Closer Examination

The CORSAIR iCUE Link XG3 is quite unlike other blocks you may have seen before. This is not a full-cover block and certainly not a full-length block either, hence why you will still see parts of the PCB exposed when installed. This is typical of most such universal, or near-universal blocks, and yet I have to say this is the best looking such block I've seen in all the years I have reviewed GPU blocks. The matte black plastic top helps conceal all that is behind and is a very good reason to consider having a vertical GPU mount if you go this route. I am not sure what "GC01" is but not having it would have made this an extremely clean presentation with the concave dip in the middle adding some flair. Branding comes in the form of the CORSAIR logo applied as a sticker on the fan hub as well as more of the same along the frame of the fan itself. Note the higher number of blades on this smaller fan, it will be capable of spinning fast while being stable the whole time. The fan provides airflow to the VRMs on the PCB as well as potentially also helping increase heat transfer from the cold plate itself. The raised section in the middle is where we see two BSP G1/4" threaded ports for I/O and CORSAIR does not have any markings to indicate the preferred inlet and outlet ports. To the right is the expected iCUE Link port that the cable fits into.


Turning the block around, we see the serial number and certification labels applied on the back of that same plastic top. There is an actual PCB here for the iCUE Link electronics, including a thermal sensor that is nice to have. This does mean the block is thicker than pretty much anything else we have seen to date at over 47 mm with some of that dedicated to the large copper cold plate which comes in the form of a square plate that has pre-applied thermal paste and thermal pads as expected. Given the increased GPU compatibility here, you may want to first check whether the pads and paste will properly match the VRMs and GPU on your exact model before installation. This does mean doing a test fit and perhaps needing spare thermal paste and pads though. I use my own thermal paste anyway so I did a quick check to see it did line up well enough on the ASUS 4090 Strix before wiping off the remaining paste to get a better look at the cold plate. It's already got a thin oxide layer—this is mostly why people go for nickel-plated copper, it's shinier and not going to oxidize as easily—but will perform very well despite not having a mirror polish applied. The cold plate is fairly simple without any raised sections for improved contact on specific GPUs, as expected.


Disassembly was done after testing was completed and here we can simply unscrew and remove the cold plate which is 2 mm in thickness. Interestingly, the red copper fins are more in number than on the full-cover CORSAIR Hydro XG7 block and occupy a larger area of 25.1 x 25.1 mm with the fins being ~2 mm in height. This bodes well for thermal performance and perhaps is what CORSAIR was hinting at before. The coolant pathway also suggests the left port, as seen from the front, is the preferred inlet port as it allows for the coolant to directly flow over the fins. CORSAIR uses an acrylic guide and jetplate to split the coolant in the center before going around the sides. This also shows that the actual coolant pathway is fairly short and the thermal pads over VRAM modules will have to rely on the coolant contacting maybe part of the copper it is placed on, if not none of it as is the case on this particular block. The larger cold plate now makes a lot more sense as it is going to be crucial for the inner square section to conduct heat away from the GPU core but also the other sources of heat around. I'd say this means the iCUE Link XG3 is only guaranteed to have direct cover for the GPU but only indirect cover for the VRAM and no cover for the VRMs—this is where the fan comes into the picture.