For more than two decades, iBuyPower has been making wildly performance-oriented gaming PCs, from this MechHead-like one to the RTX 3080-powered behemoths. The system we're tinkering with today, the Element CL Plus, tackles one of the big challenges for many PC makers: liquid cooling.

What makes Element CL Plus (CL stands for Custom Loop) special is its approach to custom hardline liquid cooling. What makes this system special is that it features all high-end components, yet delivers an impressive looking liquid cooling system for only $2,200.

If you have ever purchased a pre-built liquid cooling system, you know that manufacturers tend to charge a premium. All the packing material in the world is no match for a careless delivery person. It's a nightmare for customer service, as even the slightest leak can ruin all the precious internals of a PC. The system itself was packaged very carefully in soft foam, along with a free gaming keyboard and mouse.

The Element CL Plus I was sent was configured with an Intel Core i9 10900K CPU, 32GB DDR4-3200 G-Skill Trident Z RGB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, and RTX 2080 Super graphics. Note that this review system was obtained before the RTX 30 series GPUs were released. It is an affordable high-end system, comes with a custom hard line, and is definitely worth checking out. If you don't mind a slight performance loss, the Element configuration with Core i7, RTX 2070 Super, and 16GB RAM is available for only $1,700.

While most components (except the processor and graphics card) are easily upgradeable and fairly easily accessible, it is worth noting that the water block is designed specifically for the 2070-80 Super GPU. to RTX 30 series cards. If you are considering upgrading, you should hold off for now, as iBuyPower is currently working on waterblocks for these cards.

That said, loop care for this system is a very easy process with access to the drain ports behind the front panel. Cable management is neat and barely visible at first glance. From the tempered glass panel, two sets of hardline tubes from the reservoir to the GPU and CPU are clearly visible (and easily accessible.) According to iBuyPower, the custom single-bend tubes reduce cost and effort, which explains the affordable pricing. RGB lighting for the fan, RAM, and water block are all controlled by ASUS Armory software.

While there are RTX 30 series cards out there, good luck finding one; the Element CL comes with an RTX 2080 Super, which is an impressive card but struggles when compared to the RTX 3080, which is much faster at the same price. When comparing the performance of these two cards, it becomes a little more difficult to review this system in a bubble.

That said, the 2080 Super can still produce good results, averaging over 100 frames per second at 1080p at the highest graphics settings, with Gears Tactics exceeding 130 fps and Total War Saga: Troy exceeding 98 fps, among other standout results. Total War Saga: Troy exceeded 98 fps. Of course, with RTX cards, it is always interesting to see how these systems handle ray tracing. Shadow of the Tomb Raider recorded 82 fps and Metro Exodus recorded 73 fps, both with ray tracing turned on.

The only thing currently keeping Element CL Plus from full recommendation is the lack of RTX 30 series configurations and the inability to upgrade to newer generation GPUs yet. If you are looking for a future-proof gaming rig, you may want to look for one that can be upgraded to next-generation GPUs. But if you're looking for a solid-performance gaming pre-built with impressive liquid cooling and a beautiful-looking case, the Element CL Plus should be on your radar, especially during the shopping season when prices finally come down, even if it already feels a bit outdated.