For those that are new to CORSAIRs Hydro series it all started way back in 2009. A cooperation with Asetek gave birth to the Hydro50 utilising a single fan. And in a later stage the more performant dual fan equipped Hydro70 unit. Competition was fierce as other brands introduced similar look-alikes.

CORSAIR bundled forces with CoolIT and started to develop it's own lineup, leading us to the Hydro60 cooler. The latter was the first of Corsair's range being able to be monitored/steered by the LINK Software. The previous Hydros were very basic and needed voltage adaptors to regulate the fan speed. Now with LINK, the possibilities are endless: being able to adjust fan speeds, monitoring temperatures of all sorts of devices via optional control boxes, even controlling LEDs was possible. Sadly the LINK software got delayed time after time, as CORSAIR didn't want to release a half finished product.

With increasing speeds and cores on modern processors the demand for even better cooling was a logical step to design the Hydro80. Sporting, similar as the Hydro70, a beefier radiator and a dual push and pull fan setup. All these all in one liquid cooling solution 120mm coolers performed pretty good, but the generated FAN noise, to warrant this, was a negative side effect. Only one way to warrant better cooling with a lower noise ratio and that was via increasing the cooling surface. The Hydro100 was CORSAIRs first 240mm radiator and led to even better cooling performance, yet the noise level reached was at a far more acceptable level.

The naming of the CORSAIR Hydro series is pretty easy. The higher the number, the better the cooling performance the end user can expect. 

Back the new Hydro "i" series now. The box art has been refined, now sporting an orange colour theme. But it's what is inside that matters.

Box art is surprisingly similar with the H80i

The pump/cooling block unit is similar looking too for both units. A new more compact shape plus spot also the absence of the 3 way profile push button.  The previous Hydro 80 and 100 users had the option to select between 3 profiles: Quiet, Balanced and Performance mode. The new H80i and H100i are far more advanced and can be fully tuned or tweaked via the now available for download LINK software. But more on that later. Other big change, besides the new look is the large diameter low permeable tubing. Being first of all more flexible then the previous low evaporation FEP type. 

The FAN connectors got an overhaul too. Due to the sleeker design, they are now micro size and the fans are connected via a splitter cable. Instead of being straight hooked up to the pump unit. Both the Hydro 80i and H100i can steer up to 4 fans, however the H80i only has one splitter cable in the box, while the H100i has got two included.

On the other side we find two connectors, allowing the unit to be hooked up to the motherboard's USB port. Without this cable, the LINK software will be unable to monitor fan speed. CORSAIR still pre applies the TIM on the bottom of the cooling block, making installation a breeze.

Even the mounting system has been redone. No more swapping brackets by removing tiny screws. Just put the required bracket over the pump unit and you are good to go. It doesn't get more easier then this. All sockets are supported from socket 1155 to 2011 for Intel and for AMD from AM2 to FM2 socket. Can we mention the Hydro80i and H100i are now certified for age 7 to 77 ?

While the H80 and H100 were required to be hooked up to a 4pin molex connector, the new power adapter requires a SATA power connector. As mentioned on the previous page, the FANs are now hooked up to a splitter cable. Two FANs per cable, similar as with the previous versions 4 pin PWM fans are also supported. The cable on the right hand pcture is the LINK cable to connect the pump unit to the motherboard.

A welcome addition is a slightly trimmed down version of the CORSAIR Air FAN series. At first look sporting similar specifications with the 120mm Static Pressure High Performance fan. No fancy ring inserts to adjust the colour theme, nor are the rubber inserts to dampen the vibrations. Maximum RPM is estimated around 2700rpm which is about 300pm faster then the previously mentioned 120mm Air Series SP HP FAN.

For the modders CORSAIR prepared two pre drilled holes for inserting your favourite LED lights.

Some more shots comparing the radiators between the new H100i and the old H100 version:

The CORSAIR LINK software has gone through some serious hardcore testing. It was announced already during the launch of the Hydro 60 and 80 unit but has finally popped up as a downloadable version. Being based on CoolIT's Maestro software, which was already announced way back at CeBIT 2010. Maestro sadly never really went into production. Finally in 2012 CORSAIR got it all sorted and best off all this LINK version is now freeware.

The LINK software capabilities are endless. Besides monitoring pump and fan speeds, it can readout CPU and GPU temperatures. By hooking up optional LINK devices it allows you to monitor other devices as LINK compatible PSU'sand RAMs. Allowing you to change colour on installed LEDs and adjust other installed fans via preset or user defined profiles.

We only tested the basic LINK functions with our Hydro units and were pleasantly surprised by the ease of use. Here are some screenshots which already give you a good idea of how the software looks and functions.

Some RGB logo fun, a flashing mode is also provided. Colours can be selected to be auto adjusted in reference with eg. temperature of the CPU,...

The installation on our X79 testbed was quite easy. Screwing in the 2011 standoffs, position the Intel plate over the pump/cooling block and finally secure it all firmly with the provided thumbscrews. The radiator is held down by 8 x 3mm screws. In the case of our C70 Vengeance enclosure, the whole radiator setup is damped by the included anti-vibration grommets.

The USB Link cable (included ) is hooked up to the motherboard via one of the onboard USB connectors.

The full H100i installed below. Pulling out the hot air, build up in the C70 Vengeance case. A push and pull configuration was not tested due to lack of clearance in this medium tower case.

The H80i is installed in a similar manner, also pulling out the hot air, with the predecessors ( H50/60 and H70 units ) Corsair advised for maximum performance to suck in ambient air via the rear. The main disadvantage then was that the hot air was dumped into the case. With the current installation methods the case air flow is not disturbed at all.

Let's move onto the results...

Our testbed comprises of the following parts:

• ASUS Sabretooth X79 motherboard
• Intel i7-3960X OC'ed at 4500MHz 1.35Vcore
• G.Skill 16GB 2133MHz C9 rams
• Western Digital 1TB Green Caviar HDD
• ASUS Geforce GTX480 videocards
• Corsair HX1000W Power supply
• Corsair C70 Vengeance case with Air Series FANs installed.

Prime95 is still our favorite CPU torture test. By selecting the Custom test and setting 12-12K we force the CPU to go straight flatout. After 60 minutes we verify in RealTemp the maximum load temperature results across the 6 cores. For the idle temperatures we just allow the system to warm up during a period of 15 minutes. Just basic idling at 4500MHz, doing nothing more then just monitoring the temperatures. 

The monitoring software we use is RealTemp version 3. And the output results are the average out of three runs.

We compare the new Hydro80i and H100i with it's predecessors the H80 and H100 units, but also versus the two air coolers below: the single fan Alpenföhn Matterhorn Pure and the Zalman XPS14

Noise measurement for the fans is done via Corsairs Air Fan Reviewers' Guide. Thus measuring the generated FAN noise at 1 meter from the FAN's front. Fans were hooked up straight to a PSU via a molex adapter. Noise tests were only conducted at 12V.

We tested the original H80 only at two presets, as the Quiet preset either occasionally caused our setup to BSOD or lockup. The two air coolers are tested in their original configuration. Keep in mind that they are practically inaudible with their boxed fan. However these silent fans have their impact on the cooling performance.

First up are the Idle tests, this not with speedstep enabled in the bios, but with the hexacore i7-3960X humming along at 4500MHz. To facilitate the analysis of the charts we also split up the graph with the H80(i) and the H100(i) in seperate rankings. Making it far easier to compare the results of the different presets and particularly the performance with the previous version.

At idle we spot a big difference with the 120mm H80 versions. The newer Static Pressure Air series fans are amongst the improved block design and thicker tubing responsible for far cooler idle temperatures. Very nice to see that even at Quiet preset the new H80i allows the CPU to operate at similar temps then the far noisier presets of the previous Hydro80.

With the H100i the differences are less pronounced, but again at Quiet preset the new I series are far cooler then their predecessors. Time to launch the Prime95 software for some custom 12-12K set with 12 cores performing crunching action !

While running at full load, the new H80i can clearly differentiate itself from it's predessor. However it must be mentioned that our H80 unit already has served us quite well. Succesfully completing  a gazillion hours of prime torture testing, this while reviewing cases. It could well be that it's performance isn't as crisp as a new unit would be. But the new H80i version cools better and the generated noise is at a different level then it's older brother. The latter is one of the biggest drawbacks for these nifty little cooling units: the performance is there if you can accept the dBA they create.

The H100i too is far more efficient in dissipating the heat of our OC'ed i7-3960X CPU. The Quiet mode being close to 6°C cooler is a serious improvement. Once we cranck up the fan speeds, the difference becomes less. Yet a temperature drop of about 3-4°C is a huge leap forward. Again the same remark as with the H80 versions, the new fans and profiles are far less noisy, which makes these all in one liquid cooling units an even bigger pleasure to work with.

Below is a small chart for the H80i and H100i regarding the tested profiles. The balanced profile is appropriately named, Providing serious cooling performance at medium fan speeds. Quiet mode is perfectly suitable for modest overclocks and even has close to no issues cooling our hexacore CPU. Default mode is surprisingly efficient in cooling, but the load RPMs are pretty maxing out the fans. With the LINK software, the end user can create his own profile according his own specific needs.

We spot directly that the H80i unit runs slightly higher rpm for the preset default fan mode. Logic as the FAN rpm is linked to the temperature of the cooling fluid. The Quiet and Balanced mode seems to have an RPM limit build in. So those that want to opt for silent operation and have the room to install the 240mm H100i version, is the right way to go.

We retested the coolers with Gelid Extreme Thermal paste and got very similar performance. With a slight advantage (0.5°C ) for the 3rd party thermal grease. Making us conclude that the pre-applied thermal paste is of high quality.

After testing the Air Series FANs and especially the Static Pressure versions, we applauded the fact that Corsair equipped the latter with the two Hydro I all in one liquid cooling solutions. Okay to keep the price down, we have to settle with slightly trimmed down versions, meaning no changeable coloured rings, no rubber anti-vibration grommets, but as long as they perform I'm a happy camper. When swapping the stock fans of the previous Hydro generation with these high performance fans we noticed already an average 2-3°C temp drop. 

However there's more to these new Hydro units then just a FAN swap. The new look is more refined and the new mounting mechanism is far more practical to use. No more unscrewing and changing plates, just slide it over the top and secure it with the thumbscrews. Till now one of CORSAIRs better designs, prettty hard to further improve.

By using the newer thicker tubing, which is however still kinda stiff, the installation puts less strain on the CPU socket. The improved Hydro XXi series are outperforming their predecessors without breaking a sweat, even when being run at a slower fan profile. So better performance at a lower noise ratio, sounds like a win win situation to me.

Biggest novelty however is the versatility of the LINK software. CORSAIR kept us waiting and waiting for it. Finally LINK is downloadable and best of all, it's totally free. Most end users will just select one of the preset profiles and might never look back. Enthousiasts might go deeper and experiment with the RGB colours, user defined fan profiles,... maybe even add optional LINK control units to monitor/steer their entire PC. 

CORSAIR has reset the bar again at a higher level. Outperforming their own range, adding the LINK software and this complete performance bundle operates at a lower noise level. The 120mm H80i will blend in perfectly in most enclosures, while the 240mm H100i needs a dual 140mm top case. The installation is pure childs play and no worrying about DIMM incompatibility with your cooling setup. Without any surprise the cooling performance of both Hydro units is again top notch. Being covered by a 5 year warranty, how can you go wrong with one of these new Hydro Coolers ?

Both the H80i and H100i deserve the Performance rating from the Madshrimps crew !

PROS:

• Ease of installation
• Cooling performance
• 5 year warranty
• Static Pressure fans
• high quality preapplied TIM

CONS:

• Will be hard to top

UPDATED FIRMWARE 1.0.4 to fix RPM vibrations at low FAN rpm. Flash via latest Corsair LINK version provided in below link:

• Corsair LINK 2.2.0
• H100i 1.0.4 firmware
• H80i 1.0.4 firmware

Thanks goes out to Gareth Ogden for the review samples.

Rogier from ASUS for the Sabretooth X79 motherboard

And the guys from Tones for the i7 3960X CPU and the years of support !