In the next comparison, we look at the default cooler performance as they come out of the box with their bundled fans. Coolers that come with no fans have been coupled with Noctua’s NF-P12 or fans that the manufacturers intended their coolers to be used with.


In its default configuration, the H100 manages to beat the Phanteks cooler but only by having the fans ramped up to over 2000RPM. At 1300RPM, it falls marginally short of the Thermalright Silver Arrow and matches the Super Mega with two NF-P12s. Changing to our standard thermal paste yields slightly worse results.


In terms of actual efficiency, the H100 is comparable to the old Thermalright Ultra Extreme using the same fan combination.


For some reason, the SWiF2-120Ps were not favourable fans on the H100 hence the poorer results exhibited here.


Corsair’s H100 proves to be the best ALC unit available edging ahead of its main competitor, the Antec KÜHLER H2O 920.