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The Corsair H100 box is a very attractive design, sure to stand out in a retail store.
The top of the box pulls open to reveal the bundle inside. The cooler itself is shipped inside heavy duty cardboard sure to withstand some serious abuse during shipping.
The bundle includes the radiator, two 120mm fans, literature on the installation process and all the necessary mounting brackets and screws for both AMD and Intel platforms.
The manual is well written and easy to follow … always a plus point. There are two sides to the manual, one for AMD and the other for INTEL systems. In the image above (second row, bottom right), there is a backplate, a fan header extension cable and the AMD mounting brackets.
Corsair supply two quality 120mm fans, each of which ends in a 3 pin fan header.
These are attached to the CPU block as can be seen in the image above.
We immediately noticed the superb quality of the radiator, which unlike some others we have received in the past, was unmarked and in perfect condition. The FEP tubing is slightly more difficult to work with, due to the rigidity but there are many plus points to using this particular design.
For instance there will be very little, if any, liquid evaporation over a long period of time. The cables are also really tough and can cope with rough handling. The hoses can rotate at the head, making positioning and adjustment really easy.
The CPU block contains 4 headers for direct fan control. This also helps improve system routing during the build phase. The cooler connects to the motherboard via a standard pin header and it takes power from a molex connector.
The H100 has a ‘Corsair Link Digital Temp Sensor' for connection to a Corsair Link Commander unit, which is available separately. With this extra unit you can monitor pump speed, coolant temperature, fan speed and even set up custom performance profiles. There is a button on the top of the H100 block which controls various fan speeds (and therefore noise levels). We look at this on the performance page later in the review.
The H100 cooling block utilizes a split flow manifold. This means that when the liquid flows into the block in the center it flows out at the sides, before circulating back into the radiator. Corsair say that this system ensures improved cooling as the liquid absorbs heat from the hottest area of the CPU heatspreader.
Wow I never even knew this was out. wicked !
Now thats what im talking about. I never thought id see the D14 beaten ! good job corsair.
I take it this isn’t asetek design?
No, the D14 is still king in my book. I mean Sure they both come with incompatibility issues but I reckon the D14 has far less than the H100, I mean the D14 fits any case that has a 140mm fan in the back it’s that simple. With this it raises all sorts of problems not present with the D14. Sure the D14 overshadows some RAM but theres good alternatives to those RAM modules also you can remove the heatsinks too.
Not only is it that here the D14 costs £70 roughly but the H100 costs around £100, so more price for a lower performing heatsink which comes with, in my book, more compatibility issues.
Yup, D14 still wins. But I reckon the next generation of readymade water cooling units may be able to match the D14. But right about then Noctua will probably release their next beast which they’re working on. Saw pics of it somewhere not sure where tho.
Actually its 80 on scan, as shown in conclusion , not 100.
I also dont think its as clear cut as that because d14 can block slots and not fit in some instances. They both have quirks, but id much rather have the h100 fitting system and space around cpu area.
I would argue that the D14 is more compatible. i have a D14 and i dont mind the memory slot being covered as I use low profile memory.
A few points I have found however with D14. I recently changed my power supply and I had to remove my motherboard to get the new power supply in.
Why?
The heatsink had blocked access to the CPU power cable port between it and the I.O plate at the back. I cut my hand trying to get the cable out without removing the motherboard and in the end gave up. I swore for about 30 minutes with this.
It is just too damn big.
Sure its great, and I love it, everuone loves it, but it is a damn pain in the ass once you get the system built and need to change components. If you want access to memory, forget it. it requires removal of the heatsink and or board. same with my power supply/
H100 would be my next purchase based on this review however my case wont accept two `120mm fans with a radiator, so i would need a new case. I might just end up with an antec 920, as it looks good and gives all the room free around motherboard.
D14 is awesome, but it is a fit once and forget cooler and I wont live with it anymore
Excellent. Another great product from corsair
They are my favourite company for a reason. No other organisation improve products so fast. Their last xoolers were great too…
This isnt asektek, its coolit designed
The dual rad performs great, but it limits case fitting…..
All the corsair cases support it. which I would expect anyway!
Ordered one today, cant wait.
Thats why I bought a corsair obsidian 800D case.I can fill it with everything I want and
still have room to store my baseball mitt and bat in it if I want too.
Actually, Corsair recommends INTAKE on all their Hydro series coolers (Intake/Push for the H100). Exhaust is not recommended (although that’s what I use on my case).
I think a bench comparison would have been far more effective than a custom setup an a case not designed for a dual 120mm rad. Any case that cannot accommodate a rad like this, by definition, cannot be “one of the best chassis on the market”. At least with a bench test everything is equal (such as air flow). A bench test with results posted as deltas would have been much better. This would have been a great home computer setup, but not so great for benchmark comparisons. I also note you mounted the rad with the reservoir on the top. Although generally this will not cause issues, some enthusiasts argue that, if all the air has not been bled out of the system, putting the res on the top may cause the air (if any) to recirculate through the system. However, many builds have mounted the res at the top without any problems while others have said they heard gurgling noises that went away after changing the orientation. (FYI).
I just bought H100 as my H70 was terrible. i7 950 @4ghz, gtx580, 700D case, with H70 idle temps were 51c on hottest core in a room temp of 25c and always went up to 90c on blend prime and high 70’s to 80’s during heavy gaming sessions (BF3)
Bought H100 and have 2 corsair fans on top and 2 Apache vipers underneath in pull push (intake) and a 140 viper on the back of the case, along with a 200 fan lodged on the inside facing the back panel to circulate air. My temps now on the low setting idle in a 25c room is on hottest core 46c. Highest fan setting on the H100 pump temps go down to 39 again in 25c room. During prime on low fan speed highest temp I got was 73, highest fan speed during prime – hottest core fluctuating between 61c and 62c again in a 25c room.
I absolutely love this H100.