Corsair H100 Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

Corsair are back with a brand new dual radiator liquid CPU cooler. Is this enough to top our charts?

Product on Review: Corsair H100 Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Corsair
MSRP: $119.99USD
Street Price: £79.99

A few weeks ago, we reviewed the Phanteks PH-TC14PE concluding that it represented the best in cooling performance without compromising on quietude. The natural progression for even superior performance while maintaining similar noise level is a custom water-cooling setup. Obviously, this requires patience, time, extensive research, money, and maintenance once completed. This is where Corsair comes in. Corsair are no strangers to all-contained liquid cooling (ALC) solutions, which were aimed at bringing liquid cooling to the masses as an alternative to more traditional air cooling. They introduced their first Hydro Series cooler back last year in the form of the H50 which proved to be highly successful thanks to their zero maintenance and easy installation. Since then, an array of new units has fallen under the Hydro Series umbrella, namely the H70, H60, and H80. Although similar in design and concept, the H60 and H80 units are the spiritual successor to the H50 and H70 respectively signifying a change from Asetek sourced units to CoolIT ones, who were ironically their previous competitors. Their latest H100 cooler is another CoolIT derived product that represents an evolutionary shift in ALC units.

Typically, ALC units have featured single radiators with varying thicknesses to increase surface area to thereby improve performance, the H60 and H80 being prime examples of such designs. Although they remain untested in our labs, Antec’s KÜHLER H2O 920 and 620 have demonstrated what we can expect to see from such concepts. Although they generate good results, they all rely heavily on high RPM fans to do so thus defying their marketing as quiet solutions. Corsair have taken an alternate route to providing better performance using the same ALC concept by opting for a dual radiator design. Until now, dual radiators have mostly been used in high end custom water cooling loops where the increased surface area proves beneficial to cooling potential. Their slow adoption into the mainstream is likely down to case compatibility but a growing number of manufacturers are designing their chassis to accommodate such radiators so Corsair have taken advantage of this to introduce their dual radiator H100 cooler.

Dubbed “Extreme Performance”, Corsair have gone all-out to bring the best performance possible at a more favourable pricing compared to custom kits. The H100 bundles two high RPM 120mm fans that can have their speeds adjusted and the 120.2 radiator means that two further fans can be installed for even better performance. Unlike the H80 or H70, the radiator is a thin one but the sheer size is enough to promise good performance. The question is whether it can dethrone our top air coolers.

About Corsair:

Products to Meet the Demands of Performance Computing

Corsair is a global company bringing innovative, high-performance components to the PC gaming market. Specializing in very high performance memory, ultra-efficient power supplies, and other key system components, our products are the choice of overclockers, enthusiasts, and gamers everywhere.

Founded as Corsair Microsystems in 1994, Corsair originally developed Level 2 cache modules for OEMs. After Intel incorporated the L2 cache in the processor with the release of its Pentium Pro processor family, Corsair changed its focus to DRAM modules, primarily in the server market. In 2002, Corsair began shipping DRAM modules that were specifically designed to appeal to computer overclocking enthusiasts. From its roots in high-performance memory, Corsair has expanded its award-winning product portfolio to include ultra-efficient power supplies, builder-friendly cases, ground-breaking CPU coolers, blazing-fast solid-state drives, and other key system components.

Corsair has developed a global operations infrastructure with extensive marketing and distribution channel relationships. Corsair’s products are sold to end users in over sixty countries worldwide, primarily through leading distributors and retailers.

Let’s see what Corsair has in store for us.

Features & Specifications

What Corsair have to say:

Want even more? Featuring a full 240mm radiator and two 120mm fans, the Corsair Hydro Series H100 extreme performance liquid CPU cooler is designed to deliver cooling performance that meets the needs of even the most demanding enthusiast.

Features:

Cooling Performance For The Most Demanding Systems
Corsair Hydro Series Liquid CPU coolers provide a compact, easy-to-install, and maintenance free alternative to bulky, noisy air coolers, efficiently cooling and protecting your high performance Intel or AMD CPU.

