Best 420mm AIO?
Summary
With excellent thermal performance that is augmented by a well-executed IPS LCD Screen and extensive customization options using iCUE and lighting effects, the iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT is definitely a worthy contender should your wallet afford it in addition to your PC Case. It comes recommended by us.
Overall
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Build Quality - 9/10
9/10
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Design - 9/10
9/10
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Performance - 9/10
9/10
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Features - 9/10
9/10
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Value - 8/10
8/10
Pros
- Thermal Performance
- IPS LCD Screen
- ARGB LED Lighting
- AF RGB ELITE 140mm Fans
- Extensive AMD sockets support
- Intel LGA1700 socket support
- iCUE
- Commander Core
- Easy Installation
- Warranty
Cons
- Price
- Non-Magnetic Hub
- Noisy Fans
- Software Dependency
- Cable Management
We have recently tested the following two coolers from CORSAIR’s arsenal of cooling solutions:
Both represent the high-performance all-in-one coolers from CORSAIR with rich features and full support of iCUE. This time around, we are taking a look at the most advanced and top-tier performance cooler from CORSAIR. Meet the iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT cooler. What is the difference other than naming convention? That is an obvious question. This bad boy has a 420mm radiator with three 140mm size fans. This is not all, as this cooler comes with CORSAIR’s take on the competition in a niche market of LCD display screens on the pump housing. CORSAIR calls it CORSAIR LCD, and dare I say, so far, I have liked this design and implementation way better than a few other competitors. Yes, this is my personal opinion and liking.
This series of coolers is available in three sizes:
The LCD display or screen kit is also available in white and black colors and is compatible with this series as well as the Elite Capellix XT series of coolers. The iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT cooler is compatible with Intel Sockets LGA: 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 1700, 2011, 2011-3, 2066 and AMD Socket: AM4, AM5, and sTR4.
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Key Takeaway
- Excellent thermal performance: The cooler was able to keep the Intel Core i7 13700k at 84°C under heavy workload, which is a good result for a 420mm AIO cooler.
- Well-executed IPS LCD Screen: The 2.1-inch IPS LCD screen is a nice touch and can be used to display a variety of information, such as CPU temperature, fan speeds, and even custom images or GIFs.
- Extensive customization options: The cooler is compatible with Corsair’s iCUE software, which allows users to customize the lighting effects, fan speeds, and even the information displayed on the LCD screen.
Packing Box
The cooler is shipped inside a sleek-looking packaging box. There is a picture of the unit and its model name printed over the front or top. IPS indicates the type of screen on the display.
The salient features are printed in multiple languages over here, and there is a diagram of the unit with measurements.
There is another carton placed inside the main packing box. All the contents are placed inside that carton. There is a warranty information brochure placed over the top. There is no user guide. You would need to download one from their website.
What’s In The box?
CORSAIR has provided a warranty paper for the customer. There is an iCUE commander Core and a Y cable for USB 2.0 9-pin connectors cable.
CORSAIR has supplied:
- 2x AMD AM4/AM5 brackets
- 4x AMD AM4/AM5 Standoffs
- 2x AMD TR4 Brackets
- 4x AMD TR4 Standoffs
- 1x Intel Backplate
- 4x Intel LGA1700 Standoffs
- 4x Intel LGA20xx Standoffs
- 4x Intel LGA other sockets Standoffs
CORSAIR has provided the following:
- 4x Thumb Nuts
- 24x Long Screws for Fans
- 12x Radiator Screws
- 12x Washers
Besides, there are three CORSAIR AF RGB Elite fans and a cooler.
Design
CORSAIR’s statement about these coolers goes like this, “The CORSAIR iCUE H170i ELITE LCD XT Liquid CPU Cooler delivers powerful, customized cooling for your CPU, with a personalized LCD screen that displays GIFs, images, and system information.” As simple as it could get.
This is a black edition which is why we have a black color sprayed radiator measuring 457x140x27mm. The thickness of this unit stands at 27mm which is a standard in AIOs. 457 is the length of this radiator unit. The difference between two adjacent mounting holes on any side is 15mm. Installing 25mm thick fans would increase the overall height of this unit to 53mm, approximately including the heads of the screws. This unit has an FPI count of 20. This radiator has 12 channels for coolant flow. We can see a good job in fin stacking.
