Final Thoughts and Rating
The purists among us will appreciate the fact that the H110 lacks LEDs and fan controllers, while others will bemoan the fact that the second-rung H100i carries a more comprehensive feature set.It took a while for Corsair to produce a successor to 2011's Hydro Series H100, but good things come to those who wait and we now have not one, but two viable upgrade paths.
In the 240mm corner, the Hydro Series H100i offers Corsair Link integration and remains one of the best all-in-one solutions on the market, and in the 280mm corner, the new Hydro Series H110 rightfully takes its place atop of the ladder as the company's best-performing cooler to date.
An increase in radiator size is an obvious route to greater cooling potential, but by employing a 280mm rad and dual 1,500RPM, 140mm fans, Corsair is easily able to strike the right notes; the H110 offers greater cooling performance than the H100i, yet it's also designed to run quieter.
However, despite these two key advantages, the H110 doesn't win on all fronts. First and foremost, there's a level of simplicity that users will either love or hate. The purists among us will appreciate the fact that the H110 lacks LEDs and fan controllers, while others will bemoan the fact that the second-rung H100i carries a more comprehensive feature set.
As it stands, it's difficult to choose between the company's two high-end offerings and, if you're struggling to make up your mind, our advice is to let your decision-making rest solely on space constraints. The Hydro Series H100i is still a great choice for most builds, but if you're certain your chassis can accommodate the full 280mm with 20mm fan spacing, the Hydro Series H110 is a step up in terms of performance.
Both are extreme solutions, but the shuffled feature set leaves the Hydro Series range without a cooler that ticks each and every box. Surely it's only a matter of time until we see Corsair produce a 280mm cooler with all the bells and whistles?
The Good
Excellent cooling performance
Sleek design
Low-noise fans
Good build quality
Five-year warrantyThe Bad
Expensive for a CPU cooler
Lacks Corsair Link integrationHEXUS Rating
Corsair Hydro Series H110
HEXUS Awards
Corsair Hydro Series H110
HEXUS Where2Buy
The Corsair Hydro Series H110 CPU cooler is available to purchase from Scan Computers*.
HEXUS Right2Reply
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