Utopia Renegade custom water cooled PC with hardline tubing and coolant loop

Renegade / Custom water cooled PC

A custom water cooled PC, built one at a time in Scotland.

The art of overkill.

Utopia's flagship custom loop PC. CPU and GPU water cooling, individually engineered around your hardware, your aesthetic and the way you use it.

Explore past commissions

01 Why Renegade exists

THERE COMES A POINT WHERE FASTER ISN'T ENOUGH.

Most PCs get faster by adding more. A faster processor. A bigger graphics card. More memory.

Renegade starts where the parts list ends.

At this level, performance depends on how the whole machine is engineered. How heat moves through the system. How quietly it can sustain load. How the cooling loop is routed, built and tested. How every visible detail comes together.

Each Renegade is designed around one customer, one brief and one machine.

Commissioned, not configured.

Commissioned, not configured.

Hardline water cooling loop inside a Utopia Renegade custom PC

02 Commissioned, not configured

HOW YOUR RENEGADE IS COMMISSIONED.

No two Renegades are built the same way. The hardware, chassis and brief determine the cooling architecture, so your loop is designed for your machine rather than repeated from the one before it.

What stays consistent is the process.

A Utopia Renegade custom water cooled PC being built in our Kilmarnock workshop
  1. Consultation

    We start with you. What the machine needs to do, where it will live, what you want it to look like and what matters most to you. Performance, noise, budget, colour, hardware, all of it begins here.

  2. Architecture and specification

    We turn the brief into a machine. Components are selected together, with the chassis, cooling and power requirements considered as one system. You see and approve the specification before anything is ordered.

  3. Loop design

    Before a tube is bent, we plan the loop. Radiator placement, coolant routing, blocks, pump position, airflow and the final appearance are worked out around the hardware in your commission.

  4. Assembly and tube work

    This is where the drawing becomes a machine. Tubing is measured, cut, bent and fitted by hand, alongside the cabling, cooling hardware and finishing details.

  5. Pressure testing

    Before coolant is added or power is connected, the completed loop is sealed and pressure tested. We want to know it is sound before the electronics ever enter the equation.

  6. System testing

    Once filled and bled, the completed Renegade is run under sustained load while temperatures, cooling behaviour and system stability are monitored. We test the finished machine, not just the individual parts.

  7. Final inspection

    The finished machine is cleaned, inspected and photographed before being prepared for delivery. Nothing leaves our workshop until we'd be happy to put our name beside it.

03 Anatomy of a Renegade

What is actually in there.

A custom loop is a closed cooling system built into the machine. Coolant carries heat away from the processor and graphics card to radiators, where that heat is transferred into the air.

Here’s what each part does, and why it’s there.

Technical drawing of a Utopia Renegade custom water cooled PC showing coolant flow, radiators and component layout
ONE RENEGADE COMMISSION, SHOWN AS AN EXAMPLE. RADIATOR COUNT, LOOP ROUTING AND COMPONENT CHOICE ARE ENGINEERED FOR EACH BUILD.
  1. CPU water block

    Sits directly on the processor. Coolant passes through fine channels inside the block, carrying heat away from the CPU and into the rest of the loop.

  2. GPU water block

    Replaces the graphics card’s standard cooler with a full cover water block, drawing heat away from the GPU and other critical components before carrying it into the loop.

  3. Pump and reservoir

    The pump keeps coolant moving through the system. The reservoir provides a place to fill, bleed and monitor the loop, and often becomes part of the visual design.

  4. Radiators

    This is where heat leaves the loop. Coolant passes through the radiator while fans move air across it. More radiator capacity can allow the system to dissipate the same heat with lower fan speeds.

  5. Hardline tubing

    Rigid tubing is measured, cut, heated and bent by hand to fit the individual machine. Its route is part engineering, part visual design, and one of the reasons no two Renegade loops need look the same.

  6. Airflow

    Water cooling doesn’t remove the need for airflow. Fans still move heat through the radiators and cool components such as memory, storage and motherboard hardware. Airflow and loop design are planned together.

