doyll

More exhaust fans or more intake fans .. case only flows as much air as venting allow in and out. What flow in must flow out. What flows out must flow in. Equal and opposite reaction kind of thing. More intake CFM has air leaking out rather than in. With more exhasut unfiltered air .. and dust .. leak into case. And of course the placement of fans, components, etc. all effect the airflow pattern/s inside (and outside) of case.

For future reference, washing and rinsing with water and then drying is not a problem. If you have hard water do a final rinse with distilled water. This way there is no residual left from addatives in coolant.

Good to hear. Did your wash the coolant off of everything or just dry it out?

That give lots of choises. Top air is less than $100. Just need ot make sure it whatever you get fits with no problems. I've put together a list of most of the top coolers and their size / clearance measurements. You might find it interesting. Cooler size comparison (Width x Depth x Height looking from front of case with motherboard laying flat) Cooler Heatpipes Size W/O Fans Fans RAM Clearance* CPU-Frt** CPU-PCI-E*** Akasa Medusa 8x 6mm OD 144 x 129.5x163mm 140mm & 120mm PWM fans 54.6mm 64.3mm Cryorig R1 Ultimate 7x 6mm OD 140 x 142.4x168.3mm XF140(140x25) fans 45mm 8mm *2* 70mm Cryorig R1 Universal 7x 6mm OD 140 x 130 x 168.3mm SF140(25mm) & XT140(13mm) 45mm 8mm *2* 70mm K2 / Assassin 8x 6mm OD 140 x 128 x 158mm 120mm & 140mm PWM fans 48.2mm 64mm 70mm*4* Dark Rock Pro 2 7x 6mm OD 138 x 124 x 166mm 120mm & 135mm PWM fans Dark Rock Pro 3 7x 6mm OD 137 x 150 x 163mm 120mm & 135mm PWM fans 44mm 51.5mm 69mm*4* NH-D14 6x 6mm OD 140 x 130 x 160mm 120mm & 140mm fans 49mm 62mm 70mm*4* NH-U14S 6x 6mm OD 150 x 52 x 165mm + fans 46mm 26mm 75mm*4* NH-D15 6x 6mm OD 150 x 136 x 165mm 2x 140mm fans *1* 67.5mm 75mm*4* PH-TC14PE 5x 8mm OD 140 x 159 x 171mm 2x 140mm fans, PWM adaptor 45-50mm 72mm 70mm*4* Megahalem 6x 6mm OD 130 x 74 x 158.7mm + fans 39.50mm 37MM SS HE01 6x 6mm OD 140 x 119 x 160mm 1x 140x38mm PWM fan 47mm 47.5MM *2* Archon SB-E 8x 6mm OD 155 x 53.6x170.2mm + fanS 42.35mm 26.8mm 77.5mm Archon IB-E 8x 6mm OD 155 x 53.6x165.2mm + fans 48.2mm 26.5mm 69mm 8.5mm*** Silver Arrow 4x 8mm OD 147 x 123 x 163mm 2x 140mm fans 45.87mm 61.4mm 73.5mm Silver Arrow SB-E 8x 6mm OD 155 x 105 x 164mm mid 150mm/frt 140mm PWM 36.9/44/51mm*3* 51mm 77.5mm SA SB-E Extreme 8x 6mm OD 155 x 105 x 164mm mid 140mm/frt 140mm PWM 36.9/44/51mm*3* 51mm 77.5mm Silver Arrow IB-E 8x 6mm OD 154.6x103 x 164mm*** 2x 140mm 1300rpm fans 46.95mm 51.5mm 67.8mm SA IB-E Extreme 8x 6mm OD 154.6x103 x 164mm*** 2x 140mm 2500rpm fans 46.95mm 51.5mm 67.8mm TRUE Spirit 140 Power 6x 8mm OD 155 x 53.4x170mm + fan 49.3mm 26.5mm 77.5mm HR-22 8x 6mm OD 150 x 120 x 159mm + fan 41mm -1mm 70mm 5mm*** * add 3mm for motherboard to bottom fin ** center CPU to front of cooler W/O fan *** Center CPU to PCIe side (base is off-center for better PCI-E slot clearance) *1* recessed lower fins, the NH-D15 provide 64mm RAM clearance *2* offest back for better RAM clearance *3* fins are at 3 different levels *4* fan clips add additional 3-5mm If you notice any error or have any suggestions, please let me know. Here's a basic guide to case airflow and cooling Almost all of my builds now use CPU and often GPU PWM signal/s to give case fans automatic control. This allows the fans to slow way down for most use / load and speed up as load and heat increase the demand for more cooling / airflow.

