NZXT H1 PUMP FAILURE (AND FIX)

After hearing lots of reports of NZXT H1 (original) pump failures and my own suffering from sky high CPU temps, I decided to investigate. The issue? Clogged copper fins on the contact plate... :( Anyway, it's an easy fix and here's how to do it!
If you found my videos useful you can always buy me a coffee! 👉www.buymeacoffee.com/crazytec...
0:00 Intro
2:36 This is the problem - gross huh?
3:30 How to fix it
EK Cryofuel replacement coolant: amzn.to/3iAEn8g - DO NOT just use deionised water. You need a corrosion inhibitor as the base plate is copper and rad is aluminium.
NZXT H1 V2: amzn.to/3JGwLwN
Screwdriver to undo contact plate amzn.to/3D7Q1B1
Best slim 120mm fans for your ITX rigs: • SLIM 120mm Fan MASSIVE...
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#tech #technology #pcgaming

[@the.unknown]

Life saver! Out of nowhere, my CPU started spiking to 85 or higher during normal loads (like just opening a folder or just a web browser). On idle, it was in the mid-50s. I changed the thermal paste and fan direction, but no luck. This was my last attempt before purchasing a new case, and it worked! The AIO had some nasty gunk too. Here are some tips: - It's easier to drain and fill the radiator if you remove the AIO from the case (there are instructions for this on NZXT site) and disconnect the tubes from it. There are two small star screws on each side that you can remove, and then just pull the tube out from the radiator. - Use an electric air duster (like XPOWER A-2) to push air through the radiator after disconnecting the pipes. More pieces of gunk may come out. You can use distilled water to flush it out. - Also, push air through both tubes after disconnecting the lines from the radiator. - Once everything is clean and dry, fill the radiator directly until you don't see any bubbles, then reconnect the tubes. - Continue pouring the coolant as shown in this video. The whole process takes around 150ml of coolant. cheers

[@CrazyTechLab]

Thanks for the kind words and the extra tips.

[@billylindeman]

From day one my ryzen 3900x was getting ~55c idle - 70c under load. recently i had a full failure and it pegged at 100% fan/100c, and during investigating I came across this video. I went to the store and got some new coolant and tore my AIO apart. Sure enough, it was gunked to all hell. I flushed it twice, put it back together, ran for a day, and then flushed it again. Now I'm getting ~30-40c idle, and 62c under full load. Coolant flush made a world of difference for me. Thanks for this video!

[@v3r0x]

NZXT is doing poor shit products......

[@v3r0x]

@@davidkusztor9278 Do RMA with NZXT ... cheaper

[@bskrt]

Had the exact same issue after 1.5 years. Temps suddenly went all the way up to 90C idle, back to 30-40 now. I agree this is something NZXT should be addressing, but with this being my main work system, there's just no way I could wait for RMA lead times... Thanks for the vid!

[@bskrt]

I just did my second clean, it was all clunked up again. There's probably a lot of junk that built up in that rad that is starting to release now the fluid was able to flow again... Keep an eye on your temps! "Rinse and repeat" ;)

[@ELGEvilLawnGnome]

@@bskrt I'm fighting this right now, and I think I'm going to swap it out. I'm concerned that it's oxidized metal from the radiator. If that's the case, I imagine it's only going to be a matter of time before it springs a leak and kills something.

[@DEV_XO]

@@ELGEvilLawnGnome Did the liquid swapp today, and temps are back to 30 / 40. But the fact that the radiator metal could be oxidized... does not sounds good to me. Guess could be a fix for now, sadly if that's the case, not sure what would be an alternative AIO, or solution.

[@whatthejohn1]

@@bskrt hi, may i know what coolant are you using?

[@bskrt]

@@whatthejohn1 sure, using EK Cryofuel, clear version

[@user-ui4zx1cj9t]

You are Life Savior!!! I went to a local repair shop tried to solve the overheating problem, they did a full cleaning and reapplied thermal paste and it didnt work, so they asked me if I want to just replace the cpu cooler or switch my cpu to lower grade( I have Ryzen 7 3700x). Then I went home found this video! Today it actually took me 3 tries to finally get it done. I saw someone comment who also failed this once or twice and the temperture actually goes higher than before the procedure. my tips would be take off the entire rad and fan from the case, it actually make it easier for u to adjust the angle of rad while filling coolant, that makes bubble come out easier.

[@yook4303]

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! For a year I have been wondering why my idle temps were running around 50c+, when browsing chrome/video streaming was around 70c+ and I dont even want to start on games... My cooler was absolutely CAKED, even pretuding past the rubber material. I did everything except changing the coolant (which i will do later) and now my temps idle are in the lower 30s. Thank you so much!!!!!!

[@CrazyTechLab]

Glad to have helped! Worth checking periodically as it can reoccur as more sludge comes loose and of course consider returning it under warranty of you still can.

Temps doubled suddenly after bumping the case around while trying to clean it, took a while to figure out what was wrong. Thanks for the video, good as new now.

[@Spourk]

Funny how my temps just started skyrocketing tonight glad to come across this video! If nzxt doesnt warranty it then i am 100% going to be doing this. Thanks for the great video.

[@DiddyRiese]

This was incredibly useful! Was facing this exact issue and was able to get all the needed supplies within a few days and resolve the issue, following your steps, in less than an hour. Thanks for the help!

[@Rcarnes911]

Thanks, this got the AIO going for me, I didn't have any coolant so I just ran the old stuff through a coffee filter and put it back

[@Sniped2Hard]

Wanted to add my experience of trying this exact fix. Worked beautifully. Idle temps went from 60-70 C to 28-32 C for me after replacing the coolant and cleaning out the gunk. System runs significantly quieter now too. Thank you.

[@MatchuxD]

What does the AIO feel like when it’s running? Like if you put your hand on the thing what do you feel? Trying to diagnose if I have a pump failure, I probably do though.

