Powercolor LCS 290X - a 290X with pre-fitted EK block ETA pre-xmas?

[Orangey]

Here's something interesting:

http://videocardz.com/48464/powercolor-radeon-r9-290x-lcs-pictured-arrives-next-week

PowerColor posted some pictures of a new LCS model. The PowerColor Radeon R9 290X LCS will be released next week. According to other sources, it may even be available before Christmas. The pictures don’t tell us much about it though. All we know is that it will use EK waterblock and it has a default configuration of power connectors (6+8pin).

We also know that other manufactures still aim for this year’s launch. We don’t know if the cards will be available for purchase though. That said expect many paper launches.

 

[Gregster]

I like the idea of manufacturers adding the waterblocks, as it keeps the warranty in tact (without issue) but they normally charge a premium for the pleasure.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

I like the idea of manufacturers adding the waterblocks, as it keeps the warranty in tact (without issue) but they normally charge a premium for the pleasure.

It sounds like a good idea, until you take a look at how they've applied the TIM and the pads

 

[Gregster]

It sounds like a good idea, until you take a look at how they've applied the TIM and the pads

Is it bad then? I have always fitted my own blocks.

 

[Orangey]

Like a fat lass spreading Nutella on her toast.

 

[chaparral]

I like the idea of manufacturers adding the waterblocks, as it keeps the warranty in tact (without issue) but they normally charge a premium for the pleasure.

But it also normally can be much harder to sell a secondhand watercooled GPU then an aircooled one when it comes time to upgrade...

(Which also gets harder to sell the older it is)

This is one the main reasons Iwould not buy a watercooled GPU out the box...

 

[drunkenmaster]

But it also normally much harder to sell a watercooled GPU secondhand then an aircooled one when it comes time to upgrade...

(Which also gets harder to sell the older it is)

Yup, selling the waterblock and card separately will give you many more potential buyers, plenty of people with no interest in water cooling, many who have a card and want to watercool, buying together means targetting a VERY small number of second hand buyers and you'll pay through the teeth(usually) for a preinstalled waterblock.

Personally I liked to get a card/cpu/whatever and run it for a bit sans water to check the card is fine. Then I'll add a waterblock once I know everything is working fine before water cooling, and so I don't take apart of put together a new watercooling setup only to find a duff card straight away.

There are also several cards you can buy who won't void your warranty for changing cooler, and morally I have no problem re-attaching a stock heatsink and RMA'ing should something die UNLESS I've damaged the card when messing with the heatsink. There is nothing intrinsically dangerous or destructive about removing a waterblock, but everyone does cackhanded things.

In general a watercooled/well cooled card should last longer under high use than a stock cooled card so I can't see any reason why a company should complain about it.

I've said images of threads on MSI's forums stating you can remove the stock cooler, thus I have 2x 290's from MSI, and 2 waterblocks arriving for them tomorrow.