EK Wins Best Custom Coolers at EHA Reader Awards 2023

[T0@st]

EK, the renowned manufacturer of premium PC water cooling equipment, is pleased to unveil its latest accolade: the prestigious EHA Reader Awards 2023 for Best Custom Coolers. EK earned this award thanks to its innovative custom liquid cooling product line, Quantum, which elevates both performance and aesthetics to new heights. These coveted awards owe their existence to the discerning readers of nine influential European technology publications, with a total audience of 20 million.

This dedicated readership of enthusiasts, gamers, early adopters, and influencers has been the driving force behind the nominations and votes that culminated in this honor. Earlier this year, the EK-Quantum Velocity² CPU water block secured the European Hardware Award for Best Custom Cooling, reinforcing EK's commitment to delivering top-tier cooling solutions for PC enthusiasts.




Empowering PC Enthusiasts With EK-Matrix7
Beyond the accolades and recognition, EK is dedicated to advancing the PC-building experience for enthusiasts. This commitment is exemplified by introducing the EK-Matrix7 standard, a revolutionary concept designed to simplify and improve the loop-building experience.

As PC enthusiasts and modders know, assembling a liquid cooling system can be meticulous and demanding. With the EK-Matrix7 standard, EK aimed to change the game by standardizing liquid cooling components' dimensions, port positions, and spacing.



Liquid Cooling Streamlined
The EK-Matrix7 introduces a level of standardization previously unseen in the custom water cooling industry. All products adhering to this standard are designed with increments of 7 mm. For example, extender fittings are available in heights of 7, 14, and 28 mm, while radiators come in thicknesses of 30, 44, and 58 mm.

Simply put, Matrix7 streamlines the compatibility of components. Let's say you want to use a 58 mm thick EK-Quantum Surface X radiator. Pairing it with a Quantum Torque 90° angled rotary fitting will align perfectly with the ports on any Quantum Reflection² distribution plate. Alternatively, if you opt for a 44 mm thick Quantum Surface P Series radiator and add a 14 mm extender, your setup will reach the same 58 mm height as with the X Series radiator. Similarly, incorporating 28 mm extenders will achieve the desired 58 mm height with an S Series radiator. This standardized approach ensures that components work seamlessly together, eliminating the need for complex calculations and custom adjustments.

One of the key goals of EK-Matrix7 is to combine simplicity with aesthetics. Enthusiasts often face the challenge of tube bending to align components, resulting in a tedious and time-consuming process. With EK-Matrix7, this challenge becomes a thing of the past.



EK's dedication to innovation and excellence in PC liquid cooling is not limited to receiving awards but extends to empowering PC enthusiasts. With the EK-Matrix7 standard and Quantum product lineup, the company is reshaping the landscape of custom liquid cooling, making it more accessible, efficient, and visually appealing. As EK Water Blocks continues to push boundaries, the PC building community can look forward to creating exceptional liquid-cooled builds in a straightforward, enjoyable, and rewarding way.

Please visit the official European Hardware Awards website for additional insights into the nomination process, selection criteria, and a comprehensive list of award recipients.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[kapone32]

Probably a show sponsored by EK.

 

[redeye]

the award was certainly not for easy cleaning… easy to install (via the back of the motherboard) but look forward to removing your motherboard to clean the waterblock. (or back wash it, and hope the “crap/blockage” is removed… but is that really cleaning it?)

compared to the waterblock from aquacomputer, (am4) or any without a jet plate, easier to remove and clean.

(i bought the z390i monoblock because it lit up the itx motherboard. rgb lighting)

 

[davido_labido]

Probably a show sponsored by EK.

nope - it's voted for by the readers of the publications that create EHA - else we'd have won the AIO one too

the award was certainly not for easy cleaning… easy to install (via the back of the motherboard) but look forward to removing your motherboard to clean the waterblock. (or back wash it, and hope the “crap/blockage” is removed… but is that really cleaning it?)

compared to the waterblock from aquacomputer, (am4) or any without a jet plate, easier to remove and clean.

(i bought the z390i monoblock because it lit up the itx motherboard. rgb lighting)

Monoblocks are usually (not always) far more complicated than a standard waterblock, unfortunately. We're constantly looking into ways of making things easier to work with, but if you want sealed o-rings, you've gotta have a good amount of screws.

