Test Setup
We will use our standard air cooler test rig which you can read more about in this article. We’ve made a pair of changes by swapping in a Radeon R9 290X in the graphics slot and upgrading the test bench to a Lian Li PC-T60B. The new test bench gives a bit more ventilation and improves heat transfer by being aluminum instead of MDF.
We are using a Ryzen 7 2700X set to all core frequencies of 3.7GHz and 4.1GHz with PBO disabled to allow for a constant level of heat production. We will run loops of CineBench R20 at various fan levels and record the observed temperatures. We will also compare it to the other coolers we have tested thus far.
Installation
Installation was a relatively straightforward event – add the cross bars and drop the cooler on it and tighten the screws on the top assuming you can find a screw driver in your toolbox with sufficient reach.
The fan installation was interesting as the rails had to be installed on the fans and then they could be slid down into the tower assembly. This allowed us to bump the height of the fan a few millimeters if it happened to get in the way of the memory below it.
Of note, CORSAIR does not include printed instructions within the box but provides an online installation guide that runs you through each of the steps. I’m a bit old school in that printed manuals are quite helpful for main system components like coolers and motherboards.
The other part of the packaging that was less than ideal was the use of paper pouches for the various parts for installation. It makes the part organization a one way street which is challenging in the review world when I need to put it back in the box with all the parts in a way I won’t lose them.
With everything comfortably situated, let’s see if the CORSAIR A115 is ready to be cool!