This custom hardline watercooling concept PC looks amazing — here’s what you can actually buy today

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Every year at CES, we see some exciting and innovative PC designs, and iBUYPOWER definitely delivered with their Trace X Custom Loop Concept this year.

We’re seeing a surprising trend: prebuilt PCs are now featuring high-end liquid cooling systems, something typically only found in custom-built computers or very expensive, specialized machines. Considering how pricey PC parts are right now, you might need to sell a kidney – or two! – to afford it. However, the exciting part isn’t just the impressive cooling; it’s the technology that will become available in prebuilt PCs later this year.

But hey, let’s look at the fancy-shiny thing first.

The Trace X Custom Loop Concept PC

Building custom liquid cooling systems can be really tricky – a single mistake can cause leaks. That’s why iBUYPOWER redesigned the distroplate to make the process much easier.

This all-in-one unit combines the pump, coolant reservoir, and tubing into a single, clear case, saving space and simplifying installation. It even features adjustable connectors, making it much easier to align the ports with your CPU and GPU blocks. Honestly, building something like this seems incredibly complicated, but it definitely looks good!

This is essentially the next step from their Element CL systems. It has a more updated design and is intended to be much simpler to maintain. However, it’s important to remember this is still just a prototype – don’t expect it to be available anytime soon! It’s more of a glimpse into what they could create in the future. They are interested in hearing what people think of it, as that feedback will help them develop new products.

Which brings us neatly to the part of the announcement that actually matters for most people.

The Gen 10 lineup (stuff you can actually buy soon)

iBUYPOWER is rolling out its Gen 10 cases and cooling gear, and it’s surprisingly solid.

  • The Trace X Case ($99.99): This is the standout for me. It’s got that panoramic fishbowl look with a single piece of curved glass wrapping around the front and side. It’s paired with a metallic grill and a flowing vent design on the top. My favorite part of this is that more options are being worked on for the trim, so coming soon, you’ll be able to get pink and lavender for the white case and a faux wood for the black.
  • Element Pulse X ($99.99): If you want your PC to be seen from the moon, this case has got integrated ARGB lighting running along the edges and that signature corner power button. You can swap between a mesh top for airflow or glass if you just want to admire the lights.
  • New cooling gear: They’re refreshing their AIOs with the AW5 360mm ($99.99), which adds a segmented display to the pump block so you can see your CPU temps at a glance. They also showed off a more traditional AC5 RGB tower air cooler for those of you who aren’t ready to trust liquid near your expensive parts.
  • KM10 Keyboard and mouse ($34.99): Available soon as an add-on for certain systems or as a standalone bundle.

The Trace X Custom Loop is really impressive, and it’s great to see a prebuilt PC company continuing to innovate even with today’s challenging market conditions.

What’s great about the Gen 10 cases and coolers is that they’re affordable and will be available in pre-built computers you can purchase this year. IBUYPOWER says they’ll be released in the first quarter of the year.

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2026-01-07 15:39