[@Nomessihope]

Thanks. Worked perfectly. Elevating the waterblock meant I didn't lose any coolant.

[@6354326]

Just had this issue, after 2 years the temps suddenly jumped up and got a huge scare I was worried my CPU was burnt as I had left it running earlier in the day. I was super skeptical that this was going to be the issue but low and behold it was I ended up tearing the entire unit out and draining it, it was full of the crap. Thanks for the video probably saved me a heart attack and buying a new unit.

[@daimoden]

I just had this issue and did exactly what you did, had the exact same gunk inside it. went from 80-90 idle to 30-35. You're amazing! Also NZXT doesnt have any H1 cooler in stock apparently ( i contacted them)

[@CrazyTechLab]

No it’s a 140mm radiator and they’re extremely rare. Just keep an eye on it as it can clog again. Not ideal!

[@chrishughlett213]

Niiiiiiice. I just had this happen to me after routine maintenance, must have knocked some gunk loose and this exact same problem happened with my Temps very suddenly . SO glad you made this video!!!! To microcenter I go for some coolant!

[@CrazyTechLab]

Glad to be of service!

[@khadimfall6168]

Run my cpu 100degrees for 2 month now, i was frustrated to never find out why... Thank you, that fixed it!! ❤️

[@AMDRyzenEnthusiastGroup]

Nicely done, and well narrated. I do, however, feel that I would return the unit/RMA, if I owned one. NZXT should be the ones feeling the pain for this. Ultimately, while I am quite capable of the fix, I don't want to perpetuate the onus of something like this being the responsibility of the end-user. That said, for those wishing for a DIY solution, your video should serve to be quite useful.

[@bobafett64]

Just by coincidence I recently got hold of a H1 with a defect aio very cheap. This might just be the perfect video to bring it back to life. A big thank you from me:-). And a new sub.

[@CrazyTechLab]

It's still a fabulous case. Love it. If it means cleaning out it's definitely worth a go! It's likely flux mixing with the coolant. Ultimately it won't do it for ever but just worth keeping an eye on it. It's a pretty simple thing to disassemble anyway.

[@bobafett64]

@@CrazyTechLab I have not tested the cooler yet, just informed that it was not working and thus the seller just wanted to get rid of it. Do I need to refill with coolant fluid, or could I simply use water if there is not much spill? Alternatively, if I cannot get the cooler to work, it can still be used with a cpu air cooler.

[@KetilDuna]

Thank you so much for sharing this! I might attempt this fix myself after watching it, despite the dragons and wizardry contained in a liquid cooler.

[@craftchunks]

Had to do this two times to finally get it to work again, thank you so much for the help

[@renekuenz4775]

Thank you for that great tip! Already had my CPU at 95 yesterday it was 112 and my pc chrashed… today i was cleaning the cooler an im at 40-60 know! Thank u so much!

[@KingOfKoopahs]

Thanks for uploading this, had exact same issue. My symptoms were that sometimes upon startup, PC would overheat the CPU and cause my PC to shut down. I guess I had a partial blockage and sometimes, coolant would get blocked from all that gunk upon startup. Sometimes I would get lucky and coolant would be able to flow and cool the CPU. This fix definitely decreased CPU overall temperatures though. It's really disappointing NZXT has not addressed this issue since I expect AIO coolers to not have this kind of issue, maybe a degradation in performance is acceptable, but not when it can cause component failure.

[@Johns3DPrintingCorner]

Thanks, I admit I never thought to look inside the closed loop heat block. Had the same looking junk completely in the copper and a bit inside the motor housing on the radiator side. Flushed it all out and ice cold temperatures have returned.

[@CrazyTechLab]

Glad to hear! Keep an eye on the temps. I had to flush mine a couple of times

[@bkidderz]

Just completed this process myself. Prior to doing so, my idle temps had spiked up to 57c and my under load (gaming) temps were topping out at 98c. Obviously that top number is a real problem. I have the V2 version of the H1 and it no longer has that little channel that yours had. However, there was still some gunk in the block, which I was able to methodically clean - while being particularly careful. I used a rechargable air duster and a super soft nylon brush. I was able to fill the loop using a little numb on the radiator itself. I took my time through the whole process. Patience removing the screws, patience draining the loop, at every step - patience! For products I used Corsair Hydro X coolant and Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme. My idle temps after the process are now back to 29c-31c. And 55c-60c while gaming. A necessary change and one I'm happy with. Thank you for this guide, it really helped me get over the anxiety of doing this. I purchased a possible air cooler replacement, just in case I broke something, which I am now happy to report that I can return. :)

[@CrazyTechLab]

Well done. Just make sure the coolant has anti-corrosion additives to prevent galvanic corrosion. That can happen without them as the block is copper and radiator is aluminium

[@CrazyTechLab]

Also a bit sad to learn the V2 has this problem as well. I actually stripped out the AIO on mine just in case and installed a simple custom loop (another video I did recently) just to be on the safe side and I'm glad I did given this news!

[@bkidderz]

I don't think the issue is as notable on the H1 v2 as it is the v1. I was at about 18 months of daily operation and I think the time had come to do a coolant flush and thermal paste repply & upgrade.@@CrazyTechLab Interested to see that custom loop in your v2 though. That sounds fun.

[@defiantmofo]

this saved me from junking the cooler. thank you!

[@CrazyTechLab]

Always a pleasure!

[@louismaisonneuve1772]

Thank you for the video ! I dropped my temp by about 25°C after cleaning the gunk :)

[@TedProtasiewicz]

Just started happening to me. I’ll be using your guide. Thanks for making it!

[@CrazyTechLab]

Sorry to hear that but happy to help!

