A Closer Look

Like all previous Hydro Series coolers to date, the Hydro Series H80i GT is a pre-filled, sealed, all-in-one liquid CPU cooler that makes use of propylene glycol and distilled water to efficiently dissipate and transport heat away from the CPU with its included pump and block combo. The big difference this time around is the 49 mm thick radiator that gives the H80i GT enough surface area to compete with 240 mm AIO liquid coolers. The tubing looks to be an improvement over the standard rubber or corrugated versions, with the addition of a braided top layer adding some visual appeal. This does make the tubing less flexible, but not by so much that it should prove too problematic for most. When it comes to the radiator itself, it has an FPI (fins per inch) of 21.


The pump on the Hydro Series H80i GT has also seen a revamp. It now features a gray piece that matches a similar one on the radiator. The pump now also features RGB LEDs you can set to pretty much any color with the Corsair Link software. Looking at the pump itself, you will find the Corsair Link port that allows for the nifty although in my opinion pointless control of the unit. What is nice to see, however, is that Corsair now uses a fan splitter built into the pump, much like the older H100 design. Again, this allows for software control, but is also nice because it simplifies cable management. Looking at the copper base, you will see a design much like that of Asetek's units, and while relatively flat, it is far from polished. Corsair paired the H80i GT with two SP120L PWM fans that lack the colored rings of Corsair's retail SP and AF series fans.


Corsair paired the H80i GT with two SP120L PWM fans that lack the colored rings of Corsair's standard SP and AF series fans. The maximum RPM of 2435 +/- 10% means that these fans will be relatively loud, and we will discuss to which extent in a bit.