Control at your fingertips
The low profile integrated pump and cold plate include push-button control so you can select the fan speed and cooling performance setup that best suits your needs. The white LED display lets you know at a glance which profile is being used.

Performance, times two
Featuring a full 240mm radiator and two performance matched 120mm fans, the Corsair Hydro Series H100 extreme performance liquid CPU cooler is designed to deliver cooling performance that needs the needs of even the most demanding performance enthusiast.

Easy installation, zero maintenance
You no longer need to invest into finicky modular water-cooling systems to get serious CPU cooling performance. Each Hydro Series Liquid CPU Cooler is a sealed, closed-loop system that comes pre-filled and never needs refilling. Tubing is constructed from low-evaporation FEP for a long lifespan. Even the thermal compound is pre-applied. You’ll be up and running in minutes.

The latest cooling technology
Both the H80 and the H100 include a low-profile, light-weight cooling unit with a micro-channel copper cold plate and a split-flow manifold. The result of all this attention to fluid dynamics is CPU cooling that’s remarkably efficient, with a total noise level that’s lower than most stock CPU fans.

Ready for Corsair Link Digital
The H100 work great with Corsair Link, an ecosystem of hardware and software components designed to give you unprecedented control over your PC. Connect your H100 to the Corsair Link Commander (available separately) and monitor a wide range of parameters, including pump speed, coolant temperature, and fan speed, and customize your own performance profiles.

Specifications:

Model name: CWCH100
Radiator Dimensions: 120x275x27mm
Fan Dimensions: 120x120x25mm
Fan Speed: 1300RPM (Low Noise), 2000RPM (Balanced), 2600RPM (High Performance) +/- 10%
Fan Airflow: 46-92CFM
Fan Noise Level: 22-39 dBA
Fan Static Pressure: 1.6-7.7mm H2O
Cold Plate Material: Copper
Socket Support: AMD AM2/3/3+, Intel LGA 1155/1156/1366/2011/775
Radiator Material: Aluminium
Tubing: Low permeability for near zero evaporation
Warranty: 5 years

The Corsair H100’s most stand-out feature is its 240mm thin radiator design. This effectively increases the surface area two fold compared to standard 120mm radiators like the H50 or H60. It’s also a more favourable design over thick single radiators as heat is dissipated more quickly and creates a longer temperature gradient meaning it doesn’t get saturated by heat as easily. The actual construction is not dissimilar to other ALC units. The pump is integrated to the CPU block and cold plate with the tubing connecting the pump directly to the radiator. Unique to the Hydro Series coolers is a push-button on the CPU block to control the fan via voltage control. It is an interesting and intuitive addition by Corsair to ensure performance and noise levels that meet the user’s needs. Aluminium is still the preferred material used thanks to its light weight properties and good thermal conductivity. The base is still copper for the best conductivity.

As standard, two 120mm fans are bundled that can operate between 1300 and 2600RPM based on the mode selected. Somewhat similarly to Antec’s approach, the fan speed can be changed from quiet to balanced and to high performance. Previously, Corsair have always recommended that the fans be installed to intake cold air from outside of the case but due to the H100’s 240mm radiator and cases featuring compatible mountings in different locations, Corsair leaves it up to users to decide how to orientate the fans. Ideally, they should help promote airflow depending on how the chassis is designed.

Packaging and Content

The front of the box

The packaging Corsair have opted for is a very attractively decorated cardboard box following their blue and black theme. Depicted at the front is a close up shot of the Corsair H100’s integrated pump and cold plate block which features the Corsair logo and push-button for fan control. Below it is a picture of the actual cooler with both its fans installed to show potential buyers what to expect. H100 is boldly printed at the bottom to avoid any confusion. The Corsair H100 falls into the brand’s Hydro Series of coolers and is marketed to deliver Extreme Performance, thereby representing their highest end offering. At the top of the box, Corsair list support for their separately sold Link Digital connections. On the whole, the packaging is very professional with a good mix of information and illustrations to attract buyers, as we would expect from Corsair.

