How does the Corsair H100i GTX liquid cool work?

[Tweed]

I'm looking to getting a CPU cooler, and this was one of the top of the list on PCPartpicker. I watched youtube videos to see how it works. I thought water is involved for liquid cooling. Confused how this specific H100i GTX works...

 

[wolverine96]

This is a closed-loop water-cooling system. This means that it is ready to install right out of the box. The water-block mounts onto your CPU (instead of an air cooler), and the radiator mounts to your case. The fans would pull the air through the radiator. Water-cooling systems also use a pump, and I think that it is built into the CPU block (otherwise it might be in the radiator).

However, most all-in-one water-coolers really aren't any better than a good air cooler (which is almost always cheaper). Therefore, I would recommend either going with a high end air-cooler, or doing your own custom water-cooling system. This would give you more control over which parts you get.

That is, unless you really want it... 😀

 

[bschu94]

I don't have it, but have done my research as I have been close to purchasing it. It is in fact an All-in-one Liquid cooler. It has the pump and radiator and the coolant is already inside the tubing. All in one are the cheaper alternative to doing a custom loop and the nice thing is you don't really have any maintenance other than dusting out the radiator from time to time and you shouldn't ever have to empty the loop and refill it.

 

[Tweed]

Alright I was torn between the Corsair H100i GTX and the Cryorig H7. So for the H100i where does the water go and how do we like do the monthly maintenance?

 

[bschu94]

There isn't any monthly maintenance and the coolant is already inside of the loop

 

[JackNaylorPE]

The H100i GTX is a type of water cooler generally referred to as a CLC or Closed Loop (Water) Coolers. The work by changing the 2 step air cooling method into a 4 step cooling method.

1. Heat is transferred from CPU to a block, exactly like an air cooler (metal to metal).
2. Unlike an air cooler, heat is then transferred to a liquid coolant (metal to water heat transfer)
3. The liquid coolant is then pumped to a radiator where another liquid / metal heat transfer takes place.
4. Finally the heat is transferred from metal to air via pushing air thru the radiator just like an air cooler does thru a heat sink.

The problems with CLCs are:

1. No CLC has ever thermally outperformed an equivalently priced air cooler.
2. CLCs make a lot more noise than air coolers... as in the h100i is 12 times as loud as the Noctua DH-15. Sound levels are equivalent to granny's 1950s vacuum cleaner.
3. You can not add additional components (like a GFX card water block) to the loop.
4. You can not refresh the anti corrosion inhibitors and algaecides in the loop and with mixed metals, (aluminum rads / copper block) ... this is a bad thing due to galvanic corrosion that takes place with wet contact between dissimilar metals.

OTOH, there are OLCs which cost about the same amount with none of these shortcomings. If you think you want the H100i GTX, look at the equivalently priced Swiftech H220-X or better yet the H240-X for $10 more. The H220-X kicks tail thermally, is waaay quieter (H100i is 6 times as loud), is all copper and with the H240-X you can also add a water block for say a 980 Ti at some point and water cool your GFX card too.

http://www.swiftech.com/

http://www.hitechlegion.com/reviews/cooling/liquid/40870-swiftech-h220-x-open-loop-240mm-cpu-cooler-review?showall=&start=3

In terms of performance, well….we could simply leave it at the fact that the H220X is simply the best performing out-of-the-box cooler you can buy today. Period. It slightly betters its predecessor, the H220, as well as the Glacer 240L that is equipped with far more powerful and louder fans. The NZXT X60/61 comes close in terms of performance, but at the expense of far more noise and far less compatibility. 240mm CLCs [like the H100i GTX] can’t touch the H220X in all out performance, and at tolerable noise levels the H220X flat out embarrasses them.

The result of this redesign makes the H220X the best performing cooler that is install ready right out of the box. There is not a 240mm CLC or air cooler that can beat it, and it does it at 20+ dB quieter than the competing CLCs. To sum it up; the H220X offers better performance, lower noise, better aesthetics, flawless design and build, better components and the option of expandability when compared to a CLC. Putting it gently, choosing any CLC over the H220X would be doing yourself a huge disservice.

I think you will get a good read on this from the review here, more so from the comments thereafter

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2834038/corsair-h110i-gtx-performance-testing-review.html

 

[CorsairJoseph]

Alright I was torn between the Corsair H100i GTX and the Cryorig H7. So for the H100i where does the water go and how do we like do the monthly maintenance?

One of the great things about the H100i GTX is the fact there is zero maintenance, once you have installed it in your system, you can forget about it. Ease of installation is also an appealing aspect for this cooler, does not require you to disconnect anything during installation, pretty straight forward for the most part. The whole cooling system is pre-assembled, pre-filled and vacuum sealed out of the box, even the thermal paste on the cold plate is pre-applied.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

But none of those things are unique to the H100i GTX or any CLC / OLC, the Swiftech / EK units have all of those features, except for the TIM. However, what the Swiftech / EK gives you that the Corsair doesn't:

1/6th if the noise
7C more cooling
10x as powerful pump
A reservoir (Swiftech only)
Copper radiator
No mixed metals

As to the maintenance, that's a two edged sword. Yes, you shouldn't have to do maintenance but you also can't if you wanted to which I no likie with dissimilar metals in the loop. It is recommended to change your coolant every 24-26 months in your car and what is in CLCs is basically an anti-freeze solution. If the unit is something you want to keep beyond the warranty period, I would definitely want to flush out that coolant....especially when mixing copper block and an aluminum rad which basically create a galvanic cell.

https://martinsliquidlab.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/corrosion-explored/

 

[Tweed]

I think I'll stick with the CRYORIG H7