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Asetek have had great success in working with enthusiast companies such as Corsair and lately Antec. With this new range however Asetek don't list any of the specifications on their website. There is no information on pump flow rate, but with the thicker tubes it is no doubt improved on the older versions.
While many of the specifications are in question what is not in question is the performance of the Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920, it is almost on a par with the Noctua NH D14, rating less than a single degree behind it. This is an exceptional result and ideal for people who want a hassle free installation but the highest levels of processor overclocking with cooling performance. We aren't huge fans of the mounting bracket system, but it works fine once you get used to it.
How does it compare with the industry leading Noctua NH D14 cooler? As we have seen, the performance levels are close and the benefits with the 920 are that memory slots are easily accessible after a system build. There is also more room for airflow across the top of the motherboard area. It is a much tidier system build and won't cause any subsequent hardware fitting issues.
Negatively, the 920 in full performance mode is painfully loud and would only be bearable for those with hearing problems. That said, it is a worst case scenario, and even with our 990x at 4.8-5ghz, it didn't often go into full performance mode, only with PRIME loading or after 15 minutes of continually looping Cinebench. Generally it is much quieter than this and we know a lesser processor wouldn't heat the liquid as much as our 990x with 1.5 volts.
We really like the Antec ChillControl software, it is both useful and practical, although a little education is in order as the liquid temperatures recorded by this program can be often 30c lower than the CPU core temperatures.
There is no doubting this cooler will make its way into many performance systems, because unless you opt for the significantly larger Noctua NH D14 it is currently in a (mainstream) class of its own.
The Antec KÜHLER H₂O 920, costs around £75 inc vat in the UK, around £5 more than the Noctua NH D14.
Pros:
- great cooling performance
- tidy build leaves CPU socket and surrounding area free for access
- dual fan system is better than single
- good build quality
Cons:
- the mounting system is a little fiddly
- can get loud, especially without customisation
- price means it has a lot of competition
KitGuru says: High performance liquid cooler which is very well put together.
very good cooler, but the 620 seems better value, its under 40 quid.
That looks like my next cooler ! The D14 is great, but its a nightmare for moving things once I system is built. Cant get access to memory with it in 🙁
Reviews ive read say this is pretty much as good as it gets. Im interested myself, as my current cooler is very loud. id like this on the quiet mode.
The only issue I have is the hoses they use can cause evaporation over a long period of time. the smaller metal style hoses stop this. I dont know why Antec have ditched them with Asetek.
What do you mean they cause evaporation?
They are using the older soft style hoses. when the water heats up and cools, there is slight evaporation. its not the best system. this is why some of the other coolers use the harder hoses, to stop this. its not just for appearance.
Read a few reviews of this last week and just ordered one today. I almost crapped myself when I saw a review here. I hate buying stuff that people say sucks, so thank god it was a good review.
@ Roger, why would Antec sell something thats worse than a previous design>? I think you must have the facts wrong.
First of all – thanks Kit Guru for a great review.
For the KG community – with regards to evaporation, Asetek did a considerable amount of testing on rubberized vs corrugated tubing and found there to be no impact on the longevity of the product when comparing the two. They address this in a recent blog post.
http://www.asetek.com/blog/243-questions-of-the-month-may-2011.html
If you’ve got any other questions, I’ll keep my eye on the thread.
Thanks jessie. Good info. I had read on forums that people were concerned about evaporation after a few years.
What is the rated life? Any ideas?
I like these, its like an evolution of the excellemt corsair designs.
I just ordered one in uk, noctua d14 is great but its too big
Is it possible to use better fans in this? Like high grade ones? How does the control system work?
My friend had a corsair unit and it was awesome, but it was a nightmare to fit. I dont like the locking system and the tight little tubes, not very flexible.
This is quite expensive compared to 620. The double sized radiator has added a lot of money. I love the software idea, coolits vantage was a stupid idea if you wanted to change settings.
Any plans for linux software?
@roger – In the same testing mentioned above, Asetek concluded that the KUHLER would last greater than 50,000 hours.
@Eric – you can use other fans if you like. Keep in mind that the thickness of the fans does matter. If you go with thicker fans, you’ll need longer screws. The control system will work the same, but the decibel data will be incrrect as it’s calculated for the included fans.
That is great looking. I might get one myself for the sandybridge system im building. I do like the D14 from Noctua, but the size has always put me off. I like getting access to the memory without having to remove the cooler.
I was using a Noctua U12P SE2 on my OC I7 930 (4ghz, 1.38v) and in hot summer days I kept hitting Max Temp (100!) under load (that’s with 3 case fans + 2 fans on the heatsink).
Replaced it by the Antec H20 920… and I am more than pleased. It does get a bit noisy under load, but CPU temp rarely goes above 80.