Custom watercooling can be a daunting task, especially to those new to PC building, which is why all-in-one liquid cooling units have rapidly grown in popularity over the last couple of years. Now, easy to install AIO units are making their way to graphics cards as well, with Corsair launching two new cooling brackets this week, the Hydro Series HG10 N980 and N970.
These two cooling brackets will allow you to secure one of Corsair's AIO liquid coolers to a GTX 980Ti, Titan X, GTX 980 or a GTX 970 graphics card for superior cooling performance compared to some of the air coolers out there.
The HG10 N980 and N970's aluminium bracket and integrated 70mm low-noise blower fan also work to actively cool your GPU's other heat-producing components. The HG10 N980 actively cools both the card's memory and VRMs, while the HG10 N970 actively cools the VRMs. One thing to keep in mind is that the HG10 is built to work with Nvidia's stock PCB, so this bracket won't be compatible with every custom AIB variant out there.
Also, the AIO units and the HG10 brackets are sold separately, so you will still need to buy an additional liquid cooler. The HG10 N980 will fit the GTX 980Ti and Titan X, costing £29.99 here in the UK. The N970 pairs up with the GTX 970 and GTX 760 graphics cards and costs the same amount.
KitGuru Says: It is nice to see more options for GPU liquid cooling hitting the market. While the reference GPU cooler Nvidia uses isn't bad, Corsair's AIO units would likely handle the heat better and allow for more overclocking headroom.
My GTX 980 ti hybrid sits at around 50C on full load.
Once you start overclocking that 980 Ti, it will NOT stay at 50C and the larger the radiator, the better the cooling.
Would the overclocking gains be worth the cost? For the cost of a 970, an adapter, and a hydro series cooler you could get a custom air cooled 980. Is a water cooled reference 970 going to cream a windforce or strix 980?
I hope your entire family gets raped to death by camels.
isn’t it better to just go for custom water block when you’re talking about cooling a GPU? since they generally cover the processor and the area the power comes in from (can’t remember its name). this one ssems to only liquid cool the processor.