We’re big fans of Corsair here at eTeknix, but that’s hardly surprising given they’re the largest PC brand in the business with seemingly more award-winning and class-leading products than their many rivals. They’ve certainly got one of the most comprehensive product ranges too, with a huge number of cases, coolers, power supplies, peripherals, fans, gaming chairs, and well… the list just keeps on going, and keeps on growing too.
Corsair is also the market leader for RGB technology, with them now having their Cappelix RGB technology which is generally smaller, brighter and more efficient than rival offerings, while the Corsair iCUE software is still the market leader in terms of UI, usability and the sheer level of programmability that has allowed gamers and enthusiasts to create some RGB effects that are truly next level. Forget rainbows, we’ve seen people doing Mario animations and playing Doom on Corsair RGB keyboards, let alone their extensive case products such as fans and coolers.
So, we’ve reached out to Corsair and put together a mighty pile of amazing products for one of our upcoming builds. We’ll be doing a livestream/video and we’re going to welcome your feedback ahead of time and during the video. First, we wanted to show you the hardware we’re rolling out for this build, and while it’s not going to be cheap, there’s no doubt that these are some incredible quality products with some class-leading performance. That means that while we’re building this to be aesthetically dazzling, there will be no compromise on the performance of the system in favour of some pretty RGB… because we can have both great performance and RGB with the latest Corsair products!
Unfortunately, we didn’t have pricing information for all these products, as some are sold out either here in the UK or in the USA. However, we’ve left appropriate links to Amazon in both regions so you can check for updates.
iCUE LINK H150i RGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler – White
First up is the H150i, the Corsair H-series has long been one of the most popular AIO coolers on the market, and these latest generation are better than ever. They get bonus points for their amazing ARGB hardware, but with the new iCue LINK and cable design, all the connectors are moved to the end of the radiator or hidden!
Features
All-in-One CPU Cooling, Now with iCUE LINK: Add high-performance, low-noise AIO cooling to help get the most out of your CPU, now with simplified hidden connections thanks to the patent-pending iCUE LINK ecosystem.
Effortless Connectivity and Intelligent Design: Take your build to the next level with the patent-pending iCUE LINK ecosystem, letting you connect all your components together using universal connectors, all plugged into a single port on the included iCUE LINK System Hub. Build faster, reduce cable clutter, and create a more intelligent, cohesive system setup.
Hidden Connections for a Flawless Look: A hidden connection design moves all connections to the end of the radiator, allowing for a distraction-free viewing experience of the brilliant 20 RGB LED pump.
Unbeatable Lighting with QX RGB Fans: CORSAIR QX120 RGB PWM fans with a patent-pending Magnetic Dome bearing deliver powerful, quiet airflow pre-installed along a 360mm radiator, lit by an astonishing 34 RGB LEDs per fan.
Quiet CPU Cooling with Zero RPM Mode Support: Dictate your exact fan speeds up to 2,400 RPM with PWM control, plus support for 0 RPM PWM signals that allow fans to stop entirely at low temperatures, eliminating fan noise completely.
For more information check out the official product page here.
What if you wanted to take your AIO to the next level? Then that’s where the LINK AIO LCD comes in, and allows you to upgrade your pump housing with a display to show off more custom options, data, gifs and more.
Features
Upgrade Your iCUE LINK RGB CPU Cooler: Take your cooler’s customisation to the next level with a custom 2.1” IPS LCD screen with 480×480 resolution, surrounded by a ring of 24 RGB LEDs
Brilliant IPS LCD Display: Showcase your real-time CPU temperature, favourite animated GIF, funniest meme, or your team’s logo on a crisp screen with ultra-bright 600cd/m² backlight, 24-bit true colour depth, and over 16.7 million colours
Easy Tool-Free Installation: Install your new screen in seconds with a simple snap and latch design, with no visible wiring to distract from the screen and lighting
Unite Your Setup: CORSAIR iCUE software enables you to switch between a variety of viewing options such as fan speeds, CPU temps, images, GIFs, and more, while synchronising RGB lighting with your entire iCUE-compatible setup
Available in Black or White Finish: Match the aesthetic of your build
Corsair RM1000x SHIFT Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Power is important, very important, and the latest motherboards, processors, graphics cards and other hardware need a quality power supply to operate at their best. That’s why we picked the RM1000x, which has more than enough power output to deal with high-end hardware, it has great efficiency, and it has a neat party trick that the connectors are on the side, making cable routing even cleaner than ever (with a compatible case).