The block on the far end of this radiator has a rectangular design or layout. The edges are not sharp. We saw the same design on the Elite Capellix XT series of coolers. There is no sticker or branding of any sort over here.
The tube side has two stickers. One has a part number and a serial number on it. The other is a scanning label. The fittings are concealed inside metal shells, which are also in white color. The unit is made in China, and there are power ratings showing 12V at 0.8A max.
Looking at the side frame of the radiator housing, we can spot a metallic CORSAIR brand sticker there. R5
There is no protective plating under mounting holes on the main frame. This plating protects the screws from damaging the fins. However, there is not much of a gap between the side frame and the fins stacking. This would mean out of 27mm, we are getting a 25-26mm area for the fins.
The CORSAIR uses sleeved rubber tubing with fine threading. These tubes are soft and flexible without kinking. They run to approximately 450mm. They are wrapped inside nice nylon braided sleeves in black color for aesthetics.
This cooler has a different pump housing design which is in two components or dual-chamber design. It is almost square in outlook with a central portion in a ring design. The top portion is the LCD Screen that is detachable, which makes this screen compatible with the Elite Capellix XT series of coolers due to the same interface using an 8-pin connection. Unlike the Elite Capellix XT coolers, this cooler does not have a replaceable face cover or pump top for different CORSAIR branded designs. We have an IPS LCD screen operating at 24-bit, having a resolution of 480×480 at 30 FPS. The customization using iCUE is just too good to have. CORSAIR has my full praise in this aspect. Job well done, team CORSAIR!
The above picture shows a top view of the LCD screen. There is a protective cover. Don’t forget to peel it off to enjoy some vivid colors and animation. Speaking of the screen, it can display GIFs, JPGs, and built-in designs from iCUE. This customization is at another level.
Looking at the side of this housing, we can spot a thick cable coming out from the top portion. It has a 22-pin connector on the opposite end that is connected to the iCUE Commander Core.
We can see the rear view of the housing where the fittings are installed at 90° angle. These tubes are installed closer together. They are rotatable as per the user’s requirement.
Looking at the base of the pump housing, we can see a transparent cover there. Since the cooler comes with pre-applied thermal paste, this cover protects the thermal paste. The Intel mounting brackets are pre-installed. They are slid in a groove portion towards the base. CORSAIR is using XTM70 thermal paste. However, there is no additional paste provided with the box. You would need to buy a thermal paste in case of installing this cooler again. In this price range, I was expecting a thermal paste tube inside. The copper base measures 56x56mm in size. Note the thermal paste pattern. It reminds me of the CORSAIR LC100 triangle penal for digital RGB lighting mod.
CORSAIR is using a 22-pin connector (not all pins are active) to power and control the LCD screen on the pump housing. This can only be put to use using Commander. The pump is powered by a 3-pin connector, and there is a 9-pin USB 2.0 connector as well.
CORSAIR is using AF RGB ELITE fans in 140mm size with this cooler. These fans feature a close frame. Each fan has 9x frosted blades. The center has a large diameter which is understandable since there are digital RGB LEDs inside that hub. There are 8x digital RGB LEDs in each fan (not sure). There is a CORSAIR branded sticker on the hub. The anti-vibration pads are in dark black color.
There is a CORSAIR branding in white color on two sides of the main frame.
Taking a look at the backside of the fan, we can see 9x white color vanes. These are installed in a particular geometry to ensure a direct airflow coming out of the fan. CORSAIR calls these anti-vortex vanes for guided airflow. This makes these fans a good choice for the cooler as well as for the case ventilation.
