At first we would like to thank CORSAIR for offering us their iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler for testing and reviewing.

 

About Corsair:

"Founded in 1994, Corsair has grown from pioneering the high-performance DRAM market to one of the world’s leading providers of enthusiast-grade PC components and peripherals. Our groundbreaking technology and innovation can be found in our high-performance memory, ultra-efficient power supplies, PC cases, PC and CPU cooling solutions, and solid-state storage devices. Under the Corsair Gaming brand, launched in 2014, we provide gaming keyboards, mice, headsets and mouse mats to eSports professionals and anybody who is passionate about competitive PC gaming.

 

Corsair hardware is regularly featured in showcase “dream systems,” and we have earned the adulation and respect of the press, professional gamers and overclockers, high-end system integrators, and PC enthusiasts worldwide by delivering leading-edge technology backed by renowned service and support.

 

Corsair has developed a global operations infrastructure with extensive marketing and distribution channel relationships, and our products are available through leading distributors and retailers in over sixty countries worldwide."

Product Features:

 

Dynamic Multi-Zone RGB Pump Head

Animate and layer stunning lighting effects to customize your build.

 

16 Individually addressable RGB LEDs light up the pump head to produce stunning, customizable lighting effects to match your build. Utilize our lighting animations, layer lighting effects to give your build a custom look, or use one of the many available user-generated presets that sync animation throughout your build for a look you can only achieve with CORSAIR components powered by iCUE.

 

Magnetic Levitation Fans

If NASA designed a fan – this would be it.

 

CORSAIR ML Series fans deliver improved airflow for extreme CPU cooling performance. Using magnetic levitation technology, CORSAIR’s ML Series provides lower noise, higher performance, and a longer lifespan. A wide control range coupled with iCUE connectivity means you can tune your cooler to stay quiet when you’re browsing but deliver performance during intense gaming sessions.

 

Zero RPM Mode

Quiet during light use sessions, powerful when it counts.

 

The Zero RPM cooling profile in CORSAIR iCUE software allow fans to stop entirely at low temperatures, eliminating fan noise completely during light use. This keeps noise to a minimum when you don’t need the full performance of your PC without sacrificing horsepower when gaming or doing other intensive tasks.

 

Powerful CORSAIR iCUE Software

Your Setup at Your Command.

 

Control and synchronize your cooler’s RGB lighting with all iCUE compatible devices, monitor CPU and coolant temperatures and adjust fan and pump speeds, all from a single intuitive interface. Make your setup stand out in style with amazing RGB lighting effects synchronized across all your components, peripherals, and external ambient lighting.

 

High Performance Coldplate and Pump

Advanced control options to maximize performance or minimize noise.

 

iCUE RGB PRO XT Series coolers are equipped with CORSAIR’s best performing pump, first seen in our top of the line PLATINUM Series, in order to deliver rock-solid thermal performance and a clear performance upgrade over our previous generation PRO Series. The pump can also be fully controlled in iCUE for Balanced performance, a noise optimized Quiet mode, or a full-bore Performance mode to get the best temperatures you can out of your processor.

 

Easy Installation & Wide Compatibility

PRO XT Series coolers support most modern CPU sockets.

 

The iCUE RGB PRO XT Series ships with the required retention to mount the cooler to high end Intel sockets such as LGA 2066, 2011-3, and 2011, as well as mainstream sockets in the 1150 family. (1150, 1151 ,1155, 1156) On the AMD side, PRO XT Series coolers support the newest AMD platforms in AM4 and sTR4, as well as legacy platforms in AM3+ and FM1 or FM2. Intel retention and AMD sTR4 retention use our standard stand-off and thumbscrew type mounting, while mainstream AMD platforms utilize the stock hook retention apparatus for easy install and maintenance.

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

 

 

Back in 2018, we did try out the CORSAIR H115i PRO RGB AIO, which did feature a 280mm radiator, two ML series fans with a maximum speed of 1200RPM, RGB lighting and compatibility with a large range of sockets. As we have seen with many video cards nowadays, this AIO did also feature Zero RPM mode which allowed the fans to be turned off completely at low temperatures.

