Miniature portables, we hardly knew you. At CES 2023, powerful laptops are big and in charge, powered by ferocious new desktop-like Intel Core HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series CPUs, but managing such enormous components generally necessitates gigantic designs filled with cooling technologies. Certainly not the brand-new Tracer VII models from CyberPowerPC. These eye-catching new devices rely on liquid-cooling to boost the performance of their already lightning-fast components.

The CyberPowerPC Tracer VII Edge I16G (with a 16-inch, 240Hz IPS display) and the Edge I17E (with a 17-inch, 16:10, 240Hz screen) both appear like they might be used for anything other than gaming. Hiding behind their unassuming black exteriors are cutting-edge components like Intel’s Core i9-13900HX processors and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards. That’s stunning on its own, but the mullet-style party in the rear is what really draws people in.

These notebooks include ports in the back for hose connections to a “optional detachable liquid cooling add-on unit” that has a radiator, pump, and fan similar to those found in an all-in-one desktop cooler. The ease of plugging in and disconnecting the device is shown in the video. The ports may retain a tiny amount of liquid after being disconnected, however CyberPowerPC has thoughtfully designed the cooler so that it can be refilled with (probably) distilled water via a port on the top, with an indicator for the water level on the side of the box.

In what ways might liquid cooling a laptop be useful? The newest CPUs from Intel and Nvidia unleash previously unimaginable quantities of processing power. This is what Gordon Mah Ung explains:

“Having water-cooling in a laptop is going to make a huge difference with these new CPUs that are so fast, with these new GPUs that are so fast and also very hot. Dealing with thermals in laptops is the biggest challenge. Adding this auxiliary cooling when you need it should make a very huge difference in any gaming laptop. I’ve been doing a lot of gaming laptop reviews and let me tell you: the ones that are bigger and better cooled are faster. This lets you get really good performance out of laptops that aren’t as huge.”

Cyberpower is being coy about the performance boost provided by the liquid cooler attachment or how much it costs. However, these beastly powerful computers won’t come cheap: Priced at roughly $2,800 upon release, the 16-inch Tracer VII Edge I16G will be followed by the bigger 17-inch Edge I17E, which will start at around $3,000. Both are scheduled for release in early February.