H100i Loose backplate after snug backplate on H100

Hi everyone,

My H100 died (fan control just stopped working one day) and I did an RMA and got a replacement, the H100i. I was very pleased that although I had to wait 6 weeks to get the part due to stocking issues, I was upgraded to the latest hardware revision.

Installing this thing though is making me frustrated. My backplate was very secure on my H100, and this backplate is not secure at all despite the standoff screws being as far in as they will go. My estimate is that the gap is about 2.5 mm.

I know what you're thinking - oh, this has been covered before and dismissed by yellowbeard - a loose backplate is normal- if he just goes and puts the pump in, the thumb screws will tighten the cooler in to place.

Why then was my last backplate so snug? Why is this one so loose? People are reporting that adding rubber washers to the back will fix this issue - sounds like a good fix, but I'd rather have the backplate that I sent back with my H100 that was snug without having to go buy rubber washers.

I'm hoping that I will get an open minded answer to this and not just get dismissed like in the other threads.

Oh, also, the directions have at least one mistake. Check out the attachment. The directions say use H for LGA1155, but then look down to the picture below - H is listed as LGA 2011, the standoff with the different length/diameter screws.

What is going on guys?!? This was so easy and satisfying on the H100.

I've got the same issue on a H80 i've just received. It's the third H80 install i've done in the past 12 months. I've never noticed the backplate issue on the other 2 installs, but now i'm suspicious that I just didn't check it thoroughly when checking my temperatures.

I'm hoping the other 2 installs are fine but this 3rd install is definitely a problem. I'd estimate 1-2mm movement on the backplate and i'm sorry but no matter what Yellowbeard may say, I have to disagree that tightening the bolts to a loose anchor will fix the problem.

The backplate is the anchor and if that is not 100% firm to the motherboard, any movement in it will transfer to movement on the block. It's such basic physics to understand - slightly annoying that it has been argued blindly that tightening the top bolts will address the issue. It's a bit like saying don't worry even though the ships anchor is a little loose - the weight of the ship will stop it moving. The cooling blocks movement is directly linked with the quality of the anchor (the backplate in this case).

Greetings,

I'm putting together a new system and also having this issue on a Asus P8Z877 V LK motherboard. When the H100i backplate is placed on to the motherboard... the female threaded posts that go through the holes should sit just about even with motherboard... and then the standoffs I tighten down and fit snggly to the motherboard and the post from the back plate.

What happens on the Asus motherboards is that the post taller then the thickness of the motherboards therefor the post protrudes above the motherboard. When tightening the standoffs, they only go as far as the tip of the posts... which is above the motherboard... so even though the standoffs are as tight as possible... the space from the tip of the post to the motherboard has nothing to fill that void... causing the back plate to be loose.

Im annoyed that I would have to use the basic cpu fan that came with my CPU until I contact and wait for Corsair to send me the proper parts needed so I can properly install the H100i.

So the temporary fix...

Rubber, nylon or metal washers have to be added to the back side of the mounting hardware.

If your going to use rubber or nylon washers, you can use them between the thick black nylon post washers and the motherboard... so basically simply add them to the post before inserting into the motherboard.

If using metal washers... take off the thick black nylon post washers... add the metal washer(s) to the post then place the thick black nylon post washer on top of that. That will build up the back support for the back plate and the posts will now end where they should for installing the standoffs.

Just be sure to use the proper thickness washer(s) to achieve the correct post hight.

Pictures explain...

Picture #1 - Picture of the height of the post after the thick black nylon washer is added. Notice how long the post is.

Picture #1a - Shows the post protruding above the Asus motherboard.

Picture #2 - Shows the post with new added metal washers.

Picture #2a - Shows the post now flush with the motherboard to make a snug fit when the standoffs are applied.

Hope this helps!

@ Corsair... You need to add to the accessory package 4 black vinyl washers... about 1/2 the thickness of the one that comes with the post. It shoiuld be added with the package of fasteners so if those with a thiner motherboard... they can use it if need me.

Ok... I just used the metal washers... and they worked. The standoffs got scred in nice and snuggly like. :)

So until Corsair sends me some new mounting washers... i will use this.

Oh... I put the metals one on the post first... then the thick black nylon ones for 2 reasons:

1. To keep the install the way it was intended with the nylon touching the back of the board. Not sure how hot or what heat resistant properties the black nylon washer has... but I figured I would keep it in the same position, against the mother board.

2. Just to be sure not to short anything out... I did not want the washer to be touching the motherboard.

So far this mod seems to work just fine.