[@nicosuave3249]

OMG literally just happened to me today! 95C idle temps...no more no less. I will def be using this tutorial! A+

[@cronaii]

@@nicosuave3249 i guess everyone rigged decided to fk up because mine was running around 30-40 and this week it’s at 90 C and it keeps turning my pc off

[@tekneex]

@@nicosuave3249 Same with mine just a few days ago. I'll be doing this, but right now I just installed my AMD-supplied cooler, and installed a 140mm fan to use an exhaust while I resolve the aio cooler. If NZXT tells me to pound salt, I'm going to do this.

[@nicolasvinet4383]

Fantastic. I just ran into that exact same issue. Whilst dusting the PC I must have move the dirt in the radiator which blocked the whole system. Since I’m a newb with water cooling, my first reflex was to buy a new one since the temperature was at 99c idle. No space part for the H1 so your video was the only solution to my problem beside changing the cooler for a low profile air cooler. First attempt didn’t fix the issue as I reckon one of the pipe was still blocked (took me ages to fill up with liquid). I redid the whole manipulation and this time it filled up super easily. And the issue was fixed! Thanks a million

[@CrazyTechLab]

My pleasure! I'll be doing a video shortly on an easy way to create a simple custom loop in the H1 that doesn't cost that much - there are no 140mm liquid coolers these days that I know of so replacement options outside of warranty are pretty much non existent if you want to stick with liquid cooling. I'm actually using the H1 as my next main rig and even tough it's the V2, I still don't trust the liquid cooler given what happened with so many people's V1s. Stay tuned!

[@nicolasvinet4383]

I have a V2 and it happened so beware V2 owners!

[@CrazyTechLab]

@@nicolasvinet4383 Oh jees really? Good to know as I’ve had a lot of people ask. I’ve not had my V2 up and running that long

[@nicolasvinet4383]

I had the same problem with a Corsair water cooler in the past but I replaced it. Might be a generic issue with water coolers. They get dirty and you need to clean the system. It is just annoying and hard when you don’t have an easy way into the flow system.

[@furaznl]

@@CrazyTechLabYes please to the custom loop video :)

[@jamjan]

This literally reduced my idle temp by 20 degrees and load temp by 10-15. Didn't even put new liquid inside, just made sure to not spill anything when i opened it up and removed the gunk. There was even more than in your video.

[@CrazyTechLab]

Glad to hear it! Everyone’s will be gunked up to differing degrees but so glad to hear it worked and improved your temps 👍

[@nahuelcabral973]

Currently still working. Amazing. Thank you very much I lower 25 to 30 degrees the temperature of ryzen 7 2700x and remove thermal throttling. 😁😁😁👍👍💪💪

[@DEV_XO]

Saved my life mate! It was exactly what was happening with my AIO!

[@CrazyTechLab]

Ah sorry you’re having this issue but glad I could help!

[@jaygreen1181]

Thank you so much. Had same issue with temperatures. Didn't know what to do. I cleaned up this part with out loosing any part coolant by you video. But i want to replace all coolant in future.

[@wody21]

Extremely useful video, thanks for sharing!

[@starchaser6057]

Manufacturing fault 100% confirmed, just opened mine and it was full of gunk. I just did the benchmark with CPU-Z and it finally gives the expected results for my processor. Before, it did not even reach 60% of the score compared to other results. The worst thing is that it has been like this since new, I have never had good temperatures, not even when I just bought it. With Turbo Boost it went up to 100ºC and thermal throttling in less than 3 seconds, being generous, I thought it was within the norm for such a compact box and a powerful processor. Now I have just done the benchmark and it has not exceeded 67ºC during the entire test. About 3 years without enjoying the full power of my computer and having to juggle the fan settings so that my SSDs don't burn out. Thanks for your video!

[@peach7345]

Liked subbed, did this and worked like a charm. CPU started overheating out of nowhere, all signs said cooler was working but it wasn’t ofc. Did this and went from ~95 to ~35 idle, my temps are better now than they were when I first got PC even under full load. Notes - Completely took apart cooler including unscrewing tubs. Used q-tips to clean gunk, then used distilled water with a squirt bottle to force water out of cooler head, tubs and the radiator, drained several times till no gunk was coming out. Let them dry and used blow dryer on light to ensure parts were dry. Filled with new coolant in description. Used high quality thermal paste. Side note - fuck nzxt, in addition to fire fiasco, only had this for 3 years before this cooler shit. I plan on getting a new case at some point but this fix was well worth it to hopefully get another 3 years out of this expensive and useless case.

[@CrazyTechLab]

I agree. I do love the case - I even installed a custom loop and looked at radiator options for the V1 and V2 in my latest video. Gonna use the V2 as my main rig then potentially consider a Hyte Revolt 3 - highly recommend checking it out!

[@Prawnestshrimp]

Thank you for this video. I was able to fix my CPU cooling issue using demineralized water (the one you use for irons). In my case there was nearly no coolant and there were little stones inside the tubes as well. I do not think I flushed all of them but everything is working well at the minute

[@CrazyTechLab]

Well done. Make sure you use an anti corrosion additive in there too. Deigned water isn’t enough to prevent galvanic corrosion which can happen with dissimilar metals in an AIO which usually has an alu rad and copper block.

[@JoshuaGotcher]

Great video! Hope this is the cause of my crazy temps as well. We'll find out tomorrow I guess...

[@JoshuaGotcher]

That was totally it. The block was totally blocked. I dropped 20 degrees under load!

[@yook4303]

Thanks for your update, i will try on my overheating h1 as well once i buy coolant.