The back of the box

Turning to the back, Corsair links the unique features of the H100 in 6 different languages such as the 240mm radiator, the fan control button and zero maintenance design. There is also a graphed illustration of the H100’s performance compared to other Hydro Series coolers and a stock CPU cooler based on an overclocked i7 920 system. The H100 is slightly ahead of the H80 and thus represents Corsair’s top of the range offering.

The specifications

On the side, all the relevant specifications are listed in 6 languages, as shown on the last page.

Opening the box

Opening the box, we see the cooler wrapped in a plastic bag and placed inside a specially designed cardboard cut-out akin to egg cartons. This is superior to the clear plastic employed by the H50 as it is recyclable and actually durable. It is also similar to Antec’s approach so kudos to these manufacturers for their environmental consciousness. The fans also come packaged in plastic sleeves in their own separate compartment. The orange warning sign tells users to contact Corsair directly in the event of a fault, which their 5 year warranty will cover.

The bundle

Bundled in the packaging are:
-Corsair H100 x1
-120mm fans x2
-Intel motherboard back plate x1
-Intel brackets x2 (Pre-installed)
-AMD brackets x2
-O-ring washers x8
-Small screws x8
-Long screws x8
-Square screws x4
-Nuts x4
-Double ended screws x4
-LGA 2011 double ended screws x4
-Instruction manual leaflet

The installation kit provided with their new range of ALC units is far superior to the ones provided with the Asetek sourced H50 and H70 being more durable and easier to install. The Corsair H100 is the first cooler to also officially have LGA2011 support for the upcoming Intel X79 chipset, making it future-proof. Enough long screws are provided to install the two fans but more will be needed if users are to buy two more fans.

The Corsair H100

The Corsair H100 is quite a step away from the usual single radiator ALC we have come so accustomed with over the past two years. The 240mm radiator isn’t actually a new concept for ALC units as CoolIT first brought it to market a year ago. Unfortunately, pricing and lack of compatibility in the majority of chassis made adoption scares. However, Corsair have finally taken the opportunity to re-launch the concept and manufacturing cases that already have 240mm radiator support certainly helps. Thanks to the popularity of Corsair’s cases, it becomes a lot easier to install the H100 and Corsair have done well to provide such a well-coupled solution, something CoolIT previously lacked. It also helps that a lot of budget cases come with water-cooling support and compatibility with 240mm radiators. Pricing is also far more favourable than CoolIT ECO 240 so adoption into the market will be much better. The ALC concept is still the same here. The CPU block integrates the pump and cold plate which are connected via two tubes to the 240mm radiator. The unit comes filled with coolant already. The aluminium construction makes it feel light-weight despite weighing in at 1kg in total, similar to a lot of high end air coolers.

Closer Look

The 240mm radiator

The radiator is a 240mm one with two bays at each end extending the length to 275mm. Width-ways, the radiator spans 120mm and its thickness is 27mm, the same as the H60/H50 and Antec KÜHLER H2O 620. There are 13 banks of corrugated aluminium fins soldered to 14 thin heat pipes running the length of the radiator carrying the coolant. Each fin is 8mm wide and is separated by a mere 1.5mm making the array very dense. As such, there is a vast surface area to dissipate heat with the help of the two 120mm fans to transfer the heat away. In the corners and the centre are a total of 8 mounting holes for fans and the same is present on the other side for an additional two fans.

Radiator-fan spacing

There is a small gap separating the fins to the fan mounts to reduce the risk of damage or puncturing the heat pipes. It is also to make sure that the fans don’t sit right on top of the fins which can reduce performance and generate a higher pitched noise. Our unit actually had a few bent fins which is most likely down to the packaging as the Antec units we previously reviewed had no such issues.

