EK Launches a 4-in-1 AM5 Socket Delicacy for the SFF Community

[kapone32]

I'm talking about the threads and the plugs. I would bet it's galvanic corrosion. Granted, in a very small doses, still...

Oh you mean the traces of the Green fluid I use.

 

[Mussels]

I'm talking about the threads and the plugs. I would bet it's galvanic corrosion. Granted, in a very small doses, still...

It's clearly well-used

You just clean before next use, pipe cleaner and flush

Alphacool have CPU blocks with pumps, too

EK's is:
Dimensions (W x D x H): 89 x 59 x 132mm

Alphacools is:
79 x 64 x 54.3


I'm not sure i'd pay 5x as much for 5mm of height, the fittings used would be a greater difference

Edit: oh you can also get alphacools much much smaller models with the fittings on the side
69 x 69 x 45mm

 

[kapone32]

It's clearly well-used

You just clean before next use, pipe cleaner and flush

Alphacool have CPU blocks with pumps, too

View attachment 276868


EK's is:
Dimensions (W x D x H): 89 x 59 x 132mm

Alphacools is:
79 x 64 x 54.3


I'm not sure i'd pay 5x as much for 5mm of height, the fittings used would be a greater difference

Edit: oh you can also get alphacools much much smaller models with the fittings on the side
69 x 69 x 45mm

View attachment 276869

The 420 EIsbaer is $199 that is a 420 rad and tubing on top of the block. For that top block in the pics the 240 is like $120. What EK is charging for their products is insane as though Byiski does not have the breath of products of the other 2 it's value can't be overlooked. I used to think that the Corsair tax was crazy but EK are definitely living in another World.

 

[Mussels]

Well yeah, a radiator with pump would obviously work best - I just compared to units with a pump to be fair

 

[tkpenalty]

I'm not sure what EK's done to piss everyone off here.

The Eisbaer LT stuff is barely powerful enough to handle a loop to begin with - the DC-LTs have barely enough head pressure to run an AIO loop to begin with - let alone a normal loop. It's enough for a horizontal form factor ITX build but that's about it.

Also the Eisbaer LT is prone to crossthreading - on both the solo and the pump/rad housings.

In a standing tower comparing it to a SPC let alone a DDC (what's included in the EK-AIO), there's a bit of a gap in water temperatures.

The Barrow stuff looks great in theory, but the fin design + pumps aren't of great quality apparently with a lot of users reporting the pumps being loud + burning out. Some people have switched the coldplate from the Barrow to an EK-Supremacy instead since the fin density is quite different.

The only other legitimate solution is the Nouvulo imo, but once you add a DDC pump + a heatsink to it it'll cost similar to this. Do people realise that half of the cost of the block is probably the pump that even if sourced by yourself costs a lot...?

 

[Mussels]

I'm not sure what EK's done to piss everyone off here.

The price

It claims it's for a specific niche to justify the price, but physically doesnt fit that niche - other, cheaper products do

And literally you just need a res for the SFF crowd. AC's res have drain and fill ports so you'd need zero extra components for that sort of setup.

 

[tkpenalty]

The price

It claims it's for a specific niche to justify the price, but physically doesnt fit that niche - other, cheaper products do

And literally you just need a res for the SFF crowd. AC's res have drain and fill ports so you'd need zero extra components for that sort of setup.

Yeah the price does suck, but compared to the aquanaut it's close.

No, the Eisbaer/DC-LT stuff don't come close - hence why they're cheaper - and in Australia Alphacool is hideously expensive due to import taxes. Importing an Eisbaer will cost you more than the Velocity.

Also the Velocity does have a fill port - similar to the Eisbaers, but located in an arguably better location. Eisbaers only have the single fill port as well.

TBH I'd rather see EK release a Velocity that uses a SPC pump instead of the DDC - DDCs need SATA power, are bulky, and need heatsinks, and finally cost probably 2/3rds of the cost of this block.

Also holy shit youre still on TPU?

 

[zlobby]

I'm not sure what EK's done to piss everyone off here.

You want the list in any particular order?

