CORSAIR iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT Cooler Review

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Nauman Siddique

At Tech4Gamers, I take on the role of Hardware Reviewer with pride. My responsibilities involve a thorough examination of essential hardware components like motherboards, graphics cards, processors, PC cases, and CPU coolers, among others, focusing on their complexities and functionalities.

 

 

 

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We have recently tested the CORSAIR iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT White color cooler. This time we are taking a look at the iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT White cooler. Essentially both coolers are the same, with only a difference in size. One is 360mm, and the other is 240mm in size. H100 or H100i series coolers have been quite popular ever since their introduction from CORSAIR.

Like iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT, the H100i version also uses AF RGB ELITE fans. The H100i version also features the CAPELLIX LEDs on the pump housing, providing brilliant digital lighting effects, and it has the same 3 pump caps as well.

Key Takeaways

• The Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT is designed for those looking for a capable 240mm AIO liquid cooler that does not miss on its visual elements.
• The Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT is not for searching for a budget-friendly AIO liquid cooler.
• The Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT provided solid thermal performance, maintaining a temperature of 91°C on an i7-13700K at an ambient of 30°C

Let’s start with the specifications.

Packing Box

Here is the unboxing experience the cooler offers.

Unboxing

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What’s in the box?

Here’s everything included in the box.

Box Content

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In addition to these accessories, there are two CORSAIR AF RGB ELITE fans and a cooler.

Closer Look

Let’s take a closer look at the cooler and everything it has to offer.

Radiator

Starting with the radiator.

The CORSAIR AIO cooler features a sleek aluminum radiator, coated in a balanced white tone. With dimensions of 277x120x27mm, it’s a standard size. The 27mm height increases to 54mm with 25mm fans. The 20 FPI radiator has 12 channels for coolant flow and a 105mm gap between mounting holes on opposite sides. From a distance, it presents a sharp-free rectangular design, free of stickers or branding.

In this close-up of the CORSAIR radiator, I can see impeccable fin stacking with no bends or broken fins. Two stickers on the tube side display a part number, serial number, and a scanning label. The concealed fittings inside white metal clamps add to the sleek look. The power ratings indicate 12V at a maximum of 0.8A.

Both sides of the radiator housing have a metallic CROSAIR logo in the middle.

There is no protective plating under mounting holes on the main frame. This plating protects the screws from damaging the fins. Looking closely, we can see that the mounting arm of the housing is sitting closer to the fin stack, meaning we have more surface area on this unit, unlike the other AIOs.

Examining the radiator’s backside, the paintwork and fin stacking appear well-executed. I’ve noticed that CORSAIR employs sleeved rubber tubing, approximately 400mm in length. The H150i and H170i, however, boast longer 450mm tubes, distinguishing them from the H100i in our tests. These low-permeation, flexible tubes are wrapped in stylish white nylon braided sleeves for a cool aesthetic.

Pump

The CORSAIR iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT shares its pump housing design with the H150i, featuring a black-finished ABS material. Notably, the top lid houses 33 CAPELLIX LEDs, and it’s removable with a swappable cap.

The cooler includes three caps for user customization. The default cap, seen in the close-up picture, boasts stunning digital RGB backlighting, providing a spectacular view.

Taking a look at the rear of this housing, I notice the fittings installed at a flexible 90° angle, allowing user rotation. The black fittings complement the white-finished metal clamps. The pump features a 22-pin bulky connector for powering and controlling the digital RGB LEDs, exclusively compatible with Commander Core or other CORSAIR Commander hubs.

The unit features pre-applied thermal paste (XTM70), and the Intel mounting brackets are pre-installed. The copper base measures 56x56mm. Note that there is no extra thermal paste provided and a protective cover was removed for the picture. CORSAIR maintains this trend in their product design.

The pump housing is unbranded with a solid black finish, divided into top (LEDs) and bottom (pump) sections. A screw on the front covers a factory-use-only port. The pump is powered by a 3-pin connector.

Fans

The cooler uses AF RGB ELITE fans, featuring a close-framed design with 9 frosted blades and a large-diameter center housing 8 LEDs. CORSAIR-branded stickers on the hub complement the gray-over-white color scheme. Stylish cut-to-size gray anti-vibration pads are on the mounting corners. The backside has 9 anti-vortex vanes, suitable for various applications. A white CORSAIR sticker is present, and the fans use Fluid Dynamic Bearings.

These fans have a solid frame. There is a serial number sticker pasted on the side from where the cables are coming out. There are two arrow symbols. They are there to help identify the direction of airflow and the direction in which blades spin.