The radiator barb and fittings

The H100 like other ALC units doesn’t have a reservoir as such and instead the whole unit is pre-filled with its own coolant, a mixture of distilled water with Propylene Glycol added to prevent corrosion and organic build-up in this case. The tubes here are connected to a compartmentalised unit at the end of the radiator. The two compartments are each connected to one tube so the liquid flows into one and out of the other once it has cycled through the entire radiator. The tubes are connected to narrow barbs and are tightly secured so users can’t pull them off and to prevent leakages. These barbs are designed to withstand high pressures and temperatures although they are not comparable to the metallic ones used in custom water cooling loops. It is important to note that the compartments on either ends of the radiator extends the overall length to 275mm.

The tubing

The tubes are 300mm long and 8mm in diameter connecting the reservoir to the CPU block unit. They have a ribbed pattern and are quite stiff when moving around, therefore lacking the flexibility of the Antec units making installation a bit harder. They are however very robust. The length of the tubes mean that the cooler cannot be installed in place of front intake fans which typically support two 120mm fans so users are restricted to installing the radiator nearer to the pump. This is a shame because old mid tower cases can only support the H100 at the front.

The barbs

At the other end, the tubes are connected to 90 degree barbs which tend to be quite restrictive but the only viable solution for such units. These connect the tubes to the pump and CPU cold plate.

The CPU block with integrated pump and cold plate

The CPU block 68x68x40mm making it a low profile unit for aesthetics and compatibility. At the top of the unit is a plastic cover featuring an in-built push-button that can change the fan speed between 1300RPM (Quiet), 2000RPM (Balanced) and 2600RPM (High Performance). Three LEDs circling the button highlight which mode the fans are set to and above that is the Corsair logo. The glossy plastic cover makes the unit quite attractive. My main concern with the push-button is that users have to open their case to manually change the fan speed which isn’t always convenient. The integrated pump operated at 2000RPM according to software read-out but it remains quiet at all times.

Closer Look (Continued)

Intel mounting brackets

Near the base of the unit are two attached brackets that bring Intel compatibility. For AMD systems, these have to be removed and replaced by the bundled AMD brackets. Their metallic construction ensures durability unlike the Asetek based units.

Four 4-pin fan headers

On the side of the block are four 4-pin fan headers allowing for the same number of fans to be connected directly to the unit as opposed to the motherboard. It also means that the push-button can control the speed of any connected fans, implying that they are voltage controlled as opposed to PWM controlled. The 4-pin headers are merely to retain compatibility with fans that have 4-pin connectors.

Connecting the fans

Here we can see the two 3-pin bundled 120mm fans connected to the unit.

Corsair Link Commander connector

On the other side is a proprietary connector for Corsair’s Link Commander. This introduces an extensive range of customisable features to systems as demonstrated here.

The power cables

Attached to the block are two cables, a two pinned male Molex cable and a single pin fan connector. The Molex adapter provides power and connects directly to the power supply whereas the single pin of the fan connector provides the RPM read-out. When connected, the RPM read-out stated 2000RPM +/- 10% constantly suggesting that it was the pump RPM rather than the fan speed.

The cold plate

The copper cold plate measures 60x52mm and comes pre-applied with Dow-Corning thermal paste. The thermal paste is actually very high quality as we will find out later on. In fact, Intel bundle the same thermal paste with their high end i7 990x Extreme Edition CPU. The base doesn’t have a mirror finish but it is still adequately flat to create good contact with the CPU for optimal heat transfer.

Installing the CPU block

The Corsair H100 CPU block looks handsome when installed but the mass of cables sprouting from it might annoy cable management freaks like me.

Closer Look (Continued)

The Corsair fans

The Corsair H100 comes with two standard OEM looking 120mm fans, each featuring 7 blades and a large rotor (Model name: CF12S25SH12A). These operate at 2600RPM at 12V, 2000RPM at 7V and 1300RPM at 5V.

The fan cable and 3-pin connector

The fans have 3-pin fan connectors. The cables are not braided but all three are black and stuck together for a more appealing look than the standard yellow, red and black cables.

