Whereas the corporate began out promoting L2 cache modules for OEMs, at present Corsair sells all kinds of elements and peripherals, just like the Corsair 5000X case and CX750M Energy Provide. Cooling has additionally been a staple of the corporate’s lineup for a very long time; most not too long ago we examined Corsair’s iCUE H100i Elite 240mm with Intel’s i9-12900K.
However with Raptor Lake elevating the bar of cooling issue, Corsair has despatched us its strongest AIO but – the 420mm iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT. Can it tame Intel’s 13900K and earn a spot on our finest AIO coolers checklist? It undoubtedly has a measurement benefit, in addition to a excessive $309.99 MSRP, however we’ll must put it by way of testing to learn the way it performs. First, listed below are the specs from Corsair.
Cooler Specs
| Cooler | Corsair iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT |
|---|---|
| MSRP | $309.99 USD |
| Radiator Dimensions | 457 x 140 x 27 mm |
| Radiator Materials | Aluminum |
| Pump Pace | As much as 2700RPM |
| Socket Compatibility | Intel: LGA 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2066 |
| AMD: AM5, AM4, AM3, sTRX4, sTR4 | |
| Base | Copper |
| Max TDP (Our Testing) | ~325W |
| Guarantee | 5 years |
Packing and Included Contents
420mm is way from small, and as such the Corsair iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT arrives in a bundle that’s virtually so long as my arm.
Included with the bundle are the next:
- 420 mm Radiator
- CPU block with 2.1-inch IPS Show
- 3x 140 mm followers
- Mounts for all fashionable CPU sockets (together with AM5 & LGA1700)
- Security and guarantee info
- {Hardware} lighting and PWM hub
- Pre-applied thermal paste
Set up
The set up of Corsair’s AIO is pretty easy.
1. Safe the backplate.
2. Safe the standoffs.
3. Safe the radiator and followers to the highest of the case.
4. Safe the CPU block to the standoffs.
5. Safe the fan management hub, then join the CPU block and followers to it.
Options of Corsair iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT
2.1-inch 480×480 IPS Show
On high of the CPU block is a vivid 480×480 IPS show that may present the sensor readings of your selection with quite a lot of show themes, or be loaded with a customized background or animated GIF of your selecting.
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Full Copper CPU plate
The CPU contact plate on Corsair’s iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT is product of copper and comes with thermal paste pre-installed.
{Hardware} RGB & PWM Hub
The H170i Elite comes with a {hardware} RGB & PWM hub, able to supporting as much as three further further followers, not together with these that include the cooler (6 gadgets supported in whole).
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27mm thick 420 mm radiator
The S36 Prisma encompasses a 420 mm radiator that’s 27 mm (1.06 inches) thick. This isn’t the thickest (or thinnest) radiator we’ve seen, but it surely needs to be suitable with any case that helps a 420mm AIO.
3x AF RGB Elite PWM 140mm followers
There’s extra to a cooler than simply the heatsink or radiator. The bundled followers have a major impression on cooling and noise ranges. Included with the iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT are three 140mm AF RGB Elite followers. The variations of those followers included with the cooler are barely stronger than the usual AF RGB Elite followers, with a most pace of 1700RPM vs 1600 on the usual fashions. Corsair advertises highly effective airflow, as much as 89 CFM of peak airflow, a low-noise score (10-33.8 dBA), and sturdiness because of fluid dynamic bearings. Listed below are the fan’s specs:
| Mannequin | AF RGB Elite PWM |
| Dimensions | 140 x 140 x 25 mm |
| Fan Pace | 500 – 1,700 RPM |
| Air Move | As much as 89 CFM |
| Air Strain | 2.00 mm H2O |
| Bearing Sort | Fluid Dynamic Bearing |
| Lighting | RGB |
Fan Curve tied to AIO Coolant temperature, relatively than CPU temperature.
The pump and fan curves of the iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT are based mostly on the temperature of the CPU coolant as an alternative of the CPU. This has benefits and downsides, however many will respect the way it reduces noise ranges in widespread masses and eliminates bursty fan conduct.
The drawback to this technique is that semi-intensive, however sustained, workloads will trigger the cooler to run simply as loudly as it might in a totally unrestricted workload. The followers may even spin at increased speeds for a reasonable time frame as soon as the workload has accomplished, relatively than immediately returning to low speeds. This occurs as a result of it takes a couple of moments to deliver the AIO’s coolant temperatures down after a sustained workload.
Complete Software program Suite
Corsair’s iCUE software program gives complete customization for its coolers, elements and peripherals. I used to be pleasantly stunned to see my motherboard’s RGB choices detected by the software program, permitting simple management over all system RGB capabilities. This is because of cooperation between the 2 firms that was first introduced in 2020 (opens in new tab). Different motherboard manufacturers should not at present supported by iCue.
The software program permits for in-depth controls of the cooler’s LEDs. You possibly can change the settings for every particular person LED on the included AF RGB Elite followers.
