With last year's success of the EK-Quantum Magnitude CPU water block, the EK-Quantum Line has received two new iF DESIGN AWARDS this year. In the Gaming Hardware product category, one was granted to the EK-Quantum Vector FE Special Edition GPU water block. It is the most complex GPU water block enclosure as a cooling solution that EK has developed to date. It was engineered for the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series Founders Edition graphics cards and comes with a backplate that makes sure the entire graphics card is enclosed and not visible at all.

Forming a halo product for the Vector family of GPU blocks, the FE Special Edition came with a distinctive set of challenges. Built as an aftermarket product for Founders Edition RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 graphics cards, the block had to negotiate the irregular PCB shapes and unorthodox assembly. However, as a result of these challenges, several design opportunities were leveraged to create a totally unique and unprecedented GPU water block. A solid aluminium exoskeleton forms a cradle in which the cooling and lighting are embedded, revealing only the most beautiful elements to the user.A two-piece CNC machined aluminium exoskeleton encloses the entire water block and graphics card, tightly fitting around the grooved backplate and acrylic terminal. Exemplary quality of finish throughout combined with discretely integrated D-RGB edge lighting of the acrylic parts solidify its luxury halo status. A perfectly polished window reveals the high-performance cooling engine and nothing more, all screws and gaskets are concealed beneath the exoskeleton.

It operates significantly below the rated temperature of all electronic components to reduce fatigue from thermal cycles and increase the longevity of the graphics card, all while delivering higher performance and ensuring that it stays technologically relevant for as long as possible. The water block is fixed together mechanically with only screws and replaceable seals that allow it to be maintained throughout its useful lifespan and then separated and recycled.

Torque Fittings Win iF Design Awards
Torque fittings are still turning heads, which helped the EK-Quantum Line win its second iF DESIGN AWARD this year. With last year's success of the EK-Quantum Magnitude CPU water block, this is the third design award in the bag for EKWB. Torque fittings are simply born to be different and stand out from the mundane. It wasn't an easy task, but EK decided to make the Quantum leap with a new, daring design, and it paid off.

Consistent design principles and details were implemented to unify a vast range of physical and aesthetic variations. These principles allow users to conveniently assemble a coherent system that meets their needs and flows together in every sense. Multiple lengths, diameters, and angles are combined with rotatable elements to simplify and organize the construction of a complete loop. A robust and industrial aesthetic set the Torque family apart by highlighting the precise manufacturing processes used to create them. Uniquely, a color ring can be added to give a personal accent to several of the fittings.

Torque products are primarily comprised of machine-turned solid brass parts designed to remove minimal material to achieve the required form. Surface texture is created by linear broaching rather than knurling to give a cleaner appearance with equal proportions on each fitting size. As the user must configure and connect every piece, predominantly by hand, these form one of the most tactile processes in constructing a liquid cooling loop. This process invites the user to disassemble and examine every individual piece before rebuilding it as their own expressive creation.

Planning and assembling the products is a fulfilling experience that provides a rewarding sense of achievement and involvement. As all Torque fittings use the accepted industry standard thread and interface with several tubing sizes popular in each region, they are not proprietary and can be used repeatedly in several computers. By virtue of the efficient design, minimal material is removed, and there are no energy-intensive processes required to achieve the final form. By adding or exchanging color rings, the base fitting can continue to provide additional value to the user, reducing obsolescence.

Each year, the world's oldest independent design organization, the Hannover-based iF International Forum Design, organizes the iF DESIGN AWARD, the world-renowned design prize. This year, more than 10,000 entries were submitted from 52 countries in hopes of receiving the seal of quality.