iBuyPower Element CL Pro wants to tackle one of the toughest challenges that PC manufacturers face: liquid cooling. And after some time on the system, it’s clear that this machine is ready for the challenge.
Element CL Pro is the updated and improved version of iBUYPOWER’s Element CL Plus, which had an equally impressive design but wasn’t capable of using RTX 3070 cards. However, the Element CL Pro is here to make the most of the new generation of GPUs with Providing a very brutal looking build that uses a custom liquid cooling system and lots of RGB. And all of this could be yours for less than $2k — seriously.
Browse the iBUYPOWER CL Pro Collection | From $1,999.99
Pre-built, liquid-cooled PCs are often a distant dream for gamers, as plug-in risks mean manufacturers charge to ship fragile hardware. A single leak could mean the end of your PC, and iBUYPOWER has sought to avoid these potential horrors with the Element CL Pro by creating a system that can be assembled and maintained by someone with minimal training and shipped prepackaged via standard shipping. My rig arrived and was packaged incredibly well, with soft, cracked foam around the coolant lines and no leaks in sight.
The liquid-cooling design and RGB lights mean the Element CL Pro looks as good as it looks — and I’m happy to report that it performs well, too, showing numbers that can match some of the best gaming PCs, and surpass those of the best gaming laptops (for their value). ). Here’s exactly how the iBUYPOWER Element CL Pro stacks up.
Design Features
Review the model specification
Here are the PC specs sent to GamesRadar for review:
Healer: Intel Core i7-11700K / KF
Graphics: RTX 3070 MSI Wind 2x
memory: 16 GB ADATA DDR4-320 RGB
storage: WD SN550 M.2 NVMe 1TB Solid State Drive (SSD)
Ports: In front of me: 2 x USB 3.2; 1 x headphone/line out; 1x Microphone/Line in
rear: 4 x USB 3.1 1 x USB 3.2; 1 x HDMI; 1 x USB-C; 1 x Ethernet
Delivery: RJ-45 Ethernet, Z590 WiFi
Dimensions (H x W x D): 18.1” x 8.5” x 18.1” (460 x 215 x 460 mm)
price: 1999 dollars
Guarantee: 3 years working, 1 year cutting
The iBUYPOWER Element CL Pro is an exciting piece of hardware – if hardware can be anything but exciting. The case is a simple matte black, with a translucent mesh panel on top that lets you peek into the RGB’s glowing guts. The left side panel is made entirely of glass, giving you a better look at the incredibly cool custom-curved cooling lines, and RGB lighting, which reflects off the crisp lines and creates a great little light show. The right side of the case is almost completely solid except for the metal grille towards the front.
The all-glass side panel provides super easy access to the hard core, GPU, and CPU if you’re someone who likes to tinker. The loop care in this system is designed to be easy and relatively fool-proof (a must-have for me), with drain ports easily accessible behind the front panel and completely outside the system, so you don’t have to worry about accidental spillage.
At the top, for the ports, there are typical audio input and output jacks, two USB ports, as well as the power button. The rear ports will easily accommodate the best gaming mouse, the best wireless gaming headset, the best gaming keyboard – even if it requires two USB ports – and more. There are no ports on the face of this computer, but that’s because there’s a nice glass panel that shows some liquid cooling as you work.
I work with limited space in my NYC apartment, so my legs often hit the PC tower, and I can tell I’m shocked every time my bare legs touch metal and it’s cold, hardly any noticeable heat. It’s pretty clear that the dedicated ring cooling system is working, as the device hasn’t been running hot since I tried it out.
It’s also a very stable and simple shape, with no funny lips or edges, and four curvy little legs that keep it steady. My cats often get into little play fights under the desk, and they never budge on the thing.
All in all, this thing looks great and fits easily under a desk – or over one if you have the space and want to see the RGB lights in all their glory. Changing the RGB configuration is easy: there is a preloaded app on the desktop called ASRock Polychrome sync that will let you customize your lighting setup.
performance
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What is the price of the iBUYPOWER Element CL Pro in some industry tests? We’ve included it below to give you an idea of how it performs.
