Antec Kuhler H2O 620 CPU Water Cooler Review

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

All in one kits are becoming more and more popular as some users want the benefit of water but either dont want to build a custom loop or have the fear they may assemble it wrong and it leaks all over their system. The self contained all in one kits like the Kuhler H2O 620 are simple to install, maintenance free, and cost much less than its custom counterpart. The Kuhler H2O 620 costs close to the same as most high-end CPU water blocks, but not much more than the middle of the road blocks.

What make these kits even more interesting is with each new generation they are getting better. The Kuhler H2O 620 is built by the folks at Asetek for Antec, and this newest generation of the cooler is giving the previous generation like the Corsair H70 a run for its money. Im eager to see what the next evolution of these coolers will bring.

Along with the performance uptick I really like the fact the cooling tubes were changed to the flexible rubber hoses from the corrugated tubes that kits from Corsair and CoolIT have. This made installing the cooler much easier. Those with a smaller case will also have an easier time squeezing the kit into their case due to the added flexibility.

One thing that I didn’t care for too much was the fan. 36dB at full speed is getting up into to the bothersome range for me, I have heard louder, though. In the right case you may not notice it much; in a mesh case like the Cooler Master HAF-X or the Antec LanBoy Air with nothing to keep the sound in the case you will hear it. The upside is as the end user you have the ability to change the stock fan to something else. Swapping the fan out for a pair of quieter fans and changing the orientation from exhaust to intake could allow for less noise and still have nice performance. Same for even the stock fan; switching it from exhaust, as the manual says to install it, around to intake for having cool air from outside the case hit the radiator first could gain some performance as well.

Shopping for the best price for the Kuhler H2O 620 was interesting. Some places have a low price, high shipping; some are the other way round. On average youre looking at $83.98 shipped from one of the higher rated online stores like Newegg. If you buy it direct from Antec you’ll be able to get 10% off orders $50 or more due to a promotion they are doing right now. Antec will then donate 10% of the proceeds from your order to the American Red Cross to help the people affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Purchasing this cooler directly from Antec for $74.41 shipped would the least expensive method for buy one of these coolers, plus you’ll be helping out the people of Japan. The Antec Kuhler H20 620 CPU cooler carries a 3 year warranty should issues with it ever arise.

Legit Bottom Line: Antec has brought a nice self-contained water kit to the table, easy to install, performs nicely, and is a lot easier on the wallet than full on custom water loop.