CORSAIR and EKWB Water Blocks Tested on GeForce RTX 2080

[VSG]

Today, we take a look at two different watercooling solutions for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 from CORSAIR and EKWB. Both offer a full-cover water block with design twists of their own, and both are put through the full course of testing, including coolant flow restriction and GPU core and VRM thermal testing.

Show full review

 

[gamefoo21]

I do have gripes....

I would love to see the Corsair contact areas and the machining quality. Sadly the pre-applied goo and pads hides it.

Would also have loved to see the contact patches after the card was removed from the block for both.

 

[Anymal]

Corsair poached team from EKWB few years ago, full cover waterblocks are fruits. Does money make a diff.?

 

[VSG]

I do have gripes....

I would love to see the Corsair contact areas and the machining quality. Sadly the pre-applied goo and pads hides it.

Would also have loved to see the contact patches after the card was removed from the block for both.

The CORSAIR block is still on the GPU after the last mount, it's part of an upcoming build. I'll try to remember about the contact part after everything is done, but will be a few months at least.

 

[gamefoo21]

The CORSAIR block is still on the GPU after the last mount, it's part of an upcoming build. I'll try to remember about the contact part after everything is done, but will be a few months at least.

Ahh that's definitely a problem. If you forget it's no worries.

On the EK did the mounting surfaces for the die or other areas feel rough? My favourite test is taking a bic pen and rubbing the plastic end across, if it makes noise it's bad. Good compliment to the finger nail test.

The results were really interesting in just how close they perform.

Oooo... Building a full Corsair loop?

 

[Massman-]

EK also has a cheaper EK Classic block which matches Corsair's pricing. Any chance you'll test that one too?

• $120.06 EK-FC RTX 2080 +Ti Classic RGB - Nickel + Plexi https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-fc-rtx-2080-ti-classic-rgb-nickel-plexi
• $29.99 EK-FC RTX 2080 +Ti Backplate Classic - Black https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-fc-rtx-2080-ti-backplate-classic-black

 

[VSG]

Ahh that's definitely a problem. If you forget it's no worries.

On the EK did the mounting surfaces for the die or other areas feel rough? My favourite test is taking a bic pen and rubbing the plastic end across, if it makes noise it's bad. Good compliment to the finger nail test.

The results were really interesting in just how close they perform.

Oooo... Building a full Corsair loop?

The days of a poor GPU cold plate are mostly gone. Even blocks with machining marks are still quite smooth to the touch, except when it is REALLY bad as with the time a certain company had to send 3 different samples my way.

EK also has a cheaper EK Classic block which matches Corsair's pricing. Any chance you'll test that one too?

• $120.06 EK-FC RTX 2080 +Ti Classic RGB - Nickel + Plexi https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-fc-rtx-2080-ti-classic-rgb-nickel-plexi
• $29.99 EK-FC RTX 2080 +Ti Backplate Classic - Black https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-fc-rtx-2080-ti-backplate-classic-black

Sadly no, the time I had it and the time I had a compatible GPU did not coincide with each other. This was just a one-off comparison, but will aim for a full series for the next GPU launch cycle.

 

[Object55]

Don't buy first generation of anything, that includes these blocks.

They leak:

@ 11:40

 

[VSG]

Eh, I have had all of one block leak in over 150 blocks tested so far, and none of the 4 Corsair blocks leaked. Don't worry about random possibilities, the chances of any decent block leaking out of the box is very low.

 

[Object55]

Eh, I have had all of one block leak in over 150 blocks tested so far, and none of the 4 Corsair blocks leaked. Don't worry about random possibilities, the chances of any decent block leaking out of the box is very low.

It's not about will you get a block that leak or not. They are flawed by design and all are prone to leaking, the question is when. He explains it very clearly.

Now, would you pay 150 or something gbp to short out all your system is up to you. I'll wait for second iteration.

 

[VSG]

It's not about will you get a block that leak or not. They are flawed by design and all are prone to leaking, the question is when. He explains it very clearly.

Now, would you pay 150 or something gbp to short out all your system is up to you. I'll wait for second iteration.

O-ring seals are not really a ticking time bomb like this though. It would either leak or it won't, as long as the O-ring is intact. Of course, they can dry up over time depending on environmental conditions, but you will see a leak almost immediately if there was one.

Again, keep in mind that small sample sizes are not meant for inference across a whole. If it was, my sample size would mean 100% leak-proof products here, which is not the case as that video and a few others showed. For what it's worth, the first Corsair GPU block here I did subject to a stricter air pressure test and it held 2 bar fine.

