Liquid Cooling Roundup January 2013 featuring Corsair H55, CM Seidon 120M and Antec Kuhler 620 v4

by Stuart Davidson - 24th January 2013

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Liquid Cooling Roundup - Antec 620 v4, Corsair H55 and Cooler Master Seidon 120M (January 2013)

Conclusion

As we saw on the last page when it comes to thermal performance the three coolers are reasonably well matched. Only a couple of degrees Celsius separate them but the experience using each is notably different. The first reason for this the fans used. Corsair opt for the low noise approach (at the expense of a few °C) and it really is something which is noticeable when testing the three products one after the other... in the same way that the Cooler Master fan is very much the loudest of the lot at full RPM.

Installation of the coolers is easy with Antec/Corsair using an identical process but Cooler Master go for their own design which works well. In fact the use of these new brackets is a real bonus on the Seidon which thanks to thicker metal and a better backplate feels like a higher quality unit. That said Cooler Masters LED on top is a bit of a non-event... it's not bright enough or specific enough (e.g. a logo) to make much difference.

For other differences the tubing used on Antec and Corsair's models is easier to work with and users will have to decide if the dual connector (Corsair/CM) or single connector (Antec) design is more to their tastes.

When it comes to value, those concerned about noise at full RPM may just get away with the 620, and will be fine with the H55 as is. Seidon users will need to buy an alternative fan though which adds a little extra cost. Other than that they all price around the same level so the choice should be down to how the various design tweaks appeal to each consumer.

Corsair H55 Liquid CPU Cooler