50 Series Partner Cards Showcase

[Marak]

+400 Euros for a factory water blocked card is not that bad. You are looking at 200 Euros just for the block before install + voiding warranty along with it.

But having an original heatsink and fan that you can put back on improves resale a lot.

How much more is it really to produce a waterblock on it's own compared to heatsink/fan? I'd say it's easier as it's mainly a machined lump of metal, no fans or wiring needed. Not going to pay a ~£350 (or ~35%!) premium for the ease of use and warranty retention. Plus I've checked them out and you have to do the block install yourself from the looks of it.

 

[Sin_Chase]

But having an original heatsink and fan that you can put back on improves resale a lot.

How much more is it really to produce a waterblock on it's own compared to heatsink/fan? I'd say it's easier as it's mainly a machined lump of metal, no fans or wiring needed. Not going to pay a ~£350 (or ~35%!) premium for the ease of use and warranty retention. Plus I've checked them out and you have to do the block install yourself from the looks of it.

The blocked cards from manufacturers come with the block installed, they aboslutely are not DIY. The Gigabyte WB for example has liquid metal TIM/a liquid metal composite and a gasket/well to prevent escape. The "Block Installation Guide" you may have seen will relate to possible in/out configurations and the act of putting fittings in etc NOT the actual installation of the block. There is no way they would sell a DIY waterblock card and then offer a warranty on it.

A 3rd party block ALONE is going to cost you upwards of £200. It's not quite as simple as you make out either. They need to design for a reference and custom PCB, manufacture, test and validate. They also need to source cards to design from (Be it purchased or donor). The market is not massive so it all needs to be done with a margin in mind. Hence the ultimate retail cost to the consumer.

If only £350 was £35% of a 5090 cost! Sub £1,000 5090s? Sign me up.

Personally, I don't think saving £100-300 is worth invalidating a warranty on a £2,000 to £2,500 product and having the pain and anxiety of installing a 3rd party block on such an expensive bit of kit. Plenty of people will think differently.

I wont be buying a 5090 with re-sale value at the top of my priority list. I fully understand a waterblocked card has a smaller resale audience but I don't really care.

 

[Marak]

The blocked cards from manufacturers come with the block installed, they aboslutely are not DIY. The Gigabyte WB for example has liquid metal TIM/a liquid metal composite and a gasket/well to prevent escape. The "Block Installation Guide" you may have seen will relate to possible in/out configurations and the act of putting fittings in etc NOT the actual installation of the block. There is no way they would sell a DIY waterblock card and then offer a warranty on it.

A 3rd party block ALONE is going to cost you upwards of £200. It's not quite as simple as you make out either. They need to design for a reference and custom PCB, manufacture, test and validate. They also need to source cards to design from (Be it purchased or donor). The market is not massive so it all needs to be done with a margin in mind. Hence the ultimate retail cost to the consumer.

If only £350 was £35% of a 5090 cost! Sub £1,000 5090s? Sign me up.

Personally, I don't think saving £100-300 is worth invalidating a warranty on a £2,000 to £2,500 product and having the pain and anxiety of installing a 3rd party block on such an expensive bit of kit. Plenty of people will think differently.

I wont be buying a 5090 with re-sale value at the top of my priority list. I fully understand a waterblocked card has a smaller resale audience but I don't really care.

Ah good, I was quite concerned when I saw the installation guide mentioned here:

AORUS GeForce RTX™ 5080 XTREME WATERFORCE WB 16G Specification | Graphics Card - GIGABYTE Global

Discover AORUS premium graphics cards, ft. WINDFORCE cooling, RGB lighting, PCB protection, and VR friendly features for the best gaming and VR experience!

www.gigabyte.com

Accessories
1. Quick guide
2. WATERFORCE water block installation guide

The £350 I was referring to was the ~400 Euro price show in the screenshot from an EU site above the basic 5080 price. That's still too much of a premium for the 5080, better for the 5090.

 

[Sin_Chase]

Ah good, I was quite concerned when I saw the installation guide mentioned here:

AORUS GeForce RTX™ 5080 XTREME WATERFORCE WB 16G Specification | Graphics Card - GIGABYTE Global

Discover AORUS premium graphics cards, ft. WINDFORCE cooling, RGB lighting, PCB protection, and VR friendly features for the best gaming and VR experience!

www.gigabyte.com

Accessories
1. Quick guide
2. WATERFORCE water block installation guide

The £350 I was referring to was the ~400 Euro price show in the screenshot from an EU site above the basic 5080 price. That's still too much of a premium for the 5080, better for the 5090.

The same is said on the product page for the 2080 Waterforce WB that I currently have (https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Card/GV-N2080AORUSX-WB-8GC/sp#sp)

I can assure you the block came installed on the card

 

[Mysterae_]

Yes the waterblock solution will be interesting especially as the PCB has been designed very much with the stock cooler in mind

I can see the board partners following this solution if it proves to be effective

It will indeed if one ever sees the light of day.

I'm sure board partners will be using a single reference PCB like every other graphics card but I've not see one yet.

Alphacool have stated on thier German forums to basically avoid the FE if you want to watercool because they have no idea about the prospect of a block for the FE design.

This is my concern with the FE and I why I won't be buying one at launch. Probably. Yes, quite probably because I'd have to disrupt my current loop and run it as stock while waiting for a block to be released in a few months. Plus I have an ITX case which doesn't favour the double pass-through design of the FE, I think at least.

Perhaps later when and/or if a block comes out for the FE that I like.