Introduction
CORSAIR is a leading manufacturer of all parts enthusiast. While they are best known for their memory, they also manufacture AIO coolers, regular coolers, keyboards, mice, headsets, fans, power supplies, and various RGB equipment that is coordinated with their in-house developed ICUE software.
On our test bench, today is the CORSAIR H170i ELITE LCD AIO cooler, which is the first 420 mm-sized AIO that we have reviewed here at The FPS Review. It is available for a special price of $279.99 versus the regular $309 on CORSAIR’s webstore at the time of writing, which seems to be the best pricing. This $30 discount is appealing. As always, check current online prices before buying as they can change over time.
We will again be using our AIO test platform which is capable of putting out enough heat to make even the devil sweat. We do this to test AIO liquid cooling solutions that are likely to be used with some of today’s most demanding CPUs.
CORSAIR H170i ELITE LCD AIO Cooler (CW-9060063-WW)
The CORSAIR H170i ELITE LCD is an all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooler that is designed to work on a wide variety of sockets. These include Intel’s LGA 1700/115x/1200/1366/1700/2011/2066 and AMD’s AM5/AM4/sTR4/sTRX4 sockets. Overall, the CORSAIR H170i ELITE LCD covers all current-day sockets by default.
While we have the 420mm radiator version that we’re reviewing today, this AIO is also available with a 360mm radiator that sports a trio of 120mm fans. Due to the laws of thermodynamics, expect them to perform a little worse than the 420mm version we’re reviewing today.
LCD Screen
The CORSAIR H170i ELITE LCD sports a 2.1” IPS LCD screen at a 480×480 resolution with 600cd/m^2 brightness with 24 bits of color. It is controlled using CORSAIR’s iCUE software which allows you to put various rig statistics or GIFs on it for your viewing enjoyment. From a subjective perspective, this is the brightest, most vibrant LCD screen that we’ve seen on an AIO cooler to date.
iCUE COMMANDER CORE
Inside the box, you’ll find an iCUE COMMANDER CORE unit that is capable of running up to six PWM fans and controlling RGB bling on up to six compatible CORSAIR fans. Note that these will not work with the standard ARGB fans, just CORSAIR’s fans. The unit is controlled via iCUE and can help tie your system together without having to shell out for a separate controller.
Water Block & Pump
The cold plate on the CORSAIR H170i ELITE LCD measures 56x56mm and is made out of copper. On top of the cold plate and pump structure sits a 2.1” LCD that sports a 480×480 resolution at 8-bit RGB (16.7 million) colors and 600 Nits of brightness.
The pump is PWM controlled with an approximate 2700 RPM (+/- 10% – observed) speed at a 100% duty cycle. It pushes the water through 450mm of cooling hose to and from the radiator.
Radiator
The liquid CPU cooler radiator is designed to hold three 140mm fans and measures 457x140x27mm. By our count, the aluminum radiator sports a density of 22 fins per inch and is attached to 450mm of tubing.
Fans
The included fans are CORSAIR’s iCUE ML140 RGB ELITE Premium 140mm PWM fans. They feature Magnetic Levitation bearings (hence the ML) that are supposed to produce little friction, low notice, and improve durability compared to traditional bearing fans. They also have RGB LEDs that can be controlled through the iCUE application. CORSAIR does not list an MTBF and the fans are rated for 400 to 1600 RPM (plus or minus 10%) at a reported under 10-31.8 dB(A). The stated maximum airflow is 82.0 CFM with a static pressure of up to 2.06 mm/H20.
Discussion (19 replies)
Join Discussion →What case would house a 420mm cooler??
You know I question even if my monster of a case can handle a 420mm rad. Reaching out to thermaltake on my View 51 TG ARGB case. Product page only lists 360mm rads.
Exactly.. I've been looking for cases to handle 360, and now there's a 420? To be honest this is the first 420mm cooler I have ever heard of.
I mean, it's a beast with the performance it has but that price just says NOPE.. That and finding a case for this thing.
I've found mixed reviews saying my case can handle it. What I need really is a template I can place to confirm and make me feel good. Corsair needs to offer a template to potential purchasers. Something cut to size or printed to size so we can place it to make sure.
https://www.thefpsreview.com/2022/09/15/cooler-master-haf-700-black-case-review/ should work :-)
A 420mm setup is basically 3x 140mm fans plus room to connect the hoses. Same length as a 360mm AIO, just a bit wider. Cases that support it will have essentially two rails to accommodate 360/420 in the same place.
Capellix version should be the same cooling setup, just sans LCD, which should shave about 100 quid off the cost.
BTW spell correction gotcha, I don't think the fans are supposed to support " low notice" Probably low noise.
The list is growing and it's something I'm passively tracking, but both the Carbide and H7 Flow I have can, and with a little work you can use one with a 360 mm GPU AIO as well. Presently, I won't buy a case that doesn't support both as I try to plan for future CPUs and their power-hungry appetites.
Thanks, @David_Schroth for the review. This has been on my radar but I held off on it due to price and took a chance on an Amazon/Newegg China brand called Vetroo (a horrible name I know but it had a lot of good reviews). It's done well other than that at low-mid speeds the fans have a bit of a whine to them but at $115.99 (360 mm) I'm still happy.
So I just read the article... nice job. Seems to me that a better set of fans would both increase performance AND reduce noise appreciably. Yet with the high cost I would be loathe to spend another 60 bucks or so on some high performance high pressure fans.
I think this may be true for quite a few AIOs out there these days. At one point I was thinking of doing that but decided that I can live with it.
Well... sort of kind of maybe but maybe not.
The difficult part here with the comparison with the raw numbers here is that, for the most part, it was up against 360mm AIOs (and a 280mm AIO). 140mm fans tend to have a much lower top speed (and in this case, 1500RPM), so the performance and noise levels observed aren't exactly an apples to apples sort of comparison. The 120mm fan sweet spot for fan speed tends to be in the 1000-1500RPM range with a max in the low 2000's,l but the 140mm fans max around 1500rpm and do quite well around 1000 or a little lower.
In everyday use, this unit will be just as quiet as any other 360mm unit that I've tested. At full blast, it's still quieter than most of them...
My Thermaltake Core WP100.
My 7000X case. It's still in that case so I may go back to it at some point, though I really didn't see a big benefit over a 360mm AIO. It's an Artic 420mm.
More than you'd think; I'd have to go back through our review list, but I can add at least the Phanteks case we reviewed as well. The bigger challenge with 420mm AIOs is usually figuring out how to route everything.
Vendors almost never put their best fans on their AIOs. I guess it makes sense given the bundling effect and that their 'lesser' fans do still work. The other part is that the very best fan designs are simply not available in 140mm. Given that the performance difference between 280mm, 360mm, and 420mm systems isn't that great overall versus say a stock cooler, there's a reason 360mm has become more or less the standard, even in custom loops.