What has made it a customer’s favourite is the brand offers reliable software that can be used to control and monitor the device’s performance. This is what brings us to a detailed Corsair Link vs iCUE review.
Corsair has always stood out with an amazing range of gaming peripherals and accessories that you can’t find anywhere else.
Corsair iCUE Products
- Combining stylish tempered glass, customizable RGB lighting, innovative cable management and concentrated airflow, choose the 4000X RGB for a unique high-performance PC.
- Improve your system's cooling with a high airflow layout complete with a steel grill front panel for optimal air intake
- Triple fan kit with four lighting Zones and 34 individually addressable RGB LEDs per fan radiate spellbinding colors and effects on either side
- A high-performance RGB pump head provides powerful, low-noise cooling for your CPU, lit by 33 ultra-bright CAPELLIX RGB LEDs..Cooling Socket Support : Intel 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2066., AMD AM5, AM4, sTRX4, sTR4 (Intel LGA1700 is supported with purchase of CW-8960091 or CW-8960093 spare parts.)
Since both products, Link and iCUE, belong to Corsair they have not yet highlighted all the differences in details and showed their customers what choice is better to go with.
So we are here to talk about Corsair Link vs iCUE in depth so you can see for yourself whether the upgrade is worth it or not.
Corsair Link Vs iCUE – Quick Overview
Corsair Link is regarded as an old program whereas iCUE presents an all-in-one control that can manage all your Corsair devices from one point. However, whether you should choose Corsair Link or Corsair iCUE depends on what devices you use.
Products that are compatible with Link also work with iCUE but the same can not be said vice versa. Therefore, most customers use the Corsair Link with end-of-life products. These include H80i, H100i, Lighting Node, Cooling Node, and Commander Mini.
Other than the products mentioned above, users majorly rely on Corsair iCUE. This is because it is one of the latest Corsair software that works with all the products eliminating the need to invest in any other program whatsoever.
Note! All the products that Corsair has launched since 2018 work smoothly with the iCUE. You can still invest in Corsair Link but you would be running the risk of owning software that is outdated and incompatible with a number of products.
Luckily, Corsair made the upgrading process quite easy. Customers can step up their game from Link to iCUE simply by following an easy protocol.
The first thing that you need to do is get rid of all the old software. This would include Commander, Link, CUE 2, etc. Then you can download Corsair iCUE from their official website.
The installation can be completed in a couple of minutes by following the on-screen instructions. Once you are done, the system may ask you to run a restart and you are good to go!
So far, the only major difference that we could point to between the two software was the range of compatible devices but that’s not it! There are other features that give users a tough time when choosing between Corsair Link vs iCUE and we here to look into all of them.
Continue reading to find about their pros, cons, and functionalities so you can later make the choice that suits your needs.
1. Corsair Link
The software was launched at a time when there was no other option. It came with an impeccable interface and functionality providing control that users needed for a long time.
Review of Corsair Link
Corsair Link was officially made available in 2011. At the time of its launch, hundreds of users quickly adopted and admired the software due to its great functionality.
There was not any software at that time that could be used to control and monitor Corsair hardware so the introduction of Link really brought a revolution that customers were already craving.
The interface was as user-friendly as it could get allowing Corsair users a great deal of flexibility in its use. They could configure hardware as per their choice, optimize its settings, control RGB lighting, and perform many other tasks that were not easy to do so before Corsair Link was launched.
Did You know? Although Corsair has won popularity in more than just one field, the single technology that set it apart was its famous RGB lighting. In fact, this was the feature that brought to light CUE, known as, Corsair Utility Engine, that ultimately paved the way for Corsair iCUE.
The journey of Link to iCUE is actually worth listening to! So what happened?
When Corsair RGB outgrew most of its other features, CUE gained utmost popularity as it was the program behind RGB control and monitoring. However, other than that, it could perform a variety of tasks as well. These included macros for keyboards and EQ for headphones.
As more and more Corsair products hit the market, Link and CUE could now keep up with the quickly growing demands of these devices. Moreover, older software presented issues such as higher CPU usage and sudden crashing. This was when the manufacturers realized that they needed a single unified software that could control it all.
Now before we discuss how Corsair iCue was the answer to all problems, let’s check out what Link had in stock for us.
- It is a parent company that provides an all-in-one control to manage most of the end-of-life Corsair products.
- The products that Corsair Link is compatible with include H80i, H100i, Lighting Node, Cooling Node, and Commander Mini.
- Thousands of users around the globe are relying on this software due to its great functionality.
- The software is also easily accessible. You can download it reliably from their official website.
- Link brought a revolution because at that time there was not much software that could be used to monitor and control Corsair hardware.
- It hosts a user-friendly interface and provides a great deal of flexibility in the way users can manage their Corsair devices without any hassle.
- It allows users to configure hardware as per their choice, optimize its settings, control RGB lighting, and perform many other tasks that were not easy to do so before Corsair Link was launched.
