Corsair iCUE LINK set to simplify future of PC building
Corsair make a splash at this year's Computex with newly announced iCUE LINK Smart Component Ecosystem
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Corsair laid out a fine technological spread at this year’s Computex, showcasing its brand new, innovative iCUE LINK Smart component Ecosystem that looks set to simplify the future of PC building. iCUE LINK technology will not only eradicate annoying cable clutter, but it also looks to simplify the PC building process by utilizing universal (and reversible) cables and magnetized connectors – offering an incredibly intuitive building experience.
Corsair announce iCUE LINK Smart Component Ecosystem
We were guided round Corsair’s product booth for around 3 hours at this year’s Computex 2023, where we got an in-depth look at the company’s new iCUE LINK Ecosystem. The technology uses a newly-designed universal cable to connect various iCUE LINK components together, taking away some of the potential roadblocks that may occur when using more generic cooling setups. The cable itself can be reversed or flipped 180 degrees during assembly, allowing you to adapt your cabling when connecting various components throughout the case. Additionally, each iCUE LINK enabled component will also feature its own microcontroller for bi-directional connection to the main controller hub.
The hub itself will offer support for up to 14 devices, including fans, reservoirs, AIOs, water cooling blocks, and more. Better yet, thanks to built-in sensors on each fan, you’ll be able to record temperature variance throughout the case.
RGB enthusiasts will also be excited with Corsair’s new range as a cleverly implemented RGB strobing feature can simulate slow-motion or reverse movements. You can even set the fans to stop all together – which looks incredibly trippy, for lack of a better phrase. The inbuilt sensors allow you to set custom fan curves on each fan, enabling you to customize fan speed for components located in hot spots throughout the case. You can even set temperature prompts in the iCUE software to notify you of temperature change. For example, if a fan reaches a certain temperature, you can set the RGB to flash red as a warning. Alternatively, if internal temps drop below a certain range, you’ll be able to set the RGB to display a more icy blue theme.
Corsair’s iCUE LINK vows to eradicate annoying cable clutter
Outside of RGB and custom fan curves, the main benefit of iCUE LINK fans is their ability to be daisy-chained without the use of cables. Instead, the brand looks to utilize small connectors that attach on the sides of the fans. By doing this – alongside the usage of built in magnets – the fans will snap into place with little force and won’t require individual cables to the hub as power transfers through each component. In this setup, one cable is used to connect the closest component to the main controller hub – reducing overall cable usage exponentially.
Additionally, universal cables can be used throughout your system to connect iCUE LINK components together. In ta more complex cooling setup, you’ll need a couple of cables to attach say, an AIO to a branch of three fans, which will then connect to the main controller as its power source.
Overall, the main theme of the brand’s iCUE LINK Ecosystem display was to simplify the DIY PC building process by reducing some of the complexities that come with it. In my opinion, Corsair is now offering the industry’s most intuitive design for cooling, with Corsair themselves highlighting it as one of their most exciting new technologies they’ve designed in years.
Corsair iCUE LINK release date window
The first iCUE LINK supportive components – which include the latest QX120 and QX140 fans – will look to hit shelves in June, 2023. The range of products that fall into the iCUE LINK component category will eventually range to AIO coolers, water cooling reservoir/pump combos, CPU blocks, and a new GPU block that will be compatible with numerous AIBs of the same GPU.
Water cooling blocks, reservoirs, and pumps look set to hit shelves later in Q3 in 2024.
