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a very honest update
EKWB in trouble?
- Thread starter SonicSW20
- Start date
It was when they added the fart noise to the end of his videos is when I started to lose interest in Jayz. And I'm sure his thumbnails didn't *all* used to be base level clickbait before, I think some even went so far as to helpfully indicate what might be in the video, as I recall anyway. Still subbed, but only open the odd video with less baity thumbnails, which is not many.
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Just done some invoice digging. So the last time I bought an EK block:
Thu, 18 Jul 2019
WC-9QK-EK EK Water Blocks EK-Vector Radeon VII Graphics Card Water Block - Copper + Plexi 1 £76.66
WC-9QN-EK EK Water Blocks EK-Vector Radeon VII Backplate - Black 1 £22.50
Total: Subtotal: VAT (20.0%)£99.16 £19.83 £118.99.
This was option 2 after the Alphacool Radeon VII crushing PCB components at the time.
Nice block and priced fairly at the time. Shame this seemed to be the turning point after this with pricing spiralling.
Thu, 18 Jul 2019
WC-9QK-EK EK Water Blocks EK-Vector Radeon VII Graphics Card Water Block - Copper + Plexi 1 £76.66
WC-9QN-EK EK Water Blocks EK-Vector Radeon VII Backplate - Black 1 £22.50
Total: Subtotal: VAT (20.0%)£99.16 £19.83 £118.99.
This was option 2 after the Alphacool Radeon VII crushing PCB components at the time.
Nice block and priced fairly at the time. Shame this seemed to be the turning point after this with pricing spiralling.
To be honest, I've always loved EK's products. My last one was the stunning Red Devil 6950xt waterblock with polished stainless backplate. It occured to me, however that prices were going through the roof to maintain a good watercooling system when using EK products. My last block I bought was the Alpha cool core block for my 13700k. It far outperformed an EK equivalent. I've not looked in to their problems in detail, but I'm not surprised with this news, as even a hardcore wc fan, I've debated the ever increasing costs of running something unique, and after upgrading to a dual D5 MO-RA 420 I think this may be my last foray into the watercooling, at least I'm thinking of not putting a block on my next gpu anyway.
I kind of feel the days of custom water cooling in general are numbered. Its usefulness for overclocking is severely limited these days, especially on a GPU. Its getting to the point where an AIO for the CPU is all that you are going to need, and just leave the factory fitted air cooler on the GPU. EK going under doesn't surprise me really, it must the signs signs of a shrinking market in general.
Pretty much every water block I've ever had has been a EK for both CPU and GPU, and I've always gone to EK for the GPU block especially because they always seemed, from my experience, to have the biggest range of blocks matching specific cards, which is always the biggest phaff when committing to a GPU upgrade. But once EK go I get the feeling it will be too much of a ball ache to try to match a particular make of graphics card to the probably smaller range of gpu blocks that the other suppliers will do, so I can see it becoming a self defeating process pushing me back to air on the gpu. Plus, even if EK keep going, the costs of gpu blocks is becoming ridiculous anyway. Maybe I would keep a custom loop going for the CPU because I already have all the gear, and cpu blocks are obviously more straight forward, but the days of a cooling the gpu are certainly numbered for me. But if I was just getting in to it then an AIO is what I would be looking at these days.
Pretty much every water block I've ever had has been a EK for both CPU and GPU, and I've always gone to EK for the GPU block especially because they always seemed, from my experience, to have the biggest range of blocks matching specific cards, which is always the biggest phaff when committing to a GPU upgrade. But once EK go I get the feeling it will be too much of a ball ache to try to match a particular make of graphics card to the probably smaller range of gpu blocks that the other suppliers will do, so I can see it becoming a self defeating process pushing me back to air on the gpu. Plus, even if EK keep going, the costs of gpu blocks is becoming ridiculous anyway. Maybe I would keep a custom loop going for the CPU because I already have all the gear, and cpu blocks are obviously more straight forward, but the days of a cooling the gpu are certainly numbered for me. But if I was just getting in to it then an AIO is what I would be looking at these days.