 

[kapone32]

nope - it's voted for by the readers of the publications that create EHA - else we'd have won the AIO one too

That is just my experience and Ek's adoption of Super high prices. Where GPU blocks were once $140 they are now easily in the high 200s and everything else has risen by an exponent. Don;t get it wrong your GPU single slot blocks are beautiful in comparison to some others but for me (opinion) the C1 is the best block you can buy right now at the end though congrats to EK some of the innovations are good but how can you justify selling a distro plate for $350 US?

 

[davido_labido]

That is just my experience and Ek's adoption of Super high prices. Where GPU blocks were once $140 they are now easily in the high 200s and everything else has risen by an exponent. Don;t get it wrong your GPU single slot blocks are beautiful in comparison to some others but for me (opinion) the C1 is the best block you can buy right now at the end though congrats to EK some of the innovations are good but how can you justify selling a distro plate for $350 US?

Unfortunately, producing the parts in the EU (with the exception of a select few products) comes with a high price tag with the quantities that we produce - especially when everyone is putting the prices up from the suppliers to the supply chain, etc. A lot of companies simply don't have to pay for R&D because, well, simply they *ahem* borrow our ideas. R&D costs a lot of money and although on the surface our distros are the same as others, there are a number of differences (such as the ability to use push-in fittings and Matrix 7 compatibility). There are other things in the works too.

Manufacturing in the EU costs far more than in other countries also - especially in the last couple of years. We're constantly trying to find ways to reduce prices, but, currently, when the cost of everything is going up, there isn't much we can do other than follow.

One additional thing that we have that many companies don't is a fantastic support system, multiple ways to contact us (although admittedly, sometimes email is slower than other methods) and beautiful products throughout our whole range

 

[kapone32]

Unfortunately, producing the parts in the EU (with the exception of a select few products) comes with a high price tag with the quantities that we produce - especially when everyone is putting the prices up from the suppliers to the supply chain, etc. A lot of companies simply don't have to pay for R&D because, well, simply they *ahem* borrow our ideas. R&D costs a lot of money and although on the surface our distros are the same as others, there are a number of differences (such as the ability to use push-in fittings and Matrix 7 compatibility). There are other things in the works too.

Manufacturing in the EU costs far more than in other countries also - especially in the last couple of years. We're constantly trying to find ways to reduce prices, but, currently, when the cost of everything is going up, there isn't much we can do other than follow.

One additional thing that we have that many companies don't is a fantastic support system, multiple ways to contact us (although admittedly, sometimes email is slower than other methods) and beautiful products throughout our whole range

I understand that it is a good thing because jobs are based where the Company is but it still is a pain in the butt.

 

[Chrispy_]

What was the result of the EK corrosiongate scandal 6 months ago?

I haven't seen a formal admission of fault, mea culpa, or any real statement from EK on it at all. We're all just supposed to keep paying top-dollar for cheap, untested, low-end garbage with an EK logo on it?

Reputation is earned, and EK's isn't good, unless you have seriously short attention spans and long-term memory loss.

 

[davido_labido]

What was the result of the EK corrosiongate scandal 6 months ago?

I haven't seen a formal admission of fault, mea culpa, or any real statement from EK on it at all. We're all just supposed to keep paying top-dollar for cheap, untested, low-end garbage with an EK logo on it?

Reputation is earned, and EK's isn't good, unless you have seriously short attention spans and long-term memory loss.

We put out a fair bit of media, but as it is part of an ASUS product, they took lead on it. We can only put out so much. Ultimately customers needed to contact ASUS for the solution.

There were 3 options, a full refund and return, an RMA, or a replacement part.

 

[Chrispy_]

We put out a fair bit of media, but as it is part of an ASUS product, they took lead on it. We can only put out so much. Ultimately customers needed to contact ASUS for the solution.

There were 3 options, a full refund and return, an RMA, or a replacement part.

I'm no expert on PR handling, but IMO leaving it to ASUS was a terrible decision. EKWB already had a shaky history of substandard plating issues leading to corrosion of waterblocks and fittings that go back over a decade.

Regardless of who actually manufactured the VRM waterblock, it was a rookie mistake that has the EK logo on it and therefore leaving damage control to ASUS when it's the bit with an EK logo causing problems doesn't seem like a problem ASUS are really invested in. Why should they care?

