A German company is launching a new device that promises to prevent water-cooled PCs from ever spilling liquid on the internal parts.
Aqua Computer’s Leakshield uses a vacuum pump to create negative pressure through a PC’s water cooling system. The effect can pull liquid back into the cooling system even if there’s a hole or crack in the piping.
In a video, the company demoed Leakshield running on several water-cooled PC parts. Aqua Computer proceeds to drill holes into the piping and CPU water block. But when Leakshield is turned on, the liquid continues to flow through the system without any major spills. Instead, the vacuum pump pulls in ambient air around the holes.
“The system can continue to operate for a short time without any issue in the event of minor leaks,” the vendor added. “Even drastic damage, such as a completely broken lid of a graphics card waterblock, usually no longer leads to a leakage of fluid.”
Aqua Computer is marketing the product as the “safest liquid system” in the world. Leakshield will also monitor the cooling system’s internal pressure. If it detects changes, the device will record and evaluate them, letting you know about potential leaks. The device can also be programmed to automatically shut down the PC if a leak occurs.
The product itself is shaped like a hockey puck, and can be fitted on a water cooling reservoir’s bottle. It also features an alarm buzzer, RGB lighting, and an OLED screen, which acts as a status screen. To draw power, Leakshield comes with a USB port.
In Europe, Aqua Computer is selling the Leakshield starting at 119 Euros ($144), which works with the company’s Ultitube water coolant reservoirs. The company has also created a separate version with an adaptor kit that can be mounted to 120mm and 140mm fan mounts.
The vendor published an FAQ on the product, which reveals it can “take hours to days” to readjust the negative pressure inside the cooling system, depending on the system and air conditions. “In normal operation, Leakshield does not generate any noise,” the company added. “When the vacuum is built up, a low operating noise of approx. 50 dB (decibels) is perceptible for a few seconds.”
