Aurora R4 ( Need advices )

I just read your post on Corsair H80i

and I watched some youtube video on installing H80i

I saw some of them need to screw extra space from the Alienware case, need extra holes to connect the screws....

--------------------

Does H80i fit with Aurora's cooling system without making any changes to the case?

Thank you !!

The Corsair H80i installs without any modifications to the standard Aurora R4 chassis (I don't have the fancy ALX chassis, but I would image the ALX Chassis would work too).

Nor did I need to install the back mounting bracket to the motherboard. I have an intel core quad chip and I used the back mounting bracket that the old cooling pump to easily screw in the Corsair's mounting screws to the intel brackets. So if you have an intel processor, you can skip step 2 in the H80i instructions.

If you have an AMD processor, that does require a different mounting set up and I would do further research if you have an AMD processor how difficult it would be to mount to an AMD processor.

So if you have the standard Aurora R4 chassis and have an intel chip, like my Aurora, you will be fine, but I have five important pieces of advice to installing the H80i with ease:

1) Get that Arctic Silver kit, a microfiber cloth and a coffee filter to thoroughly clean the old thermal grease off the CPU. You won't need to apply a fresh coat of thermal paste, because the H80i has pre-applied thermal paste on the mount plate, but since you will eventually need to apply a fresh coat in a year or so, it will be good to have some on hand.

2) Install  both of the H80i's fans with the airflow going inside your Aurora. If you examine the fans, you will see imprinted on one of the sides an arrow pointing to where the airflow goes. Make sure the arrows are pointing inside your Aurora.

3) And this was my mistake and the reason for my post: DO NOT install the H80i's 3-pin pump RPM wire into the System Fan connector. Rather DO install it into the connector labeled CPU Fan. If you do connect it into the System Fan connection, you will get that error prompt as described in my post. If you install it into the CPU Fan connector, everything will be fine.

4) Before removing the old pump, read the section in the Aurora's manual on removing and replacing the thermal pump. Also study where to find an available USB connector pin on your motherboard. I found it with the help the Aurora's manual, which I had to download off the dell support site.  On my motherboard, the USB connectors were on the bottom of motherboard.  I would strongly encourage you to make sure your motherboard does have an available  USB connector. If you don't have an available USB on you motherboard, use cannot install the H80i!!! On my motherboard I only had one available USB connector before installing the H80i.

5) I ran into some issues with installing the Corsair Link (the software that controls the H80i). The current release version posted on the H80i's download page did not detect either fans or the pump. When I called Corsair, they recommended me to install the beta release version 2.5.5145 which can be downloaded here: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=118618 though I installed the current beta-version 2.6.5214 instead, and everything works great.

So I would recommend to install the current release version found here http://www.corsair.com/en-us/hydro-series-h80i-high-performance-liquid-cpu-cooler and if the software doesn't detect both H80i's fans, the pump and have the lighting control app, then download one of the beta versions, uninstall the release version, reboot, then install one of the beta versions.  Also, once you get the software installed and working properly, go and find the update link inside the software, which is on the tab labeled Options then down to devices (at least on my version of the software). When I did, the Corsair updated the driver.

Any further question or assistance, please feel free to ask.

Oh, one other topic to mention, is that the Corsair Link and the Alienware Thermal Control Panel will both work together, though the Alienware Command Center will detect the H80i in my Aurora (though I'm using an older version of the Command Center) as a CPU fan, not a pump. In the Corsair link, it will detect all of the other fans in the system, but it won't give me manual control of non-Corsair fans (which is fine).  Other Alienware fans can still be manually controlled in the command center if you want (though I don't recommend messing with the default settings of the Alienware fans).

3) And this was my mistake and the reason for my post: DO NOT install the H80i's 3-pin pump RPM wire into the System Fan connector. Rather DO install it into the connector labeled CPU Fan. If you do connect it into the System Fan connection, you will get that error prompt as described in my post. If you install it into the CPU Fan connector, everything will be fine.

I did, but I still get an error ?

sorry my bad, It did come only the first time I boot the pc after installing the h80i,, after the first time every thing is smooth.

but the cpu temp still 40-50 C ? not 30's C ! 

