EK Announces Next-Generation Flat Style EK Quantum Combo Units

[GFreeman]

EK, the leading premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is releasing the next generation of its versatile flat-style combo units. EK-Quantum Kinetic³ FLT D5 series pump-reservoir units are equipped with genuine D5 pumps made in Europe, capable of delivering flow rates of 1000 liters per hour with a maximum head pressure of up to 5.2 meters! These new FLT series combo units are available in six different sizes 92 mm, 120 mm, 240 mm, 140 mm, 280 mm, and 360 mm.

The main upgrades of the Kinetic³ combo units include:

• Additional G1/4" connection ports
• Front-mounted pump for added versatility
• Side and back mounting holes for flexibility during installation
• A custom-made inner O-ring that prevents coolant from seeping between the channels and improves flow
• Dense LED strip implementation
• User-friendly LED cover for LED strip service

EK-Quantum Kinetic³ FLT D5
The flat-style combo units were first introduced to the market by EK Water Blocks in 2019, and this made them even easier to fit in tight spaces, as they also utilized standard 120 mm and 140 mm fan mounting holes and take up as much space as a radiator in terms of width and length.

These next-generation EK-Quantum Kinetic³ FLT D5 pump-reservoir combo units build on the success of the existing FLT, flat-style combo unit and further improves compatibility, and simplifies the installation process by moving the pump to the front side and implementing additional G1/4" connection ports.

They all come with sophisticated addressable D-RGB lighting and a genuine D5 pump! The units feature standard 120 and 140 mm fan mounting holes for maximum flexibility during the installation. The reservoir is equipped with up to nine G1/4" ports so that users can choose the most optimal setup for their liquid cooling loops.

The new Kinetic³ flat-shaped pump-reservoir units are to revolutionize the way you were thinking about combo units and loop building. Since 120 and 140 mm fan mounting patterns (105 and 125 mm apart) are the most dominant mounting options inside PC cases these days, these new Kinetic FLT D5 combo units will allow greater flexibility for installation since they don't require drilling of mounting holes on your case. The combo unit is also equipped with additional mounting points on both sides (105 and 125 mm apart), which can be used with the included steel L-shaped mounting plates. All mounting holes utilize M4 threads with the included screws.

EK-Quantum Kinetic³ FLT Body
All the new combo units are also available as stand-alone products with no pump installed. These pump and reservoir combo units are compatible with all industry standard D5 and DDC units on the market.

Manufactured in Slovenia, Europe, the new EK-Quantum Kinetic³ FLT combo units are now available for order through the EK Webshop and Partner Reseller Network. The table below shows the manufacturer-suggested retail price (MSRP), VAT included.



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[woll3]

And we are still threading straight into the acrylic, ports on all sides is great though, but i cant trust it after my previous experiences.

 

[bonehead123]

threading straight into the acrylic

Teflon thread sealing tape is your friend, it's cheap, easy to use & available at any local hardware/home store too.....hehehe

 

[RH92]

And we are still threading straight into the acrylic, ports on all sides is great though, but i cant trust it after my previous experiences.

Exactly , i see im not the only one . I had an FLT-80 DDC in my system , after 9-10months is start developing leaks , most ports ( even those not connected ) had dozens of microcracks all around and that is while taking extreme care to not overthread feetings and having a pressure release valve , pump was set to run below 30% .... EKWB subpar acrylic is the reason im never going back to EKWB res/pump combos. Read the news in hope they would had finaly improved on this regard but nope , same old same old !

Teflon thread sealing tape is your friend, it's cheap, easy to use & available at any local hardware/home store too.....hehehe

That is not the solution . Most manufacturers have already moved to either reinforced ports if not even better metalic ports . It's embarassing to see EKWB continue offering the same subpar quality especially considering they market themselves as a market leader !

 

[Vya Domus]

And we are still threading straight into the acrylic, ports on all sides is great though, but i cant trust it after my previous experiences.

It's not the ports, it's the acrylic itself, if it's of shit quality it can crack no matter what's done to the ports to reinforce them. It's not like whatever stresses are put on the ports now simply vanish, it still goes into the acrylic which can then be damaged.

 

[A Computer Guy]

The frosted effect is nice.

It's not the ports, it's the acrylic itself, if it's of shit quality it can crack no matter what's done to the ports to reinforce them. It's not like whatever stresses are put on the ports now simply vanish, it still goes into the acrylic which can then be damaged.