Installing the fans

The fans also have open ended corners through which the long screws can be fed through when attaching to the radiator. The mounting holes on the radiator are not threaded already so a little effort is required when first installing the fans.

Installing two fans

With both fans installed, the unit grows to 52mm in thickness. Corsair recommend the fans to be orientated to help airflow whether that be drawing in cool air if installed at the top of the case or as exhaust if installed at the back of the case.

Installing four fans

Adding two additional fans for push-pull increases the overall thickness to 77mm. What is apparent is that connecting all four fans to the CPU block can create a mess which is ironic because air coolers are always the ones being given negativity when it comes to cable management when in reality fan cables can easily be tucked below the heatsink.

The H100 installed

The design of the H100 means that the motherboard isn’t completely overwhelmed by traditional air coolers and to some this is an appealing prospect, especially because the radiator can be hidden away from the motherboard area.

Inside the PC

When installed, the LEDs light up to show the fan speed setting.

Test Setup

CPU – Intel Core i7 920 – 2.66/4.0GHz
RAM – 6GB (3x2GB) OCZ Platinum DDR3 1333MHz
Motherboard – ASUS Rampage III Extreme
Graphics card – XFX HD5870 1024MB
Power Supply – Enermax Revolution 85+ 850W
Hard Drive – OCZ Vertex 2E 120GB
Samsung F1 320GB
Samsung F3 1TB
Case – Lian Li B25B
Drivers – ATI Catalyst 10.10

CPU Coolers:

Corsair H100 including tests using 2/4 stock fans, 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps

Phanteks PH-TC14PE including tests using 3 Phanteks PH-F140TS, 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Alpenföhn Triglav including tests using 1 stock fan, 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Antec KÜHLER H2O 620 including tests using 1 stock fan, 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 including tests using 2 stock fans, 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Prolimatech Genesis including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s, 2 SWiF2-120Ps and 2 Prolimatech Blue Vortex 14s
NZXT Havik 140 including tests using 2 NZXT fans, 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Alpenföhn Matterhorn including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s, 2 SWiF2-120Ps and 2 Föhn 120 Wing Boost fans
Prolimatech Super Mega including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s, 2 SWiF2-120Ps and 2 Prolimatech Blue Vortex 14s
Noctua NH-C14 (U.L.N.A and default speed) including tests using 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Thermalright Silver Arrow including passive and tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Thermalright HR-02 including passive and tests using Noctua NF-12/NF-P14s and Thermalright TR TY-140
Thermaltake Frio (Low/med/high speed) including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s
Corsair H50 including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
CoolIT ECO A.L.C including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Thermalright Venomous X using 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Coolink Corator DS including tests with dual fan setups
Tuniq Propeller 120(High speed fan)
Noctua NH-C12P SE14
Prolimatech Megahalem
Noctua NH-D14 (U.L.N.A and default speed)
Noctua NH-U12P SE1366
Thermolab Baram (with 2 Noctua NF-P12 fans)
CoolIT Domino A.L.C
Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer
Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus including test with 2 Noctua NF-P12 fans
Alpenföhn Nordwand including test with 2 Noctua NF-P12 fans
Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme (Low/med/high speed)

Program Suite:

Core Temp 0.99.5
LinX stress Test
CPUID HWMonitor

How I tested:

Testing will be based on temperatures recorded by Core Temp and HWMonitor after 20 passes of LinX stress test. The maximum absolute temperatures will be recorded after the test and averaged over the 4 cores. The delta is then calculated by substituting the ambient temperature recorded near the intake fans. All tests are conducted with the i7 920 at its default 2.66GHz stock speed and overclocked to 4GHz. As always, the tests are done inside my own Lian Li B25B case to simulate real world conditions. To keep the tests standardised and based on people’s tendency to use their own thermal paste, we apply Thermalright’s ChillFactor II thermal paste to all coolers unless specified in the result entries (where the bundled thermal paste performs better).

