PC Specialist Liquid Series LS-E01 Gaming PC Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing 

Currently, the PC Specialist Liquid Series LS-E01 is available from the company’s website for the promotional price of £1399 including delivery. To determine a system’s value proposition, we endeavour to compile an identical self-build and compare the price. This allows us to analyse the fee (if any) that a system integrator is choosing to charge customers for its services. This is usually a simple process but the nature of liquid cooling means certain parts can be difficult to find an accurate price for.

• Case: NZXT S340 Mid-Tower = £59.99
• Motherboard: ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming = £130.98
• Processor: Intel Core-i5 6600K = £191.99
• Coolant: Mayhems Pastel Blue Berry = £14.99
• Radiator: 240mm Alphacool ST30 radiator = £46.79
• Pump: Phobya DC21-260 = £30.00*
• Reservoir: Alphacool Pro 15 = £24.57
• CPU Block: Phobya UC-2 Acetal = £39.12
• System Memory: Kingston 16GB (2x8GB) HyperX FURY DDR4 2666MHz = £57.99
• Main Boot Drive: 240GB Kingston HyperX SAVAGE SSD = £59.99
• Additional Storage Drive(s): Toshiba DT01ACA100 1TB 7200RPM = £38.69
• Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SC Gaming 4GB = £283.90
• Power Supply:  Corsair 850W RMx Series = £109.99
• Operating System: Windows 10 = £73.98
• LED Strip: 60cm White LED = £8.99*
• PSU Braided Cables: CableMod Braided Cable Set = £69.95

Prices donated with * refer to a predicted retail value because the product is out of stock.

Once added together, an equivalent self-build comes to a total of £1241.91 which is a saving of £157.09. This is a brilliant value package when you consider the expertise which goes into a water cooling build and three-year comprehensive cover against leaks.

Overview

The PC Specialist Liquid Series is a wonderful concept because it helps users who feel intimidated by making their own custom loop to enjoy the best possible water cooling hardware. Not everyone wants to learn the art of water cooling and create something which is very personal to them with their own unique story. Of course, I’d always recommend learning this fascinating element of PC building and broaden your horizons. Nevertheless, I’m pleased to see this niche being catered to and there is an audience for it because some people love the custom loop aesthetic but have major reservations about the time investment. Furthermore, the notion of leaks tends to enter a beginner’s mind even though the probability of failures is very slim. Most importantly, custom loops are infinitely better than closed-loop liquid solutions and able to cope with high thermals at respectable noise levels.

Even though the model we’re analysing today is extremely basic and only revolves around a CPU loop, it’s a complete joy to use and well worth the investment. Aesthetically speaking, the Mayhems Pastel Blue Berry coolant is enchanting and combines with the chassis’ blue streaks to form a truly stunning appearance. This level of synergy is fantastic and creates the perception that the selected components were meant to be fused together. On another note, the central positioning of the reservoir and attractive block design makes the system look spectacular. This is especially the case through the tinted side panel window as the included LED strip provides enough illumination to clearly see each aspect of the water loop. The NZXT S340 is a great choice for this particular rig due to the solid construction and stylish design. The power supply cover is another ingenious creation which hides excess cabling to maintain a tidy finish. Thankfully, PC Specialist decided to use a custom kit instead of extensions which would have complicated the build process by an exponential degree. The CableMod braided cables are splendid and employ a premium weave. Personally, I prefer Pexon braided cables but there’s not a huge difference between the best money can buy and the CableMod set.

The custom loop easily copes with the system’s hefty 4.5GHz overclock and reports astounding temperatures under extreme load. Not only that, the noise levels remain relatively quiet barring a slight hum and contributes to a superb gaming experience. The i5-6600K is perfectly suited towards hefty gaming scenarios but it falls behind during video editing tasks or other applications which take advantage of extra threads. Honestly, the efficiency of Intel’s latest architecture means you don’t really need an insane cooling setup to achieve a substantial overclock. However, the recorded thermal results indicate there should be additional headroom beyond 4.5GHz.

In terms of cable management, PC Specialist has done a commendable job and employed loads of zip-ties to keep each cable in a sturdy position. Also, the tubing has been routed perfectly and you can easily shut the side panel door without brushing against the loop. There’s enough room to remove the hard disks for cleaning purposes and add additional hardware. Excess cables are expertly tucked away next to the power supply and I’m pleased to see these included because they have a significant value. I’m a little perplexed by the decision to include an 850-watt power supply which seems completely overkill given the small power draw. Saying that, this gives you a lot of headroom to add more graphics cards in the future. This makes sense because the system doesn’t use a graphics card in the water loop so it should be a relatively simple task to improve performance even if you have limited technical expertise.

Speaking of graphics, the GTX 970 is a wonderful enthusiast card and outputs great frame-rates when using extreme presets. This is even the case when paired with a 2560×1440 monitor although there are some major frame-dips during intense moments. This is easily resolved though by dialling back a few settings and you shouldn’t have any problems achieving a fluid user experience. The GTX 970 is arguably the king when it comes to performance per pound apart from the R9 390. Personally, I would have preferred a more luxurious variant of the GTX 970 sporting EVGA’s ACX 2.0 cooler design. On the other hand, the GPU features a good factory overclock which leverages extra performance compared to ultra-cheap designs.

Overall, the Liquid Series LS-E01 is a magnificent option if you want the custom loop aesthetic without building it yourself. Clearly, you can create a much faster system with an i7-6700K and higher-end graphics cards for cheaper. However, this misses the point of PC Specialist’s new liquid range. It’s not all about performance and you have to consider the time and knowledge which goes into a professional custom loop build. Not only that, shipping such a delicate item and covering the system for 3 years against leaks is a costly undertaking. I’m ecstatic to see this latest endeavour from PC Specialist and feel it’s a wonderful addition which thoroughly deserves our Innovation award for trying to shake up the pre-configured PC market.

Pros

• Competitively priced considering workmanship involved
• Excellent packaging
• Fairly quiet
• Great gaming performance
• Gorgeous colour scheme
• Huge array of colours to choice from
• Impressive cable management
• Magnificent SATA read/write boot SSD speeds
• Stunning braided PSU cables
• Superb temperatures
• Warranty provides peace-of-mind against leaks

Cons

• EVGA Blower-style GPU is louder than ACX 2.0 models

“PC Specialist have taken a bold step forward in producing custom water cooling PCs which offer a gorgeous colour scheme and unparalleled customer service. Even the base model exudes a premium feel and features evidence of exceptional build quality which is well worth paying the extra for if you’re anxious about building your first custom loop.”

PC Specialist Liquid Series LS-E01 Gaming PC Review

Thank you PC Specialist for providing us with this sample.