 

The XT series has been recently launched as well and combines the pump and electronics package of the PLATINUM AIOs, by retaining the classical look of the previous PRO series, so no RGB fans. The new pump does have a new housing design with no less than 16 individually addressable LEDs, for more interesting animations and integration with the rest of CORSAIR’s iCUE devices.

 

Our iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT sample did arrive in a cardboard enclosure similar to the ones PSUs do ship in and the color scheme is similar to the one we have seen with CORSAIR’s latest products:

 

 

 

Since we are talking about a cooling product, CORSAIR has included a “Super Chilled” saying on the side of the packaging:

 

 

 

On another lateral, we will spot a sticker with the product serial number, but also drawings with the box contents:

 

 

 

 

Some more details on the product can be found on the bottom layer, together with drawings that highlights the dimensions:

 

 

 

 

After lifting the top cover, we will discover the documentation sitting on top:

 

 

 

The offered guide does come with separate instructions, depending on the used socket:

 

 

 

All components are carefully packed in separate plastic bags as well:

 

 

 

The ML140 Series fans that ship with the H115i PRO XT do feature an increased maximum RPM of 2000, while the minimal rated speed is 400RPM:

 

 

 

These fans do have a less elaborated frame design, with no rubber layers for vibration dampening purposes; in the middle we will find a white CORSAIR logo:

 

 

 

On the back side, we will note the 31-004186 product code, but also the power rating which is 12V at 0.259A; these can exert a static pressure of 3.0 mm – H2O:

 

 

 

The fans feature a 4-pin PWM connector:

 

 

 

A unique SN can be observed on the frame as well:

 

 

 

Besides the fans, we will also receive the necessary mounting screws and standoffs in a smaller bag, the AM3/AM4 mounting bracket, an Intel socket backplate, the AMD sTR4 mounting bracket but also the USB control cable:

 

 

 

The small plastic bag houses long fan screws, Intel socket standoffs, washers, AMD screw clips, sTR4 standoffs, radiator screws but also four thumbscrews:

 

 

 

Next, we will spot the AIO full assembly, with the pump and large 280mm radiator:

 

 

 

The full dimensions of the radiator are 322mm x 137mm x 27mm and comes with an expanded core compared to other cooler manufacturers, for delivering high cooling surface area and better performance:

 

 

 

On the side frame of the all-black radiator we will get to see a chromed CORSAIR logo:

 

 

 

 

Near the radiator fittings we will spot an extra sticker with the product code name and a serial number:

 

 

 

The H115i PRO XT Series now comes with the latest pump, that was first introduced with the PLATINUM series; the new cover does include multiple LEDs for programming different effects via iCUE unified software. The pump logo and trim piece are removable, for even more customization options!

 

 

 

The side of the pump assembly houses the USB port:

 

 

 

The pump features a micro-skived copper coldplate with a dimension of 65mm; thermal compound is pre-applied for a faster installation process:

 

 

 

The pump needs power from a SATA PSU port, while the RPM info is also sent to the motherboard via a separate cable; this is done so you won’t get boot errors if nothing is plugged in the CPU_FAN main header:

 

 

 

Next, we do have the PWM headers for the two radiator fans:

 

 

 

The screws were a bit hard to install on the radiator in order to secure the included fans; we have had to use a more solid screwdriver and apply a lot of force, in order not to damage the threads or the screw heads:

 

 

 

Thanks to the AMD screw clips, the installation was done easy on the motherboard, since it uses the stock AM4 mounting system:

 

 

 

Securing the radiator to the case was a little bit more time consuming, but this is the case with all AIO setups:

 

 

 

The updated iCUE software has detected the H115i RGB PRO XT right away for configuration purposes:

 

 

 

The initial screen will display the current status of the fans (RPM, applied profile), pump, coolant temperature but also a live view of the LED lighting:

 

 

 

From the Lighting Effects menu, we can program each segment separately, by working with the multitude of presets:

