Pros: 5 year warranty is nice. I hear they will replace your parts that get water damaged. That’s nice service. You will certainly get top notch cooling at a good handful of degrees warmer than ambient... but...

Cons: I know watercooling sounds so “cool” and is so tempting. I fell for it too. But when I got it, I noticed something. It was a lot louder than my Noctua 14. And barley cooler. And the pump noise, that vibration is audible too, and really REALLY annoying after a while. And I was totally confused until I started doing some research and comparisons. The benchmarks don’t lie, let me summarize: While this water cooler does cool about 3° better than watercooling, it does so at over twice as loud of other cheaper high end air coolers. (over 12db louder) And silence is golden to me. I don’t want something that sounds like a muffled hair dryer on high and a pump drone noise on low. Only people who have never built a computer before don’t care about sound levels.

If you want watercooling performance at 30dB (silent) instead of 43-60dB (that’s not twice as loud, dB is a logarithmic scale, 30-60 magnitude is 1000 not 100) I recommend getting the The Thermalright True Spirit 140. At ~$50 it’s half the price, half the size, half the noise, on par with performance and you never never have to worry about the water eventually leaking or the pump dying out. Water eventually wears everything down, anyone ever had an aquarium? Pumps don’t last forever. The pump, the tubs, the water block, the radiator, and all the connections is a lot of failure points. But let’s not worry about that, let’s say it’s going to be perfect and run forever, but if you just focus on performance (sound levels and performance) and price, this does not make sense. I know a lot of watercooling fanboys will not like this. I’m just trying to save you some possible headaches and money. Get a Thermalright True Spirit 140 or a Noctua 14/15 and use some Phobya LM thermal paste (the best as of the writing of this review, you can buy it here at newegg) and enjoy the silence with no worries and top notch performance. Maybe watercooling will get a smaller quieter better performing solution one day soon, but that day is not today.

Other Thoughts: Googling around the internet, Yes there are reports of this leaking, yes this brand new one, yes this V2. Yes this is just a rebranded H100i GTX. That’s kind of nerve racking for someone that *needs* their computer working all day every day. It's not worth it for me, but maybe you're deaf and don't need a computer to be working, and you like hassle, and need those extra 3 degrees that this water gives over other high end air solutions, this could be good for you.

Pros: This cooler works very well and it was very easy to install it on my AMD FM2 5800k APU. I was able to make it fit in a micro ATX case but just barely. Quiet operation and it cools very well as my APU is now overclocked 800mhz. and is still running 15c cooler than it was at stock speeds with the stock air cooler. The Corsair link software works great for monitoring and making adjustments to the fan and pump speeds as well as changing the light color to anything you want on all three of the performance settings. The build quality is top notch with the system sealed and ready for use straight out of the box. Works with just about any modern processor.

Cons: There is no easy way to mount the radiator on the outside without making a large hole in the case due to the coolant lines being connected and sealed shut so make sure you have the room on the inside or be ready to make a hole large enough for the block to fit through. The Corsair link software doesn't read the APU temperature correctly but most software doesn't.

Other Thoughts: This is my first liquid cooler and I'm impressed. It was super simple to install and it works just like it should. I'm amazed at the difference in temps with my APU running 800mhz over stock speeds and still getting a 15c drop in temp. Under a max load it tops out at 42c but stays at 25c most of the time and all while on the quiet setting.

Pros: I compared this cooler back-to-back against the original H100i cooler on the same system. In short, Corsair has tweaked the design to optimize it, but it's not radically better. Basically, the radiator is more efficient and the fans run at lower RPM. I found that in Quiet Mode (using CorsairLink's presets), the temperatures were actually 2C higher both at load and idle, while noise levels were the same at idle but 2-3dB lower at load.

The real changes are in "Performance" mode, which was intolerably loud before. Now Performance mode yields temperatures similar to the previous cooler's Quiet mode, but with slightly lower noise levels.

Cons: Don't kid yourself - lower RPMs do lead to higher temperatures. There is no way this cooler can match the old H100i with it's ultra-loud 2700RPM fans.

Also, while installation has been simplified versus the H100i (much better bracket, no SATA power cable), the hoses are so thick that they actually have become hard to bend. And because of this issue, I found that they basically touched my rear 120mm case fan. This wasn't a problem with the older H100i.

Finally, despite being the same size class, this cooler is actually thicker than the H100i. Whereas the H100i fit perfectly in my Corsair Carbide 500R's radiator compartment, the H100i v2 is too thick to fit without the case's top panel bulging.

Other Thoughts: Interestingly, by removing the SATA power connection that the older H100i used, the H100i v2 now draws power directly from the fan header, and it seems that motherboard controls will affect both fan speeds and pump speed. I didn't find anything in the manual regarding whether this is safe, but typically, coolers do not allow you to slow down the pump. Doing so most definitely allowed amazingly low noise levels at idle, but long-term this could cause a problem.