  7. Drain point

    A service valve positioned at a low point in the loop allows coolant to be drained cleanly when maintenance is required. Its location is planned around the chassis and the rest of the cooling system.

04 Thermal engineering

Cooling is the whole argument.

Modern processors and graphics cards constantly adjust their performance around temperature, power and workload. Cooling determines how effectively that performance can be sustained when the machine is working hard.

A great cooling system isn’t about chasing one impressive temperature on a screen. It’s about what happens after twenty minutes, an hour, or an afternoon of gaming, rendering or simulation.

Every Renegade is designed with cooling capacity matched to its hardware, then tested under sustained load before it leaves our workshop.

Sustained performance

Peak performance is easy to demonstrate. Sustained performance is harder. Renegade is engineered to move heat away continuously during long gaming sessions, renders and sustained workloads, not simply produce an impressive result during a short test.

Headroom

Cooling capacity is designed around the complete system, with room to manage demanding sustained loads without running everything at the edge. That headroom can mean lower temperatures, lower fan speeds and more flexibility when hardware changes in future.

Acoustics

Heat still has to leave the machine. The difference is how hard the fans need to work to move it. Greater radiator capacity can allow the same heat to be dissipated at lower fan speeds, helping us design for acoustics as well as temperatures.

Tested configuration

The machine
ProcessorAMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
LoopCPU + GPU
Ambient temperature21.4°C
Test duration60 minutes
WorkloadSuperposition
What we measured
CPU temperatureTBC
GPU temperatureTBC
Coolant temperatureTBC
NoiseTBC @ 1 metre

We ran the completed machine under a sustained CPU and GPU workload until temperatures stabilised, recording room temperature, component temperatures, coolant temperature and system noise throughout. These results belong to this machine. Different Renegade commissions will behave differently depending on their hardware, cooling architecture and environment

06 Make it yours

The decisions that are yours to make.

A commission is a conversation about a set of decisions. Some are engineering, some are taste, and most people arrive with strong opinions about two or three of them and no view at all on the rest. That is normal — we will have an opinion where you do not.

Performance

What the machine is for decides the hardware, not the other way round. Gaming at high refresh, rendering, simulation, editing, or all of it at once — each pulls the specification in a different direction.

Cooling architecture

How far the loop goes. A CPU loop, or a full loop taking in the graphics card as well. How many radiators, where they sit, and how quietly the whole thing runs. This is decided per commission, around your hardware and chassis.

Custom water cooled CPU block with hardline tubing inside a Utopia Renegade PC

Materials

Chassis, glass, metalwork and finish. What the machine is made of changes how it feels in a room far more than any component inside it.

Coolant

Colour, and whether it is opaque or clear. It is the single most visible decision in the build, and the one people change their mind about most.

Tubing

Rigid hardline for a hard-edged, engineered look, or soft tubing for gentler runs. Routing is designed around the components rather than taking the shortest path.

Cabling

Custom lengths and colours, sleeved and combed so every run sits where it was meant to. It is the detail that separates a tidy build from a finished one.

Lighting

From none at all to fully addressable. Plenty of Renegades are built almost dark, lit only enough to show the loop.

Displays

Integrated screens for temperatures, artwork or anything else you want on show. Where they fit depends on the chassis.

Artwork and engraving

Etched panels, engraved plates and commissioned artwork, where the chassis and the schedule allow. Ask early — this is the part that needs the most lead time.

Bring as much or as little as you have. A reference photograph is a perfectly good starting point.

Start my commission

AMD OR INTEL

Start with the platform

If you would rather specify the machine yourself, pick a platform and the configurator opens on it. Either can be built as a Renegade — the loop is designed around whichever you choose.

AMD

Ryzen

AMD's Ryzen processors, including the X3D parts where they earn their place, are our usual starting point for machines built primarily around gaming.

BEST FOR:

  • Gaming performance
  • High refresh rates
  • Strong upgrade path
Configure an AMD Renegade

INTEL

Core Ultra

Intel stays the stronger answer when the machine has to mix serious gaming with creative or professional work rather than lean entirely one way.