Well, I went to the hardware store and got 4 small rubber washers that fit snugly over the rear posts underneath the mobo. They did the trick and now the install is like my H100 and not loose. My temps are similar to my H100 as well (at least when it was working).

I've been thinking about it, and it is possible that the whole thing could tighten up with the thumb screws, but only if the thickness of the pump itself was thicker than the space between the bracket and the mobo. This would pull the whole kit and kaboodle outwards, but in my case you would still end up with a gap between the CPU and the pump (albeit a stable one) unless there is some flex somewhere that I'm not understanding. My guess is that the gap is small enough for most folks to make up the difference, so this issue is resolved in most systems by just putting the pump in place.

---------

While we're at it, there are at least two more mistakes in the install guide. The first is minor - Step 4 - "Iinsert the mounting bracket..." should obviously read "Insert the mounting bracket"

In the FAQ, question one reads "How do I know the direction of the air flow of the fan?" With the answer "In arrow located on the side of the fan indicates the direction of air flow". Other than the poorly formed sentence, the H100i ships with no arrows on the sides of the fan to show direction. I've never seen a fan without direction on it. For those of you who are curious/frustrated, the air goes towards the side with the cable and sticker with information other than the brand label. There are also three plastic spokes on the side that the air travels towards. Air travels away from the side that has the pretty grey unprotected fan blades.

I've been thinking about it, and it is possible that the whole thing could tighten up with the thumb screws, but only if the thickness of the pump itself was thicker than the space between the bracket and the mobo. This would pull the whole kit and kaboodle outwards, but in my case you would still end up with a gap between the CPU and the pump (albeit a stable one) unless there is some flex somewhere that I'm not understanding. My guess is that the gap is small enough for most folks to make up the difference, so this issue is resolved in most systems by just putting the pump in place.

Exactly. redesigning the pump itself is not the reasonable solution. Corsair needs to provide a set of washers... which cost pennies per kit. Glad yours worked out for you.

NYCMedic

maybe you just didn't put it in the right way?

http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113707&page=2

There is actually a specific orientation, at least for my Sabertooth Z77, probably the same for your Asus P8Z877.

Hi everyone,

 

I know what you're thinking - oh, this has been covered before and dismissed by yellowbeard - a loose backplate is normal- if he just goes and puts the pump in, the thumb screws will tighten the cooler in to place.

 

Why then was my last backplate so snug? Why is this one so loose? People are reporting that adding rubber washers to the back will fix this issue - sounds like a good fix, but I'd rather have the backplate that I sent back with my H100 that was snug without having to go buy rubber washers.

 

Hi mate!

I had a loose back plate as well with my other 2 H100 and now with the H100i.

Some are snug fit some are loose... really it doesn't matter. It's true what Yellowbeard wrote.

my intel i7 3770K @ 4.5GHz with H100i and H100 loose back plate and I got at max load 75 degrees with prim 95 which is a good result (considering the nature of the ivy bridge CPU thermal paste).

So a loose back plate is no biggie.

Loose back plate here also, had to use rubber washers. Because of the loose back plate I ended up with bent stand off's.

I have a msi p67a gd65 mobo and I tightened down thumb screws diagonally , then tightened up gently with a screw driver.

I noticed later on the thumb screws where wonky looking, I took them out out only to find they was bent!

I think this cooler was prematurely released to be honest!

Corsair H80 installing on an Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe. Same issue.

I found some old metal washers in a box, but like others, put them under what appears to be the rubber washer (although I'm not sure it really is rubber) on the backplate.

But I have to ask, what manual? All I got were a few pages with line drawings. No text, no instructions, nothing.

Would it have hurt Corsair that much to get someone to write some instructions. And I had big confusion over which standoff to use. The so-called instructions they included were garbage.

Is the user manual (if there really is one) posted anywhere? Thank you.

im using 2 asus boards with h100i's,the plate will be slightly loose to allow block aligning,once the block is mounted it gets snug.theres no need for washers IF properly installed.

Corsair H80 installing on an Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe. Same issue.

 

I found some old metal washers in a box, but like others, put them under what appears to be the rubber washer (although I'm not sure it really is rubber) on the backplate.

 

But I have to ask, what manual? All I got were a few pages with line drawings. No text, no instructions, nothing.

 

Would it have hurt Corsair that much to get someone to write some instructions. And I had big confusion over which standoff to use. The so-called instructions they included were garbage.

 

Is the user manual (if there really is one) posted anywhere? Thank you.

some basic knowledge is needed,but these units installation is really like point and shoot.