Pros: my cpu is ice cold.. nice cooler

Cons: this will take up a usb header on your motherboard....

Pros: Clean
easy to install
works as intended

Cons: still tubes, but thats fine not an issue to install.
Missing 8 washers, says it comes with 16 and i got 8.
Instructions are a bit confusing and not very instructive. (possibly not for beginners?)

Other Thoughts: Over all i would recommend it, my temps went from 70c to about 50-55c with a max trottle 4790k at 4.4ghz.

Pros: I can't say enough good things about this card. It's quiet! Runs very cool. everything is running at ultra

Cons: I wish the coolant tubes were longer as I would prefer to buy another one and hook it up. But I'm doubtful it would reach in my full tower.

Pros: Easy to install, but you really need to be sure about the distance between the top of the case and the motherboard.

Looks great, perfect for those that like to display the internals of their PC with a window in the case.
Solid build, nothing feels flimsy. I didn’t not feel like there were any weak points that would leak
Corsair link gives you full control of the fans so you can tune them to the speed that works best for your setup.
The hoses are thick, this is good because they are strong, but also makes them harder to bend.
I didn’t feel that pump noise was too loud
Was able to keep my I7-6700k at lower temps than a large air cooler when overclocked

Cons: Not really that quiet when compared to large air coolers
Like most water coolers of this type do not assume it will fit any case. Check the dimensions carefully
Included thermal paste was pre-installed so if you are like me and use a specific brand or type you have to remove it, minor annoyance.

Other Thoughts: I suggest using a case that allows you to front mount the radiator as an intake. I found that it made a lot more noise top mounted, but then this could have just been my particular case. The hoses are not that long so you do not want a massive case if you plan on front mounted.


If you are overclocking and do not mind noise this will keep your CPU cooler at high overclocks, but if you are running stock to mild overclock you may find that a large air cooler will do as good a job if not better for less noise and cost.

This isn't for those of you looking to make your case totally silent.

Pros: Effective cooling for Intel 130-watt and AMD heat monsters.

Runs reasonably quiet if cpu isn't overclocked.

Keeps an overclocked cpu nice and cool under load (but with more fan noise).

Sturdy construction inspires confidence.

Corsair Link software (a free download on their website) gives you control of the fans. Without the software THE FANS MAY RUN
FULL-BLAST AND MAKE A LOT OF NOISE. Don't forget to connect the supplied cable to a USB header on your motherboard so that the Link software will be able to control the fans!

Easier to install than early models. Suggest attaching radiator/fans to case before mounting cooling block onto cpu.

Good variety of cases available to house this bulky water-cool design since Corsair popularised this type of cooling over the last several years.

Cons: It's over 2 inches thick when assembled (Fans 25mm / Radiator 30mm).

Won't fit in a traditional mid-tower case. Even if your mid-tower accomodates 2 x 120mm top-of-the-case fans you may find that the thickness/bulk of the Corsair H100i V2 makes it extend down into the case far enough to interfere with the rear exhaust fan, RAM slots or motherboard component heatsinks. The layout of your motherboard plays a part in determining this as well because it's common for RAM slots to be located at the top edge of the board; also, some voltage regulators or chipsets have bulky heatsinks which stick up far enough to prevent the Corsair from fitting.

Any fan settings above the quietest are .... well .... not quiet!

See Other Thoughts below ....

Other Thoughts: Check out Corsair's website and look at their cases. The specs for each case include a list of which water-coolers will fit in that particular case. They also list the location where the coolers will fit - very useful information!

A quick check at the Corsair website shows the following mid-tower cases as being compatible with the H100 series water-coolers:
Carbide Clear 400C / 400R / 450 / 500 / 540.

Anyone out there with an old-school Socket 1366 Extreme Edition cpu you're in luck. This cooler will fit and do a good job.

Core i7-965EE lightly overclocked to 3.8GHz:
Idle - 28 C. to 32 C.
After 1 hour intense gaming - 52 C. to 55 C.
Near end of transcoding 50GB HD video using Handbrake (uses all eight logical cpu cores) - 56 C. to 59 C.

Handbrake and MediaCoder can leverage all available cores of your cpu, and both are free.

A Noctua NH-D14, NH-C14, or NH-D15 will provide similar results (except maybe for extreme overclocking situations). They also fit in most traditional mid-tower cases. And .... they're cheaper and definitely quieter! So, give thought to your present and future needs before you opt for any new cooler!

Pros: Quiet and great at cooling my I7 6700k

Cons: Apparently I'm one of the unlucky ones. One of the lines decided to snap off the waterblock and soaked my GTX 980 and psu. Plant of slack in the lines so it wasn't caused by that. At the time of writing this it's the weekend so I'll find out what Corsair plans to do about this tomorrow hopefully. I'll update my review at that time.

