Introduction

Our most recent round of CPU water block reviews saw an entry each from Corsair, Bykski, and Granzon. One could argue that Granzon should be considered part of Bykski, but they are different brands nonetheless. Today we commence the second part of this same roundup with the same three brands represented one more time. The common theme is that all three blocks coming up are more expensive than the previous equivalent offerings, and the newly tested models all have integrated displays.


Corsair's entry is the iCUE XC7 RGB Elite LCD. Notice the absence of iCUE Link in the product name—this is surprisingly not part of Corsair's new ecosystem that uses a USB bus to allow for more products to be powered and connected off a single control hub. Instead, the iCUE XC7 RGB Elite LCD has its own direct connection to a motherboard USB header, presumably to ensure it has all the bandwidth necessary to make the most of the 2.1" 30 FPS 480 x 480 pixels LCD screen that has a full 16.8 M colors on offer. We've seen this display used in a pre-iCUE Link AIO CPU cooler before, so it is also equally likely that Corsair decided to re-use certain components. Regardless, expect to see iCUE-based software customization along with an integrated thermal sensor to help set custom fan/pump curves. Let's examine the block further in our review today which begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below. Thanks to Corsair for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp!

Specifications