Closer Examination

As with the backplate, Koolance has the GPU block in a plastic sheet as well to keep it pristine out of the box. The VID-NX1080 is a full-cover block in that it actively cools the GPU core, VRAM, and VRM modules. However, as becomes evident by looking at the dimensions of the block in person, it is not a full length block like the Aqua Computer kryographics. With others going for a full-length solution based on customer feedback, and Aqua Computer making a decision based on product mass owing to their predominantly metal top, Koolance does not get that justification with acetal/acrylic tops - it is clearly their design choice here.

This is accompanied by the two-piece I/O port manifold, which is fairly lengthy relative to other solutions and extends upward by another inch or so. The top has the Koolance logo in the stainless steel cover that wraps around the acrylic top's edge, thus providing a contrast to an otherwise polished, transparent top. As it is, the coolant's entire travel path underneath is visible here, which looks good in my opinion. There are a total of four ports on the manifold - two on the front and two on the back. The VID-NX1080 is a serial flow design block, and thus, any alternate set of ports can be used as inlet/outlet respectively as long as you use one on each of the manifold's halves.


Taking a look at the back, we see a nickel-plated copper cold plate with raised sections that make contact with various components on the GPU PCB. As can be seen above, the cold plate has been polished to give it a mirror-like finish.


As always, disassembly was done post-testing. It requires the removal of every single screw on the front and the four on the side holding the I/O port manifold in place. The screws use hex 2.0 or 3.0 mm heads, for those interested, but you will likely void the warranty by taking these off. Once done, we see that the port terminal has two oval O-rings to prevent coolant leaks there, and as with any other GPU block, there is a large O-ring gasket around the cold plate to prevent leaks.


Examining the fins over the core area, we see 44 that measure up to an approximate 300 microns in thickness - take this with a grain of salt, however, as my micrometer and vernier calipers did not get the contact it takes for a more confident measurement. As mentioned before, Koolance sticks with the serial flow design here in contrast to the split center-inlet flow most others have adopted, so the design scheme coupled with the microchannel's tooling will dictate coolant flow restriction as well as thermal performance.

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.