Sharing some AIO findings

[t0mmy44]

Hey guys, just been having fun with a H80i and a H100 (some of you may have seen my earlier thread debating whether to get a H80i - I ended up going with it!) and figured out a few cool things.

I'll start with: Hxx(x)(i), LGA 775 and YOU! A guide to installing new stuff on old boards!
So while I booted out the H100 from my main PC in favour of its smaller, younger cousin, it got a second chance at honourable duty in my multipurpose 24/7 rig (for simplicity: server). 
The server is my old gaming PC, with a GA-EP45-UD3 socket 775 board. There are a few small capacitors that are tucked quite closely into the top of the socket on this board, so while I initially thought the H100's water block & pump would squish them (not good) and therefore had to abandon this plan, I had a self-mocking facepalm moment a short while later when I realised I could simply rotate the cooler 90 degrees and this problem would disappear. The water blocks in these coolers are rectangular, so I just needed the longer edge to run parallel to this little row of caps instead of the short edge crushing them mercilessly. 

A little bit of research told me that this capacitor issue is more common in Gigabyte boards, but other 775 boards can have this problem too. Always remember to check for this if you're installing any of these coolers on an older board. You may have to sacrifice having the Corsair logo the right way up, but it's better than destroying a motherboard!

Now for phase two: H80i and the noisy, clicky, slow pump!
This issue is not 100% resolved, and the temporary solution is highly cringe-worthy, please take this with a grain of salt and not as PC medical advice. Sometimes when I start up my main rig, the pump will click, and the reading for the RPM shows only 500 or so. NOT GOOD! However, sometimes a reboot helps, and it also helps to give the PC a little shake (*shudder*). BitFenix Prodigy owners will find that this is the one time they're happy to have such wobbly feet. I gave the PC a good little shake (not too hard of course) and the noise stopped, and Corsair Link instantly showed the full pump speed of around 2100RPM. I breathed a sigh of relief for now, but I am inquiring with Corsair to see if there isn't a better solution. My hunch is it's a current (Amps, not present) issue when starting the pump - probably because of the fans plugged into the pump/block. I'm running a pair of BitFenix Spectre Pros at the moment, though I might switch to NF-F12s. I am also going to investigate whether powering the fans another way solves the pump issue.

Well that's it, I hope some of this is helpful to somebody! I will update this if I permanently resolve the pump/fan issue or Corsair responds with anything significant. Til next time, don't forget to subscribe to LinusTechTips for more Unboxings, Reviews, and Other Computer Videos!