 

[Mussels]

Australia Alphacool is hideously expensive due to import taxes

I've been discussing that in the past with @EddyAlphacool and suggested a list of retailers he should push to get local stock of their products if you want to recommend any to him (I suggested Mwave, PCCG and centrecom as they all used to stock more watercooling brands)


I mean, it's not like EK had faulty mystic fog coolant that trashed my entire loop and corroded my parts or anything
But hey they sent replacement coolant - just did nothing about the EK parts it damaged from the same order

Or all the 90 degree fittings that have sprung leaks (all of them except one, now. <2 years old))


It's a miracle my 3090 block still performs well enough to use

 

[kapone32]

Yeah the price does suck, but compared to the aquanaut it's close.

No, the Eisbaer/DC-LT stuff don't come close - hence why they're cheaper - and in Australia Alphacool is hideously expensive due to import taxes. Importing an Eisbaer will cost you more than the Velocity.

Also the Velocity does have a fill port - similar to the Eisbaers, but located in an arguably better location. Eisbaers only have the single fill port as well.

View attachment 276889

TBH I'd rather see EK release a Velocity that uses a SPC pump instead of the DDC - DDCs need SATA power, are bulky, and need heatsinks, and finally cost probably 2/3rds of the cost of this block.

Also holy shit youre still on TPU?

As much as people like to tout EK ( I have one of their blocks) my block that Hardware Unboxed touted for getting the junction temp under control blew a gasket one day. The kicker was EK tried to blame me for it failing.

There is no way a DDC pump is that expensive it just costs a crazy amount if you live where we live. I bought 1 on Amazon for $41 Canadian just the other day that has a PWM header too.

When you talk about Import Taxes the value in cost of the EK units means that you will pay way more in taxes for EK anyway. You are using the LT what about the regular Eisbaer? If you want to try to reduce the taxes order Alphacool products from Groovesland. They offer Free World Wide shipping. You will still have Customs fees but will avoid the foolish shipping costs.

In Canada we are in no better position. The Worst is there is a Company in the States that partners with Alphacool and it is cheaper for me to buy products from Germany than right next door so there is work that needs to be done. I went into my local retailer the other day and they had a booth dedicated to everything that Corsair offers and though not cheap a much more realistic jump into Water cooling. If I want EK or Alphacool coolant will cost me at least $100 per bottle while Corsair coolant is $24.99 and at my retailer.

 

[shovenose]

Reading this thread makes me happy about my boring cheap air cpu coolers.

 

[zlobby]

I've been discussing that in the past with @EddyAlphacool and suggested a list of retailers he should push to get local stock of their products if you want to recommend any to him (I suggested Mwave, PCCG and centrecom as they all used to stock more watercooling brands)


I mean, it's not like EK had faulty mystic fog coolant that trashed my entire loop and corroded my parts or anything
But hey they sent replacement coolant - just did nothing about the EK parts it damaged from the same order
View attachment 276890
Or all the 90 degree fittings that have sprung leaks (all of them except one, now. <2 years old))


It's a miracle my 3090 block still performs well enough to use
View attachment 276891

Wellcome to the EK horros club!

Reading this thread makes me happy about my boring cheap air cpu coolers.

Air is certainly an easy way to go. Sometimes one do need beefier cooling and only liquid (or above) can cut it.

As much as people like to tout EK ( I have one of their blocks) my block that Hardware Unboxed touted for getting the junction temp under control blew a gasket one day. The kicker was EK tried to blame me for it failing.

There is no way a DDC pump is that expensive it just costs a crazy amount if you live where we live. I bought 1 on Amazon for $41 Canadian just the other day that has a PWM header too.

When you talk about Import Taxes the value in cost of the EK units means that you will pay way more in taxes for EK anyway. You are using the LT what about the regular Eisbaer? If you want to try to reduce the taxes order Alphacool products from Groovesland. They offer Free World Wide shipping. You will still have Customs fees but will avoid the foolish shipping costs.

In Canada we are in no better position. The Worst is there is a Company in the States that partners with Alphacool and it is cheaper for me to buy products from Germany than right next door so there is work that needs to be done. I went into my local retailer the other day and they had a booth dedicated to everything that Corsair offers and though not cheap a much more realistic jump into Water cooling. If I want EK or Alphacool coolant will cost me at least $100 per bottle while Corsair coolant is $24.99 and at my retailer.

