- last edited on by
ROGBot
Hi there.
In this thread, I share my recent hardware change from be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 to Corsair Hydro Series H115i RGB Platinum. I've got ASUS ROG Strix X299-E Gaming and be quiet! Silent Base 800, which introduced some complications for me.
So, the deal is, I was tired from the huge Dark Rock Pro 3. When I placed the order, I didn't realize just how heavy it will feel. I didn't feel confident to let it hanging off my mobo, so I had a horizontal PC for some three years, 2017 - 2020.
I thought it was time to get it on its feet, so the research led me to Corsair's Hydro Series H115i RGB Platinum. I was wanted in reviews that it might be too big for my case, but I didn't worry so much. In the worst-case scenario, I could have attached the radiator sideways. I really wanted to move forward. Due to how hard it is to take out the Dark Rock Pro 3, the whole thing needed to be disassembled. I've made many pics form then, but here is the one probably everyone wants to see. 😉
That was arctic silver 5. So, the whole box was dismantled, and put back together. This giant was left behind.
Not selling. I will keep it in case my new water cooling fails.
So, the area around my CPU and RAM was finally free.
I was close but not quite yet there. See, there were a couple of logistical issues with the case and the mobo.
Issue 1: H115i and Silent Base 800 won't go together
It was a calculated risk. Upon receiving the H115i, I could see that there are no designated holes for the H115i's screws. I had the option to drill them through, but couldn't bother. So, for this one, I removed completely the roof of my case, and duct-taped the unwanted airflow.
From the top, that looked like.
That's right, you also see an HDD at the top. Since the roof was gone, it was convenient to pull SATA power and data cables up there and make more space inside for other things. As you may have heard, Silent Base 800 also has very few cable holes, which makes cable management a pretty unthankful job.
Oh, let's not forget how my power switch looks like right now.
Issue 2: H115i and Asus Rog x299-E Gaming Strix won't go together
As it happens, H115i also wants USB connection, and for that Corsair provides a cable that requires a 9-pin USB connector on the mobo. The problem: e gaming has only got one, at USB910, so one is apparently forced to choose between plugging the pump (to gain some control over it), and having working USB connectors on the case.
Well, I cheated here. The pump connector looked like a USB-C, so I found an ordinary USB-C to USB cable and used it to connect the pump to an external USB connector. It actually worked.
So, that is what I am at.
Conclusions
Was the change worth it? Hell yea!
Pros:
- Both Dark Rock Pro 3 and H115i do the work of cooling my CPU, except with H115i I can finally keep my PC in a vertical position.
- I have much more space for working on the mobo now. I will never again need to take everything apart in order to swap RAM!
- RGB has its own vanity value!
Cons:
- The screws that came with H115i were unusually hard to tie through the radiator. Considerable force was needed, beyond what I am comfortable using at any piece of hardware. So, that seemed like a cheap work on Corsair's part.
- Perhaps it won't matter to anyone else, but the pump sometimes makes erm... pumping noise, pump.... pump.... pump.... at ~1 second intervals. This is a touch louder than what I am used to from the Dark Rock Pro 3. Dark Rock Pro 3's loudest moments had definitely been quieter than H115i's, despite the average being unnoticeable by me for both.
- I blame the case for not having matching screw holes, or me for not compromising to make them myself. As shared before, I plan to move to Thermaltake W200 (or such), which should let that RGB show.
Tip:
If the case top could be placed between the radiator and its coolers, it would be possible to put its rooftop back. Like this, nopes, the rooftop has to remain off the case.
In this thread, I share my recent hardware change from be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 to Corsair Hydro Series H115i RGB Platinum. I've got ASUS ROG Strix X299-E Gaming and be quiet! Silent Base 800, which introduced some complications for me.
So, the deal is, I was tired from the huge Dark Rock Pro 3. When I placed the order, I didn't realize just how heavy it will feel. I didn't feel confident to let it hanging off my mobo, so I had a horizontal PC for some three years, 2017 - 2020.