[@PepitoFuego]

Hi, Rently, had very high temp (70°C on Idle and 100°C+ when used) on my H1 V1 1.5 years old. I found your vids and give it a shot to solve the problem. I opened the AIO and found A LOT of sediment and crap. I fully dissassembled the AIO, took appart the pump, pipes and draining bolt. After a good cleaning, many flush with clear water and a good dry, i refiled the loop with EK Cryofuel Clear Premix (around 200ml) and payed attention to avoid any bubble. I cross my fingers and pray that after the reassembling it's not gonna leaking. Thanks God everything was fine and now my temps are fucking great again, like the first day (and maybe even better!). I got 36°C on idle and 55 to 60°C on full load. I will probably do the same to my old pc that has a Corsair H75 AIO that run for almost 8 years as a prevention. Many thanks from Belgium buddy

[@CrazyTechLab]

Glad to help! Keep an eye on the temps - sometimes more than one flush is needed

[@PepitoFuego]

@@CrazyTechLab ​ Yea, i already flushed many times with clear water but after fully dryied the radiator, i could still hearing some things into the rad when i was shaking it. I wil keep an eye on it !

[@TheRealTronGuy]

Where's the draining bolt, under that cap at the bottom of the radiator? How do you get the cap off?

[@TheRealTronGuy]

To answer my own question: The bolt is indeed under that cap. To get it, dig the rubber plug out from the middle of the cap, then use a T15 Torx screwdriver to remove it. Now to see if I can actually get it filled once more with no air bubbles...it took almost exactly 75 mL last time, which plainly wasn't enough, since it didn't run or cool properly.

[@jibi4820]

Hey mate, how do you go about draining the old coolant out and flushing out the pipes/rad of any sediment? How do you ensure all the old gunk is out before refilling with fresh coolant? And when you mentioned de-ionised water, where can you buy that? Or instead can I just use a premix coolant to flush it and refill.

[@nickbitlee]

Thank you so much for this!!! I was going to change case entirely - given the myriad of problems with it so far (riser cable, etc). My cpu temps were rising to 70-80 at idle… I just did one clean, and it’s back down to 50. You’ve saved me a few hundred bucks! Still for a Ryzen 3900x - is that still high?

[@bogotstogoskiing]

3900x is a tough chip to cool. 50 still seems a but high but what are your load temps? If you run IBT what does it max out at?

[@bogotstogoskiing]

Glad I found this video. Hit the same issue after not using this case for a while. I recently built a new system to test Arc 770 using a known very cool running 3800x. Was my main chip for a while and idled at about 30C with a Corsair h100i (240mm). With this cooler it now idles at 83C and hits 100C very quickly just from opening a browser. I opened it up and sure enough, white gunk. Cleaned it out and put it back together and now I idle at 63C. Still not good enough. Going to call NZXT tomorrow to see if they'll replace it but am also going to try flushing it and replacing with EK CryoFuel tomorrow. I'm worried now, though, becuase I own 3 other NZXT AIO's. Might just be a matter of time if those go bad.

[@bogotstogoskiing]

I ended up draining the system, blowing it out with air and then refilled with EK CryFuel. Idles at 34C now and max temp I've seen is 54.

[@knicksxiv]

Thank you.. pc was shutting off 10 min after boot because cpu was overheating this fixed it temps back to normal

[@Koopzter]

I just did it and it worked great thanks man

[@ragincaveman]

Time to check out to thermosiphon cooling with an IceGiant Cooling ProSiphon Elite!

[@EinmaligBefasst]

Thanks for the video. Yesterday my CPU went into thermal throttling. I knew the AIO clogging on the H1 could be a thing, but never thought I would have it. I needed 8 (eight!) flushings to get all the gunk out. This was very time consuming work, plus it took ages to fill the loop enough for the pump not to run dry all the time. My pump was clean btw.

[@CrazyTechLab]

It's worth it. Just keep an eye on those temps. Apparently you can detach the radiator too to make flushing easier. I will also being doing a guide soon on how to install a simple custom loop instead of dealing with the AIO which we know has issues.

[@peach7345]

Hey man how did you flush the tubes did you use distilled water? Assuming you used distilled water do you fill it up like he does in the video, then drain out (repeat) and then at the end add the new liquid coolant?

[@CrazyTechLab]

@@peach7345 Emptying and filling the loop a few times should be enough. You're emptying the radiator and tubes and that process is akin to a flush. If you want to do it more thoroughly you can detach the tubes from the radiator using a T5 star screw - that works on both the V1 and V2

[@peach7345]

@@CrazyTechLabthanks for the response and vid man. Just to clarify can you use distilled water to flush it out prior to adding new coolant? I bought new coolant but it’s expensive and I don’t want to waste the new stuff flushing out the old + crap. Also could I use like a straw brush cleaner to help clean out the tubes or are they too sensitive? Liked and subbed 👍🏼

[@CrazyTechLab]

@@peach7345 Yes to distilled or deionised and yes to a straw brush cleaner!

[@H4WK6969]

My NZXT AIO failed yesterday, i took the pump apart and found lots of sediment floating around in the fluid. Think i'll stick with air coolers in future.

[@rayzohko]

ためになる動画をありがとう。 偶然このビデオを見つけましたが、H1で組んだPCが頻繁に落ちる様になった原因が判明した気がします。 最もv2に買い替えて旧ケースを処分してしまったため実際のところは解りませんが…

[@rrremy]

Hey! Really appreciate the vid, I actually had the same issue and decided to go after it the way you did. Thing is, Im having a really hard time getting it filled completely and not getting air bubbles. Ive tried filling it twice and both times it seemed like no matter what I did, no air bubbles surfaced so I figured it was full - only to close it all up and run it to hear the air bubble noise. Any tips on how to identify when its properly full / when theres no air bubbles left? I add the coolant how you do but it doesnt seem to go down through the tubes no matter how I shake, tap, or orient the parts

[@Mnpctech_Giveaway_PC_Mods]

Unfortunately we are often the BETA testers. PC hardware manufacturers invest very little focus and effort into development and testing of their liquid cooling products. We could talk for hours on this topic, lol

[@CrazyTechLab]

Certainly seems that way. Apparently it's solder flux residue and is especially prevalent with cheap AIO's with aluminium rads. Others will be fine as will custom loops, especially if you flush the rad first which most of us do.

