H100i v2 a good choice?

Hey guys,

 

Just finished my first build and for better or worse put an EVO Hyper 212 as the cooler into my rig. Ambient temps in my attic during the winter are super cold so for now I'm good with cooling but summer will be here before I know it and so I was looking into upgrading with the H100i v2. Is this a good choice in terms of balancing cost vs. performance?

 

Been reading reviews on Amazon and Newegg about pump failure and I don't really know a whole lot about AIO's. I'm looking for a good solid AIO cooler that won't break the bank but not sure if the H100i v2 is a good choice at this point in time. What do you think? I'll be doing some overclocking -- hope to get my coffee lake i5-8600k up to 4.8 or perhaps 5.0GHz but I won't be pushing the limits.

 

So, would you recommend the H100i v2 or a different AIO cooler -- from Corsair or from a different company?

 

Also, I have some SP120 RGB fans leftover after switching them out for HD120's on my 570x. In looking over guidance on this site, it looks like I will NOT be able to control fan speed on those SP120's via the cooler fan header if I switch out the stock fans on the H100i v2 for the SP120's -- is that correct? If not, it looks like I'll have to get more HD120's for the cooler.

 

Any and all help/opinions would be welcome! Thanks guys!

Hey guys,

 

Just finished my first build and for better or worse put an EVO Hyper 212 as the cooler into my rig. Ambient temps in my attic during the winter are super cold so for now I'm good with cooling but summer will be here before I know it and so I was looking into upgrading with the H100i v2. Is this a good choice in terms of balancing cost vs. performance?

What kind of temperatures are you looking at for the summer?

And the H100i V2 is a good cooler. However, you may also want to look at the H115i PRO or, if you can swing it, the H150i PRO, both of which should fit your case.

Been reading reviews on Amazon and Newegg about pump failure and I don't really know a whole lot about AIO's. I'm looking for a good solid AIO cooler that won't break the bank but not sure if the H100i v2 is a good choice at this point in time. What do you think? I'll be doing some overclocking -- hope to get my coffee lake i5-8600k up to 4.8 or perhaps 5.0GHz but I won't be pushing the limits.

 

Yeah, it should handle the overclock but it will depend on your ambient temperature. And yes, there are reviews about failures; I do have to wonder how many of them are related to users not properly powering the pump. This was, honestly, a miss in the documentation; it's vital that you set your pump header to full speed. I will also say that, in the case of failure, Corsair is not hesitant to honor the warranty (coming from personal experience and it was before I was active on the forum). And don't get rid of that Hyper 212 EVO; I have one for backup in the event that any of the 4 water-cooled systems in my home have a pump issue.

 

So, would you recommend the H100i v2 or a different AIO cooler -- from Corsair or from a different company?

See above. If you can swing it, go with a PRO cooler. But the H100i V2 are pretty consistently on sale on NewEgg; makes me think that Corsair is clearing them out for a new version ... maybe??

 

Also, I have some SP120 RGB fans leftover after switching them out for HD120's on my 570x. In looking over guidance on this site, it looks like I will NOT be able to control fan speed on those SP120's via the cooler fan header if I switch out the stock fans on the H100i v2 for the SP120's -- is that correct? If not, it looks like I'll have to get more HD120's for the cooler.

That is correct. Only PWM fans can be controlled from the pump's fan controller. Now ... another consideration may be this: the PRO coolers come with ML fans and those are far, far quieter than the fans that come with the H100i V2. You may still want new ones (for aesthetics) but you could use the RGB fans for intake and the stock fans for exhaust in a push/pull scenario.

Any and all help/opinions would be welcome! Thanks guys!

That's what we do around here. Well ... definitely opinions. Whether they are helpful or not is another question entirely. ;):

Ditto on the above from Devbiker really.. I run the H100i v2 and have done for 12 months or so.. been great, H80i v2 before that and a few older versions prior to that.. all have been stellar at their job imho. I also have the 570x and I am currently saving for a H150i pro to replace my H100i v2 :)

Thanks so much DevBiker and Zotty! I appreciate the feedback, especially the detailed advice!!! Yeah, Newegg has a good sale right now on the H100i v2 ($84 after rebate) which got my wheels turning on the whole idea.