BEST FOR:

  • Gaming and creation
  • Heavy multitasking
  • Mixed workloads
Configure an Intel Renegade

Would rather not decide this yourself?

Most commissions start the other way round: tell us what the machine is for, and the platform is our problem rather than yours.

Built in Scotland. Backed for life. 10 Year Labour Warranty.

07 Start a commission

Tell us about your Renegade.

A few questions to start the conversation. Nothing here is binding and nothing is a quote — it just means that when we come back to you, we are talking about your machine rather than about machines in general.

Rather talk it through? 01563 574280

A range is fine. It tells us which conversation to have.

Colours, a mood, a car, a film, something you have seen. Or nothing at all.

Hardware you already own, a chassis, a display, a piece of artwork.

We will only use these details to reply about your commission.

08 Ballista or Renegade

Two different questions.

Plenty of people arrive here who would be better served by a Ballista, and we would rather say so now than after the invoice. The difference is not how good the machine is — it is how much of it is designed from scratch.

Ballista

Enthusiast gaming PC

Cooling
Premium conventional cooling, chosen and tuned for the hardware
Cooling design
A proven layout, applied well
Performance
High end, with room to grow
Build work
A standardised build, done carefully
Personalisation
Specification, and a considered set of finishes
Process
Specify it, order it, we build it
Time
A faster route from decision to delivery
Ownership
No routine cooling maintenance
Explore Ballista

Renegade

Commissioned custom loop PC

Cooling
Custom loop taking in the CPU, and the graphics card where the commission calls for it
Cooling design
Designed for your hardware and chassis, so no two are the same
Performance
High end, with thermal headroom for sustained load
Build work
Substantially more hands on work, most of it in the loop and the finishing
Personalisation
Materials, coolant, tubing, cabling, lighting, artwork
Process
A commissioning conversation before anything is ordered
Time
Longer, because the design work happens first
Ownership
A custom loop needs occasional attention, and we are here for it
Commission a Renegade

Neither is the better machine. Ballista is the faster route to serious performance; Renegade is the one to choose when the machine itself is part of the point.

09 Built in Kilmarnock

Built by people you can phone.

Every Renegade is built on a bench in our Kilmarnock workshop by a technician who sees it through from parts to packing. The loop is pressure tested before coolant goes anywhere near it, the finished machine is run under sustained load, and it is inspected and photographed before it is packed.

Then it ships fully built and filled, on an insured pallet, so it arrives set up the way it left us.

A Utopia technician building a custom water cooled PC in the Kilmarnock workshop
10 Year Labour Warranty
Our labour is covered for ten years. If something needs our hands on it, that part is on us.
Lifetime Technical Support
For as long as you own the machine, you can call us and speak to someone who knows how it was built.
Pressure tested
Every loop is sealed and pressure tested before coolant and power go anywhere near it.
Shipped built and filled
Fully assembled on an insured pallet delivery. No draining, no rebuilding at your end.

10 Ownership and maintenance

Living with a custom loop.

A custom loop needs occasional maintenance. We’d rather tell you that before you buy one than let you discover it later.

Over time, coolant may need replacing and the loop should be inspected, cleaned and tested. How often depends on the coolant, hardware, environment and how the machine is used.

The important bit is that you don’t have to do any of it yourself.

We built the machine. We know exactly what is inside it, how the loop was designed and how to service it properly. When the time comes, you can send your Renegade back to the same workshop that built it.

What it actually involves

Draining the loop, inspecting and cleaning the system, replacing the coolant where required, checking fittings, then refilling, bleeding and testing the completed machine.

Designed to be serviced

We think about maintenance while the loop is being designed. Where the chassis allows, a drain point is positioned to make future servicing cleaner and more straightforward.

Send it to us

Send it back to Kilmarnock and we’ll take care of it. We can advise you on safe packing and transport, then service and test the machine here in the workshop.

