The Corsair H100i V2 is experiencing an unusually high temperature.
The Corsair H100i V2 is experiencing an unusually high temperature.
Hey there, everyone.
Yesterday I purchased and got (free same-day shipping from amazon prime, YEET) a Corsair H100i v2 240mm AIO Liquid Cooling System. This was an upgrade from my previous AIO, the Corsair H55 120mm. BUT the temperatures stayed almost identical... I’ve noticed others using the same cooler in the same case (NZXT S340) achieving idle temps in the low 20s and max load around 50-60°C, while my own idle temps fluctuate between 30°C and nearly 40°C. Under load, they reached up to 90°C, which was really concerning. But under load they dropped to about 65°C! What’s going on? Those readings are quite different from what I experienced with the 120mm model. I’m really puzzled as to why the temps swing so much at idle and under load (and this is tracked via HWMonitor).
I’m really confused... Please help me.
CPU: 5820k clocked at 4.3GHz @ 1.25v
Radiator is placed at the front of the case with fans as per the manual instructions.
Water transfers heat less effectively than metal, making it harder to keep its temperature steady. Observing fluctuations shouldn't be unexpected. The temperature your CPU experiences also relies on the workload it's handling, and OCCT illustrates this well. A personal note:
High data volume: 100% usage = 73°C
Low data volume: 100% usage = 82°C
Also, the environment setup matters—comparing to someone else's temps isn't always fair. A CPU can't drop below ambient temperature, so if your room is warm, expect less cooling from the water loop.
😛
If you notice consistent spikes, it's probably not a big concern. The sensor is built into the die and measures temperature directly, so it should detect sudden changes more reliably. The bigger worry would be steady temps hovering in the 90s, which would indicate overheating.
As mentioned by 8924th, liquid cooling relies heavily on the surrounding temperature. For instance, I’m located in Alexandria, Egypt, and I have a cooler master seidon 120V plus liquid CPU cooler. However, during winter months my CPU temperature drops from 17-21°C, whereas in summer it begins at 31-35°C even though my desktop runs at 1.2375V with the pump running at full speed. This ensures the radiator stays adequately cooled. Another possible adjustment could be reducing the pump’s speed if it isn’t operating at maximum; this might improve heat dissipation, but be cautious not to damage the pump. If we’re talking about temperatures near 90°C, I believe lowering the CPU clock speed slightly would be necessary because the water in the radiator is almost boiling, similar to what 8924th described.
I re-applied thermal paste again. The maximum temperature I've observed on a core while running Prime95 is 88c, but it dropped noticeably afterward. Currently, temperatures are varying between the high 60s and high 70s, with some reaching into the 80s. I should note that the room is quite warm, and I plan to conduct further tests at night when it cools down.
As long as your temperatures remain steady around a consistent level, that’s fine. However, with 80C and its impact on water, you might want to increase the pump or fan speeds or reduce the clock slightly. The ideal approach would be to test a gaming marathon this Sunday, monitoring temperatures and stability throughout.
As long as your temperatures remain steady around a stable level, it's fine. However, with 80C it's still a bit warm, especially given the water content, so you might want to increase the pump or fan speeds or slightly lower the clock. The most reliable way to check would be to run a gaming marathon, since it's still Sunday and you can monitor temperatures and stability during that time.
During gaming sessions I rarely see the CPU exceed 50-55c. It only reaches stress levels around 100% when running synthetic tests, with temps hitting 88c occasionally. Temperatures change a lot under load—sometimes dropping to 60c then rising back up after about five minutes to reach the high 70s or low 80s.