At first we would like to thank CORSAIR for offering us their iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display 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."

ELITE LCD

The best performing coolers from one of the biggest names in cooling, ELITE LCD all-in-one liquid CPU coolers offer a unique window into both your PC’s performance and your own style and personality.

 

YOUR OWN PERSONALIZED LCD DASHBOARD

Upload your own animated GIFs and images or choose from numerous pre-installed screens and lighting profiles for groundbreaking system lighting and customization options.

 

BRILLIANT IPS LCD DISPLAY

Showcase your favorite animated GIF, funniest meme, your team's logo, or anything you like on a custom 2.1" IPS LCD screen with 480x480 resolution and ultra-bright 600cd/m² backlight.

 

HIGH-PERFORMANCE PUMP HEAD WITH RGB LED RING

Don't sacrifice performance to thermal throttling. A powerful, low-noise pump head ensures you can squeeze every last MHz out of compatible CPUs.

 

UPGRADE EVERYTHING

Each Elite LCD Cooler comes with an iCUE COMMANDER CORE that can control lighting and fan speeds of not only the included fans, but up to a total of six. Turn any case into a smart case.

 

NEXT GENERATION FANS TO ELEVATE YOUR CPU COOLING

All-new CORSAIR ML RGB ELITE magnetic levitation fans with eight RGB LEDs per fan and AirGuide technology channel airflow for extreme CPU cooling performance.

 

ZERO RPM MODE

Zero RPM cooling profiles in CORSAIR iCUE software allow fans to stop entirely at low temperatures, eliminating fan noise.

 

SPLIT-FLOW COPPER COLD PLATE

An optimal cold plate design and a high-density stack of 128 micro-skived fins-per-inch provides highly efficient cooling at all loads.

 

LGA 1700 READY

Each ELITE LCD cooler comes complete with all the mounting hardware you need for modern platforms, including AMD AM4 and Intel LGA 1200 and LGA 1700, and installs in just minutes.

 

UNITE YOUR SETUP

CORSAIR iCUE software brings your entire setup together, creating a fully immersive ecosystem with intuitive control.

 

Cooling Warranty: 5 Year

Radiator Material: Aluminum

CORSAIR iCUE Compatibility: Yes

Tubing Length: 380mm

Coldplate Dimensions: 56x56mm

Tubing Material: Black Sleeved Low-Permeation Rubber

Screen Size: 2.1"

Native Resolution: 480x480

Max Resolution: 480x480

Refresh Rate: 30Hz

Fan Dimensions: 120mm x 25mm

Weight: 1.1

Number of Fans: 3

Cooling Socket Support: Intel 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2066, AMD AM4, AM3, AM2, sTRX4, sTR4

Fan Model: ML ELITE Series

Peak Brightness: 600 Nit

Display Colors: 16.7M (8-bit RGB)

Display Technology: IPS

Display Surface: Glossy

Fan Airflow: 14.86 – 58.10 CFM

Noise Level: 10 – 30.4 dBA

 

CORSAIR has gone all-in with their latest iCUE ELITE LCD AIO series, sporting 240mm, 360mm and 420mm radiators in order to cover compatibility with all computer cases. While the 240mm and 360mm radiators should fit in most chassis’ models, the 420mm model may be accommodated only in large towers and a double check should be performed as well before ordering. Some of its main features include the pump IPS LCD display which is highly customizable, the ML RGB ELITE magnetic levitation fans, the iCUE COMMANDER CORE for controlling both fan speeds and RGB setup without relying on motherboard headers for each but also a split-flow copper cold plate in order to provide optimal cooling at all loads.

 

Since the iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display Liquid CPU Cooler does come with a 360mm radiator, the packaging is quite big as well for accommodating all necessary hardware. On the top area of the box, we will note the “Super Chilled” saying from CORSAIR:

 

 

 

Also here, CORSAIR informs the user that this AIO is from their Extreme Performance range:

 

 

 

On one of the box sides, we will find a photo of the AIO in operation:

 

 

 

A closer look reveals the IPS logo, noting the technology of the display, but also the compatibility with iCUE:

 

 

 

The opposite side will show us some more photos of the product, but also some highlights on the pump head and the product dimensions:

 

 

 

Here we will also get to see some shots of the IPS screen modes:

 

 

 

On the bottom, we will note the box contents listed as drawings, the list of compatible sockets but also the technical specifications:

 

 

 

After unsealing the box and lifting the top cover, we will unveil the Safety and Warranty Information leaflet, together with a large foam layer:

 

 

 

The product components are all wrapped inside separate transparent plastic bags:

 

 

 

 

 

The iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display Liquid CPU Cooler is bundled with three iCUE ML120 RGB ELITE Premium 120mm PWM magnetic levitation fans:

 

 

 

Each of it does come with 7 white blades and a circular logo in the middle; these have very little friction, low noise and long-lasting durability when compared to regular bearing fans:

 

 

 

On the inside of the frame, we will note a subtle CORSAIR logo:

 

 

 

The fan branding is printed in the corner as well, similar to what we have seem with the latest line of peripherals from CORSAIR:

 

 

 

The fans come with anti-vortex vanes that channel directed airflow; the AirGuide Technology increases static pressure and concentrates the airflow for better cooling:

 

 

 

In the corners, we will also note rubber layers, which will eliminate vibration noises:

 

 

 

Each of the fans do come with two connectors, one for RGB and one for PWM:

 

 

 

Both cables will be connected straight to the iCUE COMMANDER CORE and this one can support up to 6 fans!

