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

Packaging and Accessories

I know you are still very puzzled about what LEAKSHIELD actually is, and I feel the best way to explain is to walk you through it step by step rather than throwing you into the deep end of the pool as I ended up doing myself. So let's as always start with the packaging, and I will mention that the LEAKSHIELD came alongside a bunch of other Aqua Computer goodies, so we begin with the product packaging itself. Sized similarly to the box employed for Aqua Computer CPU blocks, we have a rough idea of the size of the product. The color scheme is identical to before, so some things certainly haven't changed with the logo on the front and a short company spiel on the back. It is on the side that a sticker tells us what is actually inside.


A seal on another side keeps the contents in place during transit. Opening the box, we see a two-layer packaging with the accessories on top. This is where I tell you there are two variants of the LEAKSHIELD, with the standard one meant to replace the lid cover on compatible Aqua Computer ULTITUBE reservoirs. What I have here is the LEAKSHIELD UNIVERSAL (yes, all caps), which adds a few accessories for a more universal installation. What is common to both, however, is an internal USB cable in the retail packaging.


This cable provides power and two-way data transfer, connecting the LEAKSHIELD to a spare 9-pin USB 2.0 internal header on your motherboard, and is a whopping 1 m long to allow for cable management options galore wherever you end up installing the LEAKSHIELD in your system. It has five pins on the motherboard side and color-coordinated cables so you can tell which direction to go. You can use either of the five or four-pin segments of the 9-pin header since the fifth pin is for an optional extra ground connection. The other two accessories are only included in the LEAKSHIELD UNIVERSAL, which includes a threaded metal adapter and POM plate with three threaded screw holes and a single threaded BSP G1/4" port.


The bottom layer has the LEAKSHIELD itself inside a plastic wrap, enclosed in thick foam for further protection. On either side are the final two sets of accessories on the UNIVERSAL variant. The first is a set of mounting hardware that comes inside a plastic ziplock bag, including metal screws and nuts as seen above. There is also a metal adapter plate that works alongside the other accessories and clearly hosts the LEAKSHIELD between, with the top (or bottom depending on how you see it) having 120 and 140 mm fan-hole mounting holes to install this on cases or radiators.