Corsair H150i Pro Liquid CPU Cooler Overview
Once you get all the individual components out of the protective packaging you really start to see the work that Corsair put into this unit versus old generations. With this kit you get the cooler, three fans, a bag of installation hardware, a manual, and warranty information. The look and feel of the parts so far is all very good, especially the pump, radiator, and tubing.
Taking a peek inside the bag of hardware we find only a few basic changes to the standard Corsair kit. Alongside the hardware for connecting the three fans to a radiator and the pump bracket we find a newly redesigned AMD bracket, standoffs, backplate, and a USB to mini USB cord.
Next we come to the fans. This trio is a set of high pressure Corsair ML series 120mm PWM fans. They are a stripped down version of the ones that can be purchased individually. Doing so they remove the rubber sound dampening parts from the mounts. While the claimed specs are fine at 1600 rpm creating 1.78mmH2O of pressure and 47.3CFM of airflow they feel kind of cheap. They really stand apart from the rest of the kit in this aspect. It would have been nice if Corsair had included the retail versions, even better would have been an RGB model. If the claimed specs are in fact correct one redeeming factor would be the sound level at only 25dBA max these should be fairly ear friendly.
And then there is the cooler itself. My initial impulse is to heap praises on this unit. In the past Corsair AiOs while performing mostly quite well have generally lacked in the design department. Utilitarian would be a good description. What we have here is a well polished machine with all the little touches that are required to set an AiO above it’s peers.
Let’s start at the pump itself where we find a significant reduction in both the size and bulk of the pump body when compared with previous generations. The top of the pump features the Corsair logo in the center of the top and back-lit by RGB LEDs. The logo is set on a high gloss black background and surrounded by an RGB ring. Beyond that is a silver cap that covers the edges. Around the sides of the pump body is a second larger RGB ring. Both rings are opaque plastic which should create a diffuse looking light. The short stack height is quite unobtrusive and very modern.
Around the outside of the pump there are several connections. Opposite the inlet/outlet tubing is the micro USB data connection. In-between the 90° degree swivel fittings you’ll find the power wiring exiting the pump body.
Moving to the bottom of the pump we find an all copper cold plate attached with 8 screws and preinstalled with a perfectly even layer of thermal paste. The finish of the cold plate is not entirely smooth we would give it about a B grade for polish.
Attached to the pump from the factory is the Intel bracket. With a simple twist you can remove the bracket and swap it for the AMD version. This system is one of the easiest we’ve seen for changing brackets.
As mentioned the pump has a couple power connections. This includes a Sata connection for main power and a 3-pin for the motherboard header. On top of those two inbound power connections you also have three 4-pin PWM connectors for the fans. Routing all the power through the pump allows you to have complete control over the fan speed.
Moving from the pump to the radiator you’ll find the two connected by solid rubber tubing covered in nice black sleeving. At the other end is of course the aforementioned radiator. Most AiO radiators are pretty much the same thin identical design as if they were all sourced from the same supplier. Fortunately this 360mm Corsair model is a bit more unique as well as a bit more refined. It starts with a nice even matte black paint job on the whole rad. The paint is even and dark. Often you will find that when a cheap paint is applied there is a blue hue in places, that is not the case with the H150i PRO. Atop this lustrous black paint you will find a nicely understated chrome Corsair logo in the center of the side of the rad on both sides. It’s a very nice extra touch that doesn’t go too far that it becomes gaudy. The fin pack on the rad is standard for the 27mm thickness and we couldn’t find any bent or damaged fins on our sample.
