****Revised 01/12/19****
The CLC 280 is beating my H150i Pro by 8c on a Core i7-2600k that I have a stable overclock of 5.0ghz at 1.48v while running Prime95 Blend. With my 9900k the CLC 280 hits 91c @ 4.8ghz, 1.312v, Prime95 Small FFT, while the 9900k throttles with the H150i. It's pretty sad that a smaller cooler is beating a bigger one that's made by the No.1 company in AIO cooling.
The only 2 drawbacks with the CLC 280 is the software is buggy and the fans are loud at 100%. I don't mind the loud fans because I favor performance but people who favor quiet over performance will. IMHO, someone who is seeking silence should look at a larger heatsink or a 240mm AIO cooler, and they should probably run their gear at or near stock settings.
If you're looking for the best AIO cooler on the market in terms of performance, then get the CLC 280. Just look at the independent benchmarks......... it beats everything.
*****Original Review********
Too many Pros to list. The fans that are used on the clc280 have decent Static pressure and this propels the clc280 over the older h115i and the x62 but these are very slight gains that aren't worth considering when push comes to shove.
-One of the best AIO coolers you can get. If you don't give 2 cents about abundant RGB lighting then get this.... I did. This one only has the bare minimum. Go check reviews of 280mm AIO coolers and you will see the EVGA clc280 tops all the charts, but like I said it's by a degree or 2 over the other 280mm radiators.
- I also have the older H115i that came with the SP series fans and the EVGA clc280 is much quieter when the fans are cranked to 100%.
-These 360mm AIO coolers really don't have much more cooling power than a good 280mm AIO cooler. What you have to look at is square mm or inches here. The 360mm x 120mm radiators only give you 10% more square area, but they only cool a degree or 2 better on an overclocked processor.
-The reason I go with an AIO cooler over a large heatsink is because it's easier to manage. Large heatsinks obstruct parts like the RAM, fan headers and sometimes they are too close to the 8-Pin CPU connector. These chunky heatsinks have become so bad that you need to go to their site to look up a compatibility list to see if they will work with your motherboard. The only pluses I can give a large heatsink is they cool better than a 120mm x 120mm AIO cooler, they won't leak, and the don't have a pump.
-EVGA! What a wonderful company to do business with. Best customer support in the hardware industry. My registered products list is a mile long because I know I'm getting a Top notch product with EVGA. When my GTX 590 died, the RMA was approved within 2 emails....... and I got a much better card in the end. One time I couldn't get a 790i motherboard to boot correctly which happened on a Sunday. Their support rep walked me through the steps and I got that board running in No Time. EVGA is a pleasure to do business with. I had no problems dropping $750 on a GTX 1080ti with these guys.
3 weeks ago I had a 10 email exchange with Corsair over a k95 keyboard.
-When I unboxed this cooler, it came with the 140mm fans installed and what was in the box seemed a little bit better organized than Corsair's offerings. I added this after I unboxed an H150i pro and all of this dawned on me after I spent 10+ minutes on organizing everything and installing the 3x 120mm fans on the H150i.
Cons:
These big AIO coolers do have more cooling power than a large heatsink like the D15 but it's not that much more when you think about it. You are going to get more bang for your buck with a Scythe Mugen 5 or the Fuma. If you have plans to do any real overclocking then get the EVGA clc280. If you want something that works well then get the Mugen 5.
-The link software/Flow Control doesn't run that great with AMD processors. If you're looking for an AIO cooler to run with a Ryzen CPU then get the Corsair. I loathe having to use the Link cable which I hate for many reasons. The cable is messy and it hinders cable management. Corsair and NZXT uses this able too. I had a problem with the H115i I bought a couple years ago for a Core i7-6800k, and I could not get it resolved until I found an unrelated thread that said to turn off all Windows power saving features to the USB 2.0 ports in Device Manager.
-No matter what you get, it's an Asetek cooler. The only difference between one or the other is the fans that are used, and which generation Asetek pump it has. These are generally all the same so if you're going to buy one then you might as well buy an EVGA since it cools a degree or 2 better than the H115i or the x62 and you get EVGA's unrivaled customer support. The EVGA clc280 used the Asetek Gen 5 pump but the newer H150i Pro and the newer H115i Pro used the 6th Gen Asetek pump.
-You have to run the fans at max, which is quite loud, for it to get the performance that buries larger heat sinks.
-There is always a chance it will leak. Although I have owned many Corsair AIO coolers and not one of them has ever leaked. The older coolers from 2011-2013 had a higher chance of leaking because AIO coolers from 5 years ago aren't as well refined as today's AIO coolers. You have a much higher chance of the pump dying. I've studied anxiety and CBT and even if there is a 1 in 10k chance of something happening, people will still freak out about it. EVGA, Corsair, and NZXT will pay for the parts that are damaged by a leak just as long as you correctly installed the cooler and you didn't modify it.
-The Flow software is buggy. EVGA seems to have software issues with many of their products so no surprise here. If I select to have the Flow software run on startup, it will fail.