The specification of a fan is:
| Dimension | 140x140x25mm |
| Type | 4-pin PWM and 4-pin Proprietary Connector |
| Speed | 500-1700 ±1 0% RPM |
| Airflow (maximum) | 89CFM |
| Static Pressure (max) | 2.0mmH2O |
| Noise | 33.8 dB(A) |
| Input Voltage | 12VDC |
CORSAIR has provided a 4-pin PWM connector to power the fan’s motor. There is also a 4-pin proprietary connector which is connected to the CORSAIR iCUE Commander Core to control the digital RGB Lighting using iCUE software.
Commander Core
We have already covered the Commander Core in the previous two articles; hence, we are doing an overview here.
The Commander Core is a controller and hub that allows up to 6x CORSAIR-compatible fans and lighting devices to be connected with it. Each port is labeled. One side of this hub is labeled RGB Hub and it has 6x 4-pin proprietary headers. The opposite side has a label Fans, and it has 6x 4-pin PWM headers. There is a CORSAIR logo embossed in the center.
There is a 22-pin proprietary header on one end of Commander Core. This is where the bulky connector from the LCD Screen is connected. Pay attention to the gray color symbol. It should match with the symbol on the connector.
There is a 2-pin header on the opposite end of this controller. The user can optionally connect a 2-pin probe cable to this header and monitor the temperature reading from the iCUE software.
There are two cables coming out of this control box. One has a SATA connector, whereas the other has a 9-pin USB 2.0 connector.
CORSARI has provided a Y cable for the USB 2.0 connectors. This is important since we have a total of two such connectors on this cooler, which would mean we will need two USB 2.0 headers on the motherboard. Now, that is quite an ordeal to deal with. CORSAIR has wisely allowed the users to connect both connectors to this Y cable and use a single USB 2.0 header on the motherboard. Unfortunately, the CORSAIR Commander Core is non-magnetic; hence, you would need to use double-sided self-adhesive tape to paste the hub on the PC Case.
Installation
We have tested this cooler on the Intel platform. Installation is simple, as has been the case for CORSAIR Hydro series coolers. Some key steps are:
- Place the backplate behind the motherboard
- Use the LGA 1700 standoffs and secure the backplate with the motherboard. The backplate may feel a bit loose, but that is okay. It will be fixed once you install a block.
- Remove the protective cover from the base.
- Place the block on the CPU by passing the threaded portion of standoffs through the mounting holes on the brackets.
- Use thumb nuts to secure the block over the CPU.
- Use a diagonal approach for an even fit of the block
- Install fans on the radiator
- Install a radiator in the case or as per the requirement
- Connect fan cables to the CORSAIR iCUE Commander Core
- Connect the LCD Screen’s large connector to the Commander Core
- Connect Commander Core’s SATA connector to the SATA cable from PSU
- Connect the 3-pin pump cable to the CPU_Fan Header or water pump header
- This would complete the installation.
The above picture shows the installed cooler and the prepped test build.
Clearance
This cooler has a dimension of 457 x 140 x 27mm without fans. With fans, this size is 457 x 140 x 53mm. We did not observe any clearance issues with this cooler. You would need to check that your PC Case has clearance for this size radiator. There are hardly a few cases in the market that support 420mm AIO, like Fractal Design Meshify 2, Thermaltake View 71 TG, Thermaltake Level 20 GT, SilverStone ALTA F2, and Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 901, to name a few. The tube side does not hinder DIMM slots. The real challenge will come from the cable management and Commander Core.
Digital RGB Lighting and Screen Customization
There is no way to connect the RGB cables to the motherboard’s supported header. We are solely relying on Commander Core and iCUE, for that matter. CORSAIR has done a fantastic job when it comes to lighting effects on the fans and various display options with flexible customization on the display screen. We are not running down iCUE details this time since we have provided extensive coverage in the last two contents. Here are a few pictures.
