Corsair has introduced a new "smart component ecosystem" to make it easier for the DIY crowd to build a new gaming rig. However, even the most seasoned PC-building veterans could use a helping hand regarding cable management and reducing clutter. The company is taking this intervention to the next level with iCue Link, which was announced this week at Computex 2023.
iCue Link uses a new reversible, single-cable system to simplify component hookups and help to reduce the rat's nest of cables that can quickly take over a gaming rig. Each iCue Link-enabled device features an integrated microcontroller that allows bi-directional communications with the System Hub and provides power. This technology will enable fans to have their own temperature sensors that report back, and RGB lighting can be strobed at specific frequencies to make it look like the fans are spinning extremely slowly or in reverse. You can even dial-in individual fan response curves to find that perfect balance between performance and acceptable noise levels.
While the single-cable hookup for individual components is excellent, there's another benefit: devices can be daisy-chained instead of each plugging in individually into the System Hub. As a result, you could connect a case fan to an AIO cooler, with only the latter plugging directly into the System Hub.
The first iCue Link devices, including the QX120 and QX140 RGB fans, will arrive in June. They both feature Magnetic Dome bearings, quad RGB light loops and a digital temperature sensor. The iCue Link family will eventually grow to include an AIO cooler, fans, CPU blocks, GPU blocks and pump/reservoir combos. These products are expected to hit the market during Q3 2023. Going forward, Corsair will further flesh out the iCue Link with additional products into 2024 and beyond.
While the whole iCue Link ecosystem seems to dramatically simplify the building of PCs overrun with fans and RGB, it also adds to the cost. Even more important — and something that Corsair is keenly aware of — is that it locks you into Corsair's ecosystem.
On the other hand, Corsair has also announced new fans that don't tie into iCue Link, so they aren't forcing enthusiasts down this path... yet.