I thought it was time to get it on its feet, so the research led me to Corsair's Hydro Series H115i RGB Platinum. I was wanted in reviews that it might be too big for my case, but I didn't worry so much. In the worst-case scenario, I could have attached the radiator sideways. I really wanted to move forward. Due to how hard it is to take out the Dark Rock Pro 3, the whole thing needed to be disassembled. I've made many pics form then, but here is the one probably everyone wants to see. 😉
That was arctic silver 5. So, the whole box was dismantled, and put back together. This giant was left behind.
Not selling. I will keep it in case my new water cooling fails.
So, the area around my CPU and RAM was finally free.
I was close but not quite yet there. See, there were a couple of logistical issues with the case and the mobo.
Issue 1: H115i and Silent Base 800 won't go together
It was a calculated risk. Upon receiving the H115i, I could see that there are no designated holes for the H115i's screws. I had the option to drill them through, but couldn't bother. So, for this one, I removed completely the roof of my case, and duct-taped the unwanted airflow.
From the top, that looked like.
That's right, you also see an HDD at the top. Since the roof was gone, it was convenient to pull SATA power and data cables up there and make more space inside for other things. As you may have heard, Silent Base 800 also has very few cable holes, which makes cable management a pretty unthankful job.
Oh, let's not forget how my power switch looks like right now.
Issue 2: H115i and Asus Rog x299-E Gaming Strix won't go together
As it happens, H115i also wants USB connection, and for that Corsair provides a cable that requires a 9-pin USB connector on the mobo. The problem: e gaming has only got one, at USB910, so one is apparently forced to choose between plugging the pump (to gain some control over it), and having working USB connectors on the case.
Well, I cheated here. The pump connector looked like a USB-C, so I found an ordinary USB-C to USB cable and used it to connect the pump to an external USB connector. It actually worked.
So, that is what I am at.
Conclusions
Was the change worth it? Hell yea!
Pros:
- Both Dark Rock Pro 3 and H115i do the work of cooling my CPU, except with H115i I can finally keep my PC in a vertical position.
- I have much more space for working on the mobo now. I will never again need to take everything apart in order to swap RAM!
- RGB has its own vanity value!
Cons:
- The screws that came with H115i were unusually hard to tie through the radiator. Considerable force was needed, beyond what I am comfortable using at any piece of hardware. So, that seemed like a cheap work on Corsair's part.
- Perhaps it won't matter to anyone else, but the pump sometimes makes erm... pumping noise, pump.... pump.... pump.... at ~1 second intervals. This is a touch louder than what I am used to from the Dark Rock Pro 3. Dark Rock Pro 3's loudest moments had definitely been quieter than H115i's, despite the average being unnoticeable by me for both.
- I blame the case for not having matching screw holes, or me for not compromising to make them myself. As shared before, I plan to move to Thermaltake W200 (or such), which should let that RGB show.
Tip:
If the case top could be placed between the radiator and its coolers, it would be possible to put its rooftop back. Like this, nopes, the rooftop has to remain off the case.
cekeu wrote:
Be careful not to screw up the thread if it is too hard. make sure the screw follows the thread. I also see that there was too much thermal paste with Dark rock pro.
Do you mean at the CPU? That part worked fine, and yes there is the danger to overtighten it. Do it by the feel.
The screws for the radiator are a different story. They were very hard to work with.
cekeu wrote:
I also see that there was too much thermal paste with Dark rock pro.
Do you mind elaborating? For reference, this is how it looked like before the squish.
martine-dee wrote:
Do you mean at the CPU? That part worked fine, and yes there is the danger to overtighten it. Do it by the feel.
The screws for the radiator are a different story. They were very hard to work with.
Do you mind elaborating? For reference, this is how it looked like before the squish.
By experience, half of this quantity is sufficient for good conductivity of the heat to the radiator.
Yes, I was talking about the radiator screws, it's true that you have to force it a bit but be careful anyway. If there is no leakage then it is good
