The Corsair H80i GT and H100i GTX AIO Coolers Review

Conclusion

Corsair's Hydro coolers may already be very popular but the company is not resting on their laurels, continuously improving their products. The latest H80i GT and H100i GTX coolers were designed to surpass the previous H80i and H100i, both in terms of performance and of design. The new coolers feature an aesthetically improved design and the inclusion of RGB lighting on the main block's top. Users should be careful regarding the compatibility of these coolers with their case/systems. The H100i GTX is fairly standard and should fit inside most cases that has two adjacent 120 mm fan slots, unless if the presence of a radiator was not considered at all and there is not enough clearance for it. However, the H80i GT has a thick radiator and two 120 mm fans, measuring nearly 100 mm thick when assembled. This requires a lot of clearance and must be carefully considered, as even if it attached to the rear of a typical Mid-Tower case, it will probably cover a large portion of the motherboard and most of the CPU socket.

The generational performance improvement was surprising for the H100i GTX. We did not really expect it to surpass the H100i by a measurable amount, but it did. It actually surpassed the performance of much louder AIO coolers and even coolers with 280 mm radiators. With the supply voltage reduced to 7 Volts, the H100i GTX does not come at the top of our charts but is only surpassed by the Nepton series coolers, which are exceedingly loud even with this low a supply voltage.  

For a design with two fans in a push-pull configuration, we expected the H80i GT to somewhat close the gap between 120/140 mm and 240/280 mm radiator AIO coolers, as the similarly designed (and terribly loud) Cooler Master Nepton 140XL manages to do. However its performance mode failed to impress us, with the H80i GT being only slightly better than other similarly sized options. However, with the supply voltage reduced to 7 Volts, the performance H80i GT improved relative to the rest of the coolers. This is due to the use of the two 120 mm fans in a push-pull configuration, which ensures that the total pressure is high enough maintain fair airflow across the thick radiator even when the speed of the fans is reduced. 

The only actual drawback of these coolers is that they are loud if running at their maximum speed (or, if set from the Corsair Link software, the "performance" mode). Still, the H100i GTX may be loud but it manages to come at the top of our performance charts. The H80i GT is equally loud but its performance does not justify such noise levels. If size is not an issue, Corsair's own H90 offers similar performance at much lower noise levels. At their "quiet" mode, the noise level of both coolers is audible but tolerable for everyday use.

The MSRP pricing of the H80i GT and the H100i GTX is $130 and $150 respectively. However, we found them retailing for significantly less ($90 and $105 respectively), making them a much more appealing deal. Even if only for the Corsair Link support and the flexibility it offers to the users - allowing them to program their own thermal profiles and completely control the noise/performance ratio of their system - the H80i GT and the H100i GTX are excellent deals. If there is enough space for a 240 mm radiator, we strongly suggest the H100i GTX for its noticeably better performance, but the H80i GT will be a fine addition to systems with just a 120 mm fan slot.