Installation

Installation is a very straight-forward process and doesn’t require many steps or much effort either. We will detail the process for Intel CPUs here but the instruction manual is very clear to follow anyway.

1. Identify the Intel motherboard back plate and position the corner bits to the right position so they line up with the motherboard mounting holes. Slide outwards for LGA1366 or fully inwards for LGA775 or towards the middle for LGA1155/1156.

2. Line each corner with the mounting holes making sure each go through.

3. Secure the back plate on the front side using the double ended screws. Use the symmetrical ones for LGA775/1155/1156/1366 or the shorter ones for LGA2011.

4. Place the CPU block on top and secure each corner with the thumb nuts. Install diagonally for even pressure when mounting.

5. Install the radiator where desired.

As mentioned, installation is very easy. I only have two concerns, the first being that the back plate has to be held into place while installing the screws on top and the thumb nuts do not have notches as advertised in the leaflet, meaning a more practical screwdriver cannot be used to tighten it further. However, over-tightening is never a good thing either.

Results (Grouped)

The results have been arranged in terms of the fan configuration that yields the best results for each cooler. However, it is important to take into account that many coolers come with their own fans and changing those increases the costs significantly, so the “out of the box” cooler configurations have been highlighted in red each group.

Stock

Let’s start off by analysing the different fan setups on the Corsair H100. First off we tested the cooler with its pre-applied Dow Corning thermal paste and then without. With the two fans at 1300RPM in quiet mode, it produces an impressive delta of 31.5C using the stock thermal paste and moving up to 2000RPM sheds off 2C from the maximum load temperature. The best performance is unsurprisingly with both fans at 2600RPM where the delta is a mere 28.75C, enough to take the whole result group to the top of our charts. Settling for our conventional ChillFactor II thermal paste raises temperatures by 1.75C in the latter two cases and by 2.25C at 1300RPM.

When testing with 4 fans, and the Noctua and Coolink fans, we used the ChillFactor II thermal paste. Moving to 4 fans dropped temperatures by 1.25C at 2600RPM, 1.75C at 2000RPM, and 3C at 2600RPM. Changing to two Noctua NF-P12s, temperatures are 1.75C better than the Corsair fans at similar RPM suggesting the stock fans are not the most efficient. This is evident by their lower static pressure. Strangely, the higher RPM Coolink fans performed worse than the Noctua fans in this unique situation.

Results (Ascending order)

Stock

The Corsair H100 results are distributed mostly at the top of our charts. In its best configuration using two fans at 2600RPM and its pre-applied thermal paste, it creeps ahead of the best Antec cooler setup to take the lead. Otherwise with the standard ChillFactor II thermal paste, the H100 requires 4 fans to operate at 2600RPM to beat the Noctua NH-D14 or Phanteks PH-TC14PE with 3 fans. The main difference of course is that the Corsair is a significantly louder unit compared to those two whose fans operate at a much quieter 1200RPM instead. With two stock fans at 2600RPM and ChillFactor II thermal paste used, the H100 is more comparable to the standard out of the box Noctua NH-D14 and Phanteks PH-TC14PE. In balanced mode, the results vary based on whether two or four fans are used and depend on the thermal paste used. With the stock thermal paste, the delta generated by two fans in balanced more is 29.75C, otherwise 4 fans at the same speed are needed to generate the same performance. With just two fans at 2000RPM and the pre-applied thermal paste removed, the delta increases to 31.5C. Dialling down the fans to a much quieter 1300RPM yields slightly worse results as expected ranging from 31C with four fans to 34C with two fans only, making the H100 comparable to a number of high end air coolers using fans at similar speeds.

Results (In-depth analysis)

In the next comparison, we look at the default cooler performance as they come out of the box with their bundled fans. Coolers that come with no fans have been coupled with Noctua’s NF-P12 or fans that the manufacturers intended their coolers to be used with.

