Introduction

It feels like forever since we had a new generation of CPU blocks and, thanks to Intel going with a new socket for its mainstream CPU line, I have seen PC DIY watercooling companies release new products that merited a roundup one more time. This review series begins with an EK offering that arrived first and should be relevant also for Intel's 13th gen series, launched as of the date this review is published.


The first generation EK Velocity CPU block was reviewed here four years ago, which itself was a successor to the company's popular Supremacy EVO from another four years in the past. At that time there was no Quantum branding and no Magnitude series either, so the Velocity was the top dog from the Slovenian company when it came to CPU cooling. I'd argue that the pricing and extremely socket-specific EK-Quantum Magnitude still means the Velocity line is what most people would still choose between the two, and making this decision harder was the part where EK introduced its Quantum Velocity² design which has a clever installation mechanism too. We'll cover this in detail today and also test exactly how the CPU block fares against the competition when paired with the Intel Core i9-12900K in this review, which begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging for the EK-Quantum Velocity² includes bubble wrap around the product box itself, which in turn adopts a familiar design as seen on other recently covered EKWB items. On the front is the company logo and product name along with a render of the product inside and a reminder that this particular unit is suitable for your RGB needs. On the back are marketing features in multiple languages, a list of contents, some notes on the block for newcomers to the market, and contact information for the company. A sticker on the side confirms the exact product model here with tech specs to go with it, and a QR code that leads you to the product manual, now no longer printed and included in the box. Open the box from either side and now you can pull out an inner cardboard box with the EK logo and side flaps to help keep the contents inside in place. Opening this box, we see a layered approach to the unboxing experience with cardboard used to separate the contents. There is a reminder about EK having other products for sale under their banner should you want to stick to one company for the entirety of your custom loop.


The EK-Quantum Velocity² is quite socket-specific, as we saw on the previous page, thus there isn't much in the way of installation hardware here, given EK has done you the favor of pre-installing them as much as possible. There was an older EK CPU block from a few years ago which did something similar, so I am happy to see the concept refined further although it does mean the block is not as flexible as before when it comes to moving from one system to another. The entire assembly arrives in a plastic wrap with a tamper-proof seal on the back. There is cardboard above and foam below for added protection, and on the side is a small plastic zip-lock bag that contains the other accessories in the form of two L-shaped Allen keys (2 mm and 2.5 mm) as well as a tube of Thermal Grizzly TIM.