What just happened? Corsair has announced a new line of AIO coolers that feature an LCD panel on the CPU block with a 480 x 480 resolution and 30 FPS refresh rate. The IPS screens can show not only system information but also animated GIFs, images, memes, logos, and more.
Corsair had already teased its new all-in-one liquid coolers, which will support Alder Lake chips, and has now lifted the lid on the iCue Elite LCD line. The AIOs come in three varieties: the H170i Elite LCD (420mm), the H150i Elite LCD (360mm), and the H100i Elite LCD (240mm).
Each cooler features an ultra-bright (600cd/m²) 2.1-inch 480 x 480 LCD screen on the pump head that can display the likes of fan speeds, system temperatures, and coolant temps. As with similar high-end AIO coolers, it's also customizable with images and GIFs---and at 30 frames per second with 24-bit true color depth. If that isn't snazzy enough, there's a ring of 24 individually addressable RGB LEDs surrounding the LCD that's programmable through Corsair's iCUE software.
As for the AIOs themselves, they use a thermally optimized copper cold plate with a high-density design, consisting of 128 micro-skived fins per inch. The iCue Elite LCD coolers also use ML RGB Elite Series fans with Corsair's AirGuide technology and magnetic levitation bearings for reduced friction, lower noise, better performance, and long-lasting durability.
Each iCue Elite LCD Cooler comes with an iCUE command that can control the lighting and speeds of the included fans (and others). The ML120 RGB Elite and ML140 RGB Elite fans feature speeds of 450 RPM to 2,000 RPM and 400 RPM to 1,600 RPM, respectively. And it's good news for those who simply can't have enough RGB in their cases: there are eight individually addressable RGB LEDs per fan.
Corsair says that its coolers drop processor temperatures by six degrees compared to air cooling in tests on a 250W CPU load with a 27C ambient temperature. They are compatible with a variety of CPUs, including LGA 115x, LGA 2066, AM4, sTRX4, and the upcoming LGA 1700, and come with a five-year warranty.
Given their high-end specs and features, the iCue Elite LCD Coolers aren't cheap. The H100i Elite LCD is $259.99 and the H150i Elite LCD is $289.99, while the H170i Elite LCD is $309.99. Owners of Corsair's iCue Elite Capellix coolers can purchase the iCue Elite CPU cooler LCD display upgrade kit separately for $99.99, which comes with a two-year warranty.