3DMark Firestrike: 26136
3DMark Firestrike Ultra (1440p): 15609
3DMark Firestrike Extreme (4K): 15565
3DMark Port Royal: 8002
3DMark Timespy: (CPU) 8937, (GPU) 12379
Mark 10 computer: 7251
Cinebench CPU: 10291 (Multi-core), 1513 (Single core)
CrystalDiskMark: SSD: read 2449 MB / s; 1974.92 MB/sec write
subway displacement: 4K High: 49fps 4K RTX: 56 fps; 1440 pixels high: 82 fps 1440 pixels RTK: 60 frames per second 1080p High: 115 fps 1080p RTX: 80fps
Total War: Three Kingdoms: 4K High: 49fps Ultra 4k: 33fps; 1440 pixels high: 100 frames per second 1440 Super Pixel: 69 fps 1080p High: 142 fps 1080P Ultra: 106 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: 4K High: 74 fps; 4K Top: 63 fps 1440 pixels high: 122 fps 1440p Top: 114 fps 1080p High: 131fps 1080p Top: 129 fps
Red Dead Redemption 2: (highest settings): 4K: 60 frames per second 1440 pixels: 60 frames per second 1080p: 60 frames per second
I’m lucky enough to have a contender for the best 4K gaming monitor – which really are some of the best gaming monitors, so I really put the iBUYPOWER Element CL Pro in the competition when it comes to performance tests, multi-games with high-end 4K, 1440p and 1080p resolutions.
This PC can’t reach 4K 60fps for titles like Metro Exodus or Total War: Three Kingdoms, but it can easily get there with Red Dead Redemption 2 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, providing an impressive amount of detail with frame rates amazing . And if you drop the settings a bit and go playing at 1440p, it easily delivers 60fps for gaming at the Ultra settings for The Division 2, Metro Exodus, and Total War. As a result – it’s fairly obvious at this point – this thing absolutely loves it at 1080p, eliminating ridiculously high numbers of frame rates.
The PC has never struggled to play any of the AAA games I’ve thrown at it, which gives me fantastic fidelity and fluidity whether I’m running for gear in Apex Legends or running through the Wild West in Red Dead Online. I even used this PC to stream on Twitch while playing Call of Duty: Warzone and it didn’t have the slightest bump – it kept screaming as I cursed through my three hour broadcast.
Last year’s Element CL builds weren’t built to support 30 Series cards, and while this model can only support 3070 cards, iBUYPOWER notes that Element CL Pro systems with 3080 GPU support will be released “at a later time.” So, if you’ve been looking forward to striving for the holy grail of 4K 60fps across any games you might be playing, you might want to wait for the 3,080 releases. However, I found the experience with this current build to be great, with the RTX 3070 looking to be one of the best graphics cards – at times I was speechless at Red Dead Redemption 2’s beautiful look. And as usual, you can turn off a few settings to get closer to 60fps over 4K, 1440p, and 1080p, depending on your monitor setup.
I’m not a top-tier PC gamer who focuses on the differences between ultra and high settings – I have poor eyesight, and I’m honestly impressed with either – so for someone who can enjoy a smooth gaming experience with excellent graphics and good fps (especially in multiplayer matches) The Element CL Pro is an excellent choice. And if you’re a repairman and want to keep improving the build, you can easily tap into all the guts of the device and make this thing work even better. The options are endless.
In general – should you buy it?
If you’re looking for a custom, liquid-cooled, pre-built desktop computer, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything better at a price. While last year’s model was impressive and affordable, the iBUYPOWER Element CL Pro offers accessible liquid cooling to support the 3070. This means you’ll get all the performance you’re looking for from a new generation of graphics cards, with all the flashy patterns and premium cooling of a liquid-cooling system. RGB.
And for those who aren’t quite familiar with PC customization and maintenance, the Element CL Pro is also something that can be easily worked on and improved when needed. With easy access to drain ports, I don’t have to worry about hand shaking or a cat hitting me and spilling liquid into my system. It was also an absolute breeze to take out and plug in to the current settings.
While the Elements CL Pro may not be a “cheap gaming PC,” it’s certainly a great value for what it offers, and as a fully-equipped RTX 3070, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t want to spend your hard-earned money on this – even in the face of The more powerful RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 PCs that will be increasingly available this year. However, if 3080 is really more than your speed, you may want to pass that speed on – but only for now until this card is fully supported. CL Pro is a great gaming machine in every sense of the word.
Browse the iBUYPOWER CL Pro Collection | From $1,999.99