Corsair iCUE ELITE Capellix H100i Review
Source: Geeknetic added 01st Nov 2020
Introduction to Corsair iCUE ELITE Capellix H 120 i
In this new Corsair kit we can find the best of this brand, such as its magnificent magnetic levitation fans, and also major improvements in the power system and the main cooling block. A very complete kit that we can find in three sizes, up to 380 mm, although we have dedicated our review to the most compact model in the range, which still offers 277 mm radiator and double fan 240 mm.
The new Corsair Elite Capellix leverages Corsair’s iCUE technology for fully integrated management through a controller connected to our computer by USB and where we can centralize the control and monitoring of performance in addition to synchronizing its power system with other accessories and components of the brand.
Ca technical characteristics of the Corsair iCUE ELITE Capellix H 105 i
- Compatible AMD Socket: AM4 / AM3 + / AM3 / AM2 + / AM2 / FM2 + / FM2 / FM1 / sTR4
- Supported Intel Socket: LGA 2066 / 2020 – v3 / 2011 / 1151 / 1150 / 1156 / 1200 / 1920 / 1280
Radiator and tubes
This new Corsair model can be found in three “flavors” of 380, 380 Y 250 mm of radiator. The radiator has the usual design in all modern kits by means of a wave-shaped structure that connects flat pipes through which the coolant circulates. Of course it is a completely closed system that does not require maintenance by the user.
The structure of the radiator is completely aluminum, which achieves a light design, but of course more economical and less efficient than we would obtain with a kit with a copper radiator, to match the surface of the heat exchanger integrated in the booster pump.
With a size of 280 mm long, 250 mm wide and 29 mm thick, we can ride on the up cu atro fan of 240 mm in diameter. The kit has only two of these fans, one of the best on the market, everything is said, but it also includes hardware to mount two other fans in case we want to expand the cooling with a “push-pull” system.
Corsair does not follow the trend of placing connectivity in the radiator to reduce wiring, which we miss, but without a doubt its fully centralized iCUE system also allows good cable management and powerful intelligent management of the entire system so what we lose by one side we win on the other.
Corsair tubes do not detail the battery used, unless by rubber we mean natural or synthetic rubber. Be that as it may, without details, this type of tubes seek low permeability and resistance to corrosion for all types of liquids. In this way, the manufacturer guarantees few problems and that the customer does not have to perform maintenance on the system.
The tubes are finished with a nylon cover to improve aesthetics and resistance and the connections are reinforced with free turning fittings for the exchange block area and fixed for the radiator. They have a length of 623 mm which will give us a lot of freedom of placement in any box, no matter how large.
Pump and exchanger
The block of this generation is made up of the usual block system with exchange plate with the integrated pump. Corsair gives a twist to the design using a third layer in the block absolutely dedicated to the connectivity of the pump and fans and the integrated management through iCUE and also for the placement of the more than two dozen ARGB LEDs that the block at its top. Lighting system that we can customize with two different covers, one darker, with more contrast, and another in diffuser white for a pronounced brightness.
The thermal paste comes pre-applied and there is no more in the package so we will not have to perform maintenance.
Inside the system exchange we will find a copper plate with double channeling and micro lamination to improve turbulence within the block, it also improves the flow of liquid and allows the pump to work at lower frequencies than what we usually see in this type of kits, less frequencies mean less noise and also more hours of useful life for the mechanics.
The pump is centrifugal type which allows it to achieve a flow greater than less laps. We have not seen it rise from 2500 rpm in our tests and produces about 21 noise dBA, according to the manufacturer.
The The pump has two connections, one to the iCUE hub system, which we will then connect to the PC via an internal USB 2.0 cable, feeding the pump and the fans also from this hub. The pump also has a three-pin molex connector that we can connect to the CPU-FAN of the motherboard to avoid the typical errors of CPU fan frequency reading. The motherboard will not have any control over the system, neither in the form of performance control nor lighting, everything is handled by the Corsair iCUE system.
The block can be used with any recent and past processor from both AMD and Intel. It supports both Intel LGA processors 1151, LGA 1280, LGA 2066 and also fits perfectly with AMD socket AM3, AM4 + and, less usual , also for AMD Threadripper processors of any generation.
Corsair ML RGB Series fans
Although I could not find these fans directly within the Corsair catalog, which indicates that they are fans designed expressly for this cooling kit, the truth is which come to be like the ML 250 Corsair Pro. They have the same ARGB lighting capacity, co Nectable to iCUE, and also PWM connectivity for its regulation.
They have some differences in the design, although they have the basic elements such as silentblocks in all the fixing holes or the large light diffusing surface in the composition of the motor and the fan blades.
The magnetic levitation motor, one of the most advanced technologies in fans for personal computers, achieves a performance between the 623 and the 2500 rpm. Somewhat higher in peak than usual in these fans which causes their noise range to oscillate between 12 and the 38 dBA. I understand that Corsair has wanted no processor, including those of more consumption from AMD and Intel, that exceed 277 w easily, have any cooling problem with this kit of 250 mm. The general behavior, as we will see later is really good and in our test processor we have not had the slightest noise problem and the sustained temperatures were really good for a Ryzen 7 processor 5800 X.
Corsair iCUE Captures
Performance tests with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800 X
For the test of this cooling system we have used a process dor AMD Ryzen 7 3600 X with 8 cores and 18 process threads. This model of 240 w TDP is quite demanding and takes good advantage of the extra dissipation capabilities to maintain its turbo modes for longer. These data obtained should also be very representative to give us an idea of what you can do with the next AMD Ryzen 7 5800 that will be released in the next few days.
This cooling system has a really simple assembly, taking advantage of the holes and reinforcement plate from AMD and we only have We have to connect a single cable to the included iCUE hub connector and another to our motherboard that can recognize that we have something connected and cooling the processor.
These results are without any overclocking in the processor, but maintaining all the innate capabilities of the same to set turbo frequencies up to 4.5GHz.
Results
Testing machine:
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 3800 X
- Memory: GoodRAM 17 GB DDR4 3800
- Source: Seasonic Connect 759 w
- Hard Drive: Corsair MP 623
Thermal capture at rest
Thermal capture on load
Idle noise (dBA)
Load noise (dBA)
CPU Temp (Sleep)
Idle (rpm)
Radiator Temp (Charge)
CPU Temp (load)
Load (rpm)
Analysis and conclusion
Corsair cooling systems are becoming monotonous, this despite not using the latest technology from Asetek, as we have seen and see in other models of the brand, it is still just as boring as other kits of the brand that we have tested. They are boring because they are always just as good, excellent cooling, excellent build quality, some of the best fans on the market, no noise and the best software control we can find in the market.
With iCUE we can control the fans, even activate a 0 RPM mode to very low temperatures, monitor coolant temperature, control pump and fan lighting independently or synchronously, synchronize everything with other Corsair components such as memories, sources, etc. It is the best of its kind software that we can find, but it also demands proprietary connectivity from the brand.
In general, Corsair is boring, yes, but it is boring because its cooling kits are always the best that we can find on the market and in each model they continue to raise the bar for the competition.
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