I promised the elephant would be addressed, so let's get right to it: DDR4 memory kits do not need to be cooled for just about everyone reading this article. There are extenuating circumstances for sure, but if you are in need of such a water-cooling kit, you are likely also aware of it already and do not need me to tell you so. For everyone else, even the stock heatsink on your RAM kit is unnecessary and at times worse than just running the PCB in its naked glory. Manufacturers can not set a brand presence without heatsinks, however, and these have ended up being more of an excuse to customize aesthetics, especially with RGB lighting becoming the norm for the more higher-end solutions with higher margins to go along with it.

Water-cooling memory is no different and has been an available customization option long before RGB LEDs became all the rage in this hobby of ours. At the time when DDR/DDR2 actually benefited from good cooling and overclocking memory gave tangible benefits past beating records, it was sometimes a lucrative option to spending more on pre-overclocked memory kits. Today, it is all about aesthetics and giving that custom loop one more thing to do. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen people ask "What next?" after having set up a custom build with high-end components, watercooling them, and wanting to do more because, often, it is the actual building process that ends up being more gratifying than the end result. By offering an entire lineup of water blocks in a popular transparent top, metal-frame design scheme, XSPC has positioned itself around providing solutions for these end users while also giving them that extra bit of cooling on top to help justify the product's purpose.

The XSPC Neo memory block is not the only fish in this small pond, and hopefully, this review helps you figure out if you even want to get into memory watercooling at all. If you do, realize that the aesthetics behind it are the primary end goal here, and that the option of two chrome finishes along with the provided two addressable RGB LEDs and your choice of coolant color and composition all end up giving you a lot more options than just RGB lighting alone. Indeed, I dare say if looks are a bigger factor to you than pure performance, getting a basic memory kit and going this route will even save you money compared to buying a more expensive, RGB-lit kit. However, I always recommend going for a good balance of performance and aesthetics, especially since custom watercooling is not for everyone.