I decided to purchase this unit to cool my over-clocked Sandy Bridge(4.4Ghz) i5 2500k processor. Previously I had installed a Cooler Master 212+, and was fairly impressed by that "air cooled" unit (all temperatures were well within the acceptable range, below 60C). So, this was not an upgrade based on necessity, rather I wanted to keep my CPU as cool as possible for longevity purposes. Also, I like the low-profile look of these water units better than the huge metal structures offered by many of the air coolers. After the installation I was very pleased with the units performance, and can say that it really is an incredible bang for the buck! Read on for more details..
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Out of the Box:
One of the first things you'll notice when un-boxing the Antec Kuhler H20 620 is that the unit is very light-weight. This facet is something I prefer as I feel it puts less stress on the CPU and motherboard when compared to previous units I've used. The look of the unit is fairly standard and if you are familiar with the Corsair H50 and H70, you'll find that the head unit is identical to the one employed by the Corsair H70 and the radiator is that of the Corsair H50. The reason for this pseudo-phenomenon is that all three units are manufactured by the same company, Asetek. Perhaps the only noticeable difference is the more flexible tubing in use on the Antec cooler. Asetek, the manufacturer of the unit, says that the Antec model uses the latest(3rd-generation) copper cold plate (head unit) and less flow restrictive tubing. The other discerning element between the Corsair series and the Antec is that the fan/radiator setup on the Antec exhausts the warm air out of the case rather than inside(again my preference).
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Ease of Installation:
While the box says "quick installation" this will take a seasoned PC builder about 10 minutes to install. Though it is certainly not a difficult task for a complete novice, either. In summary, you install a backplate, a front bracket and finally push the unit down and turn to lock it in place. After the unit is secured you plug the fan and pump into the motherboard. All-in-all, a fairly simple process.
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Cooling:
Keep in mind, cooling numbers of my machine and yours will certainly vary due to differences in ambient temperature, cases, fans etc.. Therefore, rather than only giving you my current temperatures I will provide the approximate difference from the previous well-performing Cooler Master 212+ and Intel stock cooler and let you decide its efficacy. My testing is by no means scientific, as I didn't know the ambient temperature of the room at the time of each test. So consider these numbers mere estimates.
Intel Stock Cooler
Idle: 37c Full Sustained Load: 71
Cooler Master 212+
Idle: 33c Full Sustained Load: 60c
Antec Kuhler 620 H20
Idle: 31c Full Sustained Load: 54c
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Noise Level:
The Antec Kulher 620 H20 is VERY quiet. This is one of my favorite features, though typically I favor performance over noise reduction, I do like the new peaceful hum.
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Conclusion:
I build computers fairly frequently and really like this unit in comparison to some other cooling setups I have used in various systems. This unit performs very well, installs easily, and is rather quiet. The unit also has a fan which regulates its speed by the motherboard and will make adjustments as needed. It's not going to replace a true custom water cooling setup, but it holds its own against everything in its price range while being quiet and easy to work with. It's hard to ask for anything more at this price point and physical size. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to answer ASAP.
PRO's
-Great Cooling Performance
-Easy Installation
-3 year warranty
-Great Value
-Quiet
-Estimated 50,000 hour pump lifespan
Con's
- Some giant air coolers at this price are equal-to or slightly/barely better in terms of cooling (but not quieter)
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My System:
CPU: Sandy Bridge Core i5 2500k, Overclocked to 4.4ghz, Antec Kuhler 620 H2O CPU cooler.
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth P67
Hard Disks: Corsair F60 SSD (boot device), WD-Velociraptor 150gb , WD Blue 1TB
GPU: 2 x SLI -MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
MEMORY: G-Skillz 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (overclocked)
PSU: Antec True Power 750W Modular Power Supply
CASE: Silverstone Raven-02EW Antec KUHLER H2O 620 CPU Cooler
I use this on my I7 920@4.2ghz. It cools about the same as a high end air cooler, 28C idle and 55C load. The big difference for me is a cooler case and cooler room. The N and S bridge are each 5C cooler now, the motherboard 3C cooler and my office is 5F cooler since installing this in my system.
Installation took about 20 minutes and was not complicated but the instructions could be better. It's a great all in one water cooler that is compact and quiet and does a great job.
Back in the day, water-cooling meant putting together a collection of parts at a premium price and hoping for no leaks! Scary to say the least! Antec (working with Asestech) has put together a great CPU watercooling system for a low, low price. Quality components come together to make a cool cooler.
I installed this in my PC running an Intel Core2Quad Q9400(2.53GHz stock overclocked to 3.2GHz I'm still working on the overclock!) stock cooler allowed it to get up to 80°C under full load using Prime95, the 620 stays at 40°C! I need to work on voltages and such to overclock farther but I'm super impressed with the way the 620 sheds heat!
The only issue I had was with the radiator itself, I measured the case fan on the back to insure that the 620 would fit and upon attempting to install it I found that I needed to rotate the 620 90° so that the tubing is near the motherboard. - Computer - Liquid Cooling - Antec - Accessories'
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