 

 

 

Here is a close-up of the headers:

 

 

 

 

The header from the side is for connecting the pump head:

 

 

 

The iCUE COMMANDER CORE needs one USB 2.0 header but also a SATA Power connector from the PSU to function:

 

 

 

We will be also offered an USB 2.0 cable splitter, which is really handy considering the low number of USB 2.0 headers on the motherboards nowadays and the fact that this particular cooler does use of no less than two!

 

 

 

 

 

We are also offered retention mechanisms for all supported sockets:

 

 

 

This is the first AIO series from CORSAIR which comes with LGA1700 compatibility out of the box (usually we were getting the compatible standoffs separately):

 

 

 

Here you can take a look at a comparison between the LGA1700 standoff (up) and the LGA1151 one (down):

 

 

 

The Intel backplate has adjustable standoff holes, so it will fit all sockets; a plastic layer is available between the backplate and the motherboard, in order to avoid short-circuits:

 

 

 

 

Here is a shot on the back side of the backplate:

 

 

 

As opposed to 240mm/280mm radiators, the 360mm ones do come with much more fixing screw holes; the whole radiator measures 360mm x 120mm x 27mm, while the tubing length is 380mm:

 

 

 

 

The radiator comes with an all-black frame and a stylish CORSAIR logo in the middle:

 

 

 

 

The same design is preserved on the opposite side:

 

 

 

On the frame, around the tubing area, we will note an additional sticker with the product code name, serial number, but also a QR code:

 

 

 

The pump head includes the IPS circular display, with a resolution of 480x480, while the refresh rate is set at 30 frames per second for smooth animations. It is accompanied by a RGB light frame, which can be configured separately:

 

 

 

One of the cables getting out of the pump head is the RPM monitoring one, which needs to be connected to the CPU_FAN header on the motherboard because otherwise we will get errors while UEFI BOOT checks:

 

 

 

The other two connectors (one proprietary and one USB 2.0) are for getting power to the pump and its head display; make sure you fit the larger proprietary connector to the iCUE COMMANDER CORE properly, otherwise the pump won’t spin and the AIO will start up in Warning mode:

 

 

 

On the bottom area of the pump, we will get to see the copper cold plate, with pre-applied thermal compound, but also the pre-installed brackets for Intel sockets:

 

 

 

For fitting the fans onto the pump, we will use the longer screws:

 

 

 

We will be also supplied with four thumbscrews in order to fix the pump onto the CPU, with the help of the standoffs:

 

 

 

 

Here is a photo of the completed installation of the fans onto the radiator:

 

 

 

The radiator will be fixed onto the case with the supplied washers and smaller screws:

 

 

 

First, we will need to remove the 3M tape from the backplate, attach it on the back side of the motherboard and then install the standoffs:

 

 

 

The pump will be then attached on the CPU HSF and fixed properly with the supplied thumbscrews:

 

 

 

The rest of cabling needs to go to the controller, but we will also need to connect the RPM header and use the USB 2.0 splitter on one of the motherboard headers:

 

 

 

If the warning sign on the IPS display will remain on the screen after the computer boots up, then the installation was not done properly; otherwise, a CORSAIR intro screen will appear:

 

 

 

After installing the AIO into our test system, we noted that it appeared right away inside iCUE and thanks to the COMMANDER CORE, we do have plenty of aspects available for configuration from the interface:

 

 

 

Before working with the RGB lighting setup, we will have to run an autodetection wizard:

 

 

The new setup has been properly detected and the user can perform further modifications:

 

 

The ring of LEDs (there are actually 24 configurable LEDs) around the LCD display can be customized with our preferences:

 

 

We can choose from a lot of available presets:

 

Watercolor Spectrum

Color Pulse

 

Color Shift

Color Warp

Color Wave

Heartbeat

Marquee

Rain

Rainbow

Rainbow Wave

Rotary Stack

Lighting Disabled

 

Sequential

Spiral Rainbow

Strobing

Temperature

Visor

 

The 8-LED from the ML ELITE fans are available for separate configuration as well, via presets:

 

 

Here are some of the presets we can choose:

 

Watercolor Spectrum

Audio Lighting

Color Pulse

Color Shift

 

