Introduction

Corsair continues its push to dominate the PC gaming market. Bolstered by a wide range of products that cover just about every market segment, from system memory and power supplies to cases, coolers, fans, and even custom systems, you could say Corsair pretty much does it all. When you consider how far they have come since their founding in 1994, it is honestly quite impressive. It is almost as impressive as the company's commitment to all-in-one liquid coolers and continued dedication to being the go-to brand for those coolers. This of course leads us to today's review of Corsair's massive H170i Elite Cappellix, which quite literally feels like an ode to the phrase go big or go home.


Corsair's H170i Elite Capellix will be the focus of today's review. Much like its sibling, the H150i Elite Capellix, The H170i uses three ML series fans; however, due to the massive 420 mm radiator, they are 140 mm fans rather than the former's 120 mm ones. This triple-fan behemoth will likely have issues in regards to fitting into most cases. However, those who can squeeze in an all-in-one liquid cooler of this size should see a boost in performance, especially when paired with high TDP processors. For most users, a 240 or 360 mm radiator will likely make more sense; thus, the H170i is a niche product. But if you want the biggest AIO you can buy that looks good, Corsair has you covered.

Packaging

Much like the H150i Elite Capellix we reviewed previously, the packaging for the H170i Elite Capellix is much the same with its bright yellow box. The full-color image of the H170i with the pump and fans illuminated can be found front and center. At least you know exactly what you are getting, at least in theory as the image on the box does nothing to convey the sheer size of the AIO. That said, as is standard for Corsair liquid coolers, this unit uses their iCUE software. While nice, as someone who prefers to avoid excess software, it's not a selling point for me. However, if you have already invested in Corsair products that are a part of this ecosystem, the inclusion of the Commander CORE will likely be beneficial. The left side has the same image of the cooler on a bright yellow background. A quick turn to the back gives us the proper details on the unit, including the specifications, features, and some mechanical drawings showing the radiator's overall dimensions.


The right side is essentially the same as the left. As for the supported sockets, you will find those on the top panel. There is also a list with images of the various bits of hardware included in the box, including the mounting hardware, Commander CORE RGB/fan controller, etc. Finally, the last panel only has "Super Chilled" in big letters on a yellow background.

Contents

Another liquid cooler, another cardboard tray, and considering the price of these all-in-one units, some slightly better protection would be nice. Granted, it is not necessary, but at $230, this is an enthusiast-class cooler, so I expect more than the bare minimum in packing materials. I might be called a snob for it, but when you unbox a premium product, it should feel like it.


The cooler supports the sockets you would expect, including Intel's mainstream and HEDT systems and AMD's AM4, sTR4, and sTRX4, the same as its 360 mm sibling. Overall, Corsair is generous enough to include the extra screws and washers for a push-pull setup, but considering how massive this unit is, it is likely doing so would make it even more difficult to fit into various cases.

Common parts supplied for mounting include:

• 24x Washers
• 24x Fan screws
• 12x Radiator screws
• 4x Intel 115x standoffs
• 4x Intel LGA20XX standoffs
• 4x Thumbscrews
• 4x AMD sTR4 standoffs
• 2x AMD screw clips
• 1x Set of AMD mounting brackets
• 1x Set of Intel mounting brackets
• 1x Set of AMD sTR4 mounting brackets
• 1x Intel backplate
• 3x 1240 mm ML Series ARGB fans
• 1x Alternative pump cap
• 1x Allen wrench
• 1x Commander CORE RGB/fan controller