Closer Examination- Bykski

Any questions on whether the Bykski block would look identical to the EKWB one is surely answered now. There are still some "plain" versions of their blocks sold without the aluminum shroud/cover which resemble the EKWB block more, but there are still other changes in the ID as a whole to where these can be considered their own at this point. But here, we have not one, but two separate thick aluminum shrouds over the plexi top with angles and beveled edges galore, and the top shroud has different color options to choose from - I have the blue version here, for instance. The cutouts in these shrouds allow for the user to see the coolant pass through the cooling engine over the GPU core, and on the other side is a Bykski logo sticker which I personally feel is a better place for logos, if they have to be on such blocks at all. This block is also a full-cover GPU water block in that it actively cools the GPU core, VRAM, and VRMs.


There are four BSP G1/4" threaded ports here too, but we have an acrylic terminal instead, and it is angled with cut-in grooves that match the design of the rest of the block. This makes it appear to indeed be a part of the block as opposed to an appendage as with the EKWB version, and I prefer this too. Turning the block over, we see a nickel-plated copper cold plate in a similar fashion as to the one on the EKWB block, and this too has a mirror finish. Note that the Bykski block is not a full-length block as there is a slight section on the PCB near the I/O connectors that is left exposed, but the block also extends past the length of the PCB on the other side, so do account for another inch of length to be on the safer side.


Disassembly here begins with the removal of the screws on the front. As we saw before, there are two separate aluminum shrouds used here, and each layer is another customization option to use if you prefer it as such. The gray shroud, for instance, will go well in a build with a spartan color scheme consisting of black/white/gunmetal, and you can also remove both shrouds (you will need shorter screws now) if you prefer a full plexi top. Here is also where we see the stainless steel plate, akin to that on the EKWB block, to help the coolant pass from one region onto another, although I dare say Bykski could have used a thicker plexi top here and gone without the two shrouds instead.


Now that more screws are exposed, we can take the top off entirely to see that Bykski has only polished the sections where the shrouds do not cover the plexi, and also that the port terminal is held by three screws. The cold-plate design is similar too, but everything is more pronounced - be it with the machined sections diverting coolant flow or the O-ring spacing outside and the three for the stainless steel plate. This holds true also for the microchannels over the core, and we have 26 taller microfins with a thicker jetplate here.

When re-assembling, just remember to put the O-rings back in place if they got dislodged and reverse these steps accordingly. As always, TechPowerUp is not liable for any issues that arise from your disassembly of the waterblock.