Antec KUHLER H2O 920 Liquid Cooling System

Pros: I'm building a new system and called Antec tech support with a question... I was able to actually talk to someone right away and he new exactly the correct answer. Super helpful!! I'm doing a build from scratch and was not sure what the 920 CPU cooler was going to do when I very first started the system because it requires software to be installed AND needs to be controlled via USB...none of which would be working yet with my (any) new build. Three key things I learned from tech support: See other thoughts.

Cons: The reason I had to call tech support was that the instruction manual was lacking this info.... Yeah...see other thoughts:)

Overall Review: 1) The cooler will default to its "extreme" mode, fans a blazing when there is no software or USB yet. So you don't need to worry that it won't work until the O.S. and Antec control software is installed. I assumed it must have a default mode for this but the manual does not mention it. 2) DO NOT attach the USB connector until you have your system running and have installed the control software. He explicitly said this was the proper method. I mentioned that a few reviews said they had problems with this 920 cooler frying a trace on their MoBos and he said that might be due to having the USB attached before the cooler control software was installed and/or that the person installing may have reversed the USB connector on the MOBo...It only uses half of a full sized USB connector so it's not hard to screw up. Pay close attention to the manual for that part. 3) You should DISABLE Q fan control in BIOS to get proper control from their 920 cooler software. Hope this helps some people.

Pros: First and foremost... Got my i7 3770k to 4.8 Ghz at 1.33v stable easily and didn't go over 88 C using Intel Burn Test (Very High setting over 30 tests...), which is a little more intense as far as a stability test than prime (got about to 85c with prime) and about to 81c Folding, all of which max out the load on this. So the overclocking allowed by this rocks considering you usually don't want to push your CPU over 90 c consistently with Sandy and Ivy Bridges (yes i know, intel rates them at 105c... but i want this thing to last). Another thing people have been BI***ING about is the fan noise... however i can't get this thing over 35c liquid temp, so my fans never ever get over 1200 RPM. USE A REVERSE CONFIGURATION WITH THE PUSH PULL FANS. DRAW AIR IN FROM THE BACK NOT PUSH OUT LIKE ANTEC SAYS!!! YOU WILL GET WAY BETTER TEMPS!!! I ran prime for 15 hours straight and couldn't get my LIQUID temp to budge above 35 c... My ramp up is set at 33c liquid and max fan is set to 38c which i still have yet to reach. Remember i'm OC'd to 4.8 Ghz at 1.33v i7 3770k, this thing rocks. There's an Aussie on youtube that absolutely has this thing right on when it comes to the install, i followed him exactly and had a great install. Don't use the instructions, it's true what they say… they are terrible. I've detailed some do's and donts in the cons so PLEASE READ THOSE BEFORE YOU INSTALL!

Cons: I'm going to use this space to address cons that other people have, that simply are not true. If you install this right, out of the box you will achieve amazing temps, even with their so called "bad" thermal paste, which i used.... 1)Loud Fans: You may get a defective fan out of the box, but i did not. I'll tell you one thing, try to find a PWM fan that goes over 1700 RPM and achieves this noise level, YOU WILL NOT FIND ONE!, trust me, i've looked to replace these but concluded that none of the replacement fans would move the same amount of air. These are rated at 100 CFM each... thats a lot of movement. Plus, remember, even with my OC i couldn't get the liquid temp over 35.1c with a 33c ramp up speed so my fans never got going more than 1200 Rpm and thats with IBT which is the toughest test you can do. These fans are great, yes they are loud at 2600, but you'll never get there... unless you plan on really pushing your CPU. 2)Install issues. This is probably people's biggest beef with this, the instructions suck, its true, use the Aussie's video on youtube, its like a 45 min, step by step video of the install for reals and it kicks a**, for reals. DON'T OVERTIGHTEN THE SCREWS ON THE COLD PLATE TO THE MB, USE YOUR FINGERS AND VERY GENTLY TIGHTEN, the backplate is plastic, so you need to be gentle, you can get a tight fit without destroying it, but if you do destroy the backplate, Antec will send you a new kit FOR FREE, they are great with service so...everyone chill (get it?!) 3)INSTALL THE SOFTWARE FIRST. I didn't run into this problem, but some people have said that if you put the unit in first, then install the drivers, it has a hard time recognizing it. I was installing this on a new build, so what I did was installed the CPU with the stock fan, installed the system software, windows... etc. Installed the Antec software (which won't run until the unit is installed so don't worry if you tried and the software crashes...) then, opened up the comp, removed the stock fan, cleaned the CPU heat spreader with Arctic remover, and purifier, then used the packaged thermal past with the antec to install on the CPU. When i booted up it recognized it immediately and BAM, install done... 4)USE A REVERSE FAN CONFIGURATION. Antec tells you in the instructions to use a push pull config going out of your rig… However, if you watch the Aussie (i'm sorry to whoever you are, i wish i had a name, you rock, i've called you "Aussie" cause i'm pretty sure that's where you're from… let me know if you see this!) video you'll hear him say (and he's right) that you'll achieve better temps. This means, look at the arrows on the fan's and make sure the point into your machine from the back. This will cause cool outside air to be pushed and pulled through your radiator giving it better temps, a lot better. The Aussie contacted Antec and they told him this was legit, so there ya go. If you keep these things in mind, install will go well and it