Sure, the customers were taken care of, that's literally a legal requirement. But was EK's reputation taken care of? Quality control and nickel plating are EK's historic Achilles' heel, and you let ASUS take lead when it's your reputation at stake?! Seems very strange to me, but I'm not in PR....

 

[davido_labido]

I'm no expert on PR handling, but IMO leaving it to ASUS was a terrible decision. EKWB already had a shaky history of substandard plating issues leading to corrosion of waterblocks and fittings that go back over a decade.

Regardless of who actually manufactured the VRM waterblock, it was a rookie mistake that has the EK logo on it and therefore leaving damage control to ASUS when it's the bit with an EK logo causing problems doesn't seem like a problem ASUS are really invested in. Why should they care?

Sure, the customers were taken care of, that's literally a legal requirement. But was EK's reputation taken care of? Quality control and nickel plating are EK's historic Achilles' heel, and you let ASUS take lead when it's your reputation at stake?! Seems very strange to me, but I'm not in PR....

I believe there is plenty of information on this subject matter on the internet to come to a conclusion as to why it was handled the way it was. EKWB was the one that pushed everything to happen after we say the issues from a few different sources. As ASUS are the 'product owner' (as in everything is sold by them, not us) they have to deal with it. It's not PR, it's just how these things happen. We explored many avenues, yet this was the one that had to happen. In the end, the customers have the options for everything to be fixed, which is what really matters - that was a win enough for us.

 

[Chrispy_]

I cannot disagree that customers being looked after is good here but it just sucks that the EK name is suffering because Asus dropped the ball. They really screwed up and your name is on that screwup, unfortuantely.

I don't personally own any EK stuff; It seems to be sold at a premium over competitors that offer similar levels of performance/quality/customer service for half the price. But nothing else looks like EK and half of the watercooling builds are vanity builds anyway, so it's a valid market and valid strategy which I can't criticise, even if it's not for me.

Off-topic, will EK ever focus on value/mainstream offerings again? Your cheapest kit appears to be €460 before shipping and that's just an entry-level CPU-only offering with a single 240mm radiator. For around the same price I ended up building a full custom loop made of Alphacool and Bitspower using two Alphacool copper radiators, an AM4 CPU block AND a full-coverage waterblock for my 2070S. I believe the equivalent from EK would be in excess of €1000 from EKWB today.

 

[claes]

Jeez the way people treat product reps on this site

 

[Chrispy_]

Jeez the way people treat product reps on this site

I think you're reading too much into it. Every manufacturer screws up now and again, EKWB is no stranger to that and product reps are just people doing their job like you or me.

Forums, customer feedback, and independent reviews are just about the only place any product manufacturer can get feedback (for free, I might add), whether it's rude or polite, positive or negative. You don't agree with the opinions of others, it's all still feedback that's valuable to a company whether it's the gushing adoration of a fanboy or the cynical scepticism of a veteran who's seen the best and worst of a company.

An EK rep has a tougher job than most because the much higher price of EK products lends them to far more scrutiny from both customers and reviewers alike. If you're charging double, you expect better quality, better service, or at least better something and that's not always been the case with EK. It is what it is, and any rep in that situation likely already has a thick skin, not that I feel I've been disrespectful or abusive.

 

[davido_labido]

Jeez the way people treat product reps on this site

Honestly, I don't mind at all, EK doesn't disagree with many of the things people pull us up for, which is why we're making a lot of changes behind the scenes. The downside is that the changes are slow to roll out, but that's life.

Equally, I have been on pretty much every side of this industry over my 15(ish) years of watercooling. I've been a customer, I've been a modder, I have been sponsored by most brands, i've worked for many media teams (including TechPowerUp) and now I've worked for multiple companies. There isn't much that can be said that I've not already moaned about at some point or another

 

[claes]

Sure yeah but this forum in particular has a way of wringing reps out in a torturous way while claiming to hold truth to power that’s pretty unique imo. No disrespect to @Chrispy_ and thanks for your grace, but just something I’ve observed here

 

[davido_labido]

Sure yeah but this forum in particular has a way of wringing reps out in a torturous way while claiming to hold truth to power that’s pretty unique imo. No disrespect to @Chrispy_ and thanks for your grace, but just something I’ve observed here

nah, it's pretty decent here tbh, you have a select few people that will never like EKWB regardless which I simply ignore (playing chess with pigeons analogy there!) and the others have valid opinions or opinions that at least have a decent foundation. We have been changing a lot in the last 12-18 months and without seeing people bringing issues to the table, we wouldn't be able to do this .