The specifications of the fan are:

Each fan has a 4-pin PWM connector to power the fan’s motor and a 4-pin proprietary connector for LEDs. Under CORSAIR Ecosystem, these connectors are required to be connected with the Commander Core.

Installation

We have also tested the CORSAIR iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT cooler on the Intel platform. Installation is simple. Some key steps are:

• Place the backplate behind the motherboard
• Use the LGA 1700 standoffs and secure the backplate with the motherboard. Backplate may feel a bit loose, but that is ok. 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 the radiator in the case or as per the requirement
• Connect fan cables to the CORSAIR iCUE Commander Core
• Connect the pump housing’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.

Installation

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Clearance

This cooler has a dimension of 277 x 120 x 27mm without fans. With fans, this size is 277 x 120 x 54mm. We did not observe any clearance issue with this cooler. You would need to check that your PC Case has clearance for this size radiator. The tube side does not hinder DIMM slots.

Commander Core

We have already covered the Commander Core and iCUE software in detail in our CORSAIR iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT White cooler. Here, we will cover the main design element.

Commander Core

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Digital RGB Lighting

The only way to control the digital lighting is through the Commander Core and iCUE. There is no mechanism to connect the RGB elements to the motherboard’s header. The digital lighting effects on this cooler are the same as on the H150i version, and we simply love these. Here are a few pictures.

RGB Effects

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Thermal Testing

We have used the below-mentioned configuration for this testing:

• Intel i7-13700K
• GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX
• T-Force Delta RGB DDR5 32GB 6000MT/s CAS30
• 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:

AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs prioritize maximum clocks, encountering thermal limits immediately with various cooling solutions. Testing CPU coolers becomes challenging as there’s a shift in assessing sustained clocks under load, and testing the cooler’s ability to handle high frequencies. Traditionally, cooler performance was measured in thermal capacity.

Testing was conducted with an ambient temperature of 30-31°C, and absolute temperatures were reported due to a negligible ambient variation. Results on an open-air bench may differ within a chassis based on airflow.

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.

The maximum temperature under heavy workload was 94°C. Yes, this is high temperature, but the CPU did not throttle, and this is how the new platforms behave thermally. Also, testing was done at high ambient temperatures.

Noise

As per our sound meter, these fans were making 51~52 dB(A) sound output at an ambient sound level of 34 dB(A). This is a nice performance since these fans are not that loud.

Should You Buy It?

After testing, I’ve pinpointed the ideal users for this cooler.

Buy It If:

✅You want a high-performance 240mm AIO liquid cooler: With the Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT, Corsair has made sure not to compromise on build quality, aesthetics, as well as performance.

✅You want a visually stunning AIO cooler: With RGB lighting, replaceable pump caps, and a clean white finish, the Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT is one of the best-looking 240mm AIO liquid coolers you can get your hands on.

✅You are going for a white-themed build: The cooler’s white design makes it a perfect fit for any white-themed setup.

Don’t Buy It If:

❌You are looking for something cheaper: Despite being a 240mm AIO liquid cooler, the Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT’s price point is steep.

Conclusion

The CORSAIR iCUE H100i Elite Capellix XT White cooler impresses with its 240mm size, concealed metal clamps, and well-balanced white color tone. The fin stacking and paint job are commendable, and the low-permeation rubber tubes with white sleeves add to the aesthetic appeal. The integration of temperature alerts and shutdown capabilities enhances user control.

The Commander Core’s non-magnetic nature, installed with double-sided adhesive tapes, contributes to the overall simplicity of pump housing installation. While the Intel mounting bracket comes pre-installed, cable management, especially with 9x mounting hardware for Intel LGA 1700 CPUs, poses a challenge.

At USD 177.99, the price is steep for a 240mm cooler, but CORSAIR offers a 5-year warranty. Despite temperature readings in the 90s, influenced by modern platform thermal behavior and a high ambient temperature of 30°C ~ 31°C, the cooler performs well. The relatively quiet CORSAIR AF RGB ELITE fans and captivating digital lighting effects from CAPELLIX LEDs make this cooler a visually appealing and functional choice.

Awards Received By The Corsair H100i Elite Capellix XT

Here are the Tech4Gamers Awards the Corsair H100i Elite Capellix XT received.

• Best 240mm CPU Cooler For i7-14700K
• Best RGB CPU Cooler For Ryzen 9 5900X
• Best 240mm CPU Cooler For i9-14900KF
• Best 240mm CPU Cooler For i7-14700KF
• Best 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler For Ryzen 5 5600X3D

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Nauman Siddique

[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.
• Completed Course in Computer Systems Specialization From Illinois Tech

Get In Touch: nauman@tech4gamers.com