Overall Review: FANTASTIC OVERALL PRODUCT, the light on the unit is super cool cause you can control the color, turn it off because the light will stay on as long as your MB has power so for most people... always. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH, USE YOUTUBE, THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE HORRIBLE BUT THE PRODUCT ROCKS! Also... don't be dumb... please, be patient and know how to use tools... Here is my rig: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 ATX Mid tower CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V (not modular but still great!) ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 Intel i7 3770k 3.5 Ghz (3.9 turbo) -- Overclocked to 4.8 Ghz at 1.33v---stable on IBT G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Antec KUHLER H2O 920 Liquid Cooling System (obviously!) EVGA GeForce GTX 660Ti FTW 3GB GDDR5 *****Arctic Silver Arcticlean Thermal material Remover & Surface Purifier***** important to install (see above)

Pros: - Ultra-performance. Lowered Civ5 multi-hour full-load CPU temps from around 70C (with a Corsair H60) to 60C on my i7-2600K running at 5.0 GHz. - Super-thick 120mm compatible radiator fits wonderfully on the upper-rear fan mount in my Corsair 600T (along with most of the other cases in existence). - Two high performance fans have a very nice noise to air ratio all along the curve. This does not mean that the fans are quiet running at 100%. When you buy what some well-respected sites have called the most high-performing pre-built CPU cooler on the market, be ready to compromise a little in the noise department. - Adjustable-color LED in the pump housing looks great. - No maintenance with a 3 year warranty. - Simple installation. It contains the same hardware as a Corsair H50 (made by Asetek). On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the easiest, the stock Intel cooler is a 1, an H60 is a 2, and this is a 3. - Standard 4-pin connectors on fans work with your motherboard.

Cons: - Value/Bang-for-the-Buck. You can do nearly as well for MUCH less cost.

Overall Review: Here are a couple handy tips I learned while installing and using this system. - As the instructions show, I mounted the radiator "sideways". This freed up some room just above the unit and allowed me to mount another fan just above it that supplies cool air to the push fan and to the side of the radiator. - Mount the first fan to the case using two normal case fan screws on opposite corners. Use the longer screws that run through the fan to attach the radiator in the other two holes. Then replace the two short case fan screws with the longer screws to fully secure the radiator. This way you don't need three hands to get the job done. - Setting all the color values to 255 gets you a nice bright white LED. - The fan cables are pretty short. If you attach them to the pump as shown in the directions, this isn't a problem. It could be in some cases if you want to plug them directly into the motherboard. I use an Akasa PWM fan splitter to give me all the control and length I need

