Review: Corsair Hydro Series H110i GT

by Parm Mann on 10 February 2015, 14:00

Tags: Corsair

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Introduction

If you've been considering a high-end Corsair Hydro Series liquid cooler in recent years, you've probably faced a common dilemma: do you opt for the feature-packed H100i or its larger cousin, the 'extreme performance' H110?

A first-world problem, for sure, but one you no longer need to face as Corsair has combined the feature set of the H100i and the size of the H110 with a new flagship Hydro Series package dubbed the H110i GT. Priced at £100, this is one of the dearest all-in-one liquid coolers ever released, so let's see if such extravagance makes sense for enthusiast builders.

The first thing you'll notice about the H110i GT is that the radiator is no shrinking violet. Measuring 322mm x 140mm x 27mm in size, it is designed to occupy dual 140mm fan slots and will require a suitably large chassis. The form factor rules out installation in our usual Graphite Series 600T test platform, and we'd ideally like to see Corsair publish a compatibility chart - it isn't always made clear which Hydro Series coolers support which of the company's enclosures.

The second thing you'll notice is a revamped industrial design that emphasises customisation. One of the key selling points for all-in-one liquid coolers is that they can make a high-end rig look impressive, and with that in mind, Corsair has installed removable grey caps on the sides of the radiator and on top of the pump. It would be easy to spray these a colour of your choice, and we presume customised caps will be made available if there's enough demand.

An improved coldplate touting higher efficiency is par for the course for a new flagship launch, but what's arguably more important to end users is the fact that Corsair has finally added Link integration to its 280mm cooler. Powered by USB, and thereby requiring more cables than your average cooler, the H110i GT, like the ageing H100i, allows for monitoring and customisation via the free-to-download Corsair Link software.

A pair of 140mm PWM fans (model number SP140L) are included as part of the bundle, along with mounting kits for a number of Intel and AMD sockets, though there's sadly no spare thermal paste for subsequent installations. On the plus side, Corsair is using metal backplates as opposed to the plastic that plagued earlier models, and the whole package is backed by a five-year warranty.