EK is one of the better-known names in the custom liquid cooling space, but will likely try to carve out a space in the crowded air cooling space later this year or even early next year.

EK has announced (PDF) that it is getting into CPU air cooling, but not much is known yet; EK will kick things off with its EK-Air series of coolers, which will be released "for those who are interested in aftermarket cooling but are not yet ready to make the leap to liquid cooling" Plans are to.

EK says it will offer both single-tower and dual-tower designs and will feature RGB lighting; EK tells OC3D that the image above is a prototype and does not necessarily reflect the look of the finished product. For now, all EK is saying is that the company's cooler will be a blend of "premium build quality, modern aesthetics, and excellent cooling."

The company has yet to say how many air-cooled coolers it plans to release, the price range it is aiming for, or the exact launch date. As for the latter, EK has stated that it expects the EK-Air series to be available by the end of this year or mid-2021.

EK will face some stiff competition in the chip cooling market. In particular, Noctua's NH-D15 is the best CPU cooler in the air-cooling arena, and Cooler Master's Hyper 212 Evo remains the best option for builders on a tight budget.

It is possible that EK will try to claim both the performance and cost-effectiveness crowns with separate products. However, given EK's specialty in high-end custom liquid cooling parts, I suspect they will primarily target the former; I am cautiously optimistic about EK's new venture, and I believe that EK's new product line will be a good fit with their existing products.