Corsair Hydro Series H80i and H100i CPU Cooler Review @ [H]

tvm777 said:
h100 or h80i?
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h80i vs regular h100?. they are pretty the same in cooling performance.. go with the cheaper option, or the option that fit better in your case without any problem..
 
I love that you guys are revisiting these as they come out with their revisions.

I never liked the H80 though, its really just an H60 with a thicker rad, which I never thought making the rad thicker really did anything, expanding the rad gives better performance results IMO.

I think from here on out if I were to go coolers I'd probably go Kuhler for high end and H60 for regular/decent OC.
 
when I saw H80 I was so hoping this was an 80mm AIO solution
 
I wish you'd have kept the thermalright 140 in your reviews. I have a 2700k sandy bridge OCed to 4.5Ghz. At full load I rarely break 160F and that's with me keeping my room a little on the warm side
 
i've been running the h80i for a while now, its a great product. i upgrade from the original h50. temp stay low and i never hear it. if i lived in AZ i would need the h100i or bigger, i was there 3 weeks ago and my computer had 10-30c hotter.
 
Have they fixed the thread stripping problem on these where the screws go into the radiator?
 
TechLarry said:
Have they fixed the thread stripping problem on these where the screws go into the radiator?
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no, i stripped all 4 again. :( but the fix is easy, i just use zip ties. I'll have pics later, kinda busy now. ;)
 
TechLarry said:
Have they fixed the thread stripping problem on these where the screws go into the radiator?
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I have a push/pull setup and have already taken the cooler off twice to clean the case and all the components in about a year's time. There isn't really a chance to strip the threads as all 8 screws (2 fans) can't screw all the way to the thread limit. So it's not an issue for me.
 
Long time H80i user (original h80i version, whats different in this "new" one?)

I first ran it with the original fans, manually set to a low % in my mobo's bios (Corsair LINK completely failed very quickly) on a pretty heavy overlocked i7-990x (6 cores). Worked well and was quiet, but CPU got rather hot under 100% load.

Now I'm using it with a moderately over clocked 5960x (8 cores) and two of the new Noctura "industrial" 3000 rpm fans.
http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=84&lng=en

Side comment. To get the h80i to fit on the new LGA 2011-3 socket, I had to remove the stock CPU back plate and mount an adapter that was included with my Rampage V Extreme.

Here comes a shameless plug for Asus Fan Xpert:
An amazing program especially when it comes to building a silent PC. It will find the controllable range for up to 4 pairs of fans, and you then set "silent, standard, turbo, or full speed" profile in the software.

The range on these new nocturas is 280-2800RPM (the stock corsairs range was 550-2700). Yeah, for some reason, they won't spool all the way up to their claimed 3000RPM (verified only 2800 RPM in AIDA64 too) but they are SO loud you'd never want them there. But they are dead silent up to 500-600RPM.

With FanXpert set to silent profile, the fans run at their min controllable speed of 280RPM and the CPU idles about 43C. When running stress tests, the fans spool up to an audible but not at all distracting level (not at home so cant get the exact RPM now) and the CPU maxes out about 62-63C. The silent fan profile is quite lenient in what it "considers" to be "high" CPU temps, if I remember right they aggressively spool up over 70C. During "heavy" gaming (far cry 4 and Elite Dangerous) the fans never spool over about 700 RPM and the case is near silent and you certainly couldn't hear them with the game sounds anyway.

Anyway, Fan Xpert promotion over.

I'm very happy with the H80i paired with the nocturas and Fan Xpert. (Fan xpert also worked fine with the stock corsair fans). But I would really like to see the H90 in the same list. My very odd designed case only has room for an H80 sized w/ dual fans or an H90 with 1 or 2 fans. I can not mount internally the h100 / x61 sized units. Please add in the h90 in that list if possible.
 
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Still a fan of the Noctua NH-U14S and Scythe Mugen 4 where noise, temps, and price are concerned.
 
Lurking to acquire a swiftech h220x/h240x but these are hard to find in Canada.
 
Should have used the same sandwich setup they did with the last H220X test. by putting the fans on top and the rad below, with the case in between and then screw it all together. Would have made numbers more comparable performance wise.
 
I have one of these, after replacing an H100 that had the fan/pump controller die. It works quite well, as long as I don't hook up the USB connection or use the software.

The software is horrible. The latest version hangs every time the system boots up, no matter what OS I use. I've tried it under Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 and had no better performance. At least the latest version is better than the older ones that would randomly crash the OS or cause drastic hangs. I have yet to see a version that does what it is supposed to do. It even does this without the cooler attached by USB, so I can't blame that. It is just bad software.

