Introduction

Would you believe our previous Aqua Computer product review was almost four years ago? That CPU block in many ways heralded modern designs with a lower-profile installation and an integrated OLED display, but the VARIO feature to uniquely fit the installation pressure based on your specific CPU IHS is still a novel thing I would absolutely have given the innovation award to if we had it back then. The only other Aqua Computer product we’ve checked out is the Dr. Delid tool, which is a clear sign of its times, too. I got in touch with the company recently to get a GPU block in for the ongoing RTX 3080 water block series, and we will cover it in due time, but then something I was not expecting happened.

See that beautiful build using Aqua Computer products? It does look nice with a watercooled CPU and GPU, and one of the company’s fancy ULTITUBE D5 reservoirs. I am sure the company did leak testing using its own Dr. Drop kit, which is similar to many other DIY air-based solutions but not the most elegant. Somewhere along the lines, an Aqua Computer personnel must have thought they can do better. What if there were an easier way to monitor a DIY loop for leaks and have it be a permanent part of the loop with an integrated display for monitoring, say as a replacement lid for the reservoir as seen above? What if said way could integrate with the company’s extensive aquasuite software to also trigger an alarm and shut down the PC automatically? Now imagine that same thing managing to go one step further by actually mitigating leaks too. This is a fantastic example of needing to see it to believe it as we cover the Aqua Computer LEAKSHIELD today, and thanks to the company for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!

Specifications