Introduction

While water cooling systems offer excellent CPU thermal performance, the overall cost and frequency of maintenance makes most PC users wary if it is worth the trouble. Manufacturers answered with a practical compromise: the self-contained liquid CPU cooler. Self-contained liquid CPU coolers require zero maintenance and minimal installation. The pump, reservoir, hose and radiator are contained in a single unit so it doesn’t take up too much space inside a case. Although these self-contained liquid CPU coolers have been available in the market for a few years now, it was only in 2011 when a major push for mainstream and enthusiast adoption has been felt. Many manufacturers now offer various solutions, including both CPU giants AMD and Intel, providing their own self-contained liquid CPU coolers for their recently released enthusiast-class processors.

Corsair, as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of PC components, have their own Hydro series high-performance line. The initial offerings under the Hydro series banner were designed in partnership with Asetek and featured liquid cooling performance offered at a mainstream price. Users ready for better performance, however, especially with new Intel LGA2011 extreme edition processors, will appreciate the latest additions to the Hydro series line featuring units designed by Corsair in partnership with CoolIt.

The Corsair H100 liquid CPU cooler is part of the extreme performance Hydro series line, featuring LGA2011 support out-of-the-box. The Corsair H100 is also compatible with all current AMD and Intel desktop processors and able to handle overclocked CPU temperatures, due to a full sized 240mm radiator. Bundled with the Corsair H100 self-contained extreme performance liquid CPU cooler are two 120mm fans that have 46 to 92 CFM airflow and two more fans can be installed in a push-pull configuration, if the chassis allows for it. Users can choose between quiet, balanced and performance fan control modes depending on their system’s level of performance.