CORSAIR iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX AIO Cooler Review

[David_Schroth]

Introduction



New CORSAIR AIOs are on the market, it’s been a long while since CORSAIR has introduced new AIO models and branding. CORSAIR AIOs started out with the original non-iCUE models and then expanded into the PRO, PRO XT, PLATINUM, RGB PLATINUM, and RGB Pro XT lineups with iCUE technology. These popular models have existed for a while now. The new CORSAIR iCUE ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Coolers offer powerful low noise cooling with a bright and vibrant new RGB design with its ML120 RGB PWM fans and will supersede the other models. This new line of AIOs was launched on September 15th, just a couple of weeks ago, and has many hardware updates...

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[Auer]

Best thing about RGB, is that in most cases you can turn it off.

I don't much care for the latest trends and colors, making a pc look like a ice cream truck from hell ain't my jam.

 

[Brent_Justice]

Best thing about RGB, is that in most cases you can turn it off.

I don't much care for the latest trends and colors, making a pc look like a ice cream truck from hell ain't my jam.

That said, I do like it when you can set and sync 1 color across all the components. For example, purple is my jam, I am able to set every RGB to just one color, purple, and it's really nice. The rainbow thing isn't for me either, but one color? That can look quite nice, so being able to sync everything in an all in one software solution is nice. I also like that you get the Commander Core, so I don't have to buy a fan controller separately.

 

[Daniel_Doty]

With the RGB aside, the performance wasn't what I would have expected from a Corsair AIO 240 cooler.
I'd imagine it would do okay on a system with a different CPU but none the less it's performance seems to be subpar.

 

[David_Schroth]

With the RGB aside, the performance wasn't what I would have expected from a Corsair AIO 240 cooler.
I'd imagine it would do okay on a system with a different CPU but none the less it's performance seems to be subpar.

I would put it in the margin of error of the other 240s tested. Note that our test methodology removes the fan profile factor entirely by running at static RPM levels. Corsair is pretty much the only company that we've seen that has its own software that controls the thermals, and that function was not tested.

In the real world, no one will (ok, should) be running these things at static levels - there should be a fan curve set up to either maximize performance or balance performance and noise generation. I see our test data as allowing people to see the relative performance at each fan speed which can help them make educated decisions about where to set the fan curve.

End of the day, I think the fans on this unit were poorly optimized for our arbitrary static rpm levels. There was no noise difference between 600 and 1000 rpm, yet a huge performance difference. They were 2400 max speed, so nothing was tested between 1500 and 2400 (as all the other fans topped out in the 2000-2200 range, making max and then 1500 the logical test points). There's also the point that a 240mm radiator against a 10980xe is like bringing a knife to a gun fight...

 

[LazyGamer]

That said, I do like it when you can set and sync 1 color across all the components. For example, purple is my jam, I am able to set every RGB to just one color, purple, and it's really nice. The rainbow thing isn't for me either, but one color? That can look quite nice, so being able to sync everything in an all in one software solution is nice. I also like that you get the Commander Core, so I don't have to buy a fan controller separately.

I like a nice, soft (diffuse, not 'warm') white. The nice thing about RGB is that the user can pick the color(s) desired!