Performance
Cooling
performance
Other coolers seem to be close to each
other in performance. But delving into details, we can see that the Swiftech
H220 delivers very high performance. It is obviously superior to the air super
cooler Phanteks equipped with two quiet fans, winning by 3-4 °C at peak load
except for the quietest mode (800 RPM). Moreover, Swiftech H220 is more
effective than Corsair H100i which was considered to be the winner in our
previous reviews of ready-made liquid cooling systems.
Diagram
of results
Its two fans work at the maximum speed of 2,670
RPM, the Corsair still lags 2°C behind the Swiftech which runs its default
Helix 120 fans at 1750 RPM. And if we compare them at the same fan speed, the
Corsair looks even worse: Swiftech is better 7 at 1,200 RPM, 6 at 1,000 RPM and
7 at 800 RPM. That’s a large distance. We could have expected that from a manufacturer
of professional components for liquid cooling systems!
Installing alternative fans (Corsair AF120)
on the Swiftech H220 radiator helped to reduce the temperature at every speed.
Thus, the default Helix 120 fans seem to limit the potential of the H220
system.
Next, we checked Swiftech H220 and its
competitors with the CPU overclocked to 4.5 GHz at a voltage of 1.435 volts.
Diagram
of result
Despite the increased heat dissipation of
the CPU, Swiftech is still better than Corsair H100i as well as Phanteks. The
H220 is 5°C better than H100i at the same speed of fans (1,200 and 1,000 RPM, the
Corsair not coping with the overclocked CPU at 800 RPM). Only by running its
fans at higher speed that the Corsair H100i can match the performance of the
Swiftech H220, but that’s no consolation since these systems are incomparable
in terms of noise at their top speeds.
The interesting point is, installing
Corsair AF120 fans on the Swiftech radiator improved the cooler’s performance by
20C at peak CPU load only at 1,670 and 800 RPM. The performance
remains unchanged at medium speeds (1,200 and 1,000 RPM). The Phanteks
PH-TC14PE is 2 to 40C inferior to the Swiftech H220.
Finally, we wanted to check whether the
H220 can keep the CPU stable at 7 higher clock rate and voltage or not. So we
increased the voltage to 1.485 volts and overclocked our CPU to 4.625 GHz. The
Swiftech H220 turned out to be able to keep the CPU stable at such settings but
only at the maximum speed of its default or alternative fans.
The top CPU temperature is homogeneous in
both cases, so the default Helix 120 fans are as efficient as the alternative
Corsair AF120 fans in this case.
Noise level
We measured the noise level of each
cooler’s fans throughout the entire speed range. And below is the result:
Noise
level of cooler’s fans
Swiftech H220 still works well in this
test, proving to be the fastest among the four tested device, though its
advantage over the Corsair H100i isn’t large in this respect. The Swiftech’s
default Helix 120 fans run so quiet that replacing them with the high quality
and expensive Corsair AF120 fans doesn’t make any difference. Otherwise, we
must confess that we could hear the electrical sound of the fan’s motor at low
speed of the Helix 120 PWM fans (up to 1,000 RPM). It was not too irritating,
yet the fans would be better without it.
We can see the significant difference in
noise level between the Phanteks super cooler with its default fans and the
Corsair AF140 fans. While Phanteks’s default fans are only quiet at 750 RPM,
the AF140 fans reach the same noise level of 36 dBA at 1010 RPM. The quiet mode
(33 dBA), the Phanteks fans are worse by about 270 RPM. Corsair’s AF140 fans
are much better subjectively, too.
Conclusion
We separated the Corsair H100i with its
high performance in our previous liquid cooling systems reviews but the
Swiftech H220 sets an ultimate reference point for an ideal liquid cooling
solution. After this review, we have every right to state that any system that
yields to Swiftech H220 in cooling efficiency and acoustic performance should
not be considered as a potential alternative to a high performance air cooler.
Now, the only thing to do is dropping Swiftech H220 by $30-40, so that it could
really start competing against such super coolers as Phanteks PH-TC14PE or
Thermalright Silver Arrow SB-E. However, in our opinion, a price cut like that
is unlikely.
Assembled only with high quality
professional components developed exclusively by Swiftech, the Swiftech H220 is
an etalon for liquid cooling systems. It certifies unrivalled performance in
terms of CPU cooling at minimum noise level. The advantages of the Swiftech
H220 include solid copper radiator, serviceability (you can add more coolant to
the contour), expandability (you can add more waterblocks to the contour),
support for all modern CPU platforms, ease of installation, reliable water
block fastening and flexible in terms of the radiator placement. We should also
point out unique 8-channel PWM controller, which you will not find by any other
makers. All these combined make Swiftech H220 an indisputable Editor’s Choice
from X-bit labs.
Swiftech H220 Liquid Cooling System specs
Radiator
·
Material: Brass tubes, louvered copper fins
·
Body dimensions: 269x128x29 mm
·
Fill-port thread class: G ¼
·
Reservoir capacity: 90cc
·
Barb fittings: Integrated 900
elbows, 3/8’’ (10mm) OD
Default fan
·
Dimension: 120x120x25 mm
·
Speed control: PWM
·
Speed range: 800+/- 25% ~ 1800+/- 10% RPM
·
Airflow range: 24~55 CFM
·
Static pressure range: 0.53~ 2.29 mmH20
·
Noise level range: <16~<33 dB/A
·
Nominal Voltage: 12 v
·
Nominal current: 0.2 v
·
Bearing Type: Z-axis
·
Connector: Mini 4-pin
·
MTBF: 60,000 hours
·
ROHS: Compliant
Waterblock with integrated pump
·
Cold plate material: C110 copper
·
Cooling engine: 0.25mm x 0.25mm micro-pin
array
·
Barb fittings: Integrated swivel 900
elbows, 3/8’’ (10mm)OD
·
Speed control: PWM
·
Speed range: 1200~3000 RP,
·
Nominal voltage: 12 v
·
Nominal power: 6W
·
Bearing Type: Ceramic shaft, PTFE bearing
·
Connector: Mini 4-pin
·
MTBF: 60,000 hours
PWM splitter
·
PWM Ports: 8
·
RPM signal port: Channel 1
·
Power connector: Molex 4-pin
·
PWM/RPM connector: Mini 4-pin
·
Installation hardware: Peel-off sticker,
mounting screws & nuts
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