Thermal Testing
We have used the below-mentioned configuration for this testing:
- Intel i7 13700k
- GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX
- Kingston Fury Renegade DDR5 32GB @ 6400MHz CAS 32
- GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC [For Display]
- Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD
- be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
- Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition converted into an open-frame layout
Here is the settings table for testing:
| P-Cores Clock (MHz) | Auto [5300 All Cores] |
| E-Cores Clock (MHz) | Auto [4200 All Cores] |
| Voltage (V) | Auto [Ranged between 1.27 to 1.30V] |
| C-States | Disabled |
| Speed Step | Disabled |
| Thermal Paste | [CORSAIR XTM70] |
| Thermal Paste Application | Pre-Applied Thermal Paste |
| Test Run Time | 30 minutes |
| Idle Time | 10 minutes |
| Fan Speed | 100% PWM Duty Cycle |
| Pump Speed | Full speed |
| Header | CPU_Fan Header, USB 2.0 Header |
| Stress Software | CINEBENCH R23.2 |
| Monitoring Software | HWInfo64 |
Before we move on to the results, let me write a few lines on the new platforms from both camps. We have seen AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs taking more power, and this time, both sides have aimed at reaching the maximum clocks regardless of the thermal limit. In fact, they run into thermal limits right away depending on the cooling solution and the clocks being used.
This has made testing of CPU coolers challenging because viewers/readers are not used to a new nomenclature, which is what clocks are sustained under a given load using a particular cooler. That is if the cooler is capable of providing enough cooling heads to sustain the high frequencies. Traditionally, we are used to going the other way around, that is, which cooler is better in terms of thermal capacity. Despite this, we are using temperatures as a base for measuring this unit.
The ambient temperature was in the range of 30°C to 31°C. Since the variation in the ambient temperature is within 1°C, we are reporting absolute temperatures in the graph. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.
Disclaimer: Every silicon is different; hence, no two SKUs are likely to take the same voltage to yield the same performance at the same thermals per se, but the margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result, which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is why we have listed our variables and their settings. Variables not mentioned are on the Auto setting. We are actually testing the cooler on all Auto and stock settings.
Let’s take a look at the results.
Result
This test was done using Intel’s default settings with power limits imposed. The CPU was drawing roughly 225W power, so this is a 220W domain result.
This cooler has performed very well, keeping the i7 13700k at 84°C at an ambient of 27°C. No complaints there. Even this cooler has managed to beat the powerful ARCTIC Liquid Freezer – II 420 though with a 1°C margin.
Noise
As per our sound meter, these fans were making 53dB(A) sound output at an ambient sound level of 33 dB(A). This is somewhat of a noisy performance but can be tamed using a custom fan curve or a Balanced preset in iCUE. This is where ARCTIC cooler has a super good performance.
Conclusion
In this article, we have taken a look at a 420mm liquid cooler from CORSAIR. Many brands have showcased their upcoming 420mm AIOs at Computex 2023. So, it is about time we put some through their paces and see what the performance is all about. The cooler we have tested is the iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT. This cooler comes with a CORSAIR LCD Screen pre-installed. This screen is available separately for purchase, and the iCUE Elite Capillex XT coolers are also compatible with this screen.
It would be fun if I could get a white color LCD Screen for my iCUE H100i Elite Capillex XT cooler that would complete this cooler from all aspects. Anyhow, I digress. Coming back to the main topic, this series of coolers is available in 240mm, 360mm, and 420mm sizes. This cooler is compatible with Intel Sockets LGA: 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 1700, 2011, 2011-3, 2066 and AMD Socket: AM4, AM5, and sTR4. All necessary mounting hardware is included in the box, so you would not have to worry about anything.
This unit packs a 420mm size radiator measuring 457x140x27mm. Here, 457 is the length, so make sure your case has support for a 420mm size radiator. 27mm refers to the thickness, and adding 140x25mm size fans would make the overall thickness ~53mm. The radiator houses aluminum-made fin stacking with 12 channels for coolant flow, having an FPI count of 20. There is a standard gap of 105mm between two opposing end mounting holes and 15mm on two adjacent mounting holes.
CORSAIR uses metal clamps to hide the connection of the tube and fitting over the radiator and pump housing. CORSAIR uses sleeved rubber tubing with fine threading. These tubes are soft and flexible without kinking. They run to approximately 450mm and have nice nylon braided black color sleeves for aesthetics. Since this unit comes with an LCD screen, you will not get the face plates that we saw in the iCUE H100i/150i Elite Capellix XT coolers.
