HydroAmd

Interesting thought about the block scraping. I also have the pre-applied thermal paste on mine. Please let us know the results after you change out the thermal paste. I believe this to be a design defect. Corsair isn't saying or doing anything about it. I have a support ticket opened and they haven't even replied to it once. The XC7 is warranted for three years so this should be fun.

Is anyone from Corsair going to chime in?

Why is that ever since Corsair requested a video of the issue, they're no longer replying to this thread? I need some help. The thermal expansion of the XC7 causes clicking and popping noises from the plastic trim.

Interesting that you have it with soft tubing as well. Good to know that it's not related to the hardline fittings or acrylic tubing. This noise is 100% coming from the Hydro X XC7 CPU block during expansion/contraction. Do you have any suggestions for us, Corsair?

If I have to hear this XC7 click one more time, I think I might just rip it out of my computer. I exchanged the first one with the retailer and the second does the same thing. I've change the fittings and am no longer using an extension. Just two Bitspower hardline, no difference.

Tiborrr, interesting thoughts. Although I can replicate it every day :) You may be on to something but in my case it's 100% related to the heat/cool cycle of the block itself. It clicks just like the video after the computer is turned on for the day and starts to warm up. Then when shut down, does the same thing. More of an annoyance than anything. What do you mean by the hard tubing may be on too tight from one component to the next? I just have the tubing bottomed out in the fitting. I have the loop apart now as I'm going to redo some runs so I'll play around with the Xc7 runs. Surprising that apparently very few are having this problem? Or maybe they think it's normal? IMO, this is a design defect. If the trim were aluminum, this wouldn't occur (like XC9). Corsair, how can I obtain the aluminum trim for the XC7? The part is $5 more expensive... Here, take my $5.

2nd Update: clicking was almost eliminated so I tried to loosen a bit more but then felt a leak so I tightened it back up. Good news, I tightened the fitting to original tightness (where it should be) and captured a video. This is me shutting the computer down, clicks start ~30 secs. Why is the XC7 trim plastic and XC9 aluminum? And how is no one else having this problem? Some air got in during my fitting loosening escapade; ignore it. [ame]https://youtu.be/-wn5JjoUajU[/ame]

Update: I loosened one of the fittings (bitspower) and it seems to have resolved the clicking. The fitting wasn't even that tight, finger tight. Is this normal? Now I'm wary that the fitting is too loose and could ultimately leak. Thinking about RMA. It shouldn't click no matter how tight the fitting is. I could take a picture and/or video but I would need to tighten it back up again.

Agreed. But it does happen both on the expansion and contraction. I don't believe it's coming from the nylon block itself. Or the posts/mount as they're metal and don't seem to touch the plastic. I can recreate the sound by pressing around the plastic trim ring in various places but I can't determine exactly where it's coming from when it happens. Could the hardline fittings be too tight? I can see some movement when I press on the plastic trim near a fitting so I don't believe that's it. I wonder if the trim can be reseated but no idea how to do that.

The noise isn't coming from the fans. It will occur after the computer is shut down with no power while it's still cooling down. The noise is 100% coming from the XC7, either the block itself or the plastic trim piece. I have literally felt the vibration from the click while holding it. The four post screws are all tight.

Before I open a ticket I wanted to try the forums first. I'm having a strange issue with the XC7 block. Whenever there is temperature variation, especially when turning the computer on or off, the XC7 block will randomly make a click sound. The clicking noise is plasticky and continues until the temp is seemingly stabilized. At first I thought it was the radiator but not so. It appears to be coming from the plastic XC7 trim/shroud whenever there is thermal expansion/contraction. It's very annoying and quite audible. It's not the pump or air bubbles. It will even click when the computer is off while it's cooling down. I'm using hardline fittings. Does anyone have any suggestions on a fix?