Introduction

We began our coverage of CORSAIR's Hydro X series of custom watercooling products with the XC9 CPU water block in July, and last month saw the review of the Hydro X XG7 GPU block. I had brought up then that there would be more articles continuing down this path, and here we are as threatened! This time, we move away from the water blocks and on to something more universal and just as critical to a PC custom watercooling loop with the Hydro X Series XD5 pump/reservoir combo unit. A two-in-one of sorts, we thanks CORSAIR again for sending along a review sample to TechPowerUp!


Given it continues the trend of very long product names, I am henceforth using "Hydro XD5 pump/reservoir combo" for CORSAIR's first open loop pump and reservoir, if only to save my fingers a touch. That aside, the name shows that the excellent Xylem D5 pump is used, which is still the go-to recommendation for a pump with a great balance of a quiet operation, high flow performance, and reliable longevity. The reservoir itself uses the rectangular cuboid shape with more pronounced edges instead of sharp corners, a design move that has become popular recently with several manufacturers, including Watercool and Swiftech going with thick borosilicate glass. Looking to continue their attempt at providing more user and cost-friendly products, CORSAIR has gone with polished nylon instead. We will go over this and more in the review beginning with a look at the specifications below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

I received one of fifty special kits sent in two boxes, one of which contained a Pelican case with custom-fit foam around the core components of CORSAIR's Hydro X series—the CPU block(s), GPU block(s), and reservoir/pump unit. I figured TechPowerUp readers might be interested in seeing this, but note that retail units will be sold individually as seen below.


CORSAIR has adopted a black and yellow color scheme for most of their new products, DIY or otherwise, and the Hydro XD5 pump/reservoir combo unit is no exception. The packaging gets a plastic cover, and a matte cardboard wrap helps with aesthetics and information alike, especially given the retail channels these will be stocked in. On the front is the company and product name and a printed render of the product with RGB LEDs in action, no doubt integrated within as with other Hydro X series products. Indeed, the product name here lists RGB, which adds to the whole idea of CORSAIR wanting to provide a comprehensive lighting ecosystem across their product portfolio. More renders, marketing features, and specifications in multiple languages greet us on the back and sides.


A flap on the side opens up to reveal layered packaging inside, with the top layer containing some of the accessories paired with the XD5 pump/reservoir combo. CORSAIR includes a handy quick-start guide (online copy here), again in multiple languages. Do go through the guide if this is your first time with a custom watercooling loop since CORSAIR has done a good job of keeping it user friendly. There is also a warranty guide you will hopefully not need, and two metal installation brackets for 120 or 140 mm fan hole spacings. As we saw on the previous page, the XD5 pump/reservoir combo unit can be installed alongside fans of both sizes, or essentially anywhere with such fan-hole spacings in your case, in addition to the standalone installation. These brackets have been given a glossy black nickel finish, which looks clean and understated in most cases.


Underneath this layer is the actual pump/reservoir unit, snugly packed amidst thick foam on the sides and bottom for protection during transit. The foam has a compartment for the cables by the pump, as well as other compartments for the other accessories. Here, we see another metal installation piece we will go over in due time. It got a similar finish as the other brackets we saw above. There are also three acetal BSP G1/4" threaded stop plugs, installation hardware involving eight metal thumb screws, four metal self-tapping screws, four metal mounting screws, four metal locking nuts and washers, a plastic plug tool to install the stop plugs, and a bridge plug tool to use with the 24-pin ATX PSU cable for pump power without the rest of your system on and running. The low-profile nature of the stop plugs means there is not a lot of grip, but you may still want to try finger-tightening them before resorting to the plug tool. CORSAIR also includes a stop plug temperature sensor fitting, which is nice to see.