3) And this was my mistake and the reason for my post: DO NOT install the H80i's 3-pin pump RPM wire into the System Fan connector. Rather DO install it into the connector labeled CPU Fan. If you do connect it into the System Fan connection, you will get that error prompt as described in my post. If you install it into the CPU Fan connector, everything will be fine.

I did, but I still get an error ?

sorry my bad, It did come only the first time I boot the pc after installing the h80i,, after the first time every thing is smooth.

but the cpu temp still 40-50 C ? not 30's C ! 

My CPU temps are pretty low, when the room temperature is around 70 degrees F as in my shot of my desktop which in Ocean Beach, is the year round norm . However, when the weather does get hot, so do my idle temps. If your room temps are warm, lets say high 70's low 80's 40's-50's at idle, that is in the ball bark of norm, but I do agree, if your room temps are relatively low your idle temps are still a little warm.

1. First of all did you install the Corsair Link Software and do you run it at the start up of your computer? If you don't run the software, your twin fans may not be at the proper rpm.

2. Did you install both fans with the arrows pointing inside your R4 (airflow direction)?

3. Is your graphics driver up to date?

4. Check to see if you are running too many background programs that keep your CPU busy at idle. I found Iolo's System Mechanic a wonderful program to eliminate redundant/bloated software, fix hard drive errors, fix registry errors and in general have a much smoother and efficient pc performance.

5. Is your bios up to date or at least have a relatively updated bios?

6. Does your R4 have enough airflow in the back? I would say a good 6  inches away from any surfaces would give you proper airflow.

7. Did you clean off the old thermal paste on your CPU either using a thermal paste cleaning solution or rubbing alcohol before installing the H80i?

first I want to thank you darkpool for everything you did for the community, I appreciate this.

and yes I did everything in the list up there, and you are right, it's hot these days here.

the outside temp is around 45 C. I think this is the problem,,,, I will let the A/C work and cool the room for while and I will do the test again. I will let you know as soon I get a the numbers.

Thinking of getting the H80i to replace stock water cooling, but cannot understand why you would want air to go inside the case from the outside. wouldn't you want it to get the heat from inside to go out?

Thinking of getting the H80i to replace stock water cooling, but cannot understand why you would want air to go inside the case from the outside. wouldn't you want it to get the heat from inside to go out?

Because it's cooler. But Dell does it the other way to also use radiator fan as exhaust fan.

Wouldn't you be trapping heat inside the box. Where would the heat inside it go if there is no exhaust? I have the alx case with the fins but no fans to direct heat to go up and out. There is only the one pci fan and the cpu fan, which is located on the radiator.

Wouldn't you be trapping heat inside the box. Where would the heat inside it go if there is no exhaust? I have the alx case with the fins but no fans to direct heat to go up and out. There is only the one pci fan and the cpu fan, which is located on the radiator.

I thought that at first,,,

actually it doesn't  , it's the opposite,  after I used the H80i the whole temperature went down. the hard drive, the graphic card ( between 2 - 3 c degree ) beside the cpu OFC. I don't know why but the only explanation is the h80i fans are cooling my aurora from inside out.

you don't have to make the airflow pointing inside, you can do it the other way around. 

after installed h80i,  my cpu temperature at idle is around 35-37 (55-60 before), gaming 40-45 (90-100 before).

so far h80i is working great for me except the noise when gaming, but I understand, summer is here.

I hope h80i can last longer, because I really don't like overheating problems.

By blowing air inside the R4, the cooler outside air can cool the radiator coils better than sucking the inside, warmer air, thus reducing CPU temps.  It seems my R4's ventilation is better with the H80i blowing cool air in and venting warm air out through the top and bottom vents.

I have noticed a 1 degree Celsius drop with senors 2 and 3 in the Command Center (senor 1 is unchanged) with the H80i blowing into my R4 and have seen my GTX 760 drop two to three degrees.  I have not been measuring my hard drive temps, so I can not account for hard drive temp changes. The most dramatic temperature reduction is the CPU, running at least 10 degrees less than the stock radiator blowing out.