We continue discussing the mass production
closed-loop liquid-cooling systems. Today, we will introduce to you the top
four products from the leading manufacturers: Corsair, Thermaltake and Zalman.
In the first part of the review of
liquid-cooling devices, we had searched 5 products with affordable prices from
Corsair, Thermaltake and Zalman. Today, we will have solutions with many
improvements and more expensive prices from the same brands. The liquid cooling
systems are not as compact and cheap as some models that we have tested
recently but have many advantages. And the most important thing is that they
have higher performance. Keep reading to learn more about them.
Participants in the test
Corsair
Hydro High Performance H80i
Corsair
Hydro H80i
First is the Corsair Hydro H80i High
Performance. It is packed in a large red-black cardboard box with the image of
H80i in the front:
The
box carries product
The main characteristics of the system are
listed on the sides of the box in many languages.
Product
information in the box
The detailed technical standards and
performance comparison chart (the cooler with Intel box are taken for
reference) you can see in the back of the box.
The accessories are similar to what you are
received from Corsair Hydro H60 High Performance except for cables, user
manuals and additional fans:
Additional
accessories
This system is priced at $110 and the
warranty time is 5 years. It is made in China.
Corsair Hydro H80i High Performance works
with the Asetek 570LC platform but has a different type of water block and
pump. However, its general design is basically similar to the systems that
were discussed before. It consists of a radiator, two fans and a water block
with pump, all connected to the tubes:
The
tubes
The outer diameter of the tube is 14 mm.
They are 310 mm long.
The main characteristic of the Corsair
Hydro H80i High Performance is the thick radiator. It has dimensions of
158x120x45 mm and weighs about 450 grams. The body part of heat exchanger is 37
mm thick.
The
tubing
It is thicker than 20 mm compared with the
Corsair Hydro H60 High Performance. However, the radiator is also made of
aluminum. It consists of 12 identical heat pipes. There is a ripple strip welded between the pipes. The
distance between the folds is 1 to 2 mm.
The
strips on the heat pipe
The tubes stuck to the radiator have an
outer diameter of 14 mm.
The
tubes on the radiator
The sticker image on the radiator can only
tell you about its country of origin.
Pump/ water block is different from other
Corsair low-level products, we do not even know much about its features. We can
see the two connectors located in one side:
The
connectors in the device
The mini USB port is be connected to the
mainboard's USB header with a bundled cable. Other ports are used to connect 2
fans with Y-shaped cable; the two additional fans can be connected to the pump
while the pump is connected to a power source through ordinary SATA power plug.
The gray thermal layer with high efficiency
is pre-glued to the platform of the water block with a thin layer.
The
thermal layer in the water block platform
We also have similar thermal layer in the
cooler and the GPU:
The
thermal layer
Corsair Hydro H80i High Performance is
equipped with the 120mm Corsair SP120L fan:
120mm
Corsair SP120L fan
The maximum speed of the fan is 2700 RPM.
Each of them produces a 77 CFM airflow at 37.68 dBA of noise level. Its
rotational speed is adjusted by the pump depending on the temperature as we
will describe below.
The electric specs of the fan can be found
on its sticker.
The
electric specs
The installation process of water block and
radiator is similar to what we described in the previous reviews.
Installation
process
The High Performance Hydro H80i is
different from other Corsair low level cooling systems in another point that it
supports Corsair's Link Monitoring and Control technology connecting via USB.
Corsair Link 2.2.0, a highly functional gadget with wide monitoring and
controlling ability, is used together. Its main window shows the CPU
temperature, coolant, GPU and HDD as well as the speed of fans and pumps. You
can also adjust the color of the LED on the pump (for example if your computer case
has a side window).
Corsair
Link 2.2.0
You can make the presenting information
short by using groups.
Corsair
Link 2.2.0
The monitoring data can be viewed as
graphs.
Corsair
Link 2.2.0
You can create many profiles with the
system installations and set up email notifications.
Corsair
Link 2.2.0
The pump speed cannot be adjusted but you
can monitor and change the fan speed.
Corsair Link even helps updating new
program for your liquid- cooling system.
And finally, you can set up the log for any
or all of the controlled parameters.
So, this utility has wonderful functionality
and creates a perfect complement to the cooler itself. Now, we move on to the
next product.
Corsair Hydro High Performance H80i’s
technical standards and price:
Base platform
·
Asetek 570LC+
Dimensions
·
(LxWxH), mm: 158x120x92
·
Body dimensions (LxWxH), mm: 158x120x37
Material
·
Aluminum
Fan
·
Quantity: 2
·
Model: Corsair SP120L
·
Dimensions, mm: 120x120x25
·
Bearings: 1 fluid dynamic bearing
·
Rotational Speed, RPM: 2x2700 (±10%)
·
Airflow, CFM: 2x77
·
Noise, dBA: 37.7
·
Static Pressure, mm H20: 2x4
·
Nominal voltage, V: 12
·
Maximum Power consumption, W: 4x4.32
·
Fan MTBF, hours / years: 50,000/5.7
Pumps
·
Dimensions, mm: 63x63x32
·
Rotational Speed, RPM: 2150
·
Bearing: Ceramic (CFF1)
·
Bearing MTBF, hours / years: 50,000 / 5.7
·
Nominal voltage, V: 12
·
Power consumption: spec/ actual, W: 2.1 / -
Water block
·
Materials and structure: copper, micro- channels
structure
·
Platform Compatibility: Intel LGA1155/1156/1366/2011, AMD Socket AM2 (+) / AMB (+) / FM1
(2)
Other factors
·
turbine length, mm: 310
·
External turbine diameter, mm: 14
·
Solution heat load/ cooler: non-toxic, anti-
corrosion (propylene glycol)
·
Operational temperature range, oC: 5
~ 35
·
Weight, g: 1,055
·
Warranty, years: 5
Price: $109.99