Pros: I tested the Corsair Hydro Series™ H100i v2 Extreme Performance Water / Liquid CPU Cooler kit. This kit is designed to replace your standard CPU heat sink fan (air-cooled) with a water-cooled system. Water cooling while more complex, has the potential to carry more heat away from your CPU than air does. If the goal is to reduce the temperature of the CPU processor to enable or improve on the over-clocking experience, or to eliminate CPU clock throttling caused by weak OEM HSF units, water cooling can help. The increased cooling can also allow for greater over-clocking on existing systems. Note over-clocking is dependent on many variables and your speed improvements may vary. IBM mainframes used water cooling for years. So its a proven method for cooling advanced CPU's

Corsair water cooling kits are sold in either single or double-wide fan/radiator configurations. Generally speaking the more fans the greater the cooling capacity. Please note that higher capacity kits tend to have higher RPM fans, which can generate more noise. The model H100i v2 kit has a dual 120mm fan radiator and is one of the higher cooling capacity rated kits that Corsair offers. As a result it takes up more space inside the computer case than a single fan radiator kit.

The kit's cold plate/pumping unit is compatible with the following processor sockets:

Intel LGA 1151
Intel LGA 1150
Intel LGA 1155
Intel LGA 1156
Intel LGA 1366
Intel LGA 2011
Intel LGA 2011-3
AMD AM2
AMD AM3
AMD FM1
AMD FM2

The kit is well-made and the hoses are designed to rotate where they attach to the cold plate/pump unit for more flexibility during installation. The radiator hoses are fixed and do not rotate where they attach to the radiator unit. The hoses appear to be made out of durable material. USB Link monitoring software can be downloaded free of charge from Corsair. More on this Link App later. The cold plate has a mirror polished copper base to enhance heat transfer between it and the CPU. It comes coated with the common gray heat sink dope that is designed to melt and flow at normal CPU temperatures to improve heat transfer.

It's best not to scrimp on the purchase price of one of these water cooling kits. Water and computers obviously do not mix and the last thing you want is a hose or water block springing a leak and spraying water all over your expensive computer electronics. From my past experience in using the Corsair kits, they are well-made and will not leak when installed in the manner recommended by the manufacturer. While you can purchase your own home-brew: water blocks, pumps, hoses and radiators and build your own custom water cooling system, you always run the risk of separate components developing leaks, airlocks and eventually destroying your high-end system. The ready made kits like those from Corsair and other vendors with their factory-sealed water loops are the most cost-effective and the best way to go in my personal experience as a system builder.

The Corsair H100i v2 kit includes: 1) Dual fan - 240mm radiator, 2) 120mm PWM Fans (rated 2400 RPM @ 37.7 db-A scale), 1) Cold Plate/Pump Unit, Mounting Brackets, Mounting Hardware, sealed cooling loop, and installation guide. Monitoring/control software can be downloaded separately from Corsair's support web site.

Corsair recommends to attach the included Corsair Link USB cable to a spare USB header on your motherboard and then download the free Corsair USB Link software to control the following features: You can customize cooling performance, monitor coolant and CPU temperatures, and change the color of the RGB LED lighting from the default white to match your system, or to change color based on temperature readings and other inputs. This definitely adds to the coolness factor!

With a sealed loop system there is no need to ever top-off the water level due to leakage or evaporation. System maintenance is thereby reduced and reliability is increased. Sealed loop systems are the most cost-effective, versus custom built cooling loops. These positives all make sealed loop systems the smart way to go for those new to system building.

Cons: The larger diameter hoses used on the Corsair H100i v2 kit, while offering better water circulation capacity, have the downside of being rather stiff and hard to bend. Due to the degree of stiffness, I am a little bit concerned about the amount of torque load being applied to the water block and eventually to the motherboard. Some motherboards may warp more easily than others. One solution might be to soak the hoses in hot water just prior to installation to help soften them up for easier forming.

While this is a minor con, I thought it bore an explanation. Corsair's motherboard fan wiring only supports 3-wire fan connections. The fourth blue fan lead that normally allows your motherboard to use Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to regulate the CPU fan speed is not included in the Corsair fan header harness that connects in place of your CPU fan connection. Note the plug will still connect to a standard 4-pin CPU fan header to supply 12 VDC power to the pump and radiator fan. Additional circuitry located inside the water block takes over for the PWM fan control on your motherboard and relies on the Corsair Link App to control the radiator fans speeds. If you don't download and install the recommended Corsair Link App, your fans will default to operating at full speed and can generate a considerable amount of fan noise in this mode. Just a guess, but this might be the source of the noise complaints from other reviewers. With the USB Link App installed I would recommend to set the fans to the mid-level speed setting for the best compromise between fan noise and cooling efficiency.