Why go with expensive coolant while you can simply use deionized water and a silver kill coil? Granted, you'd need to preflush your loops with (industrial) vinegar or some other acids but it's cheap, easy and lasts forever.
My oldest loop I've done this way is now 6 years old. Still crystal clear and the temps are the same.

 

[Mussels]

Wellcome to the EK horros club!


Air is certainly an easy way to go. Sometimes one do need beefier cooling and only liquid (or above) can cut it.


Why go with expensive coolant while you can simply use deionized water and a silver kill coil? Granted, you'd need to preflush your loops with (industrial) vinegar or some other acids but it's cheap, easy and lasts forever.
My oldest loop I've done this way is now 6 years old. Still crystal clear and the temps are the same.

because vinegar destroys some of the metals used in the new blocks

All these old stories of "X worked" is true, with the old materials. Vinegar/acids etc will destroy the coatings on modern CPU and GPU blocks, which is what happened to my EK stuff after the coolant died

isopropyl? Acrylic fogs and cracks
Vinegar? Eats nickel coatings.

Clear coolants are usually best, and after accidentally spilling some i guarantee you it's nothing at all like distilled water.
Cant mix silver and nickel either, as it causes a chemical reaction that corrodes the nickel as well.

Reading up on it, you can also run into issues where past certain PH levels the lead/tin solder used inside the radiators corrodes (hence flushing the rads can result in more damage/problems)

 

[zlobby]

because vinegar destroys some of the metals used in the new blocks

All these old stories of "X worked" is true, with the old materials. Vinegar/acids etc will destroy the coatings on modern CPU and GPU blocks, which is what happened to my EK stuff after the coolant died

isopropyl? Acrylic fogs and cracks
Vinegar? Eats nickel coatings.

View attachment 276997


Clear coolants are usually best, and after accidentally spilling some i guarantee you it's nothing at all like distilled water.
Cant mix silver and nickel either, as it causes a chemical reaction that corrodes the nickel as well.

Reading up on it, you can also run into issues where past certain PH levels the lead/tin solder used inside the radiators corrodes (hence flushing the rads can result in more damage/problems)

Yep! I forgot the disclamer that vinegar and specific acids should only be used on pure copper or brass! No nickel, alumin(i)um or platings are safe! Also, IPA doesn't play well with certain plastics but why would one use it in a first place anyway?

Edit: too much alc. on New Years' Eve. Corrected some typos. Pardon the rest!

 

[Mussels]

Yep! I forgot the disclamer that vinegar and specific acids should only be used on pure copper or brass! No nickel, alumin(i)um or platings are safe! Also, IPA doesn't play well with certain plastics but why would one use it in a first place anyway?

Edit: too much alc. on New Years' Eve. Corrected some typos. Pardon the rest!

It was an example since people do suggest IPA as a cleaner

older watercooling stuff was more durable, these coatings are fragile

 

[Waldorf]

@tkpenalty
the high fail rate on their products, while not covering everything like the lower priced companies.
i can buy a Corsair AIO, which has a 5y warranty covering ANY defective parts of the machine, if it fails...

@shovenose
nothing against air coolers, but there is a reason why virtually everything that needs proper cooling, runs on liquid cooling.
when you look at transfer rate for stuff, there is no equivalent to (most) fluids.
completely ignoring the silent part of it (lower fan rpm without affecting temps (as much) vs air cooler.

@zlobby
might want to update your information, as deionized water is worse than using tap.
it has all minerals removed, so it will pull it out of the components (equilibrium), unless you have loops without any metal parts (doubt it).
one of the reason ppl with chemical background will not recommend using it for a loop.
distilled water is fine tho.

have you taken your loop apart, especially cpu block?
just because there isn't something visible in the loop, doesnt mean much..

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

It was an example since people do suggest IPA as a cleaner

older watercooling stuff was more durable, these coatings are fragile

I prefer just solid copper. All this acrylic top, plating, hardline tubing, RGB, dye bombs is just nonsense to me. It's done for looks. Has been for some time now. It's for the bling. EK certainly does bring the bling.

