'd like and the other one keeps getting bubbles in the same place. The two that use AIO for cpu and G10+AIO for the GPU are relatively stress-free and quiet and much cheaper!

Thanks for the input Mike, I think plan will be to buy the parts to try refilling the old H115i, try that and if it goes fine then leave it at that. If it then either looks like its not going to back together right or seal right or w/e then bite the bullet and buy what I need for the custom loop, get a cpu block, maybe try reusing the radiator, a small resevoir & pump combo and the tubing and connectors to match. Have the list ready In case plan A fails.