Lian Li Announces The CB-01 CPU Water Cooling Block

Published 2015-11-05 09:19 by Hilbert Hagedoorn

Here's something you didn't expect to see from lian-Li, their Lian Li CB-01 CPU Water Cooling Block. The cold plate has a heart of solid copper in a nickel coating and a final layer of tin-cobalt for extra cooling, durability, and corrosion resistance.

The top is a translucent acrylic block that visibly guides the cooling waters through the microchannels. The simple yet sturdy mounting fit s virtually all modern and past motherboard sockets securely. For a bit of flare, there are holes pre-drilled for 5mm LED lights.

The CB-01 uses a standard G1/4" thread so most DIY water cooling components will easily fit the inlet and outlet ports. The inlet is deliberately offset against the outlet to allow the coolest water to enter the block in direct contact with the middle of the hottest CPU core. It then flows across the other cores and vents on the opposite side. The microchannels have an area of 32.2mm by 27.3mm but because they are contoured with precision grooves, they provide a greater overall surface area. While not the largest, these dimensions were deliberately chosen to strike a balance between high restriction and high flow for the best cooling for its size. Lian Li used their precision manufacturing to ensure the microchannels are as thin as possible for maximum performance.

The CB-01 fits any modern Intel socket, including 2011/1366/1155/1156 and 775. For AMD, it supports AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1/FM2 motherboards. The Intel plate comes pre-installed on the CB-01 but the AMD bracket, if needed, is easy to swap in. There are back plates for both AMD and Intel CPUs and a universal, dense foam spacer to protect the back of the motherboard. The CB-01 is installed simply by screwing in 4 standoffs then screwing spring-loaded nuts down onto the long bolts. Like all CPU coolers, Thermal Interface Material (TIM) must be used between the cold plate and the CPU plate, applied according to the thermal paste manufacturer's guidelines.

Box contents:

CPU Water Block with Intel mounting
Foam gasket
Back plate for Intel/AMD
Motherboard mounting plate for AMD
1cc TIM
Spare rubber gasket
4 long screws
4 short nuts
4 tall nuts
4 tension springs
4 washers
1 year guarantee

There are many reasons to water cool a PC: better overclocking performance, quieter operation, fewer fans, or saving space. Even when hooked up to fittings and tubes, the CB-01 takes less space than a stock cooler. Its efficiency allows the radiator fans to be pushed to their peak for overclocking, or slowed to near-silence without losing normal performance. It can do all that and look good doing it - albeit lacking Lian Li's hallmark brushed aluminum, the CB-01 still looks fantastic.

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