Hardware Antec Kühler H2O 920 Review

Antec's latest CPU cooler is an all-in-one water-cooling kit; we find out if it can beat the heat.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2011/07/21/antec-k-hler-h2o-920/1

 

Nice review. I can see the advantages of these closed loop system, but for the price that they are still I'm more than happy with my Frio.

As this isn't a conventional cooler though, I'm surprised you didn't put it against the corsair h50/70 on the temperature charts as they are of the same type, and anyone looking to buy a closed loop cpu cooler would want to compare them directly, as well as against 'standard' coolers.

Also, you quoted the price on the first page as £80, but in the conclusion have stated it is £90.

 

I would like to know what are your opinions about the supplied fans. Are they efficient, noisy, cheapish-feeling compared to fans usually used in water cooling, such as the Gentle Typhoons?

 

Good review, however I would have preferred to see it matched against the latest Corsair h80, indeed it would have been a better .review against all the various closed loop units with reference to the Frio

 

Where are the AM3 results? I see graphs for LGA1336 & LGA1155 but not AM3?

 

Nice review but why not test it against the Corsair Hydro Series (H50 to H80)?

 

This. Seems weird that it wouldn't be tested against its competitors.. I picked up an H50 for £40 when OC'ers has it on offer. Coupled with 2 Asaka Viper fans it does a really good job at keepin my cpu cool

 

Only really interested in how it competes with other all in one units, since thats what it's got to beat isn't it.
Looks good regardless, but still want to see it against the H70/80

 

Considering that watercooling is supposed to look better than a bulky air cooler in the middle of your system I think this cooler looks atrocious. Those cables are all over the place, not to mention the lack of length to move the heatsink and fans away from the CPU itself. For the money involved I would expect a lot more style and even better all round performance.

 

They're very very loud at full chat.. as in, you can hear them over the other side of the house loud. Lowering the speed performance is still good - but I would get new fans on it personally

 

Is the Kuhler 620 the same as the 920 but with just the one fan? If so, would it be better to buy that, and buy two Gentle Typhoons to use (and so save £30odd quid)

 

nope - the 620's rad is about half the thickness of the 920, and the pump/cpu block is also slightly different..

 

the noise and static pressure - that's interesting to me. Wouldn't the cooler be more efficient if the fan sandwiched between the radiator and the case wall has a tunnel of about 2cm between the rad and the fan? That way the pressure wave from the fan blades are distanced from the radiator vanes, reducing pressure and noise?

I know it would create a much bigger cooler, just wondering really...

 

Sorry gang, I do actually have the numbers for the H70 - will add them to the graphs now. Whether it's just the Kuhler's insano-fan speeds or a much improved flow system / waterblock, the 920 is clearly quite a bit better. Can't comment on the H80 as we've not looked at that cooler yet.

The Kuhler 620 uses a thinner radiator, so it's not directly comparable.

IIRC the Cool IT Eco does a similar thing. However, the crazy performance of the Kuhler 920 on it's extreme setting indicates that there's little issue with the system as it is.

 

I've reviewed this cooler for the site I work and I have to say that we share the same view. Nice product but the fans are to noisy.

Just one thing, I can only see a chart for LGA 1155. Actually I can see two, but they are the same.

 

What surprises me is the difference in performance between these different coolers in what is essentially a rebadged OEM product from Asetek.

 

The actual pump unit looks like it's a copy of the H70 unit (maybe made in the same factory?) although the cooling performance is slightly better, possibly to do with radiator and/or improved tubing which is smoothbore rather than concertina like H series - better flow.

 

The Awards-font is a bit unreadable. Just saying.

 

now while we're at it, where do we donate 80£ so we can get the corsair h80 h100 review?

 

People still use AMD?