[@brezocnikmichael]

This saved my gaming holiday 😃

[@keganarmstrong1724]

THANK YOU GRACIOUSLY 🖤

[@epia125]

This happened to my nieces build. random reboots we couldn't figure it out why it would actually crash during memory testing turns out clogged fins skyrocketing CPU temps.

[@AtillaTheHungLife]

I'm over this. I rarely, very rarely, get to sit down and enjoy my computer between work life and home life, and on my vacation this week I am unable to use my computer due to this problem happening again. The first time it happened I just smacked the block around a few minutes and reapplied thermal paste - all was well, que not using my computer for a month and turn it on today to 70c at idle with a 9900K. Ridiculous. I will never buy another NZXT product again. And to top it all off, I left my tools at work (to do the repair) and nobody locally has a t6 bit for me to fix it today. Probably God's way of saying I shouldn't play games, but dangit I just want to enjoy a few hours of peace! UGH NZXT is garbage.

[@renderedpixels4300]

> I will never buy another NZXT product again the only correct conclusion

[@alexqiu1758]

I wonder how the performance after you changed the coolant compared to when you first got the H1, could it be even better than a factory new H1 since the coolant itself was part of the problem?

[@martingodske3301]

I just did it on mine, had the same amount of gunk in my AIO. And the temps have gone down by 10-15 degrees

[@JOK3R_DK]

Are you aware if NZXT have fixed this issue in future iterations of the case?

[@pandiwan6376]

Thanks a lot man, fixed it thanks to you ;) my 11600kf went from 92c idle back to 33 idle, and 68 in cpu stress test after 10min. I did just used demineralized water as liquid, I don't know if specialized liquid worth it a 20eur per litre.

[@pandiwan6376]

Well i don't know if it's because I did not use any additive or my loop was not flushed properly but the same issue appeared very quickly again, about a day or two. After doing the manipulation twice and considering the fact I'm still not super into buying 20€ worth of liquid additives for each refill I ordered a Noctua NH-L12S for 50€ to replace the AIO.

[@eprpop]

@@pandiwan6376 How about the temperatures you get now with the air cooler?

[@pandiwan6376]

@@eprpop Hi Edward, I've got a slight undervolt on both the cpu (i5 11600KF) & GPU (6800XT stock model from AMD), If I remember correctly CPU temps are around 70°C under gaming load and 75°C with CPU-Z stress test in a room at 35°C. It's a bit cooler where I live now I can re-do the test if you're interested.

[@eprpop]

@@pandiwan6376 Hi Pandiwan, thanks for your reply, those temps are good considering the ambient of 35C. I have been thinking about an alternative when my H1 Aio fails, i think now that air cooling is not a bad idea.

[@pandiwan6376]

@@eprpop Just played a game of CoD Cold War yesterday, had a cpu max temp of 72°c, it often was around 65°c when I chekcked on my afterburner overlay. room temp was 24°C.

[@ModestCube100]

I had my tube break in mine and leaked everywhere. Thank god it didn’t get on the important stuff and fixed it myself

[@AMDRyzenEnthusiastGroup]

Curious, how did you repair it? Splice, barbed fitting with clamps, or what?

[@henochh1732]

I just bought a NZXT H1 V2 and wants to avoid this problem (I haven't even built my PC yet). Does it make sense to remove the coolant from the system and replace it with coolant with good additives so that the aluminum will never have the chance to oxidize? Or will it oxidize anyway..

[@DizzyBoi915]

Is there a certain coolant mixture with water or can I just top it off with Corsair XL8

[@bhabiemhie00]

Really wanted to do your tutorial but I'm to afraid to messed up. I have my coolant already. I'm using my stock AMD fan and still hitting up to 90degreea.

[@elijahlabranche6218]

Thanks 🙏

[@SebastianWB]

Hey @CrazyTechLab might need some help. I had this issue a few months ago and i spent multiple hours and frankly a lot of money to fix it. I finally found your video and i fixed the issue after some hard work. But randomly it seems that my pc has gone back to overheating and i don't really know what to do. To take apart the whole pc and do this can be quite annoying. Do you know what the issue might be?- Thanks

[@CrazyTechLab]

It's possible there's more gunk in there. A lot of people have found multiple flushed are necessary unfortunately which is a pain. It's likely the pump is working fine - but probably if you open it up there will be more crap in the waterblock

[@WilsonJonW]

I had the same problems you all have discussed, and proceeded with the cleaning on the cold plate assembly. While refilling I went and looked for a faster way to burp the system & found the root of the problem. The cold plate is copper. The ENTIRE radiator is aluminium(with the exception of the pump impeller, being ABS.) That ‘gunk’ is the aluminium flaking off from inside the radiator due to galvanic corrosion. My jet plate/cold plate looked a lot like yours, the pump was worse. Many of the fins were blocked. It’s a total failure of the product, and product development by NZXT.

[@CrazyTechLab]

AIOs often have aluminium radiators but use corrosion inhibitors in the coolant to prevent galvanic corrosion. As far as I know, Igor’s lab didn’t find evidence of corrosion in the radiator when they looked at it. It’s more like gunk from some other reaction or crud left in the other radiator from manufacturing. Crud from galvanic corrosion looks quite different usually and the copper would also be very discoloured too but not ruling it out. Flushing a few times and replacing the coolant with something decent that has corrosion inhibitors should be enough to fix. Hope you get yours fixed

[@henochh1732]

@@CrazyTechLab I just bought a NZXT H1 V2 and wants to avoid this problem (I haven't even built my PC yet). Does it make sense to remove the coolant from the system and replace it with coolant with good additives so that the aluminum will never have the chance to oxidize? Or will it oxidize anyway..