To make a recommendation I need to know CPU clearance, RAM height and what your budget is. Also where you live affects avaliabilty and price. your 990FX has plenty of PCIe socket clearance for GPU so no problems there.

I've see some good reviewers test top air against H100i and newer CLCs. When all things are taken into account the air coolers out-perform CLC. I can't afford custom loop so will stay with air. I think the Swiftech H220-X and H240-X are quite good. But price is significan'ty more than top air .. and with GPUs making 2-4 times as much heat as CPUs and dumping everywhere it makes more sense to H2O them before CPU. Doing so would remove GPU heat and allow a good air cooler to perform as it should on CPU. Just my opinion.

As allready said, your CPU is not hot, but obviously the R9 290 is heating up your case. After all it generates 2-3 times as much heat as CPU does .. most of which is being dumped randomly inside of case and heat up the air going into itself and CPU cooler. I would suggest Removing unused PCIe back slot covers and see it that makes any difference. Try side fan as exhaust instead of intake. Try top as intake. It will be moving heated air into case but may still lower temps by forcing the hotter air from GPU out. Here is basic guide to case cooling and how to make an inexpensive monitor for airflow temps inside of case.

I would not go that route of a refurb because of limited warranty. Every wonder where all the coolers came for to be refurbished? My guess is RMA and very possibly even new ones because of the much reduced warranty and liability limits on refurbs. Corsair Hydro series and expeically the H100 have a long history of problems .. mostly pump failures and leaks. Honestly, top air coolers are almost always better cooling, make much less noise, have almost no problems with dependabilty and cost less then CLCs do.

Glad it all worked out for you. If I may, what are you using for a cooler now?

