In conventional water cooling systems (tubing), flexible hoses made of different materials have been used so far. Rigid tubing sections were rare exceptions, such as between several graphics cards in a multi-VGA setup. Rubber hoses are pleasantly flexible, but on the other hand, they are often not as precisely installable or do not stay where they belong. A relatively new approach that has been sufficiently tested involves tubing with rigid tubes made of acrylic.
The acrylic tubes are rigid and not bendable in their initial state, but they can at least be cut to the desired length. So how are they adjusted to fit the water cooling components in the computer? The solution to the puzzle is heat. When the acrylic tubes are heated, they become bendable at a certain point. Now you can lay them out as desired. After cooling, the rigid shape is permanently transferred to the tube, so tensions are a thing of the past. As with normal tubing, there are different outer and inner diameters (OD/ID) of the acrylic tubes, as well as colour variants for every taste. And, of course, various corresponding fittings, usually compression fittings, which are incompatible with normal hoses. Additionally, many useful accessory parts or sets are available, such as heat guns, bending templates, or cutting tools.
