INTRODUCTION

   Regular CPU Air Cooler sales may still be holding well largely thanks to consumers on a tight budget who are not really looking to get the best possible cooling efficiency for their systems but AIO (all-in-one) models continue to gain ground and so it makes sense that most manufacturers keep enriching their product lines with new models. The continuously increasing popularity of RGB lighting (and RGB peripherals and components in general) is also part of the reason for this since gamers and enthusiasts are not only into high performance but also looks. CORSAIR recently introduced two new models in their growing line of RGB AIO liquid CPU coolers (360mm H150i Pro RGB / 280mm H115i Pro RGB) and after numerous awards (not to mention impressive sales numbers) today they released their smaller brother the H100i Pro RGB Low Noise 240mm RGB Liquid CPU Cooler.

   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.

   Much like the dual 140mm fan H115i Pro RGB model the H100i Pro RGB is also a dual fan model (just like its predecessors it's also manufactured by Asetek) this time however thanks to the 120mm fans and effectively smaller size (both in length and width) the H100i Pro RGB features a much higher compatibility with PC cases. Again like both of its predecessors (115i/150i Pro RGB) the H100i Pro RGB was also designed for almost inaudible operation and although the high-speed/performance ML120 magnetic levitation PWM fans should be quite noisy at maximum speed (2400RPM/75CFM/4.2mmH2O/37dBA) thanks to the Zero RPM, quiet and balanced modes offered by CORSAIR's control software they can also be quite inaudible. The two 120mm fans are paired with a 276mm long and 27mm thick radiator, 350mm long black sleeved low permeability tubes, high-performance pump (up to 2850RPM - identical model as the one used in the H115i/H150i Pro RGB) with a top temperature controlled RGB LED and an all-copper base (coldplate). Also just like the H115i/H150i Pro RGB models via CORSAIR's control software (LINK/iCUE) 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). Last but not least just like its predecessors CORSAIR covers the H100i Pro RGB Low Noise 240mm RGB Liquid CPU Cooler with 5 year limited warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Typically we received the H100i Pro RGB model 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.

The LINK software is mentioned and detailed the base of the box.

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

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.

Once again the entire bundle is placed inside plastic bags and inside a thick formed piece of cardboard.

Along with the main body of the H100i Pro RGB inside the box you will also find two ML Series PWM 120mm fans, micro USB to mainboard header cable for CORSAIR LINK™ and iCUE 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 H100I PRO RGB

As expected after testing both of its predecessors the H100i Pro RGB is a high quality radiator/tubes/pump/waterblock combo.

According to our tool the radiator is exactly 26.5mm thick (very close to the 27mm reported by CORSAIR - and since calibrations issues do exist with tools ours could be a bit off).

Just like the radiator used in the H115i/H150i Pro RGB models this one also has an FPI (fins per inch) count of 21.

Once again the radiator is connected to the pump/waterblock combo via two 350mm long black sleeved low permeability tubes.

The CORSAIR logo is as usual located 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 and iCUE software suites to work) is located at the front of the base.

The tubes used with the H100i Pro RGB can rotate up to roughly 100 degrees from the base (exactly like the ones used in the H115i/H150i Pro RGB).

The all copper base (coldplate) comes ready with a pre-applied layer of thermal conductive material on it.

In terms of connectors the H100i 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 H115i/H150i Pro RGB the H100i Pro RGB is bundled with fans from the "regular" (non RGB) ML line by CORSAIR.

With both 120mm fans installed the thickness of the H100i Pro RGB climbs to around 52.11mm.

ICUE SOFTWARE

You can download the latest version of the iCUE control software from the official CORSAIR page seen above.

Just like with many other devices we've received by CORSAIR lately once you launch the iCUE software it will detect all compatible devices and list them on the right.

The Extreme mode used here is the equivalent of the Performance mode we've gotten used to in the LINK software (this means maximum performance at the expense of noise - this is also the mode we used for our tests).

CORSAIR gives you a total of 13 RGB modes to choose from in the iCUE software (you can of course choose your very own colors as well).

There are also 4 performance presets you can choose from quiet, balanced, Extreme and Zero-RPM (in Zero-RPM the fans don't start spinning until temperature reaches 40 degrees).

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 H115i Pro RGB and H150i Pro RGB models by CORSAIR have two things in common, top cooling efficiency at very low (almost inaudible) noise levels. Still since the first is a tri-fan 360mm model and the second is a dual-fan 280mm model they don’t feature the best compatibility with PC cases and this is practically where the H100i Pro RGB comes in. Of course because of its smaller size CORSAIR had no other choice but to use high speed 120mm fans which although at quiet and balanced modes are very quiet at performance/extreme they are quite audible (as expected). Of course this means high cooling efficiency and although my guess is that most people will choose to go with balanced instead of performance/extreme still it’s always good to have many different modes to choose from. CORSAIR also puts more weight on their brand new iCUE software (which is also why we used iCUE for this review) and although it doesn’t offer the wealth of information (mostly related to system and CPU temperatures) as their LINK software (the good news is that you can still use it - you can only use one of the two at the same time however) it’s still recommended for people who own more than just one CORSAIR device (unified). The rest remain pretty much the same as with its predecessors so expect a high quality product covered by a 5 year limited warranty.

   CORSAIR officially launched the Hydro H100i Pro RGB just a few hours ago and so it currently retails for USD119.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 122.90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is actually very balanced for what you're getting. Unfortunately the one thing we’d like to see (as with its predecessors) used is the new RGB fans by CORSAIR and although these would boost the price of the product by quite a bit they look amazing and so it would be great if CORSAIR at least gave that option to consumers. Overall however the H100i Pro RGB is just as good as its predecessors (leaving out its noise levels we tend to agree) and for that it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- High Build Quality
- Very Good Cooling Efficiency (Performance / Extreme Mode)
- iCUE & LINK Software Suites
- Dual 120mm Radiator (Excellent Compatibility)
- Up To Four 120mm Fans In Push & Pull
- Temperature Controlled RGB LED (Can Also Be Adjusted Manually)
- 350mm Long Sleeved Tubes

CONS

- Noise Levels (Performance / Extreme Mode)