The USB functionality is even worse. I have had this cooler for over 2 years now, and across four motherboards and two platforms, Core i7 3930k and Core i7 4790k with X79 and Z97 boards, if the USB connection is connected when the system powers up, it hangs on USB init. I have tried all versions of the firmware, and it simply doesn't matter. I have tried it with powering up the system with it disconnected and then hooking it up as the OS loads, but the software problems listed above have kept me from doing anything with it.

I love Corsair and most of their products, I have 4 sets of memory, two power supplies, and two cases from them, but this one is a horrible mess.
 
dgingeri said:
I have one of these, after replacing an H100 that had the fan/pump controller die. It works quite well, as long as I don't hook up the USB connection or use the software.

The software is horrible. The latest version hangs every time the system boots up, no matter what OS I use. I've tried it under Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 and had no better performance. At least the latest version is better than the older ones that would randomly crash the OS or cause drastic hangs. I have yet to see a version that does what it is supposed to do. It even does this without the cooler attached by USB, so I can't blame that. It is just bad software.

The USB functionality is even worse. I have had this cooler for over 2 years now, and across four motherboards and two platforms, Core i7 3930k and Core i7 4790k with X79 and Z97 boards, if the USB connection is connected when the system powers up, it hangs on USB init. I have tried all versions of the firmware, and it simply doesn't matter. I have tried it with powering up the system with it disconnected and then hooking it up as the OS loads, but the software problems listed above have kept me from doing anything with it.

I love Corsair and most of their products, I have 4 sets of memory, two power supplies, and two cases from them, but this one is a horrible mess.
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I have sent this post over to our contacts at Corsair.
 
dgingeri said:
I have one of these, after replacing an H100 that had the fan/pump controller die. It works quite well, as long as I don't hook up the USB connection or use the software.

The software is horrible. The latest version hangs every time the system boots up, no matter what OS I use. I've tried it under Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 and had no better performance. At least the latest version is better than the older ones that would randomly crash the OS or cause drastic hangs. I have yet to see a version that does what it is supposed to do. It even does this without the cooler attached by USB, so I can't blame that. It is just bad software.

The USB functionality is even worse. I have had this cooler for over 2 years now, and across four motherboards and two platforms, Core i7 3930k and Core i7 4790k with X79 and Z97 boards, if the USB connection is connected when the system powers up, it hangs on USB init. I have tried all versions of the firmware, and it simply doesn't matter. I have tried it with powering up the system with it disconnected and then hooking it up as the OS loads, but the software problems listed above have kept me from doing anything with it.

I love Corsair and most of their products, I have 4 sets of memory, two power supplies, and two cases from them, but this one is a horrible mess.
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you are probably downloading the wrong corsair link software (and that's a corsair fault infact) you have to enter in the Corsair h100i (or h80i) product page and download the software directly there, if you download it from the general download page it cause issues and that's because the Link software for the h80i/h100i isn't the same for the corsair commander mini..
 
I woudn't mind replacing my current AIO with an H100i, but i would have to get a new case too. That sorta kills the deal. I imagine i would do something very near 5ghz with this current chip of mine. Almost makes it worth it, but i can't honestly justify another 200-400mhz for ~$150+. Heck of a price though, that's a nice deal.
 
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I'm thinking of getting a H110i when they come out. It would be nice to see a review from you guys, I hope Corsair sends you one. There aren't that many places to go for quality cooler reviews.
 
atp1916 said:
I woudn't mind replacing my current AIO with this one, but i would have to get a new case too. That sorta kills the deal. I imagine i would do something very near 5ghz with this current chip of mine. Almost makes it worth it, but i can't honestly justify another 200-400mhz for ~$150+. Heck of a price though, that's a nice deal.
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just if you have delidded.. if you haven't yet, isn't the cooler the limiting factor but the crappy TIM intel used in ivy bridge and first gen haswell chip... my 3770k can do stable 4.5 at 1.240v. or 4.6 at 1.256v. but after that point if i want for example 4.8ghz I have to bump voltage to 1.34v. which skyrocket the temperatures as I have mine un-delidded and my temps at 4.5ghz aren't so bad..
 
Araxie said:
just if you have delidded.. if you haven't yet, isn't the cooler the limiting factor but the crappy TIM intel used in ivy bridge and first gen haswell chip... my 3770k can do stable 4.5 at 1.240v. or 4.6 at 1.256v. but after that point if i want for example 4.8ghz I have to bump voltage to 1.34v. which skyrocket the temperatures as I have mine un-delidded and my temps at 4.5ghz aren't so bad..
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I've considered de-lidding as well, but i'm a poor son of a gun and i can't afford to buy a brand new chip if i manage to nick her to death. My chip does do 4.6 @ stock volts @ LLC1 so i really would be on the fence about raising volts just to get a couple hundred more mhz i woudn't notice.

