What is iCUE LINK? Everything you need to know about the future of PC building

iCUE LINK is our new ecosystem that simplifies the PC building process, allowing you to spend less time fiddling with cables, and more time actually building your next technology centerpiece, gaming PC, or general workhorse.

Using iCUE LINK products will put an end to multiple lighting hubs, labelling cables, and using Y-splitters plugged into other Y-splitters. Sounds enticing, doesn’t it? Well, here’s how it works, and what products take advantage of it. We’ll take it from the top, with how iCUE LINK works.

iCUE LINK is an ecosystem that we’re integrating into our new DIY PC building products. It puts an end to messy RGB hubs and colossal mountains of cables that have to be squished behind the back panel. It works by condensing the data and power into a single connector. This connector allows you to join all your iCUE LINK products together, with all the power, lighting, and control going from product to product, terminating with a single cable to the iCUE LINK System Hub. Speaking of which:

The System Hub is the brains of the whole ecosystem. It connects with up to 24 other iCUE LINK Products in your system with a maximum of 12 per channel. Measuring just 2x2-inches, it’s magnetic, too, so you can put it anywhere you want, and if you want it somewhere that isn’t magnetic, it comes with sticky adhesive strips. The small size, low number of cables, and versatile mounting options make it a DIY PC builder’s dream. It sits at the heart of this new ecosystem. But what else is there?

Of course, one of the main culprits of the usual rat’s nest of wires is the humble AIO. Multiple fans need RGB lighting and PWM control, and the pump itself needs power, control, and lighting, too. Some of them even have screens, like our Elite LCD XT Display series of AIOs.

Luckily for you, we’ve developed a new line of AIOs that incorporate the cable clutter-cutting technology of iCUE LINK. This transforms what was once one of the more irritating parts of building a gaming PC into a simple and enjoyable experience.

Even if you manage to tidy all the cables from a traditional AIO, you’re still left with the unavoidable cable that sits front and center as it extends from the pump. This is no longer a problem as we’ve integrated the cable into the tubing, creating a super clean aesthetic.

This tubing goes to our all-new iCUE LINK-enabled radiator. Here you’ll find 2 more iCUE LINK ports, making it a perfect point to split out to other iCUE LINK products, reducing further cable clutter. Additionally, you’ll find a USB Type-C port, that you’ll need if you decide to pick up the LCD upgrade kit for your iCUE LINK AIO—did we mention that installing this is also completely tool and cable free? Just take off the LED top and put the new LCD top on and you are good to go.

The iCUE LINK AIOs are available in black or white and in 240mm, 280mm, 360mm, and 420mm sizes (280mm and 420mm are only available in Black at time of writing.) So, you’ll be able to take advantage of this new technology regardless of the internal layout you prefer. It’s worth mentioning here that the iCUE LINK AIOs all come with the System Hub, so you’ll be ready to go out of the box

The AIOs all come with fans as is standard, however, if you want to keep the look of your system completely consistent, it’s worth replacing the stock fans with the iCUE LINK QX series fans. They come in both 120mm and 140mm sizes and have been designed to seamlessly clip together. This is done with two bridges, one passive, and one active, which provides power, lighting, and control.

This means that there will only be a single cable for any fans positioned in a single row, which creates the cleanest arrangement of fans to date. This cable then runs back to the System Hub, or connects to other iCUE LINK compatible products (such as other fans, or an AIO cooler.)

Each fan has a built-in temperature sensor that allows for super granular control and up to date, accurate system monitoring. There’s also a staggering 34 RGB LEDs in each fan, providing the ability to create stunning lightshows all throughout your system. We even added a “Time Warp” effect, which strobes the LEDs according to the speed of the fans, tricking your eyes into seeing the fans as entirely still with the blades not spinning.

Party tricks aside, these fans can walk the walk, too, spinning up from 480 all the way to 2400 RPM, pushing up to 63.1 CFM of air with 3.8mm-H2O of static pressure.

Obviously, with the iCUE LINK leading to such a convenient PC building experience, we had to implement it into our enthusiast Custom cooling products too.

This means that we will be releasing pump-reservoir combos, CPU, and GPU waterblocks, all with iCUE LINK technology, which will be as simple and effective as all the other iCUE LINK products. We’ll have loads more information on those products very soon. Stay tuned.