Pros: 3rd gen liquid cpu cooling, zero maintenance, installed and booted right up.. running i7-2600k with asus p8z68-v pro.. idle 35-38C.. full load 55-60C.. 3 year warranty (longest warranty on the market for a liquid cpu cooler :)).. 100% fully customizable led is a big plus for all enthusiasts.. the chillcontrolv program is nice but it definitely needs some updating, it doesn't monitor cpu temp.. only monitors liquid temp.. recommend getting realtemp or something else that does the same.. the low setting (which you have to create) is the best setting to use.. it is the best balance between cooling and noise

Cons: installation is annoying with 1 person (putting the fans on the radiator and chassis).. have a buddy help.. it makes it so much easier.. you have to disable your cpu's fan monitoring in bios or else you'll never get past the cpu fan error.. you have to plug the 3 pin power connector into your cpu fan connection, basically you can't use any of the other one's located on your motherboard or else you'll get the cpu fan error again

Overall Review: the monitoring program doesn't allow you to directly change the fan speed.. but you can do so by lowering the ramp start speed.. the "low" setting for this system would be setting the ramp start speed anywhere between 20-25C but you need to use custom profile.. silent profile is good when you don't have load, extreme profile is good when you're vacuuming your room lol.. this is a top quality product by a great company.. remember.. antec always uses high quality japanese components in manufacturing their products.. this cooler is much better than corsair h70 and destroys any air cooler on the market.. if you do however like air coolers better.. buy the cooler master hyper 212+.. it destroys every single air cooler on the market for $30-35.. just add an extra fan to it and you're good to go

Pros: Great cooling for my 3570k @ 4.6ghz Easy to install (Directions not needed for me) Chill Control software works great and is intuitive Quality components on entire build Very quiet on silent setting Excellent performance/cost ratio ($79.00 w/rebate)

Cons: Fans very loud on extreme setting. Replaced fans w/CM R4-BMBS 600-2000 rpm (high static pressure). Have custom setting @ 1200 rpm which reduced noise considerably. Most fans @ 2000 rpm and above can be very loud!

Overall Review: I upgraded to the 920 from a Corsair H50 because my temps did not allow me to exceed a 4.5ghz oc on my 3570k build and i must say that i'm impressed and satisfied with the temp results as follows. H50 @ 4.4ghz (vcore 1.250) = 80 84 82 76, avg 80.50 920 @ 4.4ghz (vcore 1.240) = 72 74 72 68, avg 71.50 H50 @ 4.5ghz (vcore 1.275) = 84 89 85 81, avg 84.75 920 @ 4.5ghz (vcore 1.256) = 74 77 74 70, avg 73.75 H50 @ 4.6ghz (temps to high for me)...92-98 range 920 @ 4.6ghz (vcore 1.296) = 77 80 79 74, avg 77.50 920 @ 4.7ghz (vcore 1.368) = 81 86 84 78, avg 82.25 The above test results were obtained from prime95 testing @ 1hr. custom settings. I also did a 4hr test, blend, with slightly higher temps, +/- 3c. Stable OC Owners of 3570k chip know that they run much hotter then SB due to low quaility TIM on the IHS so a quality heatsink is essential to control temps. I would compare the 920 to a high quality air unit but without the weight and size. Highly recommended as an alte

