The iCUE H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler from Corsair is a powerful product that delivers excellent customised cooling. And today, we’re focusing on this specific cooler here in our Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler review.
The H150i ELITE is among the priciest AIO liquid coolers we’ve tried. So, we just had to see if its price is right for how it performs and what it offers.
Though we understand why it’s a bit on the pricey side since it sports customisable screens on its waterblock/pump unit. Additionally, the company also included their own Corsair iCUE Commander Core – a combination of a lighting controller and fan.
If you need this cooler or are curious about it, read our Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler review. Here, you will get all the necessary information you need to learn more about it. Plus, you’ll also know how it performed during our tests.
Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler Packaging
Before focusing on the more complex details, our Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler review will start with its packaging.
When the cooler arrived in our office, it was packed in a typical-looking cardboard box that sports an all-black theme. It’s a flip-open type so you won’t have a difficult time pulling out the product from it.
The top flip cover has “Super Chilled” written on it, as well as the name of the unit inside. On each side of the box, an image of the cooler is displayed with all of its LEDs shining. Again, you’ll find the product’s name written on the sides.
Opening the box, everything is kept securely and in place. So, you won’t have to worry about the product getting damaged while it’s being shipped.
Together with the cooler, you’ll also find a mounting kit for all current CPU sockets. Then, there are three ML ELITE RGB PWM 120mm fans, fan & radiator mounting screws, and a pre-applied thermal compound.
Lastly, you’ll find the iCUE Commander CORE fan + RGB controller, and a USB Y-splitter in the box.
Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler Review – Design and Functionality
The functions and design of a product are essential. That’s the reason why these are included in our Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler review.
The H150i ELITE sports a 2.1” IPS screen that you can adjust. Doing this showcases PC monitoring statistics like CPU temps, fan speed, and coolant temps. It also displays animated GIFs and photos, among other things.
Additionally, these coolers utilise the company’s newest ML RGB ELITE Series fans which offer excellent and silent cooling.
We love how the cooler looks, especially with its stealthy black theme. Then, the inclusion of an LCD screen lets you customise your PC further, making the build ultimately yours.
Its LCD has a 480 x 480 resolution while its refresh rate is 30 fps. The LCD screen works as a convenient dashboard to display the vital signs of your system.
When we speak of customising your PC using the LCD screen, you’re allowed to add unique animation to it. If not, you can even use your favourite meme for customisation.
The screen even includes a LED ring that has up to 24 ARGB LED lights. These can be managed via the iCUE software from Corsair which is included with the display.
You’ll find a little mirrored logo of Corsair at the centre of the right and left side of the radiator. It’s a nice and attractive touch to the cooler’s all-black theme.
When it comes to its tubes, these are braided with a black material which makes them slightly tough. It even comes with matte black aluminium cuffs on each end to guarantee durability and sturdiness.
We like that the right-angled couplers connecting the tubes to the CPU block swing around with ease. And speaking of its tubes, these are flexible enough which is convenient especially when you’re faced with challenging installation scenarios.
When you flip the cooling block/pump, you’ll find an all-copper base with thermal grease already applied. Don’t expect a lapped/mirror-finish, but its performance is good enough.
The cooling block is a split-flow copper cold plates based on high-density designs with 128 micro-skived fins-per-inch. It’s a good addition to the design since it allows for better and enhanced cooling.
The Commander Core works both as an RGB and PWM controller. It’s the standard fan controller that comes with most AIO CPU controllers from Corsair.
It’s built and designed amazingly and it sure looks the part. It’s matte black with a black Corsair logo in front and the centre. Plus, it has useful markings and numbers written in white to clearly show the port’s purpose. These include six fan ports, a temp port, six RGB ports, and a block port.
The ML RGB ELITE Series fans power this cooler while offering decreased friction and noise. Simultaneously, it even offers optimised performance and durability compared to regular bearings.
These fans have an operational speed that ranges from 450 RPM to 2,000 RPM. Then, there are a total of eight ARGB LEDs to help differentiate the cooling fans.
Key Features of the Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler
What makes this product worth the purchase? Find out as we discuss its key features in our Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler review.
Personalise Your LCD Dashboard
The H150i ELITE features a 2.1” LCD screen with an ultra-bright 600cd/m² backlight. Here, you can use pre-installed screens and lighting profiles, or upload animated images.
This brilliant IPS LCD allows you to showcase your favourite GIFs, team logo, funny meme, or anything you want.
High-Performance Pump with RGB Ring
The low-noise pump of the H150i ELITE ensures you can take advantage of every MHz of compatible CPUs. It prevents thermal throttling to avoid sacrificing your system’s performance.
Upgrade Everything with iCUE Commander Core
All Elite LCD coolers come with an iCUE Commander Core hub for controlling fan speeds and lighting your fans. This turns your chassis into a smart case.
Advanced Fans for Superior CPU Cooling
Each of the all-new ML RGB ELITE fans features eight RGB LEDs. It uses the AirGuide technology channel airflow to deliver high CPU cooling performance.
