I looked at the prices of the EK blocks and initially went "that's not as bad as I thought" since my lizard brain somehow thought it was $15-20 more than the $195 Alphacool block and less than the cost of the Phanteks and Watercool blocks. But then I quickly realized it's $315 for this white version, not $215, and then it was more along the lines of "oh boy I already know what the comments section is going to be like." EK has typically charged more than average for its higher end line, with this Quantum Vector² being part of it. Unlike the previous generation, there does not seem to be the more affordable EK-Classic line of GPU blocks for the RTX 4000 series of GPUs, let alone one for non-reference PCBs such as the ASUS 4090 Strix/TUF. For reference, the EK-Classic block for the RTX 3080 reference PCB cost $140 by itself and $175 with the backplate. The previous generation Quantum Vector for the same reference PCB cost $175 ($223 with the backplate). The cost for a non-reference PCB block tends to be higher since the block itself is usually larger in size and there are fewer customers to go, although with the RTX 4000 series there wasn't really a single PCB design that people purchased a lot more over others. If anything, this ASUS Strix/TUF block actually get the benefit of two different cards being compatible with it. So seeing such a huge increase in pricing wasn't nice.

Sure, you could say EK offers you the option to go even further with the active backplate which doesn't seem to be an option elsewhere. The likes of Aqua Computer showed off renders but never brought the product to market. But there's not much else in favor of EK here. Phanteks gives you a white or black color version, in addition to a chrome one, for less. The Watercool block is smaller in size and looks/feels better to me while also performing better. Alphacool has the best overall contender in terms of cost, flow restriction, and thermal performance. CORSAIR has a universal block which costs the least of the roundup. So unless you plan to spend even more money on the active backplate version, I am not sure what the extra cost for the EK block will fetch you. Perhaps it's the best shot at having a working block within days of retail availability of a GPU. But most others who can wait a bit longer will find better value for their money elsewhere.