EK is one of the more recognizable names in the custom liquid cooling sector, and later this year—or maybe early next—it will attempt to carve out a space in the crowded air cooling arena as well.
There is not a whole lot of information available yet, though EK did make it clear it is getting into CPU air cooling (PDF). EK will kick things off with its upcoming EK-Air series of coolers "for people who are interested in aftermarket cooling, but are not yet ready to make the leap into liquid cooling."
EK says it will offer both single and dual-tower designs, with RGB lighting. What you see in the image above is a prototype and not necessarily reflective of what the finished product(s) will look like, according to what EK conveyed to OC3D. All EK is saying for now is that its coolers will be a blend of "premium build quality, modern aesthetics, and great cooling."
The company is not yet talking about how many air coolers it has on tap, what price points it is aiming for, or exactly when they will launch. As it pertains to the latter, EK says to expect the EK-Air series to launch towards the end of this year or by the middle of 2021, which is a fairly wide window.
EK will be going up against some stiff competition in the chip-chilling market. In particular, Noctua's NH-D15 is what we consider the best CPU cooler in the air cooling space, while Cooler Master's Hyper 212 Evo is still the go-to option for builders on a budget.
It's possible EK could target both the performance and bang-for-buck crowns with separate products. However, given EK's penchant for premium custom liquid cooling parts, I suspect it will primarily go after the former, which could make things interesting. Consider me cautiously optimistic about EK's new venture.