2. Corsair iCUE
In order to create an atmosphere that gamers are absolutely going to love, Corsair iCUE has programmed peripheral lighting to be in synchrony with what is being displayed on the screen.
Review of Corsair iCUE
- We have already discussed how Corsair iCUE came into being. It was officially released in March 2018. This turned out to be an all-in-one software that could control all the Corsair products released to date.
Note! The features that iCUE could control included RGB lighting effects, system monitoring, macros, cooling control, etc. Finally, all the issues that Corsair users had faced so far were resolved!
- Corsair iCUE did more than just provide commendable control over Corsair products but also brought out the best in its hardware by offering a unified experience to all its users. Depending on how you want to use the Corsair products, iCUE had everything you need to adjust noise, lighting, and overall performance.
- iCUE was a big breakthrough because its successful launch meant that for the first time Corsair users could control the functionality of all products with a single application. It worked perfectly with Windows and macOS. Soon enough, all Corsair users had upgraded from Link to iCUE.
- Luckily, Corsair made the upgrading process quite easy. Customers can step up their game from Link to iCUE simply by following an easy protocol.
- The first thing that you need to do is get rid of all the old software. This would include Commander, Link, CUE 2, etc. Then you can download Corsair iCUE from their official website.
- The installation can be completed in a couple of minutes by following the on-screen instructions. Once you are done, the system may ask you to run a restart and you are good to go!
- This software combined all the benefits of previous versions whether it be lighting control or monitoring performance.
- Users can customize internal PC components as well as external attachments such as gaming peripherals.
- Corsair iCUE lets you monitor temperature and power usage with a single application.
- You can keep a check on the operating temperatures of all components including PSU and CPU.
- With the combined action of Commander PRO and CORSAIR PSU, iCUE would enable you to monitor the power usage of your device as well.
- Similar to Link, iCUE lets you control the speed of the fan and water pump.
- You don’t need to find an adjustment value for fan speed or pump as the software comes with pre-set modes that you can select from as per your need.
- In addition to “Quiet” and “Extreme”, iCUE has recently introduced the “Zero RPM” mode that halts the radiator’s fans completely. This is very helpful for users who like to keep the noise levels at a minimum.
- iCUE software enjoys distinction with its commendable control over RGB LED lighting. This holds true for all Corsair peripherals, accessories, PC components, etc.
- Corsair has considerably improved the experience it offers to PC gamers thanks to its partnership with Ubisoft. It now offers in-game reactive lighting integration.
- In order to create an atmosphere that gamers are absolutely going to love, Corsair iCUE has programmed peripheral lighting to be in synchrony with what is being displayed on the screen.
- Lastly, with iCUE, you can easily customize mouse DPI, select macros of your choice, adjust EQ settings on your headset, and perform other optimization tasks easily.
Corsair Link Vs iCUE – Final Verdict
Technologies and software are rapidly advancing to cater to the growing needs of the customer. Since new products are on launch every now and then, it is best to keep your system up-to-date.
Corsair iCUE presents the best opportunity to do that. Therefore, if you have a couple of Corsair products on your shelf and wish to enjoy complete control over them with a single app, then iCUE is your answer.
So are you going to try the update? If you already have the latest software, we would love to hear about your experience! Don’t forget to leave your reviews in the comment section below. You can also get in touch with us in case you need to discuss any queries. Good Luck!
Frequently Asked Questions About Corsair Link Vs iCUE
What is the major difference between Corsair Link and iCUE?
Corsair Link is regarded as an old program whereas iCUE presents an all-in-one control that can manage all your Corsair devices from one point. Products that are compatible with Link also work with iCUE but the same can not be said vice versa.
What products are compatible with Corsair Link?
Most customers use Corsair Link with end-of-life products. These include H80i, H100i, Lighting Node, Cooling Node, and Commander Mini.
How can I upgrade from Link to iCUE?
Corsair made the upgrading process quite easy. Customers can step up their game from Link to iCUE simply by following an easy protocol.
The first thing that you need to do is get rid of all the old software. This would include Commander, Link, CUE 2, etc. Then you can download Corsair Icue from their official website.
The installation can be completed in a couple of minutes by following the on-screen instructions. Once you are done, the system may ask you to run a restart and you are good to go!
What is the use of Zero RPM Mode on Corsair iCUE?
iCUE has recently introduced the “Zero RPM” mode that halts the radiator’s fans completely. This is very helpful for users who like to keep the noise levels at a minimum.
Should I upgrade from Link to iCUE? What if I choose not to?
Corsair iCUE does more than just provide commendable control over Corsair products. It also brings out the best in its hardware by offering a unified experience to all its users. Depending on how you want to use the Corsair products, iCUE has everything you need to adjust noise, lighting, and overall performance. Some of these features are missing in the Corsair Link.
