EKWB Launches Asus Strix 10-Series Full-Cover Water Block
Earlier this month, EK Water Blocks revealed a list of GeForce GTX 1080 water blocks that it intends to release this summer, which includes graphics cards from MSI, Gigabyte, Palit, EVGA and Asus. The company has already launched a block for the Founder's Edition, and it revealed a partnership with MSI to ship preinstalled water blocks on MSI’s GeForce GTX 1080 Seahawk EK X. Today, EKWB revealed the water block for Asus’s GTX 1080 Strix.
The EK-FC1080 GTX Strix full-cover water block is available in two versions. EK offers a clear acrylic top version, which lets you see the fluid and the portion of the PCA that isn’t making direct contact with the copper surface, as well as an option with a black Acetal top.
As with nearly all of EKWB’s recent water blocks, the GTX 1080 Strix block is made of nickel-plated electrolytic copper. The blocks also feature the same low-resistance split-flow cooling engine design found in all of EK’s recent water blocks, which lets you run your loop in reverse or with low-pressure pumps.
The EK-FC1080 GTX Strix water block was designed for the GTX 1080, but according to the EK Cooling Configurator, the block will also fit on the Asus GTX 1070 Strix.
EKWB typically offers immediate availability when it launches a new product, but you’ll have to wait a few more days for the GTX 1080 Strix water block. EKWB is taking pre-orders today and will start shipping the blocks on Monday, June 27. Both versions of the block are available for $149.99. EKWB also offers prefilled blocks for an additional $29.99. Prefilled blocks come with QDC quick disconnects so you can connect them to the EK-XLC Predator. EKWB said that backplates for the GTX 1080 Strix will be available at a later date.
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Kevin Carbotte is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware who primarily covers VR and AR hardware. He has been writing for us for more than four years.
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DarkSable Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a "full cover" waterblock means that the nickel plate extends fully over the board... not just that there's a bit of extra acrylic? (Look at Heatkiller GPU blocks to see what I mean.)Reply -
kcarbotte Reply18169627 said:Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a "full cover" waterblock means that the nickel plate extends fully over the board... not just that there's a bit of extra acrylic? (Look at Heatkiller GPU blocks to see what I mean.)
Full cover means that all the heat generating parts make direct contact with the block. GPU, memory and VRMs.
The rest just protects the circuit board, which this one does.
Basically all of EK's blocks are like this.
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Rhinofart I love me my Heat Killer GPU block! Best looking, and performing block I have ever owned. And don't get me started on their Rads. I'd be here praising them for a week.Reply -
kyle382 lol either these idiots really like to advertise for heat killer in their free time or heat killer advertising reps ran out of ideas. Either way, don't care.Reply -
photonboy Yep. in the past we often had the GPU only being cooled with thermal stickers or something for the memory, VRM's etc which sometimes didn't work well.Reply -
JackNaylorPE No not really ... only with the advent of CLC or hybrid coolers has this design become popular. There were always Full Cover and GPU water blocks tho. Cards that sell well make it worthwhile to design and market full cover water blocks ... for the rest, there was the GPU only water block.Reply
Go back quite a few years and the GPU was the performance limiter. In recent years, the VRM temp is as likely to limit an OC ans the the GPU temp.
Having the acrylic go all the way to the board edge is a *new * think for EK, none of my other EK blacks do this... they usually run from the slot hardware edge and end right where the nickel ends -
JackNaylorPE Boy ... what gives with EK and its exclusive deals .... EK had an exclusive with Asus for full cover MoBo Blocks ... now they have the OEM with the MSI on the Seahawk, If I was Asus, I'd be pissed; buyng the Seahawk w/ EK full cover block preassembled w/ warranty is a lot cheaper than buying the Asus card + WD + BP.Reply