Zero RPM Mode
Zero RPM cooling profiles completely stop fan rotation at low temperatures to eliminate fan noise.
Split-flow Copper Cold Plate of the Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler
The H150i ELITE’s cold plate features an optimal design with a high-density stack of 128 micro-skived fins-per-inch. With this, you can ensure efficient cooling at all loads.
LGA 1700 Ready
Like other ELITE LCD coolers, the H150i ELITE comes with complete mounting hardware. It’s readily compatible with modern platforms including AMD AM4, Intel LGA 1200, and Intel LGA 1700.
Specifications
This section of our Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler review is all about the product’s specifications. And for starters, we appreciate Corsair for including a 5-year cooling warranty on the H150i ELITE.
Other than this, we love that the material used for its radiator is aluminium. This ensures that the product is tough and sturdy for heavy use.
It’s also compatible with Corsair’s iCUE software which is good. Plus, it comes with a lot of other good additions which we’ll discuss right now.
Its tubing is 380mm long while its cold plate measures 56 x 56mm. The material used for its tubing is a black-sleeved low-permeation rubber which is good enough to keep it tough.
The screen size is 2.1” while native and max resolutions are both 480 x 480. Its refresh rate is 30Hz and its fans dimensions are 120 x 25mm. Additionally, there are a total of three fans here and the model is the ML ELITE Series.
The cooling socket supports Intel 1200, 1700, 1150, 1155, 1151, 1156, 2011, 1366, and 2066. For AMD, it works with AM5, AM3, AM4, sTRX4, and sTR4.
For those wondering about its peak brightness, it’s 600 Nit while display colours are 16.7M or 8-bit RGB. The technology used for its display is IPS and its surface is a glossy display which is really good.
Lastly, its fan airflow ranges from 14.86 to 58.10 CFM while noise levels are 10 – 30.4 dBA.
Hands-on with the Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler
This is the most important part of our Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler review since we’re discussing its performance. We tested the cooler for over a week and we’ll share our experience when we used it.
But first, let’s look at the software and what it has in store for us.
iCUE Software
The Corsair iCUE app is currently in its fourth version. This universal software suite is where you monitor variables like component temperatures and the fans’ RPM. Also, it’s where you can customise RGB lighting, control fan RPM, and adjust other settings.
The default layout shows the connected Corsair products on its home screen. You’ll also find the pump, LED control, and fan control/monitoring information.
When selecting LED control, you can program the H150i ELITE’s RGB lit Corsair logo and ring. There are a lot of colours available and effects include static, blink, colour pulse, colour shift, rainbow, and temperature. If you don’t want any of these, you can switch the effects off instead.
For each installed fan, you can also choose from four profiles: Quiet, Zero RPM, Balanced, and Extreme. Zero RPM mode disables fans and stops fan rotation until the coolant reaches 40 degrees Celsius. This feature allows you to adjust the fans’ performance depending on what you need, which is great.
With the user-friendly interface, you can easily navigate and find what you need.
Installation of the H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler
Installing the H150i ELITE was quick and easy since it followed most of the standard AIO installation processes. However, it’s good to note that the chosen orientation will slightly alter the installation process.
We opted to mount the radiator in front of the case. This was necessary since we wanted the fans to provide intake while simultaneously having them visible too.
To achieve this, we had to line both the fans and radiator one at a time. Then, we screwed in from the case’s front with the help of long fan screws. If you aren’t familiar with the process, this is the standard for almost all AIOs with this setup.
Though with huge radiators like those measuring 360 or 420mm, the process can get a bit tricky. But with the help of the H150i’s LCD, things got a lot easier, especially with its square design.
Lining up the fans with the radiator was easy even before we had to screw everything in. Both radiator and fans slid easily together and lined up conveniently like some form of puzzle that fits perfectly. And honestly, we appreciate Corsair for making things this way.
Performance
In silent and balanced modes, the pump was completely quiet. Like the three ML RGB ELITE fans, it only made a little noise when we ramped up the system load.
Its default clocked performance was better compared to others we’ve tried. And when we started changing the settings, the results we got were even more impressive.
Intel 12600k
Idle: 25 C
Under Load: 56 C
1080p Gaming: 39 C
During our tests, the cooler showed it really had great cooling capacity, so we’re really happy with it.
Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler Review Summary
AIO coolers like H150i ELITE cost a lot and are designed for high-end custom PCs. This CPU cooler from Corsair is a well-rounded product with a great design and superior performance.
The H150i ELITE may be expensive, but it’s capable of handling the temperatures of enthusiast-grade processors. Throughout our tests for our Corsair H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler review, we didn’t see any issues. It delivered excellent cooling even under heavy loads while operating quietly.
Overall, the H150i ELITE is an excellent cooler and we highly recommend it if you want to overclock your processor. It’s also best for power-hungry processors that easily get hot under heavy loads.
For more information about the H150i ELITE LCD CPU Cooler, check out Corsair’s official product page.
