Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat RGB AIO but just decent CPU Cooler
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2019
*******Edit 5/29/2019
I had an issue with my unit in which the H115i when updating the firmware. While the update was taking place the H115i disappeared from iCue and remained updating (over 30 minutes) which was irregular as most of the previous firmware updates lasted several minutes. I tried restarting iCue to no avail but the H115i fans started to max out and the pump would go full speed. This was way too loud so I hard reset my computer. To my confusion the pump was recognized by iCue on restart with the pending update once again. Attempting to update restarted this cycle of a disappearing H115i that would go full blast. At this point I contacted Corsair support and issued a ticket. They gave me some suggestions (plug usb header onto another motherboard header) but this did not solve the problem. At this point they issued an RMA and graciously provided the shipping costs. I thought they would attempt to just fix it but instead sent me a brand new unit. After install, I was able to update to the firmware that borked the previous unit and the pump is working flawlessly. Will update this review if anything happens.
TLDR: Firmware update borked H115i but Corsair support came to the rescue quickly and provided a new replacement unit. Not docking a star cause it wasn't the pump that malfunctioned but iCue. If I could give iCue a rating, it'd be a 1 out of 5. Come on Corsair, fix iCue!
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This is quality all in one (AIO) liquid cooler from Corsair that comes with RGB LL 140 maglev fans that are reliable, quiet, efficient and allow for a lot of colorful customizations for any PC build. I previously owned the Corsair Hydro Series H115i and this is a decent improvement over that model. I purchased the 280mm version of this product and this is the current build I am using it with:
Corsair Obsidian 500D RGB
Corsair Commander Pro
ASUS Maximus Code XI motherboard
Intel Core I9 9900k
Corsair Vengeance RGB 2 X 16GB 3200 MHz
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 TI
Corsair H115i Platinum
Seasonic Prime Platinum 1300W
2 X Samsung EVO Plus 1 TB NVMe
2 X LL 120mm Corsair RGB Fans
Build Quality:
This is a solidly constructed AIO. The radiator is thick and the tubing is not extremely rigid, allowing for some decent positioning/maneuverability if using as an exhaust or intake. The fans provided are Corsair's LL140mm RGB fans which are maglev and are beautiful to look at. The CPU block has a ring that lights up with RGB lights as well. Now there are a lot of cables to manage with this package as the RGB is connected via a micro USB cable that needs to be connected to a motherboard USB header. Then the fans also need to be connected to the motherboard (or preferably a Corsair Lightning Pro Node or Commander Pro) and the whole thing is powered via a Sata cable. Overall it's a quality AIO but comes with a mess of wires which is somewhat counter intuitive when going for a clean RGB look.
Perfomrance:
Now I am judging the Platinum's ability to cool my particular CPU and your results will vary depending on what CPU you end up using. Regardless, bare in mind that trying to cool an I9 9900K overclocked (to 5.0 GHz all cores at 1.335v) is really difficult for any AIO to accomplish efficiently. When running CPU stress tests (AIDA64, RealBench, Prime 95), the 9900k will hover around 85-87 Celsius. When gaming however, it runs much cooler mid 50's to highs of 60-65 C. Overall you're not going to be blown away by the performance but you should be able to adequately cool most consumer grade CPUs.
Noise:
The AIO is very quiet on idle as the both the pump and the fans function at a mere whisper. If you crank up the fans to 100% or put the pump on extreme mode they can get very audible (like a jet taking off). However, you can create custom fan curves to fit your preferred noise-to-performance level using the iCUE software that simultaneously allows for RGB control.
RGB Lighting:
Both the fans and the CPU block can be customized to the color of your choosing utilizing Corsair's iCue software. You can create custom effects or use presets and can even control the brightness (three levels) of the LED's or simply turn them off. They work well and look great all around.
Price:
This is somewhat subjective as RGB always commands a price premium. Compared to the Corsair Hydro Series H115i PRO RGB AIO at $138.63 (current price on Amazon), you're paying almost $20 more for the same performance without RGB fans. However, if you take into account the fact that this product has the better LL140mm RGB fans that are quieter and cost $39.99 each, the $!59.99 price tag starts to sound like a phenomenal deal. In my opinion, this product is reasonably priced for what you get.
Side Notes:
-The Corsair iCUE software is hit or miss. It is buggy and not as easy to configure as it should be. I didn't factor this into the review rating because the software works with many products and doesn't actually reflect the AIO's quality in itself. That being said, to fully utilize the RGB you will have to use the software no matter what.
-Extra screws, RGB cable extensions, and fan cable extensions are included in the box.
