When the heat of the game turns to heat on your CPU, it may be time to upgrade your cooling system. PCs are designed to handle certain amounts of load, but when used beyond their intended capacity, they overheat and break. This is why it’s important to invest in a good cooling system for your CPU. Whether it’s for gaming or for heavy multitasking, your CPU will need proper cooling in order to perform well.
Corsair has been a leading brand when it comes to CPU coolers. The Corsair H100i V2 is one of its most popular models and has been garnering good reviews for its quiet and effective cooling performance. Let’s deep dive into the details and see whether this is the right CPU cooling system for you.
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Corsair H100i V2 and Alternatives Comparision Chart
| Model | EVGA CLC 240 | ||
| Amazon product | Amazon product | Amazon product | |
| Price | Amazon product | Amazon product | Amazon product |
| Type | Liquid cooling | Liquid cooling | Liquid cooling |
| Compatibility | Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2011-3, 2066 | Intel LGA2066, LGA2011 v3, LGA2011, LGA1151, LGA1150, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1366, AMD AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1 | Intel LGA2066/2011/2011-v3/1150/1151/1155/1156/1366 AMD AM2-AM4, FM1-FM2, TR4 |
| Fan Speed | 850 RPM – 2435 RPM | 650 RPM – 2000 RPM | 500 RPM – 2400 RPM |
| Radiator Size | 240mm | 360mm | 240mm |
| Maximum Airflow | 70.69 CFM | 66.7 CFM | 74.82 CFM |
| Noise Level | 37.7 dBA | 6-30 dB | 16-40 dBA |
| Dimensions | 10.87 x 1.18 x 4.92 inches | 15.5 x 4.7 x 1.1 inches | 7 x 7.7 x 14 inches |
| Weight | 4 lbs | 3.7 lbs | 1.8 lbs |
| RGB Lighting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Overview
The Corsair H100i V2 works well even when overclocking your CPU.
The Corsair H100i V2 is an All-in-One (AIO) liquid CPU cooler. AIO liquid coolers work by combining all the necessary parts – water block, radiator, tubes, fans, fittings, and pump – into one package. This model is part of Corsair’s Hydro Series™, a collection of compact, easy-to-install liquid coolers designed for higher overclocking performance. This model keeps your CPU’s temperature at a safe level even if you modify your CPU to perform more operations per second.
What’s Inside the Kit
The Corsair H100i V2 has all the necessary elements in one package.
The Corsair H100i V2 package contains the liquid CPU cooler unit which includes the tubing, a 240mm radiator, and the water block with RGB lighting. The box also contains the following items: a mounting kit compatible with most modern CPU sockets, two 120mm high torque fans, screws for the fan and radiator, and a pre-applied thermal compound.
Design and Specifications
The Corsair H100i V2 features a copper cold plate connected to a black 240mm aluminum radiator. The package comes with a large diameter, low permeability tubing that helps reduce coolant evaporation. It also includes two high static pressure PWM fans. PWM or Pulse Width Modulation fans use an integrated circuit that allows you to control the speed of the fans in your CPU cooler, thus controlling how much cooling it is providing to your CPU. The Corsair H100i V2 fans are made of black and grey plastic and have an adjustable speed of 850 RPM to 2,435 RPM. It has a maximum airflow of 70.69 CFM.
Software
Corsair iCUE allows customizing settings that can be synced across other Corsair devices.
The Corsair H100i V2 is compatible with iCUE, Corsair’s exclusive all-in-one software that provides complete control over all of its compatible products. This includes RGB lighting effects, overall system monitoring, and cooling control. It allows you to customize and synchronize these settings across all of your Corsair devices. It also gives you control over your fan’s speed settings so you can adjust them according to your preference and need.
Corsair also has another software called Corsair Link. It is an older software with fewer features compared to iCUE. All new models of Corsair products are already compatible with iCUE. Hence, you should only use Corsair Link when using end-of-life Corsair products such as the H100i, H80i, Commander Mini, Cooling Node, and Lighting Node.
Performance
The Corsair H100i V2 does a great job of cooling your CPU temperature even with heavy multitasking and gaming.
When it comes to performance, the Corsair H100i V2 does not disappoint. Like most liquid cooling systems, it runs quietly with a noise level of 37.7 dBA. It is also able to keep your CPU under a safe temperature even when running heavy-duty apps and 1440p gaming.
In a review by ECPU, they tested the Corsair H100i V2 using a push-pull fan configuration wherein they used 4 fans instead of just the two that come with the package. This is to show the absolute cooling capabilities of the cooler. When exporting a 1440p video in Adobe Premiere Pro, the cooler kept the temperature at 53°C at stock speed and 84°C when overclocked to 5.0 GHz. When gaming with 1440p resolution, CPU temperature was at 48°C and maxed out at 67°C.
This shows that the Corsair H100i V2 certainly does an exceptional job in keeping your CPU’s temperature under control.
Alternatives
If you are looking for other liquid cooling alternatives for your CPU, here are a couple of brands that can do the job.
Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360R
The Cooler Master MasterLiquid is another closed-loop AIO liquid cooling system. It comes with a 360mm radiator and has Addressable RGB LED lighting on its pump and fans that can be customized to your color preference. This can be controlled using the Cooler Master software MasterPlus+. The entire unit is slightly lighter than the Corsair H100i V2 but has a larger surface area for its radiator. It is equipped with three 120mm fans. While this model has a lower noise volume, it also has less airflow and lower maximum fan speed.
EVGA CLC 240
If you are looking for a more affordable alternative, EVGA CLC 240 is a good choice. Like the Corsair H100i V2, it is a closed-loop AIO liquid cooler and has a 240mm radiator with two 120mm PWM fans. It is significantly lighter at 1.7 lbs compared to Corsair’s 4-lb and Cooler Master’s 3.7-lb coolers. It has a higher maximum airflow of 74.82 CFM compared to Corsair H100i V2’s 70.69 CFM. It also works quietly at a noise level between 16 to 40 dBA. Its fan speed can be set between 500 RPM and 2400 RPM using the EVGA Flow Control software.
Verdict
The Corsair H100i V2 is a great choice both for performance and aesthetics.
Amazon productThe Corsair H100i V2 is an exceptional CPU cooler. With its liquid cooling method, it allows for quiet and effective performance, keeping your CPU at a safe temperature even when doing heavy multitasking or gaming at a higher resolution. Its sleek design and customizable RGB lighting allow for personal customization that can be modified to fit your PC build’s look. It also comes with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty. The Corsair H100i V2 is a great choice for a CPU cooler and is certainly worth the hype.
FAQs
The Corsair H100i V2 is closed-loop or sealed and the thermal paste is pre-filled. This means that it does not need refilling or priming. Although it is technically possible to refill the paste by disassembling the pump and cold plate, it is not recommended and may result in damage to the unit.
All Corsair Hydro Series cooling products have a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty. However, if you purchased the product using a third-party seller like Amazon, it is easier to process and claim a warranty directly from the seller instead of through Corsair.
It depends on your preference and needs. However, liquid cooling does have several advantages including less noise and requires little maintenance after installation.
The Corsair H100i V2 is designed for higher overclocking performance and is able to keep your CPU temperature under control even at a higher clock rate.