Sorry to hear about your problem. Much depends on case size (CPU clearance), RAM height and PCIe slot to CPU but here's a chart of most of the top coolers with size and clearance specs I put together. I know of many mid-level coolers too, but haven't make up a chart for them. Cooler size comparison (Width x Depth x Height looking from front of case with motherboard laying flat) Cooler Heatpipes Size W/O Fans Fans RAM Clearance* CPU-Frt** CPU-PCI-E*** Akasa Medusa 8x 6mm OD 144 x 129.5x163mm 140mm & 120mm PWM fans 54.6mm 64.3mm Cryorig R1 Ultimate 7x 6mm OD 140 x 142.4x168.3mm XF140(140x25) fans 45mm 8mm *2* 70mm Cryorig R1 Universal 7x 6mm OD 140 x 130 x 168.3mm SF140(25mm) & XT140(13mm) 45mm 8mm *2* 70mm K2 / Assassin 8x 6mm OD 140 x 128 x 158mm 120mm & 140mm PWM fans 48.2mm 64mm 70mm*4* Dark Rock Pro 2 7x 6mm OD 138 x 124 x 166mm 120mm & 135mm PWM fans Dark Rock Pro 3 7x 6mm OD 137 x 150 x 163mm 120mm & 135mm PWM fans 44mm 51.5mm 69mm*4* NH-D14 6x 6mm OD 140 x 130 x 160mm 120mm & 140mm fans 49mm 62mm 70mm*4* NH-U14S 6x 6mm OD 150 x 52 x 165mm + fans 46mm 26mm 75mm*4* NH-D15 6x 6mm OD 150 x 136 x 165mm 2x 140mm fans *1* 67.5mm 75mm*4* PH-TC14PE 5x 8mm OD 140 x 159 x 171mm 2x 140mm fans, PWM adaptor 45-50mm 72mm 70mm*4* Megahalem 6x 6mm OD 130 x 74 x 158.7mm + fans 39.50mm 37MM SS HE01 6x 6mm OD 140 x 119 x 160mm 1x 140x38mm PWM fan 47mm 47.5MM *2* Archon SB-E 8x 6mm OD 155 x 53.6x170.2mm + fanS 42.35mm 26.8mm 77.5mm Archon IB-E 8x 6mm OD 155 x 53.6x165.2mm + fans 48.2mm 26.5mm 69mm 8.5mm*** Silver Arrow 4x 8mm OD 147 x 123 x 163mm 2x 140mm fans 45.87mm 61.4mm 73.5mm Silver Arrow SB-E 8x 6mm OD 155 x 105 x 164mm mid 150mm/frt 140mm PWM 36.9/44/51mm*3* 51mm 77.5mm SA SB-E Extreme 8x 6mm OD 155 x 105 x 164mm mid 140mm/frt 140mm PWM 36.9/44/51mm*3* 51mm 77.5mm Silver Arrow IB-E 8x 6mm OD 154.6x103 x 164mm*** 2x 140mm 1300rpm fans 46.95mm 51.5mm 67.8mm SA IB-E Extreme 8x 6mm OD 154.6x103 x 164mm*** 2x 140mm 2500rpm fans 46.95mm 51.5mm 67.8mm TRUE Spirit 140 Power 6x 8mm OD 155 x 53.4x170mm + fan 49.3mm 26.5mm 77.5mm HR-22 8x 6mm OD 150 x 120 x 159mm + fan 41mm -1mm 70mm 5mm*** * add 3mm for motherboard to bottom fin ** center CPU to front of cooler W/O fan *** Center CPU to PCIe side (base is off-center for better PCI-E slot clearance) *1* recessed lower fins, the NH-D15 provide 64mm RAM clearance *2* offest back for better RAM clearance *3* fins are at 3 different levels *4* fan clips add additional 3-5mm If you notice any error or have any suggestions, please let me know.

Could just sell it as new and get a good air cooler that will out-perform the H100 by about 7-8c and be quieter while doing it.

Indeed. Very much like dealing with insurance claims or governments.

I agree with you mate. We have to waterboard them before they do what they should do without any effort on our part. This the same kind of treatment I've seen them do over and over and is also why I no longer buy from Corsair. They would have left cchalogamer high and dry long ago if he had not kept pushing them.. and still needs to. Sadly Corsair only supports customers who force them to.

Testing done on open bench or is well ventilated case show air coolers as good or better than CLC. And when the CLC fan speed is lowered to same noise level as air cooler the performance difference is even greater. Honestly, air cools as well or better than CLC, all things being equal. Problem is most testing handicaps air cooler! CLC like H100i add 2 additional case radiator / case fans and use case to separate the radiator's heated exhaust from cool intake air. Optimize case airflow so air cooler gets same temperature air and it will be just as cool.. and quieter as well. H100i is 4c hotter / 26dBA louder than Cryorig R1 Ultimate; 2c hotter / 28dBA louder than PH-TC14PE H100i is 9c hotter / 1dBA louder than Cryorig R1 Ultimate; 7c hotter / 3dBA louder than PH-TC14 We can't hear 2dBA difference, 3-4dBA yes. Every 10dBA increase sounds twice as loud to us... 20dBA sounds 4 times as loud, 25dBA increase sounds 6 times as loud, 30dBA increase sounds 8 times as loud. This video review shows similar 7c difference with air cooler having fans as lound as H100 i7 3820 @4.75GHz Temperature is delta. H100 . . . . . . . . . 41c2500rpm . . . . . . . . . 55dBA 2x fans (stock) SA SB-E . . . . . . . 42c1100rpm & 1300rpm. . 38dBA TY-150 & TY-141 (stock) SA SB-E Extreme. . 34c2500rpm . . . . . . . . . 56dBA 2x TY-143 (stock) jump in to 3:40 for results

Top air coolers are as good or better than CLCs. Swiftech H220 is a little better than top air.