I had the same problem. I have a i7-4790k and a Gigabyte Gaming G1 motherboard with the H100i. There are a lot of posts about the H100i backplate being loose after installation, and mine was no exception. You'll read a lot of debate whether this loose backplate is a "problem" or not. But making my backplate tight solved my problem:

1) with Loose backplate:

- idle temp 35 C

- prime95 stress test went to 100 C

- Intel Extreme Tuning utility reports thermal throttling of 30-40%!

2) i installed a rubber washer behind each backplate post, then reinstalled the H100i - backplate no longer loose

- idel temp 35 C

- prime95 stress test went to 79 C

- Intel Extreme Tuning reports ZERO thermal throttling

In both cases I made sure that the backplate "notches" were facing upwards, away from my PCIe slots.

So, there you have it! I hope this helps you. Please report back if it does!

I just bought an h80i and with one fan in pull @ 1400rpm with occt small data on stock my cpu goes above 85°C. I think i have a problem with the back plate too. And also corsair link ones on win 8.1 pro.

Unless the pump housing sits loose when connected to the backplate, you will get a MUCH better, and faster, response by creating a new post.

If the pump housing does sit loose when mounted, then the question is what is the brand and model of motherboard you use? The problem that he OP's thread addresses is directly related to a few motherboard manufacturers that have chosen to alter the standard board thickness, selling a thinner board, and thus creating a problem for these board owners. The solution seems to be to purchase some small rubber or silicone washers to act as spacers.

In answer to your query, 85C is a bit high so there does seem to be a problem, although it may be unrelated to the OP's problem (it could be CPU settings that are just a bit too high, or the backplate may have been installed pointing the wrong way (yes, there is a correct way), etc...)

I too had to go through this ordeal of trying to figure out why my processor was overheating. I tore everything down and discovered the loose backplate and then later learned this is a common issue. I think the problem is that the backplate was designed to rest again another plate that mobo manufacturers used however these plates are now smaller and the backplate no longer rests on them. The official answer I received from Corsair is that newer mobo's are using thinner PCB but this isn't true obviously, and the issue has been around for some time now. My motherboard is the ASUS MAXIMUS IX FORMULA LGA115.

Long story short, I ordered rubber washers off Amazon (or any local hardware store) to fix the problem. Luckily Amazon advanced exchanged my CPU because I'm pretty sure I did some damage not knowing why it kept running so hot, initially I thought I messed up with my cabling or something.

I really like Corsair and this water cooler (I am using the Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2) as well as the software such as LINK. Their customer service, especially warranty department seems to be disorganized but that's to be expected with a lot of companies these days so not much to do about that (they should take serious note from Chewy or Amazon).

Also, their video says to install the air blowing out:

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/blog/2015/march/h100i_gtx_how_to

However the manual that's included suggests using the fans as an intake.

I think logically I would want the fans blowing outward, I mean.. its a radiator and the air is going to be warmer.. I have front fans already providing cool air intake.

At any rate, great product but they really NEED to fix this backplate issue before more people go to other vendors that have correct mounting hardware and don't have to jerry rig it with washers, I mean come on!

Good luck!

I too had to go through this ordeal of trying to figure out why my processor was overheating. I tore everything down and discovered the loose backplate and then later learned this is a common issue. I think the problem is that the backplate was designed to rest again another plate that mobo manufacturers used however these plates are now smaller and the backplate no longer rests on them. The official answer I received from Corsair is that newer mobo's are using thinner PCB but this isn't true obviously, and the issue has been around for some time now. My motherboard is the ASUS MAXIMUS IX FORMULA LGA115.

 

Long story short, I ordered rubber washers off Amazon (or any local hardware store) to fix the problem. Luckily Amazon advanced exchanged my CPU because I'm pretty sure I did some damage not knowing why it kept running so hot, initially I thought I messed up with my cabling or something.

 

I really like Corsair and this water cooler (I am using the Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2) as well as the software such as LINK. Their customer service, especially warranty department seems to be disorganized but that's to be expected with a lot of companies these days so not much to do about that (they should take serious note from Chewy or Amazon).

 

Also, their video says to install the air blowing out:

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/blog/2015/march/h100i_gtx_how_to

 

However the manual that's included suggests using the fans as an intake.

 

I think logically I would want the fans blowing outward, I mean.. its a radiator and the air is going to be warmer.. I have front fans already providing cool air intake.

Pretty big argument online (still) brewing about this. I originally thought it was a "duh!" deal: just blow the hot air out, but it's an equation devoid of some variables that are important.

In a blow-out config (push to radiator): That radiator is hampered by the interior case heat. This leaves some heat in the CPU (which is in the case).