You might be additionally capable of change what’s proven on the CPU block’s small display screen by way of the software program. You possibly can set it to indicate the time, coolant temperature, or one other sensor of your selection. The background may be modified from quite a lot of customizable presets, or you can too add a picture or GIF file.
Testing Methodology
Whereas it was pretty simple with earlier CPU generations for coolers to maintain the flagship i9 processor properly underneath TJ max (the utmost temperature a CPU can maintain with out throttling) in powerful workloads, that is not realistically attainable on present era CPUs (and the 13900K particularly) with out excessive cooling (or enabling energy limits).
Whereas prior to now a CPU hitting its peak temperature was trigger for concern, fans are going to must study to just accept excessive temperatures as “regular” whereas operating demanding workloads with Raptor Lake and Ryzen 7000 CPUs. Trendy AMD and Intel CPUs are designed to run pretty scorching with none issues – as much as 95 levels Celsius and for AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs and as much as 100 C for Intel’s Core i9-13900K. Related conduct has been commonplace in laptops for years as a result of cooling limitations in tight areas.
Moreover, Intel’s Core i9-13900K helps Adaptive Increase Expertise (ABT) which permits Core i9 processors to dynamically enhance to increased all-core frequencies based mostly on accessible thermal headroom and electrical circumstances. This enables multi-core masses to function at as much as 5.5 GHz if the mandatory quantity of thermal dissipation is there. This characteristic works in a means that actively seeks excessive temperatures: If the chip sees that it’s operating beneath the 100-degree C threshold, it would improve its efficiency and energy consumption till it reaches the secure 100 C restrict, thus sustaining increased clocks (and offering higher efficiency) for longer durations.
The elevated cooling challenges posed by Raptor Lake imply that we’ve needed to change a number of the methods we check coolers. Some coolers had been capable of move Cinebench R23 multicore testing with Intel’s twelfth Gen i9-12900K when energy limits had been eliminated (though solely the strongest fashions had been capable of move that check). Most liquid coolers and all air coolers I’ve examined “failed” that check as a result of the CPU reached TJ max on this situation.
With Raptor Lake’s 13900K, not a single cooler examined has been capable of maintain the CPU underneath TJ max on this check – as a result of as we identified, the chip is designed to dial up efficiency and energy till it reaches that thermal end result. For these intense masses, we’ll check efficiency by evaluating the overall quantity of watts cooled and noise ranges.
I’ll be testing Intel’s i9-13900K CPU utilizing Asus’ TUF Gaming Z690 Gaming Plus WIFI motherboard and Cooler Grasp’s HAF 700 Berserker PC case, with case followers restricted to 35% speeds. The motherboard’s default fan curve is used for the CPU Cooler’s followers.
Along with testing Cinebench with out energy limits enforced, we’ll even be exhibiting outcomes when the CPU’s energy consumption is proscribed to a extra affordable 200W. We’ll additionally present outcomes at 125W for many who choose whisper-quiet cooling, at the price of some efficiency. For each of those outcomes, we’ll present conventional delta over ambient temperature outcomes.
We’ll present noise degree measurements recorded utilizing a PSPL25 Sound Meter for all three energy ranges examined to check how a lot noise every cooler makes in numerous situations. We count on most coolers to run quietly at 125W.
LGA1700 Socket Bending
Notice there are a lot of components apart from the CPU cooler that may affect your cooling efficiency, together with the case you utilize and the followers put in in it. A system’s motherboard may affect this, particularly if it suffers from bending, which leads to poor cooler contact with the CPU.
As a way to forestall bending from impacting our cooling outcomes, we’ve put in Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact body into our testing rig. In case your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal outcomes can be worse than these proven beneath. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this situation. I examined Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And whereas one in every of them confirmed vital thermal enhancements after putting in Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact body, the opposite motherboard confirmed no distinction in temperatures in any way! Try our evaluation of the contact body for extra info.
Testing Configuration
| CPU | Intel Core i9-13900K |
| Comparability Air Coolers Examined | Cougar Forza 50 |
| DeepCool AG400 | |
| DeepCool AG620 | |
| Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET G6 Stealth | |
| SilverStone Hydrogon D120 ARGB | |
| Thermalright Murderer X 120 R SE | |
| Thermalright AXP120-X67 | |
| Comparability AIO Coolers Examined | Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 |
| Corsair iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT | |
| DeepCool LT720 | |
| Enermax AquaFusion ADV 360 | |
| Fractal Celsius+ S36 Prisma | |
| MSI MAG CoreLiquid P360 | |
| SilverStone VIDA 240 Slim | |
| Motherboard | Asus TUF Gaming Z690 Plus Wifi DDR5 |
| RAM | Kingston Fury DDR5-6000 |
| GPU | Intel ARC A770 LE |
| Case | Cooler Grasp HAF 700 Berserker |
| Monitor | LG 45GR95QE |
| PSU | Cooler Grasp XG Plus 850 Platinum PSU |
MORE: How you can Purchase the Proper CPU Cooler