I don't think it's numbered, it will just get more niche and more expensive, EKs problem is they don't manufacture inhouse and thus they have to order in higher quantities than they can actually sell, so they have stock sitting on shelves that will likely never sell as it's for a GPU that is a generation or two old. At that point anyone buying is quite likely to buy a used block. Add different GPU variations for different manufacturers and the problem just gets worse. The problem compounds on itself and thus their prices keep going up, they don't put as much care into quality control, people look to other companies and they get more warranty claims etc etc.
I don't see companies like Alphacool or Watercool going anywhere.
I also like my loop, it's a hobby and a genuinely enjoy maintaining it and adding to it, tweaking things, the price of blocks going up is something I'm willing to pay for. Plus I've grown very used to the level of cooling at the noise levels I have now.
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My Alphacool block has been performing excellent with zero issues. It has been on my Nitro+ 7900XTX GPU now for almost 5-6 months with no issues involving high hot spot temps, mounting, paste pump out etc. Its been running just great.
The Nikel plating is very high quality I think much better than EKWB in recent years. The weight of the block, the included metal backplate high quality thermal pads for 140 pounds delivered.
Also my rig gets used almost every night on CoD at 4K/120hz native/Ultra max settings - can pull 400w+ tbp with up to 3ghz Core HS runs at 70c max and OC fast timing memory temps sit at 62c - Also completely silent I have the external rad setup 1x420 1x280 not far from the rig and rad fans run at 500rpm.
Also the water flow direction is fine IMO. The inlet for water is made to go first directly over the jet plate. I believe it can be run either way. I run this the way Alphacool have made it.
Fwiw I used to run all my EK GPU WB in the opposite way to the instruction manual so the wrong way according them and it ran perfectly fine.
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I think you're only really looking at a few degrees difference in performance with many blocks if you run them the wrong way round, and adding a bit of extra restriction to the loop. It's more of a "not optimal" situation as your experience has been.
If the flow splits off in different directions inside the block it might cause a problem with too much flow going through one route as you'd be running parallel in the block the wrong way, which it probably isn't designed for.
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The direction I was referring to Alphacool using a vertical blast plate (North/ South). My Bykski block uses a horizontal (East/ West) so flows across the centre of the package and out over the cache dies. I struggle to get my junction temp over 50C even at 400w!
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I cant see the jet plate direction making that much of a difference as long as your moving heat away from the die with good flow rate?
What resolution are you playing at and what's your rad setup? It sounds like you have a really good chip or your room is a fridge
I think the monoblocks are a prime example of a super niche product they have to order a lot of but then can't sell enough of them.
There is probably a reason no one else makes them, unfortunately.
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D5 pump at 4000rpm, 3x 360 & 1x120mm rads. This PC only gets turned on to use on my LG 4K120 OLED.I cant see the jet plate direction making that much of a difference as long as your moving heat away from the die with good flow rate?
What resolution are you playing at and what's your rad setup? It sounds like you have a really good chip or your room is a fridge
Yeah i reached out to other vendors at the time and they weren't interested and probably for this exact reason unless everything is made in house and made to order then i can't see it working.
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Yep, 1% club of the 1% club mono blocks.
Soldato
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It used to matter a little. Back when I last looked at CPU blocks, some were a few degrees better in 'goofy' orientation than standard sideways, and vice versa. I ended up going for a Cuplex Kryos NEXT, which is designed to be goofy but still got better ratings than most blocks' standard.
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Bit of a pathetic Media response from the CEO. a statement saying " Having only taken over as CEO in Feb 2024, I would like to thank Supplier/Media partners for sticking to their values and making us aware of important issues that need immediate resolutions. Once we have investigated and identified all areas of concern I will provide a further public update to show openness and integrity in putting things right"