Antec is the leading manufacturer of hardware components such as coolers, fans, etc; for high-performance computing. Antec is also the market leader in offering closed loop liquid cooling solution. Antec Kuhler H20 920 is one of them. Today we are going to review and test this same cooler. Antec Kuhler H2O 920 is a closed loop CPU liquid cooling solution which is ideal for extreme system. You can use it for gaming and also for overclocking. Along with the cooler you can go ahead using Chill Control App that controls the cooling fan. The is easy to use. Antec Kuhler H2O 920 offers better cooling for performance processor. It comes in an easy to install kit and is low on maintenance. The cooling kit is developed according to OEM standards for better reliability. All are connected pipes to a small diameter copper heatsink. The design is similar to other coolers in the market. It has a 33cm length pipe which is flexible and easier to handle. The water block is fixed and you won’t require changing it. The pump rests on large copper cold plate. The thickness of block is around 27 to 29mm.
There are 3 connectors on the kit where one is used to supply electricity, second for fans and the last is a USB connector that offers real-time temperature management through Chill Control software. Antec KUHLER H2O 920 looks like a cutting edge solution for all kind of system. It has simple installation and comes with all required things. The cost of this cooler is Rs. 7400. It is one of the best cooling solutions. We will checkout the cooler in more details. Before that just have a look on the specification.
Specification:
- CPU Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 2011, AMD AM2 / AM3 / AM2+ / AM3+ sockets.
- Included software provides essential tools to control and monitor the ANTEC KUHLER H₂O 920
- Non-corrugated easy-bend tubes for maximum flexibility in radiator positioning
- Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) radiator fans generate the quietest high performance cooling
- Customizable RGB LED creates brilliant illumination
- Cooling Liquid – Safe, environmentally-friendly, anti-corrosive
- Fan Speed: 700 – 2400 RPM (PWM controlled)
- Tubing Length: 13.0" / 330 mm
- Radiator Dimensions: 5.6" (H) x 4.7" (W) x 1.9" (D) / 151 mm (H) x 120 mm (W) x 49 mm (D)
- Fan Dimensions: 4.7" x 1.0" / 120 mm x 25 mm
- Air Flow: 110.0 CFM
- Noise Level: 43 dBA
- Cold Plate + Pump Height: 1.1" / 29 mm
- Net weight: 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg
- AQ3 – Antec Quality 3 year limited warranty on parts and labor
Packaging:
Antec KUHLER H2O 920 comes with a big size box where you can see support for different socket listed. The box shows up 3 prime feature of this kit. The first one is Quick Install, Zero-Maintenance and PWM Controlled. Simple design offers you easy setup with various socket support. Being a closed loop cooler you don’t have to worry about the maintenance stuff. It works really fine for long time. PWM control allows you to use third party software to manage the fan RPM as per your own need. You can increase or decrease the same without touching fan voltage.
At the back side you can see other primary features. It comes with software that can help you to control and manage the cooler. We will see that later on. It features non corrugated easy bend tubes that are reliable and provide flexible positioning. PWM Radiator fan allows smart control and the customization of RGB LED offers to choose from different colors.
Now we will see all the materials that come inside the box one by one:
1. Antec Manuals: In this we have Antec full setup manual with warranty page separately. The manual gives you full details of setup like how you can add the radiator and other things.
2. Chill Control V CD: A dedicated tool to control the fan speed.
3. Two 120mm PWM FAN: Two big size fans for better cooling. You can hook both of them or any one of them as per your need. This fan speed can be managed through Chill Control V tool.
4. Two Motherboard Back plate for different socket.
5. Two Rings with clip for cooler assembly. Both of them support different CPU socket.
6. Set of screws and holders for back plate, radiator, fan and cooler.
7. Antec KUHLER H2O 920 Closed Loop Liquid cooler. Set of pump, tube and radiator.
Design:
This model uses a traditional principle of operation which is common in this type of cooler. As you can see in the images we have a water block. This block is further supported by pump and is placed on the cold plate that has a copper base. Everything here is connected by pipes to the copper heatsink. The tube is flexible and easy to bend. They can be placed properly on the motherboard and does not cause any problem. Some present cooler in the market use fluted pipes which makes them a bit hard to move. Being a closed loop cooler it is minimum on maintenance. The thickness is also decent enough to cover the entire processor and also leave a bit of room for other hardware. You can also see that there are 3 different connectors provided. I had already mentioned about them in the intro part.
Setup:
Antec KUHLER H2O 920 consists of simple setup. Installation is relatively simple. It consists of a back plate. You just have to select and prepare the setup according to the socket of your motherboard. You have to choose between two different clips from the kit based on your socket. The setup begins by setting up the heatsink and fan first. There are two 120mm fans available. First, you can add with the radiator and the second you can add on the CPU case. You have to place the fan on the case first and over that you can put the radiator. You can also use the second fan if you want. Then comes the installation of water block. The process starts with setting up back plate on the motherboard. There is screw available. Choose the proper one from the kit and apply them on the backside. Here you have two choices. Depending on the socket you can place which one offers you more grip to hold the heatsink. Once the spacers are placed then insert the fixing screws in the four corners of the cage. And then tighten the entire socket. That's it. The cooler comes with pre-applied thermal paste. Ensure that you don’t spoil it while fixing it. You have to do proper alignment and this might take a bit practice. Ventilation is effective at high settings but it also produces loud noise. In Antec KUHLER H2O 920 you get high rotation speed. This cooler offers you maximum speed of 2400 rpm. This is really high. You have to use a good psu in it. We had tested this on Antec NeoEco 620 PSU which is enough to give optimum power to run this cooler.
Chill Control V Software:
This tool is ideal for those who want a dedicated real-time monitoring system. This tool is developed in partnership with Asetek. It has a new interface which is completely new and has a modern look. Once you are done with setup of your cooling system you can then go ahead with the software setup. On the main screen you can see real time fan speed and temperature. You can check out the pump and fan rotation also. At the top side you can choose from predefined profiles. There are two of them available. The first is Silent profile which focuses on silence mode. The fan speed lies between 700 and 900 revolutions per minute that does not produce noise. And second one is higher than that. The screen transmits real time data so that you can manage it easily if you are going ahead with overclocking. In the same tool there is a Fan Control tab. This allows you to set the behavior of air ventilation. If the temperature is rising you can set the fan on full speed to keep the CPU cooler. In the same way you can adjust many parameters here.
Conclusion:
Antec KUHLER H2O 920 comes for Rs.7400 which is a wise investment. It is a value for money product. 120mm fan setup, copper base, flexible tube and low maintenance are some of the prime features that makes this cooler really effective. This model significantly improves the system performance by boosting the ventilation. This model is simple to implement and compatible with all current platforms. Antec KUHLER H2O 920 offers a larger radiator and high rpm fans. Antec also offers you a PWM fan that is easy to manage via Chill Control application. It offers you real time data through USB connector. Mounting fan and cooler is not bad at all. It is not at all complex to use. The cost is also fine. There are cheaper closed loop coolers in the market, but you won’t get a smart fan control. Antec KUHLER H2O 920 is ideal for gaming and high performance system. It has simple assembly and it is also easy to fit. Chill Control on the same hand gives you all solution to take complete control of fan rpm.
Pros:
- High Performance
- Software FAN Control
- Awesome build quality
- Great temperature control
Cons:
- Fan Noisy on maximum rpm
