The Corsair H150i Pro RGB AIO Cooler Review: The Quiet Giant

Testing Results, Maximum Fan Speed

Our maximum speed testing is performed with both the fans and the pump of the kit powered via a 12V DC source. At this voltage, the speed of the pump and the fans should match the manufacturer’s ratings. As per Corsair's specifications, the ML120 fans included with this cooler should have a rotational speed of 1600±10% RPM. Our tachometer's reading was 1620 RPM, almost a perfect match, and all three fans were rotating at the same exact speed, indicating and exceptional quality manufacturing process with minimal variation.

When having a look at the maximum thermal performance charts, the H150i Pro RGB is hardly impressive. It does land near the top of our charts but it cannot really outperform significantly smaller AIO coolers. The average thermal resistance of the Corsair H150i Pro RGB is 0.0731 °C/W, better than that of most AIO coolers that we have previously tested, but the performance difference between its smaller counterparts seems miniscule. Even Corsair's own H100i GTX matches the performance of the H150i Pro RGB, with an average thermal resistance of 0.0732 °C/W, whereas Alphacool's liquid cooling kit lands at 0.0532 °C/W and retains its massive performance gap compared to standard AIO coolers.

A careful look at our sound pressure level charts reveals the great advantage that the H150i Pro RGB has over smaller implementations. Even with its fans running at maximum speed, the noise level of the H150i Pro RGB is just 39.2 dB(A), a figure that is audible but generally considered comfortable. Furthermore, the pump is dead silent, without any perceptible high pitch "whining" noise that plagued earlier AIO cooler designs.