Enermax LIQMAX 120 HF

Overview

ELC-LMT120-HF is an Enermax LIQMAX III 120mm AIO liquid CPU cooler used as a system component in multiple Exxact builds. Across these tickets, it is almost always discussed as a failed or suspect cooler causing rapid CPU temperature rise, BIOS overheating warnings, thermal throttling, shutdowns, or boot failure ([2625], [4677], [13031], [25757], [9179]) ...and 8 more.

Known Issues

• cpu-cooler-failure, 13 tickets. Repeated reports describe pump failure, zero pump speed, abnormal noise, or ineffective cooling that causes immediate or load-triggered CPU overheating ([13031], [15202], [6279], [7767], [9179]) ...and 8 more.
• overheating, 13 tickets. Common symptoms include BIOS temperatures above normal, rapid temperature climb after boot, thermal throttling, automatic shutdown, or POST-level over-temperature warnings ([13331], [5776], [8444], [9326], [25757]) ...and 8 more.
• rma-workflow, 11 tickets. Most supported cases were handled as cooler-only RMAs, with several tickets noting return requirements, advance replacement decisions, or closure when the failed unit was not returned ([2625], [5776], [7767], [8134], [8444]) ...and 6 more.

Common Questions

• What does failure usually look like on this cooler? CPU temperature often spikes within minutes of boot or under light load, BIOS may show high CPU temperature or zero pump speed, and the system may throttle, shut down, or refuse to boot because of overheating ([13031], [4677], [5776], [25757], [9179]).
• Is the fix usually a full system RMA? No. These tickets usually treated ELC-LMT120-HF as a component-only cooler replacement rather than a whole-system return ([2625], [15202], [5776], [13031], [9326]).
• Was Exxact replacing it with the exact same unit? Often no. Multiple tickets say the replacement was a newer cooler model with a slightly different installation process, sometimes with an additional radiator fan or different mounting details ([13031], [13331], [4677], [9179], [9326]).
• Did replacement usually solve the overheating? When the replacement was successfully installed, yes. At least some tickets explicitly report restored normal temperatures or resolution after swap ([6279], [9179], [13031]).
• What if the system is out of warranty? Support still helped identify the installed model, but out-of-warranty customers were often directed to buy a replacement rather than receive warranty replacement ([6279], [25757], [8444]).
• Are installation questions common after replacement? Yes. Customers asked about pre-applied thermal paste, fan-header connections, missing screw kits, and how to wire the newer replacement model correctly ([4677], [13031], [9179], [9326]).

Related Products

• Newer replacement cooler model, exact part not consistently named. Several RMAs state that Exxact fulfilled this cooler with a newer model that had a larger radiator or extra fan and slightly different install steps, making it the most common confusion pair during replacement ([13331], [4677], [9179], [9326]).
• Air-cooler substitutions used for diagnosis. In at least one case, replacing the failed AIO with an air cooler immediately resolved the thermal problem, making air coolers a practical comparison point when validating whether the original ELC-LMT120-HF is the fault ([6279]).
• Third-party same-model retail replacements. Customers sometimes compared or self-purchased retail replacements instead of completing Exxact RMA flow, especially when warranty coverage had expired ([8444], [25757]).

Referenced by

• CPU Cooler Failure — issue affecting this product (×13)
• RMA Workflow — issue affecting this product (×11)
• Overheating — issue affecting this product (×1)