Is my H100i V2 end-of-life? Idle seems within norms, but CPU is 100c under load

[PotatoTyrant]

Hi, thank you for taking the time to read my inquiry.

[I purchased my H100i V2 on May 2017]

Recently I swapped out my i7-7700k to an i5-11600k, and my first Cinebench R23 score(112XX) more or less met the expectations outlined by various reviews and benchmarks online.

After bringing the desktop overseas as checked luggage, long story short, the pump cable was dislodged and I briefly registered 100c CPU temps before shutting it down and fixing the issue. I also double checked all other connections during this fix.

I ran Cinebench R23 again, and noticed that my score was lower(109XX) than my previous score. I didn't manage to save any screenshots at the time, but I remember the CPU was registering 85~90c under load during the test. Not too alarming, but starting to get concerned.

Most recently, my Cinebench R23 score was 92XX, with the CPU registering 95~100c on all cores.

I personally don't mind noise while under load, but I do want to be able to run my CPU to its full stock potential, and I feel like I can't even do that now.

I've spent the past few days double checking things on my build, scrounging forums to find an answer, and while I've learned some new things here and there, nothing has resolved the issue yet.

- Idle temps(1~2% load) : CPU@35~38c, Coolant@30~33c

- Load temps (100% load) : CPU@95~100c, Coolant@50~58c

- When running Cinebench or games I set fan and pumps to 100%(yes, its loud but I don't mind if its working well)

- Vcore : 1.1X under load

- Tried taking out the H100i V2 and moving it around to remove potential air pockets out of the pump

- Tried running the computer upside down

- Tried changing fan orientation (push/pull)

- My current room is roughly few degrees warmer than the room I ran the first Cinebench test in.

- Checked CPU-cooler contact/installation and reapplied thermal paste

- Made sure radiator was clear of cable clutter as much as my case allows (mini ITX)

- Despite the high load temps, system has never shut itself down yet

At this point, I'm inclined to think something is wrong with the cooler, but that seems odd too since the first, satisfactory Cinebench test score and the latest, concerning score is only about a month apart.

Let me know if I can share any other relevant information.

Thank you again for your time and help.

 

 

[PotatoTyrant]

I was assuming my system would show up through my profile, but here it is.

 

• Motherboard

  MSI H510I Pro Wifi (MS-7D16)

• Processor

  i5-11600k

• Memory (part number)

  CORSAIR CMK16GX4M2B3200C16

• Video Card # 1

  GTX 1080ti

• Hard Drive # 1

  Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB

• Power Supply

  EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G3

• Case

  SSUPD Meshlicious mini-ITX

• Operating System

  Windows 10

[c-attack]

If the cooler’s performance is slipping, it will show in terms of the H100i Temp (coolant temperature). If flow is partially restricted (what happens to all sealed coolers eventually), you will see an elevated coolant temp at idle, a larger increase when under load, and then a very slow return to the baseline temperature after load. That +20-24C coolant rise during the stress test is about triple the value expected. 
 

It’s not uncommon to see this with older coolers and the story starts with “I took it down for cleaning and/or moved the case and this happened”.  The problem was sitting there and the movement unsettled the debris which moved into a more critical area (the cooling block). You can try shaking it to dislodge it from the block, but there is nowhere for it to go. This may offer some immediate relief, but you should start looking for a replacement. 

[PotatoTyrant]

Roger that. Thank you for the quick, informative reply.