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EVGA CLC 120 CL11 Liquid / Water CPU Cooler, Intel Cooling 400-HY-CL11-V1
The liquid cooler from EVGA gives you incredible performance, low noise and amazing performance. Available in 120mm radiator size with a fan designed to reduce noise and provide superior airflow.
Long-life sleeve Bearing fan
These fans are built for superior cooling and lower noise. The Long-life sleeve bearings increase the lifespan of your fan.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2018
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Jacob
Perfect for your Alienware Aurora R12
Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2022Size: CL11Style: Non-RGBVerified Purchase
Jacob
Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2022
note: I also ordered Noctua thermal compound. this is a good idea, as the Aurora chassis generates a lot of ambient heat inside of the case, which could shorten the life and effectiveness of a lesser thermal compound. Of course the supplied thermal compound is sufficient and hassle free, so pick whichever you prefer.
1. Remove case side panel and top cover. Remove top cover by gently prying one of the corners of the top shroud, with your fingernail. this will remove somewhat easily, and dont worry about breaking it, its very sturdy and designed for removal this way.
2. Remove the stock Air CPU cooler. remove cable from motherboard, and remove the 4 screws on each corner of the air cooler, loosening screws evenly until fully unscrewed.
3. clean off the old thermal compound from the IHS (internal heat spreader i.e. top of your processor). rubbing alcohol and several q-tips makes cleaning a breeze. be sure to remove all compound and residue for best thermal contact with zero air bubbles.
4. remove top-fan. remove the 2 screws on either side of the fan bracket on the top of the interior of the case. once the fan assembly is removed, cut the rubber pins out and remove them entirely. this can be done with scissors, a utility knife, or simply by pulling on them until they break apart.
5. take your new Asetek (uhh I mean, EVGA) liquid cooler, from the box, remove the plastic cover from the waterblock assembly, and remove the thermal compound from the copper plate. Be careful not to scratch or score the copper, as it is important to remain as flat as possible to avoid any air pockets. Take q-tips and rubbing alcohol to remove stock compound, making sure not to leave any fibres from the q tip behind. blow them off, do not touch copper with your finger. NOTE: if you are using the already applied thermal compound, of course skip this step.
6. if you have removed the compound and are using your own, place plastic cover back onto the underside of the waterblock. this will protect the copper from damage during installation.
7. install the radiator to the top of the case, placing the water hoses to the RIGHT. Lay your case on its side, and hold the radiator from inside, while you screw in radiator from the top. there are 4 screws clearly marked on the top of the exterior of the case.
8. Once the radiator is installed, take the mounting bracket for the waterblock and install it to the waterblock. Place the bracket on the underside of the block, and turn it until it locks into place. NOTE: this is where you can choose the orientation of the block. I have mine slightly angled for aesthetics and less stress on the hoses.
9. Once the locking bracket is installed on the block, leave the waterblock covered, and off to the side. Place thermal compound onto the IHS of the CPU ( compound bead should be about the size of a grain of rice. the more, can mean the messier, and not necessarily help performance.)
10. Place water block onto the 4 standoff points of the motherboard surrounding the CPU, you will see 4 of them in the shape of a square. Place the waterblock on the standoffs matching with your chosen block orientation and screw-holes on the bracket, to the standoffs on the motherboard. Screw them in with the supplied thumb-screws. Once all 4 thumb-screws are hand-tightened, gently fasten them with a screw driver, applying even and gentle pressure. Do not overtighten! very slightly over hand tightened is all we want.
11. Install the top fan onto the underside of the radiator in the case. Make sure that the fan sticker, is facing the direction you want your air to flow. in this case we want the air exhausting up and out, so place the fan sticker, hidden side up facing the radiator, this direction will pull air out of the case. Install the 4 long screws, fastening the fan to the top - mounted radiator. You can move the water hoses around to make using your screw driver easier, fastening the 4 screws.
12. plug in your fan connector as well as your CPU block to the marked connectors on the motherboard. these are marked TOP FAN and CPU
There you have it, I hope this helped as the instructions supplied in the box were somewhat vague. I have owned several closed loop coolers from my builds over the years and each seem to have loose directions, so im not docking any points for that one.
FINAL NOTE: I opted to use the factory DELL fan for the top fan cooling my radiator. this is because the fan supplied with the cooler, runs at 100% due to DELLS ALIENFX Software. This is fine, if you want maximum cooling performance, it works well as I tried it with the EVGA fan and saw load temps as low as 39 degrees C running Blender. Finally I opted to go with the DELL fan as it works with AlienFX and its automatically controlled, no longer running at 100%.
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Amazon Customer
Great performance out of the box, but I recommend replacing the fans
Reviewed in Canada on April 11, 2021
Mohammad Zahri
an emergency purchase i did not regret
Reviewed in Singapore on February 8, 2022Mackb
A good cooler for a good price. (Ryzen 1600X)
Reviewed in Canada on August 17, 2017
