Now that we’re shipping the first wave of our iCUE LINK ecosystem, we thought we’d make a quick list of 5 reasons why you should build an iCUE LINK System. It’s all well and good being given product listings, spec sheets, and press releases, but where’s the context? The real-world benefits? Let’s take a look.
Of course, the concept of simplicity is as attractive to veterans as it is to newcomers, even if it means the veteran can’t show off quite as much about how cleverly they navigated an annoying issue. Despite being equally attractive, it’s certainly a more vital aspect for the beginners. Build-stopping issues can really take the wind out of a new builder’s sails.
Cable management is often the cause of such issues. You de-tangle power and RGB cables coming from every fan, wind them around to get them where they need to go and suddenly you don’t have enough motherboard headers, or your math regarding the number of splitters you need was off. Pain, regret, and a couple of days waiting for new parts will ensue.
iCUE LINK puts an end to all that, as the iCUE LINK System Hub is able to run up to 7 devices from each cable for a total of 14 devices per controller. The gaps between these devices need only a single cable, too. It’s literally as easy as that. One cable takes care of power, data from sensors, and RGB.
The single cable advantage that leads to an easier building and cable management process also results in the cleanest, tidiest build aesthetics around. A single cable is way easier to hide, and given that a single iCUE System Hub can handle up to 14 devices, the back of your motherboard tray is about to get a whole lot cleaner, too.
We’ve also tired of the inevitable cable that featured front and center on the pump of AIO coolers. Typically, it snakes upwards over the motherboard to reach behind the motherboard tray for cable management.
This is not the case with our new iCUE LINK AIOs, as we’ve integrated this cable into the tubing, making it entirely invisible. Even with our LCD screen upgrade kit, the only additional cable you will need is a USB Type-C cable that goes from the end of the AIO radiator to a header on the motherboard. Visually, you’ll notice no additional mess.
Also, for those of you who like to go rogue and mount the AIO in weird ways, the Corsair Logo is attached magnetically, and can be reoriented to be correct.
RGB lighting is one of the most ubiquitous features of PC gaming hardware, so, in addition to the innovative simplification features of iCUE LINK, we had to make sure the products in this ecosystem could glow with the best of the rest.
Our iCUE LINK QX series of fans, for example, have 2 distinct lighting loops, one on the intake side, and one on the exhaust, as well as four lighting bars on the sides of the fans. These total a massive 34 RGB LEDs, creating unparalleled opportunities for fine tuning your preferred lighting setup.
Not least of which is a particularly fantastic mode we call “Time Warp”. Which gives you the option to synchronize the strobing of the LEDs with the speed that the fans are spinning. This creates an effect that tricks your eyes into seeing the fan as not spinning at all. You can also make it appear like the fans are spinning super slowly, or even going backwards. As long as you’ve connected the QX fans to iCUE, you can try the Time Warp effect.
Not to be outdone, the Pump cap has 20 RGB LEDs, so all RGB parts of the iCUE LINK ecosystem are powerful enough to make your build shine.
Neat cables and extravagant lighting aside, there would be no utility in buying into the iCUE LINK ecosystem if the products didn’t perform. Well, don’t worry about that, because these products really do, let’s start with the QX RGB iCUE LINK fans. (We’ll have more info about the AIOs shortly.)
We offer the QX series of fans in the standard 120mm and 140mm sizes, both of which are bona fide workhorses capable of cooling even the most intense of gaming PCs. Here’s a full spec list for the 120 and 140mm QX fans.
iCUE QX Fan Specs
| Model Name | QX120 RGB | QX140 RGB |
|---|---|---|
| PWM Range | 0%, 20%-100% | 0%, 20%-100% |
| Airflow | 16.44–63.1 CFM | 12.1–82.5 CFM |
| Speed | 0, 480–2400 RPM +10% | 0, 400–2000 RPM +10% |
| Sound Level | 10- 37 dBA | 10–37 dBA |
| Static Pressure | 0.17 3.8 mm-H20 | 0.19 3.5 mm-H20 |
| RGB LEDs | 34 Individually Addressable | 34 Individually Addressable |
| Bearing | Magnetic Dome | Magnetic Dome |
| Warranty | 5 Years | 5 Years |
Additionally, each fan has its own temperature sensor and MCU (Micro controller unit), so each QX RGB fan can be individually monitored, controlled, and synced to the others. There’s no shortage of tech in these fans, and we didn’t even mention the glass fiber-reinforced chassis or anti-vibration dampers.
With the iCUE System Hub being capable of hosting up to 14 devices, chances are you won’t be maxing it out first time. However, very soon we’re launching more iCUE LINK devices that will be taking full advantage of the same simple setup benefits.
First we’re going to be releasing an LCD upgrade kit for the iCUE LINK AIOs which will be installed simply by removing the existing pump cap, and clipping the LCD on in its place. This uses the same wiring that’s integrated into the tubing. Super simple, now let’s move onto the enthusiast water cooling hardware that’s on the way.
That’s right, soon to be joining the iCUE LINK family we’ve got waterblocks for your GPU and CPU. For GPUs we’ve got the iCUE LINK XG3 RGB Hybrid GPU block and the iCUE LINK XG7 RGB full coverage water block. Both of these will be as easy to connect as the rest of the system, and will rovide similarly incredible lighting.
For CPUs we’ve got the XC7 RGB Elite CPU block, and an LCD display version called the XC7 RGB Elite LCD, which will have similar features to the LCD versions of the iCUE LINK AIOs.
To power the loop, we’ve got the XD5 RGB Elite and XD5 RGB Elite LCD. Two pump-reservoir combos, that will slide into the iCUE LINK ecosystem easily, providing a powerful force between whatever custom water cooling plans you’ve got.
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