[@tomtran614]

​@@henochh1732I'm in the same situation as you. Except mine has been sitting inside the box, unopened for a year now. I don't mind doing this flush and replacing the fluid. I'm more concerned about the noise from the pump and was thinking about switching to an air cooler instead to avoid this issue entirely and to reduce the noise levels. I also want to replace the fan inside the PSU which according to my research runs at max all the time which makes the case very loud.

[@henochh1732]

@@tomtran614 ive been thinking about that too. But i have a 14600k with TDP of 180 watt. There are low profile air coolers with that TDP but the most of them doesnt fit in the H1 V2 or fit on my motherboard (because of the vrm heatsinks)

[@tomtran614]

Oh man, that's a hot CPU 🔥 to cool. I would go ahead and pull the AIO out and do a flush and refill with the EK cryofuel as shown in this video. A commenter said that it's actually easier and quicker to do the flush and refill if you take the AIO out and remove the tubes. The OP also stated that it's unlikely to produce more sediments after this fix if you use a quality coolant. Either that or go with a new motherboard, cooler CPU and use an air coolant. Me, personally I think I will do this fix first and see if it will work. I can always flush and refill again down the road or switch to air cooling. Luckily I have not bought a CPU or motherboard yet.

[@waynelee1166]

I have the same issue too. recently my CPU keep hit 110C and shutdown. definitely suggest everyone who has the same CPU overheat issue need to refill the cooling water and clean the dirt inside the cooling system. instantly drop from 100C to 55C and highest to 80C when gaming.

[@betastagevirus997]

Cleaned it, flushed the whole system 3 times, got new coolant, and within 30 min my temps rose again took it back apart and it's clogged full again, might just say screw it and get a noctua low pro cooler.

[@KrutGemByte]

Well dang. My arctic freezer ii just randomly stopped working so I might have to do this soon

[@ShinobiRaijin]

Was the issue fixed in v2? I was planning to buy the v2, and if the issue isn't fixed im not gonna buy it

[@erhan28]

NZXT using garbage parts and now coolant. Both my brother and I have the same issue with gunk and sludge. Crap product with junk parts.

[@yevheniibondarenko2398]

Thanks!

[@davieslm]

Great video and really useful. Is it possible to remove the plate and clean off the gunk without losing the coolant? I just contacted NZXT to get a warranty replacement on the AIO as its 18 months old. Lets see what they say! I am thinking about fitting an air cooler instead such as Noctua L12S or Scythe Big Shuriken 3 to cool my Ryzen 3600. I have a total of 3 H1's in my house and already gone through the riser shenanigans. Instinct is telling me not to waste time with these AIOs and just get an air cooler?

[@CrazyTechLab]

The trouble is it needs to be fully filled 100% to avoid air bubbles circulating in the loop and making the pump gurgle. It’s very difficult not to spill any. The instant you tilt the pump or lay it down, coolant comes out. When you remove the plate, coolant drips off. Even a few drops could result in the loop not being full enough.

[@davieslm]

@@CrazyTechLab Thanks for the advice.

[@inzpired]

For what it’s worth, I have just cleaned mine without adding any more coolant. I was extremely careful removing the copper plate and only lost a tiny amount of coolant. I would say the system is probably 97% full now…a little air inside. Due to the setup, however, this air should settle at the top of the radiator. If you wiggle the system whilst holding the block at the highest point BEFORE you remove the copper plate, the air should be in the block. This means you’ve got a better chance of not spilling any. It worked for me… I used a tiny flat head screwdriver to scoop out the gunk. Not a perfect solution, but good enough for another few months until I do it properly, flushing and replacing the coolant as per this video. Awesome video, this. I wouldn’t have the confidence to do this without the detailed guide.

[@ariczhuang5110]

How do I make sure I completely filled my AIO loop? I did the steps but it seems that in certain orientations(when my NZXT is standing up) my pump makes a weird noise and it sounds like there’s no coolant running through the system

[@CrazyTechLab]

Just focus on the bit where the bubbles come up and make sure the radiator is below the pump. I thought it was filled but quite a few bubbles kept coming up.

[@zuffy8778]

I have this problem for months now. One time I changed the thermal paste and it "work". I guess that is probably from the movements of the CPU block while removing and placing the CPU block back after applying new thermal paste. The 90-100C is back and changing thermal paste didn't work. Then I search and found this video. Before I attempt to fix the problem, how do I make this CPU coolant?

[@joseostorva7235]

My coolant was NOT green like yours......IT WAS BROWN! Is that normal lol?

[@VitzPatel]

hi, thanks for this video. I been having high CPU temps, so thought I'd give this a go. The plate was all gunked up, so I cleaned all of that and flushed the system with distilled water. Put in fresh coolant, topped it off, fresh thermal paste and all that good stuff...96°C CPU temp and a high pitch whine coming from the pump. Took it apart again to see if I had left air in the system, topped it up again, fresh paste again and then it hit 111°C before it shut itself down. At a loss of what to do now, any ideas?

[@CrazyTechLab]

Could be two things - firstly it’s very easy for the plate to be gunked up more than once so if temps are high it’s worth checking again as it can take a few flushes to clear out. Secondly it can be difficult to get all the air out the loop. It’s best to have the rad sat flat on a desk and have the pump lifted vertically above it as I did in the video. Might need to shake the radiator and tubes a bit while you fill from the pump to dislodge air bubbles and do not let coolant pour out while you replace the copper cap contact plate. Needs to remain horizontal and with coolant filled to the brim

[@JoshMuehring]

Hey, having the same issue. Did you ever resolve it?

