EK Water Blocks Offers Founders Edition RTX 3090 Special Edition Block

Published 2021-01-21 08:53 by Hilbert Hagedoorn

EK is proud to finally unveil its Special Edition high-performance GPU water blocks for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition graphics card. The EK-Quantum Vector FE RTX 3090 D-RGB, just like the 3080 model, comes in two versions - Silver and Black, both featuring stark contrasts between the aluminium outer shell and backplate, as well as the Plexi window and terminal illuminated with addressable D-RGB LEDs.

These water blocks come with two types of connection terminals, offering unrivaled versatility. The performance is one of the key elements of the design, which is why this block features a 30% larger fin area compared to other water blocks from the Vector family.

Special Edition EK Water Block for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 FE
The EK-Quantum Vector FE RTX 3090 D-RGB water block enclosure is the most complex GPU cooling solution developed by EK to date. Aside from the small form factor and unique shape of the RTX 3090 Founders Edition PCB, EK has built a hybrid cooling solution for the backplate that is so far unique to the EK-Quantum Vector FE RTX 3090 water blocks and their backplates.

The water block is purpose-designed with an extremely thick copper base for high-performance, allowing it to clear all components of the densely-packed PCB and adding more heat removal capacity in the process. The cooling engine used in this water block is the largest one EK has ever built, having roughly 30% more surface area than the rest of the existing Vector series water blocks.

It comes with a single-slot bracket even though the design takes up about 2 slots.

Build Quality
Like the Magnitude CPU water block, the entirety of this water block is CNC-machined without mass-production techniques. The block's base is milled out of a 12 mm thick piece of pure electrolytic copper sourced from Europe, which is then nickel-plated, while its top is CNC-machined out of a glass-like cast Acrylic material.

The external enclosure is not in any contact with the coolant. It is machined out of a 20 mm thick solid piece of aluminium, which is afterward anodized into black or gray color, depending on the version. The included single-slot I/O shield is supplied with special screws to be attached to the aluminium enclosure in order to even out the entire weight distribution of the water block. The watertight sealing is ensured by high-quality EPDM O-rings, while brass standoffs are already pre-installed and allow for a safe and easy installation procedure.

Special Terminal Design
This water block is delivered with a set of connection terminals, allowing users to swap them out based on their needs. One terminal has two direct G1/4" ports on the side, while the other one is more conventional, having four G1/4" ports going through it.

The latest design allows terminals to be directly attached to the copper cold plate of the GPU water block, making it more rigid and reducing the chances of damage. The terminal is neatly located between two prongs on the PCB, utilizing minimal space. This kind of design allows for incredible versatility, especially for Small Form Factor builds, and of course, more interesting aesthetics.

Cooling Engine
This Special Edition Vector water block directly cools the GPU, VRAM, and the VRM (voltage regulation module) as cooling liquid is channeled right over these critical areas. The water block is in contact with MOSFETs and chokes to maximize cooling and minimize the chances of unwanted coil whine. The flow paths are also optimized to reduce hydrodynamic instabilities and vortexing (dead spots) inside of them.

The integrated Open Split-Flow cooling engine design proved to be a superior solution for GPU water blocks. It is characterized by low hydraulic flow restriction, meaning it can be used with weaker water pumps or pumps running on low-speed settings and still achieve top performance.

The jet plate and fin structure geometry are optimized to provide even flow distribution with minimal losses and optimal performance when used in any given coolant flow orientation. Fin array is populated by 31 microfins with 0.6 mm wide microchannels that provide exceptional cooling performance without unnecessary flow restrictions or clogging hazards.

Hybrid Backplate Cooling
This water block comes with an included backplate that makes sure the entire graphics card is enclosed and not at all visible. The aluminium CNC-machined backplate has a ribbed texture in order to increase surface area for additional passive cooling power. The "active" cooling part is achieved through a section of the backplate contacting the cold-plate, which is then directly cooled by the liquid. It's either black or natural anodized, depending on the version of the water block.

D-RGB Lighting on EK-Quantum Vector FE RTX 3090 D-RGB Water Block
This water block boasts a whopping 23 individually addressable D-RGB LEDs that illuminate both the water block's interior and the terminal itself. It is compatible with all popular RGB Sync technologies from major motherboard manufacturers. The arrow marking on the 3-pin D-RGB LED connector is to be aligned with the +5V marking on the D-RGB (addressable) motherboard header.

The EK-Quantum Vector FE RTX 3090 D-RGB full-cover water blocks are made and assembled in Slovenia, Europe, and are available for pre-order through the EK Webshop and dedicated reseller network. The first batch of water blocks is expected to ship out in early March 2021, with the later orders filling out in the following weeks.

The pre-order note in the webshop will be updated depending on the number of orders, so be fast if you want your order to be in the first batch. Since the pre-order message in the webshop will be changing, please rely only on the estimated delivery date once you place your order. In the table below, you can see the manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP).

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