In a blow-in config (push to radiator): That radiator is indeed cooling off the CPU itself better (cooler air through radiator), but blowing hot air into the case.

People get all indignant about this, but two things:

1. When you think carefully about it, you'll realize that both systems are attempting to rob Peter to pay Paul. In both cases, heat is left in the case. You simply cannot get something for nothing.

2. I've posted elsewhere a video where someone tries both configurations and gets better CPU/GPU temps with the blow-in (push to radiator) situation (counter to what I also thought was intuitive).

Caveat:

3. My corsair documentation shows only radiator on the top of the case with the radiator on top. I would expect that if you want a blow-in config, then you want to have the fans on top blowing downward into the case.

At any rate, great product but they really NEED to fix this backplate issue before more people go to other vendors that have correct mounting hardware and don't have to jerry rig it with washers, I mean come on!

 

Good luck!

It's now 2017, and my recently purchased H100i v2 is loose like yours. Washers on the back really seem like the only solution, because washers on the top of the motherboard would only push the mounting standoffs further away from the board making the block too high. {shrug}

I can't see how it's because of clearing the CPU mounting screws. It really is a situation where the bracket simply protrudes above the motherboard top surface. If the bracket was pushed away from the bottom by the CPU mounting screws, it would only be snugger.

I'm guessing this happened because there was a disregard for slightly thinner motherboards. ASUS (not Corsair) has already hosed me somewhat with their TUF z270 Mark 2, which is 9.2 inches wide and not 9.6, which is simply not the ATX specification.

Posting from June 2018 here. I bought a PC from a friend who built this system back in 2015. It has an H100i GTX on an i5 4690k. After a few months I noticed that the CPU temps were slowly but consistently rising (playing Fortnite it was 50 C, then 60 C, and then one day it hit 70-80 C). The fans started spinning up loudly. I tried everything from cleaning the radiator, different fan orientations, replacing thermal paste (I must've done it at least 10 times in 2 weeks), and tightening the thumb screws in different orders. I was so anxious and completely lost about this issue.

The backplate was very wobbly (I have a thinner MSI Z97S motherboard) but did some online searches and most people (including Corsair) seemed to say that it wasn't an issue and as long as the block is not wobbly on the CPU then it was fine. It seemed secure after all those reinstallations but then I tried pushing on the block while running Fortnite and temps dropped down from 60 C to 40 C. This led me to believe it was a contact issue, so I uninstalled the backplate and fitted it with some DIY plastic washers on each post and reinstalled. The screws were in tight on the motherboard this time and the block could be installed flat and flush against the CPU IHC this time.

The wobbly backplate is BAD. You should install some rubber washers (Size M4; approx. 9mm outer diameter and 4mm inner diameter with a 0.8-1mm thickness) to ensure that the double-sided screws go all the way in to the motherboard. Ofc, this depends on your motherboard thickness. The issue in my case was that the screws didnt go all the way into the post and the post was too long, so if you mounted the H100i block onto the CPU IHC, tightening one set of screws (for instance, on the bottom) would make the top part pop out a little more. IMO Corsair should really rectify this problem, it seems to have been unfixed for a while and is leading a lot of people to believe that "these AIOs are only as good as a good air cooler like Hyper 212 EVO". In fact, with a correctly installed H100i i've never seen better temps on my rig.

TL;DR If your backplate is wobbly you should use rubber washers to secure the screws down tight on the motherboard! This will allow the cooler to sit flush on the IHC leading to better performance.

[...] In fact, with a correctly installed H100i i've never seen better temps on my rig.

 

TL;DR If your backplate is wobbly you should use rubber washers to secure the screws down tight on the motherboard! This will allow the cooler to sit flush on the IHC leading to better performance.

Not long ago I posted here about the Link update because it fixed my system from keeping my fans low (I'm sure I messed that up myself by playing with the configuration at some point in the past and installing the update fixed it for me).

When browsing this forum I did read about this 'adding washers to the back-plate on some motherboards' suggestion.

I had to dust / clean-out my PC anyway, so I checked it and my motherboard did have a tiny bit of clearance around there, so, I decided to re-apply some thermal paste and try this suggestion out. Why not, everything was out anyway right?

Well, it did made a real, noticeable, measurable difference, both idle and under full load. Do not get me wrong, my PC ran without real troubles before, I mean even with the fans low and dusting it out always helps too, but, it runs even cooler now. What an ingenious find, whoever started this - not bad buddy!

With the right software-settings, a clean pc, fresh paste, and a more snug backplate - I never seen it this cool. Runs really quiet as well now.

I should visit this forum more often :) Thanks all.