I think it is no surprise that I was scraping at the bottom of the barrel when I was coming up with the cons list, and that is always a good thing. So let us get right to it - the RayStorm Neo CPU water block is XSPC acknowledging and responding to the market wanting more aesthetic options in a strong way. It shares a lot with the RayStorm Pro from late 2015 that came with full metal tops and brackets, a matte finish, and acrylic inserts with powder-coating for its customization options - the cooling engine is the same, for example. The RayStorm Neo is a different take on looks coming with an acrylic top, which is a first for XSPC CPU blocks, and it offers two shiny plating options for the machined aluminum bracket instead.

Add in RGB LEDs with a bundled controller and a standard layout for the LEDs, which promises (not confirmed by me) compatibility with motherboard RGB headers and their software control accordingly, and we have a product I would have never attributed to the XSPC brand even a few months ago. This is part of a new "Neo" product tier of CPU, RAM, and GPU blocks in the same chrome and black chrome finish, and these also complement the new brass and stainless steel tubing and fittings in the same color scheme. I genuinely believe this is what will get XSPC back into word of mouth discussions, or at least online community talks and recommendations. Maintaining a good price point is also key, and their global retail channel will give them sales over smaller brands as well.

If you want the absolute best performer or highest-flow block, looks elsewhere. Similarly, there are other blocks that offer more customization options or even novel features, including a screen or integrated flow meter. The XSPC RayStorm Neo at $80 is a great flagship block that does not go into the >$100 price range where things get harder to justify. I still think that the RayStorm Pro at $70 is a better fit for my personal preferences, but that's the beauty of it - XSPC has options for me and others now, and I can certainly appreciate that as well. As such, the RayStorm Neo gets a well-deserved recommendation from me.

Update (November 7, 2017): XSPC tells me they have verified the LEDs will work with onboard lighting control from ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte.