They're decent, the only thing that gets me with these China brands are the instructions are usually non existent. I did a barrow block for someone recently and the instructions were basically useless. Had to figure out all the pad sizes/thickness myself and the way it mounted was a little jank too.
EKWB in trouble?
- Thread starter SonicSW20
- Start date
They're decent, the only thing that gets me with these China brands are the instructions are usually non existent. I did a barrow block for someone recently and the instructions were basically useless. Had to figure out all the pad sizes/thickness myself and the way it mounted was a little jank too.
Associate
The 7900xtx block came with pads for the front only. All 1.5mm to cut, very much like any other brand. I used my own pads front and back. 3mm at the rear on the VRM, Memory and GPU. Really helps the backplate soak that heat in! I used LK17 paste. My loop is big but to give an idea after the loop equalised yesterday afternoon running Hellblade at 4K120 max settings the junction temp managed to hit a max of 49c. That's with the card stock too, so undervolting going on.
Decent, performs similarly to a 3070 bitspower classic block i used in another build. They do a decent job thats for sure
Associate
Edge temp sits at 32/33c!Decent, performs similarly to a 3070 bitspower classic block i used in another build. They do a decent job thats for sure
Soldato
Problem is the market is absolutely tiny, and it isn't helped by rising prices on all components, and therefore the risk to reward just isn't there anymore as OC'ing is almost pointless. I've built one fully WC machine in 4 years vs a dozen plus per year when the market was less AIO orientated and the risk/reward ratio was much higher.
AIO market has kinda ruined custom watercooling tbf. There are so many brands of AIO's now, all using the same pump/cold plate just dressed up differently.
Associate
My Bykski blocks where made when I ordered. The QC card in the box was dated after my order date. This is EK's issue. Making production runs of very low volume items they may never sell. Motherboard Mono blocks are a very good example. They are making "risk" items as a business. Like trying to sell Christmas and Easter all year around
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This is it really - For blocks, fittings, reservoirs, distribution blocks etc EK don't really offer anything over other brands at half the price in terms of quality and performance. The only thing they do offer is they typically have better documentation than Barrow or Bykski, and are more likely to be available from a regional retailer and all the benefits with warranty and support that provides. That said, unless its DOA you're unlikely to need warranty and support on them and for minor stuff, the type of people that buy these sorts of components are also the type of people who can resolve minor issues themselves.
I still think I'd prefer to buy tubing from a more "known" brand, but EK aren't the only player in that space and I ZMT sales aren't going to save them here unfortunately.
Point re: documention illustrated well here - the installation guide is useless, but anyone who's watercooled or repasted / replaced pads on a GPU before will be able to work it out.
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Associate
Putting the awful employee practices to one side, on product alone, why would I spend hundreds of £ when I just got this RGB direct die block for my 7950x3D for £99?
www.overclockers.co.uk
EK direct die blocks are 2~3x the price lol.
"They look better!"
Subjective, and still, that much more money? Nah. The Thermal Grizzly actually looks really nice, simplistic and tasteful RGB.
"They cool better!"
With LM on both blocks I doubt there will be much difference. Definitely not worth the price difference.
Thermal Grizzly Mycro Direct-Die CPU Water Block RGB - Socket AM5
Order Thermal Grizzly Mycro Direct-Die CPU Water Block RGB - Socket AM5 now online and benefit from fast delivery.
www.overclockers.co.uk
EK direct die blocks are 2~3x the price lol.
"They look better!"
Subjective, and still, that much more money? Nah. The Thermal Grizzly actually looks really nice, simplistic and tasteful RGB.
"They cool better!"
With LM on both blocks I doubt there will be much difference. Definitely not worth the price difference.
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Man of Honour
I ditched them years ago after experiencing some abysmal customer service with a brand new faulty cpu block. Since then their prices have skyrocketed while quality has decreased. I really don't understand their pricing when other blocks that are massively cheaper than theirs do the same thing for less. Gone are the days where they can price things how they want based on name alone, they no longer have the reputation to do that and people just look elsewhere. While it's bad times for the employees the company will get what's coming to them.
What R&D costs do they have? They just seem to have the exact same layout inside blocks with different tops on them.
They do look the most the best imo. Just the price has skyrocketed. I even remember good service from them when. I first started watercooling with my gtx970.
Edit - it doesn't help thay the watercooli g people on youtube don't seem to be interested in trying stuff put nowadays, they just build their personel rig and that's it. They use try every block for every gpu and cpu etc.
They do look the most the best imo. Just the price has skyrocketed. I even remember good service from them when. I first started watercooling with my gtx970.
Edit - it doesn't help thay the watercooli g people on youtube don't seem to be interested in trying stuff put nowadays, they just build their personel rig and that's it. They use try every block for every gpu and cpu etc.
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Associate
Bet me to it!
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When the 30 series blocks were released I was already on the fence with EK as their standards had been slipping (nickel flaking anyone) but the QC issues and massive price for that gen is what nailed it for me. I've got some EK fittings, but most of my kit is Optimus and Koolance now.
EKWB and a financial disaster with an announcement: unpaid invoices, exploited employees and annoyed creditors like me | igor´sLAB
I want to make one thing very clear here: I am not a judge, nor is it my place to write on behalf of third parties or to prejudge a company. However, as I am one of the injured parties and find the…
www.igorslab.de
More to this horrible story from Igor's Lab...
Seems business ethics really have hit an all-time low, sure more companies will land in the same hot water soon as whistleblowers come out of the woodwork.. Sadly the world we have created and the never ending greed...
The big radiator material test: Between promise, reality and the forbidden - Water Cooling tested more in Detail! | Part 1 | igor´sLAB
No, I’m not going to test the cooling performance of radiators for PC cooling today, but I am going to take a closer look at the first six manufacturers and their current models to see whether they…
www.igorslab.de
Showing the advertised products are not even what is sold in most cases, due to not even using the materials advertised, so no surprise really.
More articles here :- https://www.igorslab.de/en/category/cooling/watercooling/
Gpus get massively increased prices and still sell so ekwb probably though why don't we join in.
Have the prices of gpus stopped you purchasing them?
He always has to jump on the bandwagon though. It's funny how these youtubers never come out and tell is this stuff while they are receiving free products off them.