Color Warp

Color Wave

Infinity

Marquee

Rain

Rainbow

Rainbow Channel

Rainbow Wave

Rotary Stack

Sequential

 

Spiral Rainbow

Strobing

Temperature

Visor

 

Some Hardware Lighting modes are also available to choose from:

 

Rainbow Wave

Spiral Rainbow

Rainbow

Color Shift

Color Pulse

Color Wave

 

Sequential

Strobing

Visor

Marquee

Rain

Color Warp

Arc

Heartbeat

Temperature

 

The Screen Setup is the area to go to for customizing the IPS display views:

 

Concentric

 

Single Bar

Fade Fill

Monitor

Image/GIF

Aperture

Dynamic Bar

Pattern Fill

Dual Bar

Blank – Black screen

Turbo

Clock

 

Two presets are available for hardware mode as well:

 

Default

Image/GIF

 

The Cooling area allows us to set presets for each individual fan, but also for the pump; the coolant temperature can be monitored here as well:

 

 

Zero RPM mode is also present and functions the same as on most newer video cards or like on some motherboards with chipset fan:

 

 

The pump allows for an extra setting, which is variable speed:

 

 

Of course, we also get the setting to configure a custom profile and define the fan curve to our liking!

 

Alerts can be set if certain temperature thresholds are met and we can enable different actions when this happens:

 

 

The Settings area allows the user to perform firmware updates, adjust the RGB brightness, the LCD screen brightness, but also modify the LCD frame rate:

 

 

Test Setup:

 

CPU: Intel i7-12700K @ Stock

CPU Cooler: CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display Liquid CPU Cooler

Motherboard: EVGA Z690 CLASSIFIED LGA1700

RAM: Neo Forza Faye 2x16GB DDR4600

Video: XFX Radeon RX 5700XT Ultra THICC III

Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W

SSD: Silicon Power US70 1TB PCIe 4.0

Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840

 

We have performed the IDLE-Full Load temperature test with the help of the AIDA64 Stress Test module, while recording the temperatures in detail via HWINFO64 utility. The ambient temperature during testing was kept at a steady 24.5 degrees Celsius and the performance profile in our Windows 11 Pro installation was set at default (Balanced).

While the be quiet! cooler has had the fan speed controlled by the EVGA Z690 CLASSIFIED motherboard, the iCUE H150i ELITE LCD fans were regulated by CORSAIR’s own iCUE COMMANDER CORE. Via iCUE software, we used the Quiet, Balanced and Extreme profiles, while the pump was left on Balanced presets during the test period. After each test completed, we left the coolant temperature get to the IDLE temperature of 32 degrees Celsius, in order to repeat the heating procedure in the exact same conditions as before.

The second part of the test included the HWBOT X265 4K Encoding workload, which is more stressful via AIDA64 one, which we did run for times and recorded the maximum temperature.

 

 

The iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display performs admirably in high and very high loads, while the fans at maximum speed do produce less noise versus the other tested AIOs, at about 44.6 dBA!

 

Display

 

 

RGB Fans

 

The high-end iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display AIO from CORSAIR does offer fantastic performance and includes the durable and low-noise ML RGB ELITE fans along with the 2.1’’ pump IPS LCD display with the 480x480 resolution and a maximum of 30FPS refresh rate. As the 240mm size, the 360mm variant of radiator is more compatible with a large range of cases versus 280mm and we have all necessary equipment for the setup to only take one USB 2.0 header on the motherboard. Given the large number of wiring (two cables for each fan, controller cabling, pump cabling etc…), we will spend more time than usual to route and hide the cables in the back of the motherboard, but the result will be worth it!

 

The main RGB/RPM controller is an iCUE COMMANDER CUE and talks directly to the iCUE software for in-depth configuration and can even autodetect the connected fan setup. We have a ton of presets to work with, while the pump speed can be fine-tuned via software as well (it also comes with a variable speed preset).

 

The whole system can autodetect when the installation is not done properly and in this case the LCD display will show a red exclamation mark, while the fans and the RGB ring will pulsate red as well!

 

The iCUE H150i ELITE LCD is also one of the first series to come with LGA1700 compatibility outside the box, which is a great thing considering that ordering a separate standoff kit can take up to one month.

 

The iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display Liquid CPU Cooler is available online for about 290 Euros.

 

Here are the pros and cons concerning this product:

 

Pros:

 

-high-end, efficient cooling solution for all sockets

-LCD display which adds to the overall eye-candy but also offers important monitoring details

-durable and silent ML ELITE fans with Magnetic Levitation bearings

-LGA1700 compatibility included outside the box

-uses a single USB 2.0 header for the whole setup thanks to the offered cable splitter

-software integration with iCUE which offers a ton of RGB configuration options

-the ability to fine-tune every fan curve (including Zero RPM feature), but also pump speeds

 

Cons:

 

-price is high for some

 

CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display Liquid CPU Cooler is Recommended for:

 

 

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