Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 CPU cooler Review

👤by Sahil Mannick Comments 📅10-08-11
Closer Look (Continued)


The barb fittings

The tubes are connected to 90 degree barbs on the pump. The plastic shroud at the top is secured by screws which also keep the barbs in place. Near the base are alternate grooves and clips for installation using the mounting kit.


The CPU cold plate with pre-applied thermal paste

The copper cold plate at the base comes pre-applied with thermal paste that spreads very well onto the CPU when installed. The copper base is flat and has a near mirror finish ensuring better contact with the CPU and optimal heat transfer. The base is not dissimilar to other Asetek based Corsair units. Antec highlight that their coolers feature Asetek’s third generation copper cold plate whereas Corsair uses their first generation.


Pump, fan and USB cables

There is an array of cables connected to the CPU block. First is a y-splitter cable with two fan headers for the two bundled fans. These are 4 pin fan headers so retain the PWM functionality. The second cable is for the pump and power which connects directly to the motherboard. The last cable is half a USB header that connects to the on-board motherboard USB header. This provides the software functionality and RGB lighting control.


Installing one fan

Here, we have the first 120mm fan installed. The back fan should be attached to the exhaust of the chassis. The fans have closed ends so that the long fan screws can reach the radiator more easily. Like the pump and fan y-splitter cables connected to the CPU block, the fan cable has no braiding. Instead the individual cables are wrapped in black and have a twisted weave. It’s not the most attractive finish and may have the tendency to unravel over time but it’s a cost-free method at tidying the look of the cables.


Adding a second fan

With two fans attached, the KÜHLER H2O 920 has push-pull in mind. The cooler is designed to exhaust air outside the system unlike Corsair units which are designed to draw cool air in. The fans boast 9 blades and PWM functionality, operating at 660-2580RPM. As you can imagine, the noise generated at full speed is not what you would call pleasing but the Antec relies on those high speeds for sheer cooling performance.


The cooler with both fans

The Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 ends up a very sizeable unit after both fans are installed.


The width of the cooler

The radiator on its own is 49mm thick but with both fans attached come at 99mm.

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