Super cool in every respect
When corsair released its closed loop H80
water cooler in 2011. We found it to be one of the best-performing dual-fan
kits available. It was also very loud at full blast and cumbersome to install.
The updated H80i model sets out to address these issues while also improving
performance.
At first glance, the H80i doesn't appear to
differ much from its predecessor, but there are a number of key upgrades.
First, at 1.4cm thick, the coolant tubes are nearly twice as fat to help
increase coolant flow. Also, the two 12cm fans are now based on Corsair’s
high-static-pressure Air Series SP120 fans and run a bit quieter than the
previous model’s fans. Finally, Corsair now includes its Corsair Link software
with the kit, rather than making it an expensive add-on, allowing you to
control all the functions of the kit from within Windows. The software provides
a range of controls for fan and pump speeds and overall performance, its
coolest feature being the ability to customize color changes to the logo on the
water block according to CPU temperatures. For anything below 70 C, we had the
light shine blue and anything above displayed red.
At
first glance, the H80i doesn't appear to differ much from its predecessor, but
there are a number of key upgrades.
Corsair has gone to great lengths to
simplify the installation process, as it includes one of the best manuals we've
seen, with clear instructions and excellent diagrams, and the parts are all easy
to combine, as well. First, you attach a back-plate (the H80i supports all
modern CPU sockets except for Intel’s LGA775), then tighten four standoffs
around the CPU socket. Where Corsair has really simplified things is with its
magnetic mounting bracket, which just slides onto the top of the water block
until it snaps into place. Mounting the water block onto the CPU also requires
just four screws, and then eight screws are needed to sandwich the radiator
between the two fans and the chassis. The last step is to plug the fans into
the water block and connect the system’s three cables (SATA for power and fans;
USB for the software) into their respective plugs.
Though that's more cables than we’re used
to seeing for a CPU cooler, the added functionality they offer is worth it. The
Corsair Link software offers you a choice of more than a half-dozen preset fan
speed profiles (Quiet, Performance, Balanced, and more] and also allows you to
customize and save your own presets. You can set individual fans to specific
RPMs, or set specific temperature ceilings at which they spin up. The icing on
the cake is that the highly tweakable software is easy to use.
The
H80i's water block features a logo that can change color according to
temperature
When we set the kit to quiet mode using
Corsair Link, the cooler was near silent and outperformed our zero-point Hyper
212 Evo air cooler by almost 4 C under load. When we switched to performance
mode, the fans revved up appropriately and sounded like a small wind tunnel, but
its cooling performance was unmatched in its class, beating its very cool
predecessor by roughly 3 C, and Thermaltake's Water2.0 Pro dual-fan kit by U C.
It also decimated our zero-point air-cooler by over 11 C.
The H80i isn't without its issues. At 110 bucks,
it’s expensive, and it should include a software CD (the software is available
as a download], but those are our only complaints. We like that it has the
flexibility to be either super cool under load or amazingly quiet at idle, and
everything in between, thanks to its elegant software. When you factor in its
simple installation process and nifty LED options, it's clear Corsair has a winner
on its hands with the H80i.
![The H80i isn't without its issues. At 110 bucks, it’s expensive, and it should include a software CD (the software is available as a download], but those are our only complaints.](http://programming4.us/image/062013/14/9110841.jpg)
The
H80i isn't without its issues. At 110 bucks, it’s expensive, and it should include
a software CD (the software is available as a download], but those are our only
complaints.
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Specifications
·
Price: $110
·
Website: www.corsair.com
·
Radiator Dimensions (HxDxW): 4.7 x 5.9 x 1.5
inches
·
Weight: 2.65 tbs
·
Stock Fans: 2x 12cm
·
Socket Support: LGA1155/1156/1366/2011; AM2/
AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1
·
Additional Fan Support: N/A
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