This is an odd product from Corsair, but I absolutely love it: the Hydro X Series XD7 RGB pump/reservoir distro plate, which certainly doesn't sound wild, but is a distribution plate that looks exactly like a triple fan radiator. Isn't it neat?

If you are considering a custom cooling loop, you will need a pump and a radiator, or a combination of the two. Such cooling units come in a variety of shapes and styles, but Corsair's latest model is a bit different.

The Hydro X Series XD7 is a 140 ml reservoir with a Xylem D5 pump. This is the same pump found in Corsair's Hydro XD5 pump/reservoir combo, which is designed to deliver cooling water through three sets of ports supporting the CPU, GPU, and radiator.

Being Corsair, there is of course plenty of RGB lighting. Avoiding the three fan-like cutouts around the reservoir and pump, there are 36 addressable RGB LEDs, but you'll need a Corsair iCUE controller to adjust them to your liking.

Turning to the back, the fill ports are also handily located at the top, and the two drain ports are below the pump. Well, it looks like it always does.

The XD7 is made of copper and brass, so be careful not to mix metals when building the full loop. It will only end in tragedy.

Now, I think the plan here is to create a fake fan effect so that the case looks like a normal triple-fan PC setup from the outside, despite the large amount of high-end tubing installed. That said, custom liquid loop PCs also need fans, so the XD7 may be best paired with a case that supports 360mm rad front and top.

While the XD7 won me over, I must say that the rest of the PC Gamer team was not so blown away by it; the XD7 costs $250 (£250), so it is certainly not the cheapest, but custom cooling kits rarely are. It is available in black or white, which at least gives you a little more flexibility in your build.