What's funny is they seem to know this. Which is why their pro line looks sane and functional and the rest is just all RGB rave vomit.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I still have nightmares over ek cryofluid bundled with ek 280 performance loop kits

 

[A Computer Guy]

Hi,
I still have nightmares over ek cryofluid bundled with ek 280 performance loop kits

That image shows exactly the problem I had with my ek cryofluid when I built my first open loop. I ended up filtering it out with some coffee filters a few times. Since then my last 3 or 4 liters were fine.

The price

I got lucky last year and scored an AM4 velocity block for $36 dollars on sale otherwise EK's pricing usually isn't very compelling and I tend to check the clearance section a lot.

 

[Mussels]

might want to update your information, as deionized water is worse than using tap.

Not true, deionized water, deminerlised water and distilled water are all far, far superior to tap water because tap water is full of living organisms that will F your loop up

coolant is better than pure distilled, yes - but that mineral leeching you mention is very very slow, vs what can happen with algae in a matter of days

 

[Waldorf]

@Mussels
nope, at least not for me, especially when biocides are involved.

took about 6 month until bio growth showed,using tap water with biocide (rad was used and dirty and i had planned for flush/prep later).
the only time i had a "galvanic reaction" was using deionized water with additive (dead water, after cleaning/flushing loop), showing corrosion within 2-3 month.
using distilled water + biocide was stable for over 1y (same amount of "dead water").

while true that its better than tap (short term), when filtered to the same nano size (for particles), deionized water will not be better than (just) the distilled version of it.
its made to add to other things (mainly fluids), e.g. when doing stuff in a lab, not to run as coolant.
the same way most arent using antifreeze, yet it works fine in cars..

ignoring that some exception are possible (only pure unplated copper used, etc), but thats not the norm.

 

[A Computer Guy]

AM4 coolers are supposed to be compatible with AM5 right? What are the odds this new block fits AM4?

 

[Mussels]

@Mussels
nope, at least not for me, especially when biocides are involved.

took about 6 month until bio growth showed,using tap water with biocide (rad was used and dirty and i had planned for flush/prep later).
the only time i had a "galvanic reaction" was using deionized water with additive (dead water, after cleaning/flushing loop), showing corrosion within 2-3 month.
using distilled water + biocide was stable for over 1y (same amount of "dead water").

while true that its better than tap (short term), when filtered to the same nano size (for particles), deionized water will not be better than (just) the distilled version of it.
its made to add to other things (mainly fluids), e.g. when doing stuff in a lab, not to run as coolant.
the same way most arent using antifreeze, yet it works fine in cars..

ignoring that some exception are possible (only pure unplated copper used, etc), but thats not the norm.

You know that tap water varies so wildly that your own neighbour might have a totally different experience to you, and that's exactly why it's a terrible idea?

AM4 coolers are supposed to be compatible with AM5 right? What are the odds this new block fits AM4?

It literally says in the title it's for AM5, and in the text that it's AM5 only

 

[n-ster]

You know that tap water varies so wildly that your own neighbour might have a totally different experience to you, and that's exactly why it's a terrible idea?


It literally says in the title it's for AM5, and in the text that it's AM5 only

I think he knows it says AM5 only, but could it easily be hacked to, or even just work as-is with AM4, or with different backplate etc. Sure it's not optimized for it and they might want to advertise it as specifically made for 1 socket, but it might still work with AM4. I wouldn't bet on it being compatible and risky, but would be cool if someone tries and be the guinea pig lol

 

[A Computer Guy]

I think he knows it says AM5 only, but could it easily be hacked to, or even just work as-is with AM4, or with different backplate etc. Sure it's not optimized for it and they might want to advertise it as specifically made for 1 socket, but it might still work with AM4. I wouldn't bet on it being compatible and risky, but would be cool if someone tries and be the guinea pig lol

Yea pretty much my thoughts. With the hole placements being the same it should be a matter of controlling the depth and mounting pressure. It's a shame EK couldn't find a way to bridge the gap and somehow make it AM4 compatible considering how much is costs already.