Introduction

Bykski, Barrow, Boom, (Insert generic new watercooling company starting with a B here). It was all a confused mess when these came about in the last few years, especially with their products all looking similar, only available in parts of Asia, and a lot of inspiration taken from existing products of other established brands. Needless to say, they did not get the best of starts as far as market reputation goes, but their lower price points as compared to others resulted in a market which did fund more original products as time passed. However, some things have not changed. Bykski products, for example, are still only available for purchase from Asian sellers, but their product portfolio is now diverse and varied enough to where I can identify them as Bykski products from among a crowd of similar goods. This has meant that they have earned OEM contracts for companies, including Colorful and Thermaltake, and are now looking to expand globally. Thanks then to Bykski for providing the review sample.


We covered the release of the FOUR series of CPU blocks from Bykski before on TechPowerUp, and the comments were a mixed bag of emotions even then. What is not up for debate, however, is that the FOUR series CPU block is absolutely massive with a big chunk of acrylic machined into a top for a nickel-plated copper cold plate, and then there is Bykski's unique design touch with a metal cover that partially covers the top. There are color options available for said shroud to help match their range of fittings as well as their FOUR series GPU blocks, and note also that there is nothing visible from the top regarding threaded holes or mounting brackets to help install the CPU block itself. Let us begin the review as we always do, with a look at the specifications below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

The product packaging is.. interesting. I have no idea what "Ice Dragon" has to do with this seeing as how this is the first mention of it, but it is a small thimble in the grand sewing basket of things. You have the company logo along with clear mentions of this being a CPU watercooling product on the front, as well as some marketing features on the bottom. Not much else on the sides aside from the product label to tell us we have the red version inside, and also that the FOUR series CPU block comes in red, blue, W, silver, and T. I do not know what "W" and "T" are, but I can tell the other two color options are green and gold. Two flaps on a side help keep the box closed and the contents inside in place.


Open the box and you are greeted by two sets of accessories. One, a waxy paper-like wrap, contains the Intel socket backplate for the CPU block. It is made of metal, but has an insulating plastic sheet on the side that touches the motherboard to prevent shorting issues. The other contains the mounting hardware and then some. You get four metal screws with built-in springs, which reduces the number of components you will have keep together during installation and might thus make it easier. Also here are four plastic spacers and a LOT of plastic washers. It is very likely that we have more washers provided than necessary, but there is no way to confirm it seeing as how there is no installation manual included. There is also no online manual I could find, and it took me multiple tries with the Bykski rep (who was really helpful, but could only provide what he had access to himself) to get an online PDF with some images that helped demonstrate the installation process. This is a big negative point in my books, and Bykski has to correct this as soon as possible. Missing also is thermal paste, although its omission is still something multiple companies do even in 2017. So please remember to get some thermal paste yourself if you do not have some already. There was also a QC badge on top, which is ironic given the lack thereof.


The CPU block itself lies in the bottom compartment, separated from the accessories by a fold of the cardboard packaging itself. Unfortunately, there is really nothing aside from a plastic wrap to protect it inside, so I would like to encourage Bykski to use bubble wrap or soft foam here to account for potential shipping and handling issues.