 

[ghazi]

EK and Corsair, in that order, are the two LAST brands I would be looking at for a WB... just saying

 

[HM_Actua1]

You call this a comparison test??? WTF!!!! you didn't show any results from these blocks under load, Use a thermal Scope on or our the Blocks or VRM area's.......This is click bait. Shame!

 

[VSG]

You call this a comparison test??? WTF!!!! you didn't show any results from these blocks under load, Use a thermal Scope on or our the Blocks or VRM area's.......This is click bait. Shame!

Did you miss this page somehow: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/corsair-and-ekwb-water-blocks-tested-on-geforce-rtx-2080/4.html?

Also, if you think using a thermal camera is the best way to measure thermal performance then we will have to agree to disagree.

 

[gamefoo21]

The days of a poor GPU cold plate are mostly gone. Even blocks with machining marks are still quite smooth to the touch, except when it is REALLY bad as with the time a certain company had to send 3 different samples my way.

Sadly my EK Radeon VII block was affected by a core contact area that wasn't smooth, and one of the main VRM contact areas was smooth like a file.

The backplate was really bad, it actually had a razor blade of a lip on one side, and the underside was packed with flakes of aluminum. Wet clothe removed most of the flakes but it left the bottom kind of speckled.

I was really disappointed to be honest. EKs response really soured me too. They stopped very short of calling me a liar and were rather rude.

 

[VSG]

Sadly my EK Radeon VII block was affected by a core contact area that wasn't smooth, and one of the main VRM contact areas was smooth like a file.

The backplate was really bad, it actually had a razor blade of a lip on one side, and the underside was packed with flakes of aluminum. Wet clothe removed most of the flakes but it left the bottom kind of speckled.

I was really disappointed to be honest. EKs response really soured me too. They stopped very short of calling me a liar and were rather rude.

Oh man, I don't blame you if they kept challenging your complaints as a paying customer, however large the language barrier is.

 

[HM_Actua1]

Did you miss this page somehow: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/corsair-and-ekwb-water-blocks-tested-on-geforce-rtx-2080/4.html?

Also, if you think using a thermal camera is the best way to measure thermal performance then we will have to agree to disagree.

Lol I did miss it. I dunno which is better a thermal camera or scope. I use a scope since I only want to know the temp.

 

[VSG]

Lol I did miss it. I dunno which is better a thermal camera or scope. I use a scope since I only want to know the temp.

In that case, would it be too much bother to ask you to edit your original post?

 

[gamefoo21]

Oh man, I don't blame you if they kept challenging your complaints as a paying customer, however large the language barrier is.

Well their response was, getting a bad block or a bad backplate was possible but getting both bad was impossible.

I took a pile of pictures and they said the block was 'acceptable' to them, and only the razor lip on the back plate was no good.

Luckily for me PPCs warrantied both, I got them to swap the Bitspower block for me. It has some evil design aspects but the surface finishes were smooth at least.

I gave EK another chance, I ordered a nickel plated backplate for the VII from them. It's shiny and unlike the really thin black anondizing, it's not translucent... lol

The issue is that it's covered in the same cutter marks. The cutter marks are because they are pushing the cutter on the CNC to hard so it's tipping and you can see every path it took. So it's definitely not a production error, it's a choice. Their lack of caring about the feedback, there was no language difficulty in that blow off... :-(

 

[kapone32]

I was wondering if TPU could include a Byiski waterblock review? I am interested to see a professional review of those units.

 

[gamefoo21]

I was wondering if TPU could include a Byiski waterblock review? I am interested to see a professional review of those units.

I have tried to ask the sellers on Alibaba if I could get one, but that language barrier is very real.

I did find the official so called Byski storefront on it, once this mess sorts out, I'm either getting a sample or I'll just buy one for testing on my AM4 system.

But mine is only semi-pro... Sooooo... I don't know if that'll help.

 

[VSG]

I was wondering if TPU could include a Byiski waterblock review? I am interested to see a professional review of those units.

I did do one each CPU and GPU block before: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/?category=&manufacturer=Bykski&pp=25&order=date, and another GPU block in a similar one-off comparison: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/asus-water-cooling-the-asus-gtx-1080-ti-strix/

Unfortunately, my contact with Bykski left the company shortly after so the language barrier came back in place. Now just as they have a US distributor, I am headed out of the US too

 

[kapone32]

I did do one each CPU and GPU block before: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/?category=&manufacturer=Bykski&pp=25&order=date, and another GPU block in a similar one-off comparison: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/asus-water-cooling-the-asus-gtx-1080-ti-strix/

Unfortunately, my contact with Bykski left the company shortly after so the language barrier came back in place. Now just as they have a US distributor, I am headed out of the US too

Thanks, indeed, they seem to be the cheapest blocks available to buy right now. Based on the reviews it would seem that they are pretty good for what you get.