Corsair H100 Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

👤by Sahil Mannick Comments 📅22-09-11
Packaging and Content


The front of the box

The packaging Corsair have opted for is a very attractively decorated cardboard box following their blue and black theme. Depicted at the front is a close up shot of the Corsair H100’s integrated pump and cold plate block which features the Corsair logo and push-button for fan control. Below it is a picture of the actual cooler with both its fans installed to show potential buyers what to expect. H100 is boldly printed at the bottom to avoid any confusion. The Corsair H100 falls into the brand’s Hydro Series of coolers and is marketed to deliver Extreme Performance, thereby representing their highest end offering. At the top of the box, Corsair list support for their separately sold Link Digital connections. On the whole, the packaging is very professional with a good mix of information and illustrations to attract buyers, as we would expect from Corsair.


The back of the box

Turning to the back, Corsair links the unique features of the H100 in 6 different languages such as the 240mm radiator, the fan control button and zero maintenance design. There is also a graphed illustration of the H100’s performance compared to other Hydro Series coolers and a stock CPU cooler based on an overclocked i7 920 system. The H100 is slightly ahead of the H80 and thus represents Corsair’s top of the range offering.


The specifications

On the side, all the relevant specifications are listed in 6 languages, as shown on the last page.


Opening the box

Opening the box, we see the cooler wrapped in a plastic bag and placed inside a specially designed cardboard cut-out akin to egg cartons. This is superior to the clear plastic employed by the H50 as it is recyclable and actually durable. It is also similar to Antec’s approach so kudos to these manufacturers for their environmental consciousness. The fans also come packaged in plastic sleeves in their own separate compartment. The orange warning sign tells users to contact Corsair directly in the event of a fault, which their 5 year warranty will cover.


The bundle

Bundled in the packaging are:
-Corsair H100 x1
-120mm fans x2
-Intel motherboard back plate x1
-Intel brackets x2 (Pre-installed)
-AMD brackets x2
-O-ring washers x8
-Small screws x8
-Long screws x8
-Square screws x4
-Nuts x4
-Double ended screws x4
-LGA 2011 double ended screws x4
-Instruction manual leaflet

The installation kit provided with their new range of ALC units is far superior to the ones provided with the Asetek sourced H50 and H70 being more durable and easier to install. The Corsair H100 is the first cooler to also officially have LGA2011 support for the upcoming Intel X79 chipset, making it future-proof. Enough long screws are provided to install the two fans but more will be needed if users are to buy two more fans.


The Corsair H100

The Corsair H100 is quite a step away from the usual single radiator ALC we have come so accustomed with over the past two years. The 240mm radiator isn’t actually a new concept for ALC units as CoolIT first brought it to market a year ago. Unfortunately, pricing and lack of compatibility in the majority of chassis made adoption scares. However, Corsair have finally taken the opportunity to re-launch the concept and manufacturing cases that already have 240mm radiator support certainly helps. Thanks to the popularity of Corsair’s cases, it becomes a lot easier to install the H100 and Corsair have done well to provide such a well-coupled solution, something CoolIT previously lacked. It also helps that a lot of budget cases come with water-cooling support and compatibility with 240mm radiators. Pricing is also far more favourable than CoolIT ECO 240 so adoption into the market will be much better. The ALC concept is still the same here. The CPU block integrates the pump and cold plate which are connected via two tubes to the 240mm radiator. The unit comes filled with coolant already. The aluminium construction makes it feel light-weight despite weighing in at 1kg in total, similar to a lot of high end air coolers.



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