Features
Fully Modular Micro-Fit PSU Connectors: CORSAIR Type 5 Gen 1 micro-fit PSU cables mean you only connect the cables your system needs while taking up less space.
Intel ATX 3.0 Certified: Compliant with the ATX 3.0 power standard, supporting the PCIe Gen 5 platform and resisting transient power spikes.
Zero RPM Fan Mode Support: At low and medium loads the cooling fan switches off entirely for near-silent operation.
100 percent 105°C-Rated Japanese Electrolytic Capacitors: Premium internal components deliver unwavering power delivery and long-term reliability.
Modern Standby Compatible: Extremely fast wake-from-sleep times and better low-load efficiency.
Speaking of a compatible case, we are going to use the exceptionally good Corsair 5000D Core Airflow. This has more than enough room for the latest graphics cards, large air coolers, larger radiators, lots of fans, and exceptional airflow and cable routing capabilities. Of course, it’s also compatible with the unique PSU we’ve chosen.
Features
This case does not include the following: 2 Standard 120mm Fans with Fan Screws, PWM Repeater, Side Fan Cover Plate, HDD Cage and Trays, HDD Screws, HDD Side Tray, 90 Degree USB 3.0 Connector and one of the PSU Cover Extensions to cover side fans, There is also no door panel to cover the cable compartment behind the motherboard tray
Clean and Cool: The 5000D makes a stunning, showpiece-worthy PC easy to build, and even easier to keep cool with the space and flexibility to mount multiple 360mm radiators
High-Airflow Front Panel: An optimised steel front panel delivers massive airflow to your system for maximum cooling
CORSAIR RapidRoute Cable Management System: Makes it simple and fast to route your major cables through a single hidden channel, with a roomy 25mm of space behind the motherboard for all of your cables
Motherboard Tray with Customisable Fan Mounts: Side-mount up to 3x 120mm fans or up to a 360mm radiator, enabling new flexible cooling options
Maximum Cooling Potential: A spacious interior fits up to 10x 120mm or 4x 140mm cooling fans, along with multiple radiators including up to a 360mm in front or side and a 360mm push/pull in the roof
We’ll be using the very popular Corsair MP600 PRO NH PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD, as it’s a great middle ground between ultra-fast read/write speeds without the more punishing cost of the latest Gen5 drives. One thing is for certain, at 7000 MB/s read, these aren’t slow, and more than fast enough for the latest PC gaming experience.
A PCIe Gen4 x4 controller delivers up to 7,000MB/sec sequential read and 6,500MB/sec sequential write speeds*, for phenomenal read, write, and response times that leave standard M.2 SSDs in the dust.
Load games, boot Windows, open and transfer files, all faster than ever.
Using PCIe Gen4 technology for maximum bandwidth, the MP600 PRO NH delivers incredible storage performance.
Provides the ideal mix of performance and endurance to keep your drive performing at its best for years.
Guaranteed for up to 6,000TB Written, the MP600 PRO NH’s longevity ensures that it reliably stores your data through many years of use.
Corsair iCUE LINK Slim Cables – 200mm Straight/Slim 90°
The devil is in the details, and the iCUE LINK slim cables all our hardware to be taken to the next level. From pairing up the multiple iCUE bridges that are required for our extensive amounts of ARGB technology in this build.
Expand Your iCUE LINK Ecosystem: Use additional cables to connect more devices, such as fans, AIOs, and more to your existing iCUE LINK ecosystem.
Flexible Positioning Options: With just 5mm in diameter and reversible cable heads to simplify connections, you can position your iCUE LINK devices in your case with ease.
Passes Digital Signal and Current up to 7 Amps: Carry both data and power to your devices.
