Thermal Performance

Everything needed—monitor, peripherals, motherboard w/CPU, and GPU, radiator, PSU, and so forth—is placed in a sealed, climate-controlled box at 25°C +/- 0.05 °C. Each radiator is connected by Koolance QD3 quick disconnects for easier changing of the fans and radiator. The flow rate is held at 1 GPM constant flow rate. The CPU, an Intel Core-i7 4770K at 4.6 GHz and 1.3 V, is held at a constant load using a custom Intel XTU profile, and the GPU, an EVGA GTX 780 Ti Classified under load from Unigine Heaven 4.0 at 1080p with extreme HD settings, is overclocked and overvolted in such a way that the total system power draw is 550 W as measured by a power meter.

A near-constant heat load into the liquid loop by the addition of the CPU and GPU helps quickly achieve stable liquid-loop temperatures as measured by three separate in-line temperature sensors hooked up to an Aquacomputer Aquaero 6 XT. The tubing and fittings are insulated by a sleeve heater, but its heat function is not utilized. Every single measurement is done twice as a means of verification. Any possibility of running a fan outside of its static maximum RPM is minimized by as much as possible by using a comprehensive series of separate fans (Noiseblocker eLoop, B12-1 through B12-4) to cover a broad RPM range while minimizing fan speed variance and, thus, airflow. The results below are the ∆T (coolant temperature - ambient temperature) in °C.


Keep in mind that the current test database does not include many other radiators, with most radiators I have tested before being 480 or 560 mm. Once again, the closest comparison would be the Black Ice Nemesis GTX, but the OEM model with fewer tubes and fin stacks coupled with a lower fin density here means that the CORSAIR Hydro XR7 performs between it and the Nemesis GTS, albeit slightly better relatively at lower fan speeds owing to the lower airflow restriction. It does outperform a lot of radiators and scales well with airflow as seen above. As it is, this is an excellently performing radiator throughout and a testament to CORSAIR making the right choice by going with Hardware Labs for their own radiator line to begin with.