 

 

 

There are tons of presets we can work with:

 

 

 

Rainbow Wave

Spiral Rainbow

Visor

Color Shift

Color Pulse

Color Wave

 

Sensor Temperature

Sequential

Marquee

Rainbow

Strobing

Rain

Arc

Heartbeat

Color Warp

Static Color

Solid

 

Gradient

Ripple

Wave

 

There is also a Hardware Lighting tab available, that allows the user to configure a lighting effect for the pump which will only play when iCUE software is not running:

 

 

 

The Performance tab will allow the user to choose one of the available Fan/Pump speed presets, including Zero RPM. Of course, we can define our own custom profile, where we can select a fixed value or a custom fan curve:

 

 

 

Graphs can be also monitored from the dedicated menu:

 

 

 

The Notifications tab will allow the user to set different alerts, when some thresholds are met:

 

 

 

Finally, we do have the Settings area, where we can define the LED brightness, update the firmware of the AIO and more!

 

 

 

Test Setup:

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X Retail

CPU Cooler: CORSAIR H115i RGB PRO XT AIO

Motherboard: ASRock X570 Taichi

RAM: CORSAIR DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB 32GB 3600MHz Kit

Video: XFX Radeon RX 5700 DD Ultra 8GB

Power Supply: CORSAIR RM850 850W PSU

SSD: Crucial MX500 512GB

Case: CORSAIR Graphite 760T

 

We have performed the tests while keeping the pump in the “Balanced Mode” for both H115i PRO RGB and the H115i RGB PRO XT and cycled though “Quiet”, “Balanced” and “Extreme” profiles for the included fans. For keeping the CPU at maximum load, we did use AIDA64 Stress Test suite, while the temperatures were separately monitored by HWiNFO64 utility. The Ryzen 9 3900X has had all settings on Auto, so no manual overclocking was in order. During the time of testing, we have succeeded to keep a steady room temperature of 24 degrees Celsius.

 

 

The multi-zone RGB lighting system is a real improvement to what we have tested before and if you also have other compatible iCUE devices, you could link it together and obtain an even more interesting effect!

 

The H115i RGB PRO XT AIO offers visible improvements over its predecessor by including an even better pump assembly and while working with the Quiet and Balanced profiles for the fans we have observed lower temperatures on the Ryzen 9 3900X in both IDLE and Full Load; we need to mention that both coolers have had similar fan speeds in this modes, the only big difference being with the Extreme profile (1131RPM vs 1491RPM on the XT).

 

The mounting system for the pump is a bit different in terms of construction and the brackets look a bit like the ones we have found on the “be quiet!” Silent Loop 240mm. The cables that travel outside of the pump have been relocated from the right to the top, for obtaining a more optimal cable management, while the removable top cover does offer an additional customization layer.

 

In terms of the radiator and fans, the mounting procedure remains the same, only that we have found it quite difficult to install the screws for the first time; we have had to apply lots of force in order to properly secure the fans onto the frame.

 

Speaking of the ML140 fans, the previous 1200RPM ones have been upgraded to 2000RPM models, so by setting them at maximum speed it is possible to obtain even better cooling results while overclocking (with the Extreme profile they were spinning at about 1500RPM).

 

In terms of customization, we are getting plenty of options via iCUE, starting with fan curves, monitoring and ending with the RGB setup.

 

The H115i RGB PRO XT can be currently purchased online for about 150 Euros.

 

As usual with CORSAIR products, we will also note the Pros and Cons:

 

Pros:

 

-updated pump with better performance and revised cable management

-even more sleek pump top cover with 16 individually addressable RGB LEDs

-flexible tubes with top braiding

-inclusion of ML140 fans which are efficient and silent

-plenty of customization options in iCUE (including Zero RPM mode for the fans)

-large 280mm radiator for a more efficient heat dissipation

 

Cons:

 

-first installation of the screws was difficult, requiring a lot of applied force.

CORSAIR iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler is Recommended for:

 

 

 

We would like to thank again to CORSAIR for making this review possible!