In its default configuration, the H100 manages to beat the Phanteks cooler but only by having the fans ramped up to over 2000RPM. At 1300RPM, it falls marginally short of the Thermalright Silver Arrow and matches the Super Mega with two NF-P12s. Changing to our standard thermal paste yields slightly worse results.

In terms of actual efficiency, the H100 is comparable to the old Thermalright Ultra Extreme using the same fan combination.

For some reason, the SWiF2-120Ps were not favourable fans on the H100 hence the poorer results exhibited here.

Corsair’s H100 proves to be the best ALC unit available edging ahead of its main competitor, the Antec KÜHLER H2O 920.

Results Overclocked (Grouped)

Testing the cooler on the overclocked H100 generated a similar pattern of results as before. Starting with the cooler and its pre-applied thermal paste, two fans at full speeds yields a delta of 50.5C increasing to 52C when the speed is reduced to 2000RPM. At 1300RPM, the temperature increases by a further 2.5C. Changing to the standard ChillFactor II thermal paste once again results in slightly worse performance. In high performance mode, the delta temperature increases by 2C compared to the pre-applied thermal paste results. Reducing the fan speed increases the delta temperature by 2C and finally in quiet mode, we see the worse performance at 57.25C delta. The NF-P12s which are comparable to quiet mode speed produce marginally better results and the Coolink fans drop temperature by a further 1C, not as substantial as its effect on other coolers. The best results are produced when the H100 is teamed with 4 fans.

Results Overclocked (Ascending order)

4GHz

Very impressively, the Corsair H100 manages to take the top spot of the chart by beating the Phanteks, albeit with much louder 2600RPM fans compared to the 1200RPM fans used on the latter. By levelling the ground and using our reference thermal paste, the H100 in high performance mode becomes more comparable to the Thermalright Silver Arrow. Even at 2000RPM in balanced mode, the H100 is comparable to our most high end air coolers using much quieter fans. At 1300RPM, the H100’s performance falls drastically making it more comparable to the Venomous X or Prolimatech Super Mega.

Results Overclocked (In-depth analysis)

The Corsair H100 is comparable to our high end air coolers but requires much higher RPM and therefore louder fans to be competitive. At a more bearable 1300RPM, The likes of the Thermalright Venomous X or NZXT Havik at the lower end are just as competent.

Efficiency with two Noctua NF-P12s is superior to Antec’s KÜHLER H2O 920 but falls short of the Thermalright Ultra Extreme.

The H100 doesn’t appear to make full benefit of the Coolink fans thus falling short of our air coolers but still ahead of the Antec ALC units.

The H100 is easily the best ALC unit we have tested performing better than the Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 at all fan speeds.

Other Observations

Thermal Paste

The Dow Corning thermal paste that comes pre-applied improves performance significantly over our reference ChillFactor II and comes perfectly and evenly applied. We can see between 1.75C to 2.75C improvement in performance by opting to stick with the pre-applied paste which is quite significant when we look at how it affects the cooler’s position on our charts. As such I would strongly advise buyers to keep the pre-applied Dow Corning paste.

The fans and noise

One of my main complaints against ALC units is that they are advertised as quiet units and yet come bundled with very high RPM fans. Unfortunately, the Corsair H100 does nothing to change my viewpoint. At 2600RPM in high performance mode, the fans are intrusively loud and comparable to a HD6990 fan running at full speed. In fact, I could still hear the fans over a Henry vacuum cleaner being used 2m away. At 2000RPM, the fans remain loud but become less intrusive. They are still audible above the comfort level but thankfully can be drowned out by intense gaming or music. Quiet mode lives up to its name thankfully and despite being slightly louder than Noctua’s NF-P12/14 or Thermalright TR TY-140s, you have to get close to notice the difference. Within my case, they were inaudible at the lowest fan speed. It would have been great if the fan could be dialled down further. The pump on the other hand remained almost silent throughout testing.