Next time i buy a case i'm definitely making sure it can take 240/360mm rad AIOs. If my current case could fit this thing, i would probably buy an H100i. Sell the Kraken and maybe only come out $30-40 bucks out of pocket.

Edit: I'd be curious to see how the H100i does with a full 4 fans in push/pull config...

Edit2 - This is what i get for turning into a filthy casual and not checking my bios settings / CPUz often enough. For the record, i am running stock volts with an offset of .15v. So, i must redact my previous statement about running 4.6ghz @ stock volts cause that ain't true! I'm actually 1.296v @ 4.6ghz. Thanks Araxie for calling me out on the bs :eek:
 
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atp1916 said:
I've considered de-lidding as well, but i'm a poor son of a gun and i can't afford to buy a brand new chip if i manage to nick her to death. My chip does do 4.6 @ stock volts @ LLC1 so i really would be on the fence about raising volts just to get a couple hundred more mhz i woudn't notice.
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sorry bud, but i highly doubt your chip can do 4.6ghz @ stock volts. not even the better golden chips can do that.. you can do 4.0-4.2ghz at "stock volts" even some great chips can undervolt at those speeds, but 4.6v at approximately 1.13v-1.16v is just impossible, the only fact that you apply Load Line Calibration you are adding voltage. can you post a CPU-Z under heavy load?.
 
I have a H100i that I put in my last build (Aug 2013 - wow that's a long time). I agree that the software is really bad, but it is not causing any hangups for me. I pretty much leave it at the default. I run a mild overclock that the ASUS AI suite configured and my temps are good. I used to move it to performance mode when I gamed, but I don't any more - temps stay good even with the fans running low.

If I really wanted to tinker, I would move the fans over to the MB headers and use the AI suite to run the fans, but I am getting good performance, so there is no real need to push it. I am currently running mine in a push configuration, with the fans blowing thru the cooler and out the top of the case.

Right now I am at 27C on a 4770K just typing this. Can't complain.
 
Great timing. Just started installing one of these to cool an i7-5960X in a Lian Li PC-V359 case. Like the previous poster I'm also using Noctua NF-F12 fans.
 
twzTechman said:
I have a H100i that I put in my last build (Aug 2013 - wow that's a long time). I agree that the software is really bad, but it is not causing any hangups for me. I pretty much leave it at the default. I run a mild overclock that the ASUS AI suite configured and my temps are good. I used to move it to performance mode when I gamed, but I don't any more - temps stay good even with the fans running low.

If I really wanted to tinker, I would move the fans over to the MB headers and use the AI suite to run the fans, but I am getting good performance, so there is no real need to push it. I am currently running mine in a push configuration, with the fans blowing thru the cooler and out the top of the case.

Right now I am at 27C on a 4770K just typing this. Can't complain.
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I'm the same with my H80i. I leave the profile on "Quiet" and game with it. Temps barely break 55c while gaming. Loudest part of my system are the vid cards.
 
Araxie said:
sorry bud, but i highly doubt your chip can do 4.6ghz @ stock volts. not even the better golden chips can do that.. you can do 4.0-4.2ghz at "stock volts" even some great chips can undervolt at those speeds, but 4.6v at approximately 1.13v-1.16v is just impossible, the only fact that you apply Load Line Calibration you are adding voltage. can you post a CPU-Z under heavy load?.
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Yeap, i'll pm you a cpu-z link. Don't want to de-rail the thread here.

Edit - This is what i get for turning into a filthy casual and not checking my bios settings/CPUz often enough. For the record, i am running stock volts with an offset of .15v. So, i must redact my previous statement about running 4.6ghz @ stock volts cause that ain't true! I'm actually 1.296v @ 4.6ghz. Thanks Araxie for calling me out on the bs :eek:
 
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Araxie said:
you are probably downloading the wrong corsair link software (and that's a corsair fault infact) you have to enter in the Corsair h100i (or h80i) product page and download the software directly there, if you download it from the general download page it cause issues and that's because the Link software for the h80i/h100i isn't the same for the corsair commander mini..
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These are totally independent problems. They have nothing to do with each other. Also, I have made sure to download the version for the H100i. The second to the last time I tried it, the commander mini wasn't even out yet, so I couldn't have gotten that mixed up. Honestly, I haven't even tried it since early November. I mostly gave up on the software back in mid-2013 after trying to get it to work for two months. I tried again after reading another sterling review of the H100i in May of 2014 with version 2.5, I think, and gave up after having to rebuild my OS to stop the CorsairLink from crashing my system. It tried again in early November with version 2.7, if I remember correctly.
 
twzTechman said:
I have a H100i that I put in my last build (Aug 2013 - wow that's a long time). I agree that the software is really bad, but it is not causing any hangups for me. I pretty much leave it at the default. I run a mild overclock that the ASUS AI suite configured and my temps are good. I used to move it to performance mode when I gamed, but I don't any more - temps stay good even with the fans running low.

