EK, a water-cooling component manufacturer, has attached a screen to the distro plate for Lian Li's popular O11D XL case. The screen is a whopping 7 inches long and cannot be used as a second monitor, but it continues a long trend of PC makers sticking screens on their products.

I admit that the EK-Quantum Reflection PC-O11D XL D5 PWM D-RGB - Screen Edition (catchy name) caught my eye, because it is the first time I have seen a screen on a distro plate for a PC. This is because distro plates, screen or not, are absolutely gorgeous. A few years ago, I built an EK Fluid Gaming PC (opens in new tab) in a standard-size Lian Li O11D case with an EK distro plate (no screen) similar to this one.

It is a bit sad that this particular distro plate is partially covered by a 7" panel, but surely some modder will find a way to make the video a brilliant part of the build. Someone will make good use of the compact IPS panel.

Tampering with the 1024 x 600 pixel panel is easy: the EK-Quantum Lumen's screen connects via HDMI cable just like any other. It also requires a USB 2.0 connection for activation.

The distro plate itself has all the bells and whistles one would expect: D5 pump, CPU block, GPU block, support for three radiators, and full RGB lighting on the edges. 7" screen is also made from a single piece of aluminum, so as not to detract from the industrial look. look and feel.

Both this and the screen-less EK-Quantum Reflection² distro block will be available starting in March, but be prepared to pay a hefty price for the benefits of a small 7" IPS. The standard Plexi Distro costs 352.86 euros (opens in new tab), while the Screen Edition costs 504.12 euros (opens in new tab). That's a lot of money for such a small panel.

Of course, there is a broader trend here to stick screens on PC hardware. A liquid cooler that tells you the CPU temperature inside the case, limited in its utility depending on where you put your PC, but I can see why some people would want one. Putting a small OLED screen on a gaming keyboard" This is bordering on overkill, but there may be practical benefits in some cases. So what about a screen built into the stand of a gaming monitor (opens in new tab)?

Actually, enough said, thank you. And let's not forget the power supply with screen (opens in new tab), which perfectly sums up the absurdity of PC gaming as a hobby.