[@striff]

Just be careful with this fix. Mine started giving sky-high CPU temps, to the point of crashing . I followed this tutorial, (mine was full of gunk) but alas did not fix the issue (My water pump makes a noise, like bad bearings) Anyway tried to do a warranty call, and was honest about me trying to fix it. My support was dismissed due to me attempting to fix it...:( Now checking for alternative cooling, otherwise this will be trashed and no longer trusting NZXT (BTW just bought a Meshilicious case, and going to spec that up)

[@nelsonpun]

check out this custom loop for the h1. might be what ur looking for. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2Swlah4hpl0aZI&ab_channel=OptimumTech

[@jibi4820]

let the pump run for a little longer, the whirring sound is likely air bubbles being pumped around but they dissappear as the pump runs its course

[@striff]

@@jibi4820 Thanks, yeah I tried for over a week to sort it, but no luck. Raised a complaint with NZXT, and they ended up sending me a new Radiator and pump at no cost.... Cheers

[@wizzawiztech5385]

What's the likelihood this is gonna happen with the V2? I literally just got it after holding off on the V1. Still love the case so guess I'll just keep checking those temps!

[@shoumenyuan]

Hey, have you had any issues with the v2?

[@wizzawiztech5385]

@@shoumenyuan Not yet but tbh it's not been running as much as the V1 was. Will report back if I hear anything!

[@nelsonpun]

ooo excited to do this in a couple weeks. Cant wait to see if mines gooped up.

[@baxalasse]

Guck confirmed, thanks for vid!

[@mooringjohnson1687]

I cracked one of the hose fittings on mine. Anyone know where to get a replacment hose?

[@GBAwatercooler]

Ficou quase bom... mais ou menos. Manda aqui na gba que eu faço mais caprichado sem ar. Assim desse jeito fica muito ar no circuito. Sem contar que o fluido GBA pó de diamante por si só já baixa uns 3 a 5°C contra o fluido original da NZXT.

[@Shanahan126]

How much (ml) coolant approximately do you need to fill the h1 aio?

[@CrazyTechLab]

Get the smallest amount you can. You really don't need much. A cupful at most

[@stevesoo]

Is this why nzxt has the pump rpm maxed out?

[@kielhawkins9529]

Man just bought the H1 V2 on sale and then saw this. Part of me wants to swap the fluid out immediately in a new.system and out something in that is less likely to gunk up before I even use it.

[@CrazyTechLab]

I’ve got the V2 and not noticed and issues yet only with my V1. I live in hope but I’m converting to a custom loop in my soon if you’re interested. Pretty easy. Will be out in a future video.

[@kielhawkins9529]

@@CrazyTechLab I think eventually a custom loop would be the way to go for low noise in this case. I did get a custom wood front panel instead of the glass which will provide additional airflow for now.

[@duncan93841]

I also just bought this case and still need to build it. So it’s only the V1 mainly affected ?

[@CrazyTechLab]

@@duncan93841 We're not entirely sure unfortunately. Best to keep an eye on temperatures even if you have the V2.

[@optinum]

Can I just clean the plate and then reuse the old coolant?

[@CrazyTechLab]

The old coolant is part of the problem unfortunately as it likely has silicates in it that react with solder flux to create the sludge or at the very least has particles in it that will eventually get trapped in the contact plate fins. You’ll likely lose some coolant in the process too and you need to ensure the cooler full to the brim so you need new coolant anyway really.

[@MrKosTern]

You have just saved me

[@CrazyTechLab]

Glad to be of service! Be sure to check your temps in the hours/days after as it may well get clogged again. Also make sure to use coolant with anti corrosion and anti fungal properties

[@MrKosTern]

@@CrazyTechLab Hi, i already had clean the aio 4 times since then, i have the feeling as the times goes the faster it clogs up. Do you have any suggestion what should i do? (i'm using EK cryofuel clear premix). i was thinking about buying new AIO but it could have the same problem

[@CrazyTechLab]

@@MrKosTern it seems to be mostly isolated to the AIO used by NZXT here. Flushing it multiple times if need be should solve it. Sadly 140mm AIOs are very rare if not impossible to find.

[@daehwa_kim]

After going through this it feels significantly cooler but my cpu's temerature actually went even higher from around 60 to 90 now. Any possible reason you could think of?

[@CrazyTechLab]

Yes it’s possible there’s more gunk that has come loose. Some people have said that. Alternatively it’s possible you need to add more coolant. I’d check for gunk first.

[@daehwa_kim]

@@CrazyTechLab After couple more attempts I was able to get the temp to 51c, which is still a bit high but definitely a progress. Thank you for the great video!!

[@daehwa_kim]

Update in case anyone's going through the same problem: After several more attempts I finally got 30c!! Do as the video, run the pc for a day, do this video again and you'll see more gunk coming out. I repeated this 3-4 times. This video is a life saver, thank you!!

[@somthineLCe]

This guide is a great help, however the rad seems to be full of whatever that gunk is. I've done 3 flushes and gone through a litre of XL8 only to continue having the gunk build up. Man it takes forever to refill that rad - anyone have success actually keeping temps down? I'll have about 10 mins of 45 idle/70 load and then back up to 60 idle. Pump maxed out. Anyone else?

[@CrazyTechLab]

Rather than using xl8 you can try deionises or distilled water. Waaaaay cheaper if you need to do a lot of flushing.

[@kulaak-krii]

NZXT H1 V2 here and this just happened to me. I've awitched to a Noctua air cooler instead. This just isnt worth my time or anxiety.

[@CrazyTechLab]

Can appreciate that. I'll be doing a custom liquid cooling guide soon too which is easy. Stay tuned!

[@TestFor-hy4nu]

i did everything you said here and my cpu temp stil goes sky rocket and the fans are going mad

[@CrazyTechLab]

Have you rechecked the waterblock? A lot of people find that more crap has got stuck in the block after cleaning it and you may need additional flushes

[@jakepeattie]

Seems like I’ve just run into this issue after almost 2.5 years.

