In brief: One of the best-looking coolers available today is being taken off the market and owners are advised to cease using it immediately. Hyte's Thicc Q80 Trio, a $350 360mm AIO with an integrated screen, has a manufacturing defect that is causing coolant leaks.
Hyte was very proud of its Thicc Q80 Trio when it launched earlier this year, calling it the "raid boss of liquid coolers." It features three FP12 fans on a 360mm radiator, 42 ARGB LEDs, and measures 52mm thick. The cooler even comes with its own SoC and 32GB of onboard storage for the 5-inch ultraslim screen's visuals, lighting, and cooling control.
But it appears this raid boss has a weakness. Following the Thicc Q80 Trio's launch, Hyte says it started receiving reports from users of some units that had leaked coolant into their packaging upon delivery. The company secured the units and sent them to the manufacturer for analysis.
The issue has been traced to a fragile internal component that is susceptible to damage during transport, hence the leaking into the packaging during delivery. Hyte never specified which component was at fault, but it's most likely part of the pump assembly or internal seal system.
Hyte added that the damage to these coolers is internal and not visible by end users, but it may cause the AIO not to function correctly or fail, potentially leaking coolant all over your expensive PC hardware.
Hyte is directing all owners to cease using the Thicc Q80 Trio AIO and to remove it from their systems immediately. Those who purchased a cooler directly from Hyte.com will receive full refunds and instructions on how to safely dispose of the AIO soon. The company is also notifying authorized resellers to contact customers who bought a Q80 Trio to advise them on next steps.
Hyte emphasized that earlier models of this cooler, such as the Thicc Q60, are unaffected as they use different designs. The firm has apologized for any issues and complications caused by the faulty cooler.