Or do it yourself

Prefer to maintain your own loop? We’ll help. We can tell you exactly what was used in your build and talk you through the process. It’s your machine.

Day to day

Very little. Keep the dust filters clean, give the case enough space to breathe and enjoy the machine. You shouldn’t need to spend your weekends maintaining a cooling loop.

If something goes wrong

Your Renegade is backed by Utopia’s 10 Year Labour Warranty and Lifetime Technical Support, and we retain the build information for your machine. If something doesn’t look or sound right, we’d rather you speak to us before touching the loop.

BUILT HERE. SERVICED HERE. SUPPORTED FOR LIFE.

Talk to Utopia

11 / Questions

The awkward questions

Are water cooled PCs safe?

Yes, when they’re designed, built and tested properly.

Before coolant goes anywhere near the electronics, every Renegade loop is sealed and pressure tested. Once filled, the completed machine is tested again under sustained load before it leaves our workshop.

Custom water cooling adds complexity, which is why we treat the cooling system as part of the engineering rather than decoration.

How often does a water cooled PC need servicing?

There isn’t one interval that suits every loop.

Coolant, hardware, usage and the environment around the PC all affect how often maintenance makes sense. We’ll advise you based on the system we actually build rather than giving every Renegade the same arbitrary service date.

And when it does need attention, you can send it back to us.

What is the difference between custom water cooling and an AIO?

An AIO is a sealed cooling product. A custom loop is designed as part of the PC.

An AIO normally cools the processor using a preassembled pump, radiator and tubing system.

A Renegade loop can cool the CPU and graphics card together, with the blocks, radiators, pump, reservoir, tubing and airflow chosen and routed around that individual machine.

How do you ship a water cooled PC?

Very carefully.

Renegades are prepared and packed specifically for transport, with the system protected against movement inside the chassis.

We ship throughout the UK and remain available when the machine arrives. If anything about the delivery or setup doesn’t look right, call us before switching it on.

Can I choose the coolant colour?

Absolutely, within the limits of the loop we’re designing.

Coolant colour can become part of the visual brief alongside tubing, cabling, lighting and the rest of the finish.

We’ll also tell you if a particular choice could compromise reliability, maintenance or the finished appearance. Looking good on day one isn’t enough.

What happens if my Renegade needs maintenance?

Send it back to the people who built it.

We retain the details of your build and can inspect, drain, clean, refill, bleed and test the cooling system as required.

If you prefer to maintain it yourself, we’ll help with that too.

It’s your machine. You’re not locked into us.

How long does a Renegade take to build?

Most Renegade commissions currently take approximately 2 to 3 weeks.

Every build includes specification, loop design, hand assembly, tube work, pressure testing, filling, bleeding and sustained system testing, so lead time varies depending on complexity and current demand. We’ll confirm your expected build window before the commission begins and keep you updated throughout.

Do you deliver water cooled PCs throughout the UK?

Yes. Renegade is built in Kilmarnock and delivered throughout the UK.

You don’t need to live near our workshop to buy one. We prepare the machine for transport, arrange delivery and remain available to help when it arrives.

And if it ever needs to come home for servicing, we can help organise that too.

What is the difference between Ballista and Renegade?

Ballista is our high end performance PC. Renegade is our commissioned custom loop PC.

Ballista combines enthusiast grade hardware with premium conventional cooling and gives you an extremely powerful machine without the complexity of a bespoke water cooling loop.

Renegade goes further. CPU and GPU water cooling, cooling architecture, tubing, radiator layout and visual details are engineered around the individual commission.

Choose Ballista because you want an exceptional PC. Choose Renegade because the machine itself is part of what you want to create.

Renegade

Some PCs are bought.
Renegade is commissioned.

You don’t need a finished specification. Bring us an idea, a colour, a performance target, or simply a feeling. We’ll turn it into the brief.

Where
Built in Scotland
Warranty
10 Year Labour Warranty
Support
Lifetime Technical Support

CUSTOM WATERCOOLED PCS BY UTOPIA

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