The Screen is circular in design, and it has 480×480 resolutions operating at 24-bit and 30 FPS. It is an IPS panel. The screen has a large size compared to what we have tested so far in the screen display category coolers, and I love what CORSAIR has done with it. The level of customization using iCUE is just on another level. You can use predefined inlays or presets or load pictures in JPG format, as well as animations in GIF.
The pump housing has almost a square outlook. The LCD screen uses a proprietary 8-pin connection interface that makes it compatible with the other supported CORSAIR coolers. The pump housing is made of an ABS material. The screen is powered by the same 22-pin bulky connector, and this time, there is a USB 2.0 (9-pin) connector as well. In total, we are dealing with two such connectors on this cooler. CORSAIR has covered us by providing a Y cable using which we can connect both connectors to a single USB 2.0 header on the motherboard.
The copper base has a size of roughly 56x56mm, and it has pre-applied thermal paste, which is XTM70. This is CORSAIR’s high-performance thermal paste. CORSAIR has not provided extra thermal paste in the box. With this price tag, I was expecting a tube of thermal paste as well. The tubes are installed in a 90° orientation to make them rotatable up to a certain extent.
CORSAIR is using AF RGB ELITE 140mm fans with iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT cooler. These fans are in black color. Each fan has 9x frosted blades. The anti-vibration pads are in dark black. These fans have a closed-frame design. The backside of these fans has stator vane guides. CORSAIR calls these anti-vortex vanes. These help in directional or focused airflow coming out of the fan. The CORSAIR AF RGB ELITE fan has a dimension of 140x140x25mm. It has a maximum speed of 1700 RPM with a maximum of 89 CFM airflow at 2.00mmH2O static pressure. The noise level is rated at 33.8 dB(A) maximum. These fans are using Fluid Dynamic Bearings.
Like iCUE H100i/150i Elite Capillex XT coolers, CORSAIR has bundled an iCUE Commander Core Fan Controller and RGB Hub with this cooler. This hub is SATA-powered, and it has a 9-pin USB 2.0 connector, meaning you would need a spare USB 2.0 header on the motherboard. The pump’s 3-pin power cable is connected directly to the CPU_Fan Header or Water Pump Header, whereas the rest of the cables are attached to the Commander Core. This makes cable management quite challenging. At the same time, we are again software dependent, particularly for the digital lighting effects. The Commander Core is non-magnetic and needs to be attached to the PC Case using self-adhesive tape.
The basic installation of this cooler is convenient. The Intel mounting brackets come pre-installed on the pump housing. We need a total of 9x items to install the block on the Intel LGGA 1700 CPU, excluding the pre-installed mounting bracket. I did not notice anything peculiar to report here.
CORSAIR iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT cooler is listed at USD 309.99 at the time of this writing. This is a CORSAIR listed price. It is quite a steep price. CORSAIR is offering a 5-year warranty on this cooler. This cooler was put on Intel Core i7 13700k for testing. The ambient temperature was 27°C. This cooler, under heavy workload, managed 84°C on this platform, showing its might and size benefit. It has even managed to take a marginal lead over the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer – II 420 in our testing. Unlike the 120mm fans on the iCUE H100i/H150i Elite Capellix XT coolers, the 140mm CORSAIR AF RGB ELITE fans are a bit noisier. Needless to say, the LCD screen and vivid lighting effects definitely augment this cooler’s proposition.
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[Hardware Reviewer & Editor]
Meet Nauman Siddique, a highly experienced computer science graduate with more than 15 years of knowledge in technology. Nauman is an expert in the field known for his deep understanding of computer hardware.
As a tech tester, insightful reviewer, and skilled hardware editor, Nauman carefully breaks down important parts like motherboards, graphics cards, processors, PC cases, CPU coolers, and more.
- 15+ years of PC Building Experience
- 10+ years of first-hand knowledge of technology
- 7+ years of doing in-depth testing of PC Hardware
- A motivated individual with a keen interest in tech testing from multiple angles.
- I majored in Computer Science with a Masters in Marketing
- Previously worked at eXputer, EnosTech, and Appuals.
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