Reddit, now that's the cesspit

I cannot disagree that customers being looked after is good here but it just sucks that the EK name is suffering because Asus dropped the ball. They really screwed up and your name is on that screwup, unfortuantely.

I don't personally own any EK stuff; It seems to be sold at a premium over competitors that offer similar levels of performance/quality/customer service for half the price. But nothing else looks like EK and half of the watercooling builds are vanity builds anyway, so it's a valid market and valid strategy which I can't criticise, even if it's not for me.

Off-topic, will EK ever focus on value/mainstream offerings again? Your cheapest kit appears to be €460 before shipping and that's just an entry-level CPU-only offering with a single 240mm radiator. For around the same price I ended up building a full custom loop made of Alphacool and Bitspower using two Alphacool copper radiators, an AM4 CPU block AND a full-coverage waterblock for my 2070S. I believe the equivalent from EK would be in excess of €1000 from EKWB today.

We're unlikely to be able to reduce pricing whilst making the majority of products in the EU unless we really dumb down the products which will reduce the visuals, which as you mention, is what a lot of people spend the additional for. There are not many brands that have the same support, community outreach, event presence, and relationship we have with people and everything ends up costing money. We are looking into ways to try and decrease the costs without diluting our brand image, support stance and/or quality but this likely won't be bought forward during the current climate.

 

[Chrispy_]

Sure yeah but this forum in particular has a way of wringing reps out in a torturous way while claiming to hold truth to power that’s pretty unique imo. No disrespect to @Chrispy_ and thanks for your grace, but just something I’ve observed here

Probably because people with bad experiences get shuttered by customer service and forum reps are the only voice that's contractually obliged to interact with them - at least that's my outdated experience based on my short tenure as a forum rep 25 years ago. For every mellow customer who has the experience of how the world works, you also have an idealist who believes that every injustice must be exposed. Nothing can change them apart from time and more experience, unfortunately.

We're unlikely to be able to reduce pricing whilst making the majority of products in the EU unless we really dumb down the products which will reduce the visuals, which as you mention, is what a lot of people spend the additional for. There are not many brands that have the same support, community outreach, event presence, and relationship we have with people and everything ends up costing money. We are looking into ways to try and decrease the costs without diluting our brand image, support stance and/or quality but this likely won't be bought forward during the current climate.

That's a shame, but understandable. Small margins on high volume vs high margins on small volume are different games in the industry and only a few (massive, previously-wealthy) companies can really afford to play both. I'm independently wealthy, so get to play with the high-margin, small-volume side of the PC industry. Most of the builds I do as an internal SI are budget-focused though, so very much at the opposite end of the spectrum. The sad reality is that an overwhelming majority of consumers cannot afford to stray away from the performance/$ focus, and that's something that is sadly being catered to less and less by the PC industry at the moment.

 

[claes]

nah, it's pretty decent here tbh, you have a select few people that will never like EKWB regardless which I simply ignore (playing chess with pigeons analogy there!) and the others have valid opinions or opinions that at least have a decent foundation. We have been changing a lot in the last 12-18 months and without seeing people bringi

Great reply

 

[davido_labido]

Probably because people with bad experiences get shuttered by customer service and forum reps are the only voice that's contractually obliged to interact with them

luckily, I don't have to be here at all, tbh, the best place to go when you have issues is private messages on social media, they go to our customer service and QC team which log all the issues.

I'm here because of the dumb photo of me in the PR which I was sent earleier. I wish I did get more time to be on forums though, I do enjoy them and honestly, my time at TechPowerUp is remembered very fondly! There are just too many outlets nowadays, Reddits, forums, discord channels, social media channels etc etc. We don't really have time for 'community reps' anymore. A bunch of us still do it, but it's because we're enthusiasts who just so happen to be around anyway, rather than for our job.

My job is to deal with the media/modders/events, get samples out, give them the technical support that is needed and to collect awards