Corsair Hydro H100 Liquid CPU Cooler Review - PAGE 3

The Hydro-series coolers utilize one of the best installation methods out of all the water cooled heatsinks we have tested, so we are happy to see it implemented in the H100. The H100 can support AMD CPU sockets from AM2 up to AM3, and Intel's LGA-775, LGA-1155, LGA-1156 and LGA-1366 CPU sockets. On the packaging, Corsair also lists support for the upcoming Intel LGA-2011 socket. In order to support LGA-2011, Corsair has included four double threaded thumbscrews that have different dimensions than the ones used for the other Intel sockets.

As with the H80, the first order of business is to adjust the included backplate to fit the appropriate socket and then secure it to the board via four double threaded thumbscrews. Even after the bracket is secure there is virtually no strain on the motherboard, so unlike heavy air-cooled heatsinks the PCB will not be slightly bent after installing the H100.

After the thumbscrews are positioned correctly, you can simply place the cooling block onto the CPU and secure it in place with the thumbscrews. The last step is to attach all the power cables, and when the Corsair Link Commander becomes available you can also utilize the digital Corsair Link connector at the top of the block. The Link system is a standalone product though, so it will need to be purchased separately.

Installing the H100 was extremely easy, but we did run into a clearance issue when adding the fans. As you can see from the first image, our 600T doesn't leave a lot of room between the CPU and top of the case. This prevented us from being able to install both the radiator and fans inside the chassis itself. In our case, it was easy to fix the problem as the 600T has a recessed ventilation area at the top, which allowed us to install the fans on the outside of the chassis and the radiator on the inside. This is a relatively small issue which is standard for the 600T, but it should be noted that some cases will definitely have an issue accommodating the H100 components.

The block includes the same integrated push-button fan controller as the H80, which allows the user to adjust the fan speed in real-time. The preset configurations consist of quiet, balanced and performance. To indicate the setting that is enabled, Corsair has included a semicircular LED display around the push button. When the fan speed is set to quiet, the fans will rotate between 900 - 1300 RPM, while the balanced setting ranges from 1300 - 2000 RPM. The performance setting will see them operating at 1600 -2600 RPM.