Now that RGB components have become common place, parts with built-in LCD screens have started to emerge as the next step in custom PC building. Over the last few years, we've seen a number of AIO coolers that have full color screens atop their water blocks and we've even seen motherboards with displays. However, mounting a full-color display on your memory is something new.
First teased this fall, but demoed officially during CES, Thermaltake's Pacific R2 Ultra memory kit is a 3.9-inch display LCD screen that clips to the top of your DDR4 or DDR5 RAM and shows status information or animated GIFs at 128 x 480 resolution. A second product, the Pacific A2 Ultra has the same screen but a built-in water block so you can use it with open-loop cooling solutions.
We had a chance to see the Pacific R2 Ultra when Thermaltake's Mike Fierheller joined us for a special live stream where he showed off a number of the company's new products for 2022.
Nestled in a custom build, which used a green Core P6 chassis and green open-loop cooling, the Pacific R2 Ultra was a standout presence in a PC that was filled with bling. The R2 Ultra sat adjacent to its sibling the Pacific MX2 Ultra CPU water block, which also has an LCD screen.
During our broadcast, Fierheller showed how the Pacific R2 Ultra can display a variety of stats, using the TT RGB Plus application. On a tab in the software, you can configure the screen to output the current temperature, frequency or load for the CPU, GPU or RAM while adjusting the brightness and colors.
If you want your Pacific R2 Ultra to show an image, TT RGB Plus comes with several, appropriately-sized GIFs. You can also upload an animated or still GIF that's 480 x 128 and up to 20MB.
(Image credit: Thermaltake)
Attaching the Pacific R2 Ultra is easy as it just clips onto the top of your DDR4 or DDR5 memory modules. It has a micro USB port for data and power which connects to your motherboard or RGB hub via an included micro USB to 9-pin USB cable.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
The Thermaltake Pacific R2 Ultra supports RAM that's up to 48mm tall. Fierheller told us that it attaches best with 4 sticks of RAM installed, but that it will work on a motherboard that has only two slots. It does not provide any heat sink capabilities so, if you want it to double as a cooling part, you should consider the Pacific A2 Ultra, though you'll want to make it part of a custom loop.
(Image credit: Thermaltake)
Both the Thermaltake Pacific R2 Ultra and the Pacific A2 Ultra are due out in Q1 of 2022. Pricing is still to be determined.
Avram Piltch is Managing Editor: Special Projects. When he's not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you'll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC, or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.