Corsair iCUE LINK Slim Cable – 600mm Straight/Slim 90°
Some of the hubs will be further apart, and again, these longer bridge cables unlock that potential.
Expand Your iCUE LINK Ecosystem: Use additional cables to connect more devices, such as fans, AIOs, and more to your existing iCUE LINK ecosystem.
Flexible Positioning Options: With just 5mm in diameter and reversible cable heads to simplify connections, you can position your iCUE LINK devices in your case with ease.
Passes Digital Signal and Current up to 7 Amps: Carry both data and power to your devices.
And then we have a full set of the LINK cable kit, which is again a series of various-length patch cables.
Expand Your iCUE LINK Ecosystem: Use additional cables to connect more devices, such as fans, AIOs, and more to your existing iCUE LINK ecosystem.
Flexible Positioning Options: With just 5mm in diameter and reversible cable heads to simplify connections, you can position your iCUE LINK devices in your case with ease.
Passes Digital Signal and Current up to 7 Amps: Carry both data and power to your devices.
When it comes to using the newer RTX cards from Nvidia, those bulky and ugly looking 12VHPWR cables can be a pain to get looking tidy, as you can’t bed them too much. However, with the GPU Power Bridge, it turns the connector 180 degrees away from the port so the cable can run backwards towards the motherboard tray.
180° Cable Routing for 12VHPWR GPUs: Finish the cable routing to a PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR GPU with a tight 180° bend.
Clean Aesthetic: Prevents your power cable from pressing against the side panel of your case, for a cleaner build without stress on your components.
High Thermal Endurance: Capable of withstanding temperatures up to 105°C for reliable use even with the most power-hungry graphics cards.
CORSAIR iCUE LINK QX120 RGB Starter Kit Bundle – Three 120mm Magnetic Dome RGB Fans – iCUE LINK System Hub – iCUE LINK Slim 200mm Straight/Slim 90° Cables
The case needs fans, and what better than to use than these flagship QX120 RGB, which come with a plethora of RGB lights, and they’re all compatible with the latest iCUE LINK ecosystem too.
Keep Cool: Powerful PWM-controlled fan speeds from 480 RPM up to 2,400 RPM, so your fans only spin as fast as you need, pushing up to 63.1 CFM of air with 3.8mm-H2O of static pressure.
Exclusive Time Warp Lighting Mode: Equipped with 34 RGB LEDs, spread across two distinct light zones on either side, and powered by iCUE LINK for exclusive lighting modes such as the strobing Time Warp.
Quiet Operation with Magnetic Dome Bearing: CORSAIR’s Magnetic Dome bearing retains all the performance of ML fan technology and further reduces friction at low fan speeds.
Expand Your iCUE LINK Ecosystem: Use additional cables to connect more devices, such as fans, AIOs, and more to your existing iCUE LINK ecosystem.
Flexible Positioning Options: With just 5mm in diameter and reversible cable heads to simplify connections, you can position your iCUE LINK devices in your case with ease.
Passes Digital Signal and Current up to 7 Amps: Carry both data and power to your devices.
We need your help, there’s a lot more to go into this build, but what shall we use? The Corsair case, cooler and PSU we’ve chosen are broadly compatible with the latest from AMD, Nvidia, Intel and the likes, and we have plenty of good hardware at our disposal to choose from.
What processor would you like to see? The latest from Intel such as the i9-14900K or the latest X3D processor from AMD perhaps!? Then we could use the latest flagship motherboards, or maybe you would like to see something a little more affordable and attainable to suit your own budget. It’s easy to think we’ll just use the RTX cards, because our PSU supports the latest 12VHPWR connector, but both the RTX and AMD XT cards have their own merits.
So there you have it, we’ve got big ambitions for this build, how will it turn out? You’ll have to tune into the livestream. Follow us on social media, Discord or YouTube to give us some feedback and watch out for the build early in the new year!
Peter Donnell
As a child in my 40's, I spend my day combining my love of music and movies with a life-long passion for gaming, from arcade classics and retro consoles to the latest high-end PC and console games. So it's no wonder I write about tech and test the latest hardware while I enjoy my hobbies!