Conclusion

The Corsair H100 is the first ALC unit that has really impressed me, which is an achievement in itself. Cooling performance excels all previous single radiator ALC units including the thicker Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 unit. But more importantly, it is capable of outperforming the best air coolers currently on the market such as the Noctua NH-D14, Phanteks PH-TC14PE and Thermalright Silver Arrow although not as convincingly as some might hope or expect. The H100 is in many ways a very versatile unit. Firstly, it comes with two fans whose speeds can be manually controlled at the press of a button from Quiet to Balanced and for High performance. This means that it meets a range of needs whether it is someone looking for a quiet cooler or someone looking for the best performance regardless of noise. Its 240mm radiator also means that up to 4 fans can be installed for even better performance which as we saw can knock up to 3.75C off. The CPU block unit is also very well thought out. It allows up to four fans to be connected simultaneously including ones with 4 pins, and there’s added support for Corsair’s Link Commander, a unique chassis monitoring kit. Best of all, Corsair has pre-applied some of the best thermal paste we have tested courtesy of Dow Corning. Installation is also very straightforward. My only complaint there was the fact that the nuts securing the unit cannot be tightened using a screwdriver as originally intended but a little use of elbow grease doesn’t hurt.

Before we summarise the performance, let’s talk about case compatibility. The 240mm radiator design has always been the limiting factor in mainstream market adoption but this is changing dramatically nowadays. A lot of budget mid-tower cases are starting to bring support for two 120mm fans at the top and many older cases have two 120mm intake fans at the front as standard. While these might indicate support for 240mm radiators, potential buyers still have to be wary of the H100’s actual size. The two compartments on each ends of the radiator extends its overall size to 275mm so it is important to make sure that there is enough space to accommodate the radiator besides the chassis fan mounting holes. It is also important to note the thickness of the unit with two fans (52mm) and four fans (77mm) to avoid obstruction with motherboards if installed at the top of a case. The obvious solution is to purchase one Corsair’s own cases since they are all designed with water cooling in mind and excel in features/build quality.

When we look at the performance in more detail, the first thing to notice is that the Corsair H100 takes the top spot in our stock and overclocked charts. This is testament to Corsair’s quality. However, this performance comes at a cost; noise. At 2600RPM, the H100 isn’t a quiet unit at all and similarly at 2000RPM, it can still be quite intrusive. In terms of performance per noise, high end air coolers from Phanteks, Noctua and Thermalright still reign supreme, contrary to Corsair’s own marketing. Like other ALC units, the H100 relies too much on high RPM fans for its performance when the goal of water cooling is generally for extreme performance at low noise levels. However, the Corsair unit still has to be commended for having the potential to beat all other coolers at its price point and is easily the best ALC unit to be tested by us.

Concerning the unit itself, I have two small complaints. Firstly, the tubing isn’t very flexible and not long enough to be installed at the front of mid-tower cases and secondly, the fan push-button requires users to go inside their case each time they want to change settings, not ideal if you want some extra cooling when going to game. Ideally software akin to Antec’s ChillControl would have been welcomed rather than having to rely on Corsair’s link Commander. Otherwise, the H100 is solidly built and boasts the quality we have grown accustomed to with Corsair.

To summarise, the Corsair H100 is a very good cooler and one worthy of the brand name and marketing as an Extreme Performance cooler. It brings simplicity, ease of installation, maintenance free operation and 5 years warranty on top for peace of mind. It’s not the quietest of coolers but it will still appeal to a vast audience. Even in pricing, it’s on par with the inferior Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 unit but doesn’t come as cheap as quieter high end air coolers.

Pros
+Very good performance
+Attractive packaging
+Two high RPM 120mm fans bundled
+Fan control
+Support for 4 fans
+Support for AMD and Intel sockets including the upcoming LGA2011
+Ease of installation
+Aesthetics
+No memory compatibility issues

Cons
-Cost
-Case compatibility
-Noisy at full speed
-Tubes lack flexibility
-Cables can be hard to manage
-Push-button inaccessible without opening case

The Corsair H100 deserves our Vortez Gold Award.