EK Web's Nucleus AIO Liquid Cooler Is An Industry First And Not For The Faint Of Heart
EK has been known for years as the company that does beautifully executed water cooling components for PC enthusiasts. The skill level needed has always been demanding for custom water cooling, leading many enthusiasts to opt for air or AIO liquid cooling instead.
As 2024 gets underway, EK has introduced its new EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die DRGB - 1700, with direct die cooling of the CPU being the main focal point. While you won't have to worry about the hassle of putting together a custom loop, direct die cooling is also not for the faint of heart.
As 2024 gets underway, EK has introduced its new EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die DRGB - 1700, with direct die cooling of the CPU being the main focal point. While you won't have to worry about the hassle of putting together a custom loop, direct die cooling is also not for the faint of heart.
The purpose of this AIO is to cool delidded Intel LGA 1700 CPUs, such as the Intel Core i9-14900K. Delidding is the process by which a stock CPU is modified by removing its integrated heat spreader IHS, along with its thermal paste. The user than replaces that with liquid metal or similar paste, in order to drastically reduce temperatures. It's a risky procedure that's typically relegated to the extreme overclocking scene.
Intel CPUs are designed to run at high temperatures, so the more headroom that one can give a CPU, the better it will perform and not thermally throttle. This cooling solution was co-developed with Der8auer, the famous overclocker, who also helped with products such as the Lian Li O11 Dynamic PC case.
Of importance to note is that you'll need a special IHS delid tool that EK mentions is not included, but can be purchased separately.
Intel CPUs are designed to run at high temperatures, so the more headroom that one can give a CPU, the better it will perform and not thermally throttle. This cooling solution was co-developed with Der8auer, the famous overclocker, who also helped with products such as the Lian Li O11 Dynamic PC case.
Of importance to note is that you'll need a special IHS delid tool that EK mentions is not included, but can be purchased separately.
Aside from having to bravely modify your pricey CPU, this AIO has all of the other bells and whistles one expects from a high-end cooler. D-RGB is here in droves, with the 3 120mm EK Loop FPT fans and the CPU water block implementing it. The cold plate itself is nickel plated, and not copper as many other AIOs typically are. You'll get two choices for your CPU block cover, one being a skull, and the other more understated for those wishing to go low-key.
The included EK Loop FPT fans also can be daisy chained with EK's OmniLink, an interconnect method of reducing messy cables. This product is expected to be available sometime after March of 2024 for about $183.99 US, so start to get your deliding practice in before then so you're ready for this next-level AIO.
The included EK Loop FPT fans also can be daisy chained with EK's OmniLink, an interconnect method of reducing messy cables. This product is expected to be available sometime after March of 2024 for about $183.99 US, so start to get your deliding practice in before then so you're ready for this next-level AIO.