 

But after reading DevBiker's perspective, and considering that I really want to install controllable RGB fans on the AIO cooler, I might just want to save up for the H150i pro AND get 3 ML120 RGB fans to pair with them and call it a done deal.

 

My CP is maxed out with 6 fans already. I'm assuming that H150i Pro has 3 PWM fan headers for the ML120 fans -- is that true? If so, I could get the 3 pack ML120 RGB's and be able to control everything through Link.

 

Christ, my wife is going to kill me. :biggrin:

 

In terms of ambient temps, my rig has only been up and running for about 2-weeks so I am not sure what they will look like in summer. My attic is cool in the winter and warmer in the summer. Right now my ambient temps are about 14C and my CPU is holding steady at about 18C at idle and doesn't get much above 40C under load with 4.6GHz OC. My GTX 1080 fans haven't even turned on yet it is so cool.

 

But in the summer i expect to easily have ambient temps of about 26C or 27C which will make my CPU significantly warmer, thus the need for better cooling.

 

And thanks for the pointer to keep the EVO Hyper 212 in case of water cooling failure. Will do!

 

When I do get around to buying the AIO water cooler (Whether it is H100i or the H150i pro), do you think I need to remove the Mobo to switch it out? Or with the 570x should I be able to make the change leaving the mobo in place? Really don't want to have to remove the mobo if I don't have to for the switch.

 

Thanks again for the great feedback and help! :biggrin:

Shouldnt need to remove it in the 570x bud.. huge access hole.. just checked mine to be sure :)

Thanks so much DevBiker and Zotty! I appreciate the feedback, especially the detailed advice!!! Yeah, Newegg has a good sale right now on the H100i v2 ($84 after rebate) which got my wheels turning on the whole idea.

 

But after reading DevBiker's perspective, and considering that I really want to install controllable RGB fans on the AIO cooler, I might just want to save up for the H150i pro AND get 3 ML120 RGB fans to pair with them and call it a done deal.

 

My CP is maxed out with 6 fans already. I'm assuming that H150i Pro has 3 PWM fan headers for the ML120 fans -- is that true? If so, I could get the 3 pack ML120 RGB's and be able to control everything through Link.

 

The H150i PRO does have 3 fan headers. You'll be able to control all three fans directly from the cooler. Also, note that you can use splitters with the CoPro; just keep it to less than 1A per connection and no more than 4.5A total.

Christ, my wife is going to kill me. :biggrin:

HIDE THE RECEIPTS. :D:

 

In terms of ambient temps, my rig has only been up and running for about 2-weeks so I am not sure what they will look like in summer. My attic is cool in the winter and warmer in the summer. Right now my ambient temps are about 14C and my CPU is holding steady at about 18C at idle and doesn't get much above 40C under load with 4.6GHz OC. My GTX 1080 fans haven't even turned on yet it is so cool.

 

But in the summer i expect to easily have ambient temps of about 26C or 27C which will make my CPU significantly warmer, thus the need for better cooling.

Yeah, that will increase temps across the board. I cannot tell you how glad I am that you are aware of that. That said, the H100i V2 would be OK; my summer ambients are around 25C in my office and it was all good. You might want to create a Summer and a Winter profile in Link, however as your fan curves will be different.

And thanks for the pointer to keep the EVO Hyper 212 in case of water cooling failure. Will do!

 

When I do get around to buying the AIO water cooler (Whether it is H100i or the H150i pro), do you think I need to remove the Mobo to switch it out? Or with the 570x should I be able to make the change leaving the mobo in place? Really don't want to have to remove the mobo if I don't have to for the switch.

 

Thanks again for the great feedback and help! :biggrin:

Nah, no need to remove the mobo. You have a "hole" in the motherboard tray so you don't need to do that.

Awesome, you guys are great! I really appreciate all of the detailed guidance and clarification. I'll post some pics once I get everything swapped out! :biggrin: