Corsair H80 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler Review

A couple of days ago I made a post in our forums about air cooling reaching a point where the coolers themselves can only get bigger and bigger in order to keep pace with new cooling technology, including liquid coolers that are now starting to receive serious attention from designers and enthusiasts. After years of lack luster products, the H80 proves that all-in-one liquid coolers are able to go toe-to-toe with some of the best air coolers.

The last air cooler that was reviewed caused clearance issues with the GPU and memory but cooled very well because of its size. Liquid coolers on the other hand have stayed roughly the same size with the exception of the size of the radiators. Not everybody will have a case that can support a 240mm or monster 360mm radiator, but the H80 is proof that a single radiator, albeit a thicker one, is still up to the job.

In my opinion, the amount of noise created by previous Hydro series coolers has been the only draw back. Now that this has been remedied, and combined with improvements in the design, there’s no reason not to run out and pick one up.

At ~$90 from various online retailers, you’ll pay for the performance that you gain. Is it worth the extra money on top of the H70 or other high-end air coolers? You bet! Not only does it provide what amounts to a ton of extra performance when talking about CPU coolers, but it’s incredibly quiet and expandable thanks to the Link system – there is no doubt in my mind that the price premium is warranted.

Performance, build quality, functionality and low noise levels all create a remarkable piece of kit that any enthusiast should be tripping over themselves to buy.

Corsair H80 CPU Cooler

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