Pros: Well, let's see: AMD 1100T at 4.5GHz and under 55c full-load. Enough said? No? Okay! This is a stock-standard Asetek OEM that is custom modified and branded for Antec. Equivalents are the ZALMAN LQ-320 and Thermaltake WATER 2.0 Pro. Like the above, it's pretty much socket universal: AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1/FM2 compatible. Not 100% sure on FM1/FM2, doesn't claim it, but the socket holes match up. Intel LGA775/LGA1366/LGA1156/LGA1155/LGA2011 compatible. This unit comes with a pair of some of the best 120mm PWM fans available. There are better yes, but the performance gain isn't worth the extra cost since there isn't a performance gain. The best you can do is get quieter fans for the same or less performance. You can easily get better 3-pin fans though, albeit they will either be louder and perform better, or quieter and perform worse compared to the stock at speed. I've got it inside an Antec Lanboy Air, and it mounts perfectly to the rear exhaust port. Even allows that little bracket for the speed controllers on the Lanboy Air's fans to stay clipped into it as long as you mount the Kuhler to the port through a fan. That said, you could use the fans from the chassis itself, with their manual 2-speed controllers, replacing the fans of the Kuhler. I'll likely wind up doing that since these stock fans don't ramp up far while keeping my CPU's 4GHz OC. I used extreme mode on the fans for the 4.5GHz, bit loud. Like a hair dryer on high loud. Adjustable RGB LED Antec logo on the block. All-black wiring to help keep things aesthetically pleasing and hidden. Generally silent operation all-round. Quiet pump and fans. You'll hear some residual air buzzing about the loop when you first start it. Once it aerates the fluid, you won't hear it again unless it collected into bubbles tucked away in the corners of the rad. Tubes are attached firmly enough that even if the pump had the power to blow them off, they won't come off. Joints are sealed well enough they still hold after three installations thus far. Twice on the testbench, once into the chassis. I doubt they will leak anytime soon, if ever.

Cons: Well, it came with denting in the fins. Easily fixed with my bare fingers pulling them back into place. What I can't fix, and the reason for the egg deduction, is the spacing of the fins in the middle near the in/out end-tanks is very thin (much lower FPI). This likely impacts performance slightly. This is the kind of thing that should not get past quality control, even if functional.

Overall Review: I am shocked and appalled at some of these technoob reviews below claiming "Very High" tech knowledge when they lack the common sense to read the manual. Which is clear and easy to understand if a bit simple. What's worse is we have some claiming it's not AMD 3+ compatible?! Just what socket is that? If you mean AM3+ well guess what? It's currently mounted to an AM3+ socket! I mean seriously, AM2 though AM3+ have had nearly identical brackets, and identical screw points to the point anything made for AMD sockets will work universally. Please don't pander to those technoobs Antec. You know the unit comes with AMD mounting hardware, you can tell them that and ask them to call support for a hand-holding installation over the phone. But let me be frank here to anyone reading this: If you don't have the common sense to read the manual and understand what you are doing and how to put this thing together, then at least have the common sense to search for an installation guide on Youtube. The video linked to this product page even shows you the mounting hardware and gives you a general idea how to mount it between Intel and AMD sockets. No excuses! Stop it! You're making real system techs look bad when you're claiming "Very High" tech knowledge and blaming poor instructions or incompatible mounting hardware when you are unable to figure it out. That's user error. That insults you more than Antec. Don't do it!

Pros: This is honestly the single greatest computer part I've ever owned. With proper fans and correct installation this thing offers unbelievable performance. I overclocked the socks off of my processor and this thing still keeps it chilly under intense conditions. It even bests my previous water cooled system with three radiators. I still don't entirely understand how this thing does its job so well but whoever invented this rocks. I don't personally see how other forms of liquid cooling are even still relevant givin the ease of installing this compared to fitting multiple radiators.

Cons: The fans are still garbage. Sorry but they are. They feel very solid and look like they would perform well but they're just too loud. I anticipated this and bought two additional fans and I would recommend the same to others who care about noise.

Overall Review: The key is to have the fans pulling air in through the back of your computer, not blowing air out (assuming you have sufficient top exhaust fans). Trust me, I've tried mounting this just about every way you can think of.

Pros: Does it's job as expected and cools very well even when fan control is set to a minimum.

Cons: 1) Fans much to loud when operating at max speed. 2) Pump failed after 2 weeks. I suppose it is luck of the draw sometimes, but will update once I finally get a replacement

Overall Review: Pump failed and CPU overheated and then it failed. It wasn't obvious what had happened until I popped off the side panel of my case and realized why the PC was shutting down for temp protection. Well, that protection didn't workout too well. Now newegg is telling me that I have an "incomplete return" due to missing 4 mounting brackets...not sure what that is and now they will not replace my i7 950 because I did not send in the retail box ( I had shipped the CPU, cooler, and all the other "paperwork" including the CPU sticker. Guess I learned something today with their return policy. Now I get to wait another 2 weeks and go through Intel