Packaging and Accessories

Ah, so the packaging is already a telltale (no pun intended) sign of where things are at, especially with EK marketing these as products offering good value for money. Indeed, we have a cardboard box, as per usual, but without a fancy wrap all around to make it seem more premium. We instead get a seal that needs to be cut to open the box, and said seal does the job in terms of identifying the product and manufacturer or providing specifications for retail customers in brick and mortar stores, and has a render to show the nature of the block inside. We can also see here that the block was developed in Slovenia at EK HQ and made in China.


Opening the box for the Intel version reveals multi-level packaging identical to all other EKWB CPU blocks for years now, and there is a plastic pouch at the top which contains most of the accessories. This bag contains two replacement jetplates (0.1 mm and 0.3 mm thick), a 2.5 mm Allen key, and four of each of the following: metal Intel LGA 115x mounting posts, metal Intel LGA 2011(-3)/2066 mounting posts, plastic washers (you may even find a spare or two here), metal springs, and metal thumb nuts. Underneath this layer is the actual CPU block, and note that there is no manual included here. The QR code on the box should take you to the online manual that is available here. I still disagree with the decision not to have a printed manual in the box as I feel that components required for a PC to work are better off with a printed manual, and no one should assume customers have access to another device.


Underneath everything in the final layer is yet another plastic bag that contains the backplate rubber gasket and actual steel backplate for Intel LGA 115x sockets. This bag comes on a thin piece of foam for some protection during transit, and the CPU block itself is sandwiched between these layers. It comes in yet another plastic pouch, this time with a seal that breaks apart, leaving signs of tampering, and there is a small tube of EK-Ectotherm thermal paste, which is another cost-cutting measure compared to the Gelid/Thermal Grizzly products included before and with the EK-Velocity.


EK also sent me the AMD version even though I do not have an AMD test setup at this time, but I wanted to show that it comes packaged very differently. Indeed, given it only supports the AMD AM4 platform, EK was able to provide a more assembled block out of the box ready to be installed in a manner of seconds. So if you have an AMD AM4 setup, installation will be a piece of cake for you with the EK-Supremacy Classic RGB (AMD).