If I really wanted to tinker, I would move the fans over to the MB headers and use the AI suite to run the fans, but I am getting good performance, so there is no real need to push it. I am currently running mine in a push configuration, with the fans blowing thru the cooler and out the top of the case.

Right now I am at 27C on a 4770K just typing this. Can't complain.
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I do the same: use the Asus fan regulators for fan control while the H100i just handles itself.
 
Put one of these in one of my machines, had a bad fan bearing so the thing made a constant buzzing noise. Replaced the fans with Quiet SP fans, damn thing makes no noise and still maintains a solid load temp.
 
twzTechman said:
I have a H100i that I put in my last build (Aug 2013 - wow that's a long time). I agree that the software is really bad, but it is not causing any hangups for me. I pretty much leave it at the default. I run a mild overclock that the ASUS AI suite configured and my temps are good. I used to move it to performance mode when I gamed, but I don't any more - temps stay good even with the fans running low.

If I really wanted to tinker, I would move the fans over to the MB headers and use the AI suite to run the fans, but I am getting good performance, so there is no real need to push it. I am currently running mine in a push configuration, with the fans blowing thru the cooler and out the top of the case.

Right now I am at 27C on a 4770K just typing this. Can't complain.
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I've had mine running almost 24/7 for 9+ months at this point. I'm running stock clock rates, my impetus for installing it was the fan on the stock Intel cooler was much louder under load than my 3570K (also stock). Like everyone else, I'm running 26 C idle / ~52 C under load. I run "low" in the fall/winter/spring and "balanced" in the summer.

I have mine mounted to my 3.5" drive bay, since that was the only place in my case where it had a possibility of fitting. The side benefit was the push fans seem to cool my video card as well. Total internal case temps are down significantly.

The lowest price seems to be off; I got mine for $75 (plus tax) from Amazon on 2/3/2014, so they do go lower than the linked chart shows. I believe it was a "Lightning Deal" or some nonsense.
 
I'm jealous of you guys saying you can do 4.5 at 1.24 and 1.25 volts etc. My 4690k is stable at 1.25 volts.... @ 4.3 ghz. I have it runing 4.41 right now at 1.275 volts...

Thank god i have a 220x so it doesn't get hot :D
 
dgingeri said:
I have one of these, after replacing an H100 that had the fan/pump controller die. It works quite well, as long as I don't hook up the USB connection or use the software.

The software is horrible. The latest version hangs every time the system boots up, no matter what OS I use. I've tried it under Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 and had no better performance. At least the latest version is better than the older ones that would randomly crash the OS or cause drastic hangs. I have yet to see a version that does what it is supposed to do. It even does this without the cooler attached by USB, so I can't blame that. It is just bad software.

The USB functionality is even worse. I have had this cooler for over 2 years now, and across four motherboards and two platforms, Core i7 3930k and Core i7 4790k with X79 and Z97 boards, if the USB connection is connected when the system powers up, it hangs on USB init. I have tried all versions of the firmware, and it simply doesn't matter. I have tried it with powering up the system with it disconnected and then hooking it up as the OS loads, but the software problems listed above have kept me from doing anything with it.

I love Corsair and most of their products, I have 4 sets of memory, two power supplies, and two cases from them, but this one is a horrible mess.
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Sorry to hear that you are having a hairy situation with our C link. I'll be honest with you, we have seen similar Link issues like this in past, most recently with Win 8.1. But based on your description, your situation is a bit different from those cases, its not OS dependent. I've got a couple of questions to clarify some things. Are you using C Link version 2.7.5361? I just want to make sure that you are up to date and using the latest version. Also, do you have other monitoring utility software (AI Suite, Speed fan, etc) install in your system? Because there are few claims out there that C Link and a couple of those programs don't play well together when installed in the same system. I would like to take those out of the equation right off the bat.
 
Has anyone had the chance to test the new H110i GT (which is now in stock)?
 
The H110i is available for order in the US but will not be available in Canada until mid-February.
I wonder how this compares to the H240-X from Swiftech.
 
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