Those who were fretting about CPU blocks becoming increasingly socket-specific and expensive still have options! I had just finished submitting my review of the CORSAIR Hydro XC7 RGB PRO and then realized the Raijintek Forkis Pro RBW did this even better. In a way this is a block from a few years ago, owing to the design of the block, it's various installation sets and methods, and even the cooling engine itself. Raijintek has added in LGA 1700 (and AM5 by default) support here to make it more future-proof, but ultimately it goes to show that physics is still a great equalizer and there's only so much you can do with newer CPU block designs while still being tied down to a low budget. The likes of EK and Optimus have CPU blocks that cost 3-4x as much as the Forkis RBW, if not more with special editions, and yet everything is close enough in performance to where it won't be a big enough reason these days to justify the price increase.

Where those blocks do get sales is by getting creative in build quality and aesthetics. Ultimately this PC DIY watercooling hobby of ours is more about looks than it is about how well something performs, given it isn't 2005 and the age of modified aquarium or car cooling components anymore. Raijintek can't compete there in offering intricate all copper blocks or even go with socket-specific options that also look extremely clean when installed. Installation too can be easier these days with other blocks, and the overall user experience is certainly more polished with some of the competition previously covered. Yet all these can be swept under the rug once you see the Forkis Pro RBW sells for $70—or less in Europe—and it's not like this is an ugly block either. I think the combination of the brushed aluminium frame over the PMMA top, combined with a polished nickel-plated copper cold plate and the integrated addressable RGB LEDs all come together to make for a CPU cooling solution that isn't stuck in the past either. Raijintek easily merits our budget award thus and the Forkis Pro RBW should be on your radar for a price-efficient watercooling loop.