Maybe I haven't been water cooling for long enough but I don't understand this acrylic damage regarding threaded ports. Is EK's acrylic quality that bad? Besides not exposing the acrylic to alcohols it's also probably important NOT to overtighten the fittings in the threaded ports. You want to have good enough pressure on the gasket to create a good seal but not so much that thermal expansion will damage the threads. Having said that overtightening is easy to do. Something I've noticed overtime is some gaskets may loose their flexibility and become more flat overtime. You can feel it somewhat and the tendency is to crank it down some more instead of changing the gasket. Something I do as a check for overtightening is I use a sheet of paper to check the gap between the fitting flange and the block. If I can't wedge the papers edge between them then it's too tight. If the gasket is in good shape it will allow for a gap between the flange and the block. Over tightening the gasket leaves no room for thermal expansion to compress the gasket further and that means more stress on the threads and surrounding material.

Teflon thread sealing tape is your friend, it's cheap, easy to use & available at any local hardware/home store too.....hehehe

My understanding is the coolant seal is not formed a the threads but from the gasket between the fitting and the surface of the acrylic and/or pom (or whatever surface material). In the EK fittings I have the gasket is somewhat recessed in the flange of the fitting.

Exactly , i see im not the only one . I had an FLT-80 DDC in my system , after 9-10months is start developing leaks , most ports ( even those not connected ) had dozens of microcracks all around and that is while taking extreme care to not overthread feetings and having a pressure release valve , pump was set to run below 30% .... EKWB subpar acrylic is the reason im never going back to EKWB res/pump combos. Read the news in hope they would had finaly improved on this regard but nope , same old same old !

I've got an FLT-80 D5 installed around mid year in my NR200P now you've got me worried. I have no pressure release value but I leave some air in the chamber for expansion and lower pump speeds so it doesn't vortex the air though the loop because it's so small.

What was your typical liquid temp you had with your FLT-80 and did you leave air in your res for thermal expansion?

 

[RH92]

What was your typical liquid temp you had with your FLT-80 and did you leave air in your res for thermal expansion?

Yes there was air on the top of the res not a huge amount but something like a 5mm pocket , as for liquid temp wasn't monitoring it but components were in the mid 50C so liquid must have been in the 30-40C at most .

Your FLT is equiped with a D5 so the loop should def have lower pressure compared the DDC, also my loop had dual rads .

There is no reason to panic but if i were you i would definitely quickly check the ports every 2-3months to see if cracks are apearing and give them a proper inspection once you plan to take your loop down for maintenance.

This is what my old loop looked like and you will find a second pic ( not mine this time ) of what the microcracks around the ports looked like :

 

[Vya Domus]

Is EK's acrylic quality that bad?

I don't know, maybe, I use alphacool stuff, took apart my loop plenty of times and have never seen any cracks in the reservoir or blocks. Another thing people don't realize is that it could also be the fittings that are causing the damage, if they're not manufactured within the required tolerances it can totally damage the acrylic, it's also why it might be a bad idea to mix and match components from different vendors.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Yes there was air on the top of the res not a huge amount but something like a 5mm pocket , as for liquid temp wasn't monitoring it but components were in the mid 50C so liquid must have been in the 30-40C at most .

Your FLT is equiped with a D5 so the loop should def have lower pressure compared the DDC, also my loop had dual rads .

There is no reason to panic but if i were you i would definitely visualy check the ports every 2-3months to see if cracks are apearing and give every port a good inspection once you plan to take your loop down for maintenance.

This is what my old loop looked like and you will find a second pic ( not mine this time ) of what the microcracks around the ports looked like :

I did notice when I got my FLT-80 they did really crank down the plugs from the factory that came with the unit. I thought I was going to break the EK plastic allen tool getting them out. The allen tool is designed to break if you apply too much force when tightening. I'll definitely be checking more frequently now. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[RH92]

I did notice when I got my FLT-80 they did really crank down the plugs from the factory that came with the unit. I thought I was going to break the EK plastic allen tool getting them out.

Yep now that you remind me that was definitely the case with my unit aswell .

 

[A Computer Guy]

Yep now that you remind me that was definitely the case with my unit aswell .

Interesting. I was just looking at your photo and noticed things.

 

[woll3]

It's not the ports, it's the acrylic itself, if it's of shit quality it can crack no matter what's done to the ports to reinforce them. It's not like whatever stresses are put on the ports now simply vanish, it still goes into the acrylic which can then be damaged.

Alphacools solution on their distroplates which are similar to pass-throughs, pretty much does that as now the forces arent being put "into the layers", but clamping from both sides instead.