The fan output cabling due to its parallel design only has the ability to monitor one of the two connected radiator fans for rotational speed. If the fan connected to the end of the fan cable were to seize-up, the monitoring software would never detect the problem, because the 3rd tachometer lead connection is missing from part of the fan harness. This is a cost saving compromise to eliminate the need for a second fan control channel and cable.

Lastly, Corsair recommends to mount the radiator fans installed to pull air into the case, versus exhausting it outward. In their instruction guide they diagram the radiator mounted to the underside of a case top with the two fans then mounted underneath the radiator to form an assembly. This goes against common sense in my opinion. Heat rises in tower cases and tends to stagnate near the top inside of the case. Every tower case I have ever worked with was designed to pull air in through the lower front panel and lower sides of the case and then exhaust the hot air out through the top, or via a high, rear mounted case fan. This is done to improve cooling for the hard drives and graphics card(s) and this system then relies on a top mounted, or high mounted rear case fan(s) to pull any accumulated heat upward and out of the case. With good air flow the temperature inside the case should remain only few degrees above the room ambient temperature where the system is located.

Reversing this normal air flow direction effectively kills the chimney effect that occurs inside the case and can result in a higher internal case temperatures in my experience. Yes pulling outside ambient air over the radiator does help its cooling efficiency, but at the cost of a poorly ventilated tower case? I don't think its worth the bother to disrupt the normal case airflow patterns for a slight improvement in the water cooling system efficiency.

I have achieved better cooling results with these water cooling kits by mounting the fans to the underside of the case top, then mounting the radiator to the underside of the fans. I install the fans to pull air up through the radiator and then exhaust it out the top of the case. This maintains the case designer's preferred airflow pattern, while still providing good airflow across the Corsair radiator. While this may make the assembly process more cumbersome, I believe the final results are well worth the added effort. Keep in mind that radiators generally perform best when the air mover is mounted to pull air through the radiator, versus trying to push air through the radiator. This also results in lower fan noise that the added turbulence would cause.

Other Thoughts: Unfortunately the 240mm radiator supplied in the Corsair H100i v2 kit was too thick to fit into my existing Antec 300 v2 midsize tower case. Typically you will need a mid-tower case or larger, with a bottom mounted power supply and two 120mm top mounted fans. This Corsair kit is designed to replace those two top-mounted fans. Because heat naturally rises, these kits work best if they are mounted on the underside of the top case cover. My Antec 300 case meets this criteria, however my Gigabyte 990 chipset motherboard places the AMD 8350, 8-core processor, too close to the inside top cover of the case. This should not be an issue on most Intel motherboard layouts. This resulted in a lack of vertical clearance for the Corsair radiator unit with both fans mounted. The H100i v2 kit that I tested requires 3" (75mm) of clearance between the processor and the top inside of the case. You will also need to be weary of protruding voltage regulator heat sinks, tall capacitors, DRAM cards and other large motherboard components, that are mounted near the top edge of the motherboard, that could interfere with the 240mm radiator/fan units supplied with these kits.

I considered cutting out a portion the top perforated integral fan grills on my case to allow the water hoses and cold block to pass through and then mounting the fan/radiator unit externally for the test session. After some consideration I decided it was not worth the added expense of destroying a perfectly good case for the purpose of a single review. The final nail in the coffin on doing this review was the need to completely remove the motherboard to mount the cold plate/pump unit mounting brackets. Obviously it is easier to install these kits on a new build, before the motherboard/CPU are installed into the case. Would be nice if Corsair could come up with a retention lever mounting system that could work with the existing AMD motherboard CPU mounts, thus eliminating the need to remove the motherboard from the case. This would reduce the amount of time needed for retrofitting existing AMD systems.

My experience with the Corsair H100i v2 cooling kit stresses the need to carefully measure the clearances needed to fit one of these kits into an existing system case, or to exercise care in selecting a new case to be compatible with the water cooling kit you wish to purchase. Alternatively in the worst case scenario have a Premier membership or similar account that allows you to return items that don't fit at little or no-charge.

In conclusion based on my past experience of installing these Corsair water cooling kits for some of my clients, the single fan units are the most compatible, because they take up the least amount of internal case volume. If you are custom building a high-end gaming system, be sure to over-size your case height/depth to allow enough room for the planned water cooling system to mount. I have used a number of the Corsair kits over the years and have never had one come back due to water leakage, or any other defects. In my experience a single fan unit will work fine with processors that draw up to 125 Watts TDP. With a high-end, or older processor that exceeds 125 Watts TDP, I would recommend to use a dual-fan water cooler. If you are looking for a good low-maintenance, sealed-loop, water cooling kit I would not hesitate to recommend any of the current Corsair models. They are all well engineered to their individual price points and offer excellent value for your money.