[@PlayerSlotAvailable]

I have this problem. Sadly... you can not buy coolant in Norway We do however have good warranties. So I asked for a replacement AIO It had the same issue.... So I asked for another replacement AIO It has the same issue 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 And the coolant in the description does not ship to Norway. :(((

[@rafael02ification]

Compra agua desnaturalizada pa, pilas

[@JediPacman]

Have had higher temps on my H1 and tried this. When I opened it up there was a small amount of gunk but less than shown in the video. I cleaned it out and replaced the fluid with new fluid and everytime I turn on my PC my AIO makes a weird sound similar to an electric toothbrush. I've been thinking it was because if air bubbles somewhere in the loop and I've reopened the AIO like 5 times and added more coolant but each time there is like barely any room for any more liquid and no more bubbles. Any ideas?

[@Shmittery]

Did you ever get this resolved? I have the same sound/issue too

[@JediPacman]

​@@Shmittery so I actually ended up cleaning out and replacing the fluid several more times after the "5 times" I mentioned in my comment and was never able to get it resolved. I gave up on the included AIO and put Noctua NH-L12S low profile cooler in my H1 instead. I idle around 40~ degrees, hit 68 under load, and it's much quieter than before. Very happy with it

[@Shmittery]

@@JediPacman ah shit well, I might be in the same boat then. Thanks for the reply and suggested cooler!

[@JediPacman]

@@Shmittery np, good luck. If I got this video to work for me that would've been ideal but my problem must've been a little worse than some gunk or something I guess.

[@damonliuk]

What coolant have people used to refill their H1 AiO with?

[@CrazyTechLab]

You can use anything with biocide and anti corrosion additives such as the EK one I mentioned in the video. They do a concentrate you can add to deionised water. Can also recommend Mayhems or Corsair coolants.

[@damonliuk]

@@CrazyTechLab thank you for the reply. I'm looking for something already premixed. Is there a link to a specific EK all-in-one pre-mixed you can recommend? I've cleaned out the AIO twice now and the problem keeps coming back every 6 months at the moment :(

[@CrazyTechLab]

@@damonliuk Can recommend either of these: www.corsair.com/uk/en/Categories/Products/Custom-Cooling/Coolant/hydro-x-coolant/p/CX-9060001-WW www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-cryofuel-clear-premix-1000ml

[@b-okay]

Can't open the pump. I unscrew everything and it won't come off and don't want to force it out. Anyone with suggestions on how to pop it open?

[@seniordoggo]

My temps for the CPU are currently 43c idle and 74c underload. Only TLOU game makes it go 85c as it uses 100%. SHould I be worried and change the cooling? I have an i5 13600k

[@CrazyTechLab]

No that’s not bad for a 13600k. Just keep an eye on it.

[@seniordoggo]

@@CrazyTechLab Any recommendations or things I should be looking out for?

[@CrazyTechLab]

@@seniordoggo Unfortunately just higher temperatures. The pump will sound normal it’s just the gunk will stop coolant flowing. No way to tell other than opening it or watching for high temps. Your PC might be unstable but it will shutdown before any damage is done.

[@hypnotickiller4802]

Can anyone please help, I have undone all the screws but the plate isn't budging?

[@AMDRyzenEnthusiastGroup]

Just takes a bit of force to pry it out. Could carefully use a small flathead between the housing and the plate, being careful not to damage either. It is sort of under a small vacuum.

[@Styg904]

If you are still under warranty I would avoid this process. These are close-looped coolers that are not designed to be disassembled and by doing so you may void your warranty if still covered. Better to poke NZXT and submit a ticket I was able to complete the troubleshooting provided and proceeded with a warranty replacement without further issue.

[@CrazyTechLab]

I agree but 'IF' being the word - this case was released 4 years ago so many V1 owners probably have no option but to do this or bin the cooler as they're likely out of warranty. There's no reason you can't open the coolers though. People have been modifying AIO coolers for years. They're simple components - tubes, radiator and copper waterblock. You can easily open them up and clean them out and my V1 is still going strong following this video.

[@proudsuburbandad9279]

How much coolant do you need for this?

[@CrazyTechLab]

Half a litre would be fine. Don’t need much.

[@proudsuburbandad9279]

@@CrazyTechLab whoa wasn't expecting a reply in less than 10 mins haha. Ty! I will report back on whether this fix works for me!

[@CrazyTechLab]

@@proudsuburbandad9279 I aim to please! Just be very sure to bleed/remove air from it when you fill it again. Can take a while but it will be noisy/gurgly otherwise! Give it a good shake and make sure it’s filled to the brim.

[@dusannikolic7353]

Can I use demi water ?

[@CrazyTechLab]

Yes you can. Or Distilled. Only for the flushing process though. You need to have a proper coolant in there when you seal it back up

[@dusannikolic7353]

@@CrazyTechLab Thank you for fast response man, i appreciate it. I work in Computer Repair Service and Support and i have this AIO in combination with i9-12900k..

[@commandersanders5436]

This just happened to me and I'm debating etween buying a new cooler or doing this 😂😢😮

[@CrazyTechLab]

You could consider a simple custom loop too but flushing only costs around $10 for a bit of replacement coolant. Definitely worth doing if you’re out of warranty!

[@dragoss16]

I just got myself a H1 V2 yesterday, doesn anyone know if this problem was fixed for the V2 ?

[@CrazyTechLab]

It’s difficult to tell. I have the V2 here as well but I haven’t fired it up since my original review. The h1 had been operating for a few months when I found this issue. Best I can do is fire up the v2 and see if it’s a time-based thing.

[@dragoss16]

@@CrazyTechLab thank you for the answer, I am seeing all the users with this problem having the v1, probably they upgraded the liquid... hopefully

[@danielwilliam1534]

I’ve been running the v2 since it was released, got a 5800x3d in there now and pump is still working as new. It gets a lot of use too.

[@tomtran614]

​@@danielwilliam1534hi .. is the pump in your h1v2 still working normally?

[@danielwilliam1534]

@@tomtran614 yeah temps are still normal. 🙂 It’s just a noisy pump still even after replacing all the fans with silent ones in the case.