Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF Liquid CPU Cooler Review

Mini-ITX Small Form Factor Liquid CPU Cooling

I have been a small form factor PC fan for a while.  If you have been following this site, or the Youtube channel then you have seen my Ultimate Small Form Factor Mini-ITX build.

One of the biggest problem with small Mini-ITX builds is often the lack of space for high end cooling solutions.  Thankfully Corsair recognized this and developed the H5 SF.

Corsair originally built The H5 SF for their Bulldog system.  They then realized that there was a market for the cooler and decided to sell it as a standalone product.  It fills a major hole in the market, as it is currently the only small form factor all in one liquid CPU cooler on the market.

Corsair H5 SF Specs:

• Radiator dimensions: 167mm x 40mm x 57mm
• Total cooler height: 84mm
• Fan dimensions: 120mm x 32mm
• Fan speed: 1000 – 1800 RPM
• Fan airflow: 12 – 24 CFM
• Fan pressure: 2.5 – 8.3 mmH2O
• Fan noise level: 36 – 42 dB(A)

What Comes In The Box?

• Hydro Series H5 SF Low-Profile Liquid CPU Cooler
• Cooler Mounting Hardware
• CPU Mounting Hardware
• Detailed installation guide
• Warranty leaflet
• Mini-ITX motherboards

Performance

For full performance numbers including temperature readings and sound test samples, watch the full video review above.

Conclusion

The Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF is a product that I have been waiting for, for a long time.  Its goal is to offer advance cooling in a very small and flexible package.  It succeeds in that task.  As you saw in the video the H5 SF temps were significantly lower than the Noctua LN9i temps.

In addition to cooling the CPU it also cools other components because it pulls out a lot of the ambient air in your case.  I noticed my graphics card (Nvidia Quadro K1200), RAM, and motherboard were all running a little cooler.  This is an excellent AIO low profile cooler.

The only issue I have with the H5 SF is the fan noise.  For me personally, the fan was just too loud.  It sounded like I had a 980ti going full blast at all times, and then it got even louder under load.  I understood that there would be compromises with a radiator this dense, and a blower style fan.  I just didn’t realize just how loud it actually would be.

So if you are an Overclocker, or have a heavy workload that stresses your CPU I would definitely recommend picking the Corsair H5 SF up.  Just be ready for a loud experience.