The history of pirate ship in the field of integrated liquid cooling can be traced back more than ten years ago, covering dozens of models, more than some of which have appeared in our list The best AIO cooler. But the new H170i Elite Capellix is the largest AIO in the company’s history, with a huge 420 radiator (3×140 mm). Of course, it is also equipped with a Corsair pump controlled by the company’s iCue system management and monitoring suite, an independent Commander Core lighting and fan controller, and three ML140 RGB fans. As you might imagine, the size of the H170i Elite Capellix is equipped with equipment to cool almost all desktop processors on the market today.
You may ask, what about AMD Threadripper? Of course, this also includes AMD’s high-end desktop (HEDT) chips for TR4 Gen 1 and 2 or sTRX4 Gen 3. We think you might ask this question, so we have compared our HEDT Intel i9 and AMD TR4 desktop test systems as well.
If you are looking for first-class CPU cooling and your case supports a large 3x140mm radiator, then the H170i Elite Capellix is one of the largest AIOs you can touch today, with a cooling capacity commensurate with its size. If you can adapt to it, get it.
Corsair provides H170i Elite Capellix with a rich set of mounting hardware for installing this huge AIO on almost all currently available Intel and AMD desktop processors. The common variety of coated brackets, block adapters, backplates and threaded machine screws include an interchangeable faceplate and Commander Core lighting and fan controllers.
Corsair provides a 5-year warranty for the H170i Elite Capellix.
At the heart of the H170i is Corsair’s current generation pump, which is designed for lighting and monitoring managed by the Commander Core controller-despite the presence of a 3-pin tachometer connector for speed control of the pump itself. Intel mounting brackets are pre-installed, but these brackets can slip easily to make way for AM4 or TR4/sTRX4 brackets. A pair of 90-degree swivel joints allow adjustment of the pipe, and the pipe itself is covered with a braided nylon sleeve.
The pump is equipped with a pair of interchangeable panels-one black, one white-each panel allows the display of light effects from the opaque pump surface, displaying 33 independent LEDs according to the design mode you choose. Even after installing the cooler, it is easy to remove the four Allen screws to exchange them (as long as you have not misplaced the wrench).
The H170i uses a copper block board and applies factory-applied thermal paste.This is sufficient for AMD AM4 and Intel CPU applications, but for Threadripper installation, you should look for some The best thermal paste To ensure more complete coverage.
Using a steel ruler, we verified that the base was ground flat to distribute the thermal paste evenly under tension.
Intel processors are neatly concentrated under the H170i heat sink, and the Threadripper installation makes full use of the entire surface of the block, although the block still cannot fully cover the huge AMD HEDT processor.
The Commander Core control unit provides management of the H170i’s fan, pump and lighting control, but can also manage some additional 3-pin or 4-pin cooling fans or other devices compatible with Corsair’s iCUE system. The Commander Core is powered by a single SATA 12v plug and is directly connected to the motherboard’s 9-pin USB connector, and is of sufficient length to allow manufacturers to put away the control module to keep the appearance clean.
The iCUE software itself has been updated with a more complete visual appearance and some new features, including integration with the entire ecosystem of other devices, and some RGB immersive in-game lighting coordination.
Of course, the expected functions including graphics, lighting customization, and customized performance pump and fan curves, serve as a one-stop source for system monitoring and management.
Three 140mm fans use Corsair’s 4-pin RGB connector for lighting control and 4-pin PWM for speed management. They have a rated speed of up to 2000 RPM, are designed to move large amounts of air through a 420 radiator, and allow 8 individually addressable RGB LEDs to be customized for each trimmer.
Although it may not seem so intimidating, the 420 (3x140mm) radiator is much larger than the typical 360 radiator, which makes it a limiting factor for most installations, as many system chassis generally do not support this radiator size. The look and feel of the aluminum heat exchanger is similar to the 360 unit of the smaller H150i Elite Capellix, but the dimensions are different.
our Corsair Graphite 760T Just enough to support H170i’s huge 420 radiator. Otherwise, the installation is very simple, almost following all AIO steps, including installing the radiator, cooling block + pump unit and connecting all wiring, including the Commander Core management module.
With the installation and operation of the H170i, the installation of the iCUE software allows us to customize fan curve settings, RGB lighting, and open the door to your specific custom needs.
