Test System & Temperature Results

Test System

Testing Procedure

All testing is done at a room temperature of 23°C (73°F) with a 1°C margin of error. The coolers are tested with Turbo, EIST, and C1E enabled, which will allow the CPU to clock down to a low 1.6 GHz while idle, or clock up to proper speeds under stock and overclocked conditions. The retail Intel Core i7-4770K I use for testing at stock is set to load-optimized defaults with the CPU's voltage at a static 1.15 V. Overclocked, the processor is running at 4.2 GHz on the CPU and 3.9 GHz on cache, with respective voltages set to 1.20 V and 1.15 V. During all these tests, fans are set to run at 100% in the BIOS, with temperatures being recorded by AIDA64.

The idle test will consist of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 15 minutes. This will allow for a stable temperature reading that will be recorded at the end of those 15 minutes.

Wprime and AIDA64's CPU-stability test represent typical multi-threaded loads. Both offer consistent results, with one being a benchmarking application and the other a stability test. Both are run for 15 minutes before the peak reading during the test is recorded and taken as the result. This test lets enthusiasts know what temperatures they can expect to see with games and applications. Wprime is set to eight threads while AIDA64 is configured to stress the CPU, FPU, cache, and system memory.

AIDA64 offers maximum heat generation when set to stress just the FPU in the stability test, which will really push the CPU. This test represents extreme loads much like LinX, Prime95, and other extreme stress tests many users are familiar with.

Idle Temperatures

The Corsair H105 performs as expected at idle. At stock, it does decently, ending in the middle of pack by tying many coolers. However, it manages to tie the likes of the Dark Rock Pro 3 and Phanteks PH-TC12DX when the CPU is overclocked.

Typical Load Temperatures

Loading up Wprime and running the 1024m test, the Hydro Series H105 manages to take the top spot by 1°C at stock and 2°C with the CPU overclocked.


The AIDA64 CPU stability benchmark has the Hydro Series H105 take the top spot by 2°C at stock and 3°C when overclocked.

Max Load Temperatures

Corsair's cooler manages to seriously impress during the extreme heat test as it claims the top spot with a lead of 3°C at stock, and it improves that lead to 4°C with the system overclocked. With the fans set to 50%, the H105 hits 70°C at stock and 83°C with the overclock. While not as amazing as its 4°C lead, the cooler's performance at 50% is still, well, amazing.