Corsair Hydro H100 Liquid CPU Cooler Review - PAGE 5

As it stands, the Corsair H100 is the most efficient thermal solution in the Hydro-series, but more importantly it is also the most efficient heatsink we have tested to date. In direct comparison to other Hydro coolers such as the H80, the H100 was on average one to two degrees cooler, but when comparing the H100 to a top-tier air cooling heatsink such as a Thermalright Ultra-120 the temperature difference jumped to around 5°c when overclocked. This means the H100 is nearly 11% more efficient than the dual fan Ultra-120. In addition, when comparing the thermal difference between the H100 and some of the more mainstream heatsinks, we were seeing a temperature decrease of up to 22%.

Even while the Corsair H100 has excellent thermal performance, the price of the unit might be too high for many outside the enthusiast community. In today's market we have become accustomed to paying an average of $75 for top-tier heatsinks, but at $129.99 the H100 is nearly double that cost. What's more, not all cases can accommodate the H100, as the radiator occupies dual 120mm fan bays and requires 175mm of clearance to fit into a chassis. For the most part this should not affect enthusiasts who did their homework when building their rigs, but some mid-sized case may well prevent entry into the H100 owners club.

In addition, the high performance fans that come with the H100 can make a fair deal of noise. This was an issue we ran into with the H80 and seeing how both coolers share the same fan design, this was not totally unexpected of the H100. However, the ability to change the fans' RPM level in real-time via the on-board fan controller does allow the user to adjust the noise output level to certain degree.

Looking beyond the size and price, the H100 is simply amazing. It offers best-in-class performance and just looks epic when installed. On top of this, it has options to increase or decrease the fans' RPM levels in real-time, supports Corsair's upcoming Link platform, and can accommodate up to four 120mm fans. At this point the Hydro series is really starting to reach perfection, and the only thing we see that can improve the thermal performance further would be to increase the size of the tubing to accommodate a higher liquid flow rate. This would really be the only way we could envision the Hydro series really starting to compete with higher-end DIY water cooling loops using 1/2" tubing.

Overall the H100 is a well rounded cooler that has top-tier performance, easy installation and just plain looks great. So, if you can get around the $129.99 premium, you'll find the H100 is going to be one of the best thermal solutions on the market.