INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   With demand for RGB capable components and peripherals on the rise it's really not a surprise that manufacturers from all segments of the industry do their best to make the most out of it. Now as many of you are certainly aware although there are several CPU air coolers available currently in the market that feature RGB lighting (primarily via RGB fans) in reality only AIO liquid CPU coolers have enjoyed increased sales due to the addition of RGB lighting. Now recently we reviewed the high-performance Hydro H150i Pro Low Noise 360mm RGB Liquid CPU Cooler by Corsair and since it was able to produce near-excellent cooling efficiency at low noise levels we decided to also test and add to our charts their 280mm H115i Pro RGB model which was released at the exact same time.

   Founded in 1994, CORSAIR supplies high-performance products purchased primarily by PC gaming enthusiasts who build their own PCs or buy pre-assembled customized systems. The company's award-winning products include DDR3 and DDR4 memory upgrades, computer cases, PC cooling products, gaming headsets, gaming keyboards, gaming mice, power supply units, USB flash drives, solid-state drives and system monitoring and control devices.

   Unlike the triple 120mm fan H150i Pro RGB model the H115i Pro RGB is a dual 140mm fan model (again also manufactured by Asetek) which means that it should enjoy higher compatibility with PC towers than the former. Just like the H150i Pro RGB the H115i Pro RGB was also designed for almost inaudible operation and since it's paired with larger 140mm ML magnetic levitation PWM fans it could actually be even less audible. To be more specific the 140mm ML PWM fans used can spin up to 1200RPM to produce 55.4CFM of airflow and 1.27mm-H2O of air pressure with just 20.4dBA of noise. These fans are in turn paired with a 315mm long and 29mm thick radiator, 350mm long black sleeved low permeability tubes, high-performance pump (up to 2850RPM / identical model as the one used in the H150i Pro RGB) with a top temperature controlled RGB LED and an all-copper base (coldplate). Also just like the H150i Pro RGB and the H115i before it via CORSAIR's LINK software you can customize lighting, monitor temperatures and precisely adjust pump and fan speeds or stop cooling fans entirely via the Zero RPM fan mode (can be activated at low temperatures).

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We received the H115i Pro RGB inside a long black box that has a product picture at the front surrounded by its many features and the company logo.

 

 

A short list of the main product features is placed on the right side in two languages right over yet another product picture.

 

 

At the rear of the box we see a radiator drawing (showcasing the unit's dimensions) and a description of the main product features in 6 languages.

 

 

At the base of the box we see a list of things one can do via the LINK software.

 

 

Moving at the top of the box we see the CPU compatibility list and bundle contents printed in 6 languages.

 

 

As expected the entire bundled is placed inside a thick formed piece of cardboard.

 

 

Along with the main body of the H115i Pro RGB inside the box you will also find two ML Series PWM 140mm fans, micro USB to mainboard header cable for CORSAIR LINK™ Integration, fan and radiator mounting screws, quick start guide, warranty information papers and all the required bits and pieces to mount the cooler onto Intel LGA1150/1151/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2/FM2+ compatible mainboards (optional AMD sTR4 bracket is also available from CORSAIR).

 

 

THE H115I PRO RGB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes once again we see the usual radiator/tubes/pump/waterblock combo but just like with the H150i Pro RGB the H115i Pro RGB seems to be a quality product.

 

 

According to our tool the radiator is exactly 29mm (the extra 0.3mm could be a calibration issue).

 

 

Just like the radiator used in the H150i Pro RGB this one also has an FPI (fins per inch) count of 21.

 

 

Again just like with the H150i Pro RGB the H115i Pro RGB is equipped with two 350mm long black sleeved tubes.

 

 

CORSAIR has placed their logo ontop of the pump/waterblock combo (an RGB LED is placed right beneath it).

 

 

A micro USB port which needs to be connected to your mainboard USB header (for the LINK software to work) is located at the front of the base.

 

 

The tubes used with the H115i Pro RGB can rotate up to roughly 100 degrees from the base (exactly like the ones used in the H150i Pro RGB).

 

 

The all copper base (coldplate) has quite a few visible machine marks on it and as you can see it comes ready with a pre-applied layer of thermal conductive material on it.

 

 

In terms of connectors the H115i Pro RGB has two four-pin (PWM) fan connectors, one SATA power connector and a three-pin fan connector for the pump.

 

 

Just like with the H150i Pro RGB the H115i Pro RGB is bundled with fans from the "regular" (non RGB) ML line by CORSAIR.

 

 

 

With both fans installed the H115i Pro RGB is good to go.

 

 

Worth pointing out is that with both fans mounted the thickness of the H115i Pro RGB jumps to almost 55mm.

 

 

CORSAIR LINK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To use the LINK software by CORSAIR you will need to visit their download page as seen above.

 

 

The main screen gives you a rundown on the temperature of the system, CPU and GPU and reports on the status of the cooler (fan/pump speed, temperatures and LED color and effect).

 

 

If you are not into playing around with the various settings CORSAIR gives you the choice of three main presets from the drop down menu found in the configuration page (Performance, Balanced and Quiet).

 

 

From within the configuration page you can change the speed of the fan and the pumps (via various presets) and the color of the LED (performance mod was used in this review since even with that noise levels were very low).

 

 

Secondary options can be changed from the options tab.

 

 

Pressing on the graphing menu adds several graphs on the right end of the software screen as seen above.

 

 

TEST BED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since we want all of you to be able to compare similar products we created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. When testing complete water cooling kits we use the Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste. Finally much like when testing CPU Coolers it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with our test rig (when we test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

 

 

TEST RESULTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The original H115i may still be a great dual-fan AIO liquid CPU cooler but it has one drawback its high noise levels (and we mean high) which made it primarily ideal for serious gamers and overclockers. Because of that it was just a matter of time really before CORSAIR equipped it with less powerful ones and shipped it back out to cover all segments of the market. The Hydro H115i Pro RGB is exactly that since most of the cooler is identical to the original. However this time over it also offers RGB lighting for its base so we expect that this will make it even more enticing to some people. True it can’t exactly match the performance of the original but with reduced noise levels by roughly 35% in performance mode we all think that it’s a far better choice overall. Just like with the H150i Pro RGB we’d prefer it had CORSAIR used their impressive dual light loop RGB fans so it’s our hope they’ll do so in the near future.

   We were actually quite glad to see that CORSAIR did exactly what they should and that was to ship the brand new Hydro H115i Pro RGB with the same price tag of the “regular” H115i. To be more specific currently the H115i Pro RGB retails for USD139.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 145Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) and although it’s not the most cost-effective model of its range still it’s also not what we’d call very expensive. Bottom line the H115i Pro RGB is the ideal choice for people who just can’t fit the larger H150i Pro RGB in their towers and for that it’s also worth our Platinum Award.

PROS

- High Build Quality
- Very Good Cooling Efficiency (Performance Mode)
- LINK Control Software
- Dual 140mm Radiator (Compatibility)
- Up To Four 140mm Fans In Push & Pull
- Temperature Controlled RGB LED (Can Also Be Adjusted Manually)
- 350mm Long Sleeved Tubes

CONS

- Price (For Some)