Installation

Installing the GPU block is quite simple courtesy the CNC-cut thermal pads you simply apply as marked in the assembly instructions guide—just remember to remove the plastic covers on either side. With that done, apply the thermal paste over the GPU core. I personally prefer to pre-spread the paste here. Lay the block with the cold plate facing up on a box, and then place the PCB over the block such that the I/O bracket hangs off the edge of the box and does not interfere with the PCB touching the block. The other advantage of this method is that you can better line the holes up for the installation, which does mean you need to press down on the thermal pads slightly lest they fall off due to gravity.

Once done, start with the four screws and washers going around the GPU core itself. Do these in a diagonal manner, swapping between sets of two as with a CPU block, and don't tighten them all the way as you may have to slightly wiggle the PCB to better align all the holes for installation. With that done, move outwards until all eleven screws are in before securing them, including the two going into the GPU I/O itself without the washers. This is a precise installation since you can screw them all the way into the standoffs on the block. It is not tool-less, however, as you need an T2.5 TORX screwdriver Watercool unfortunately does not include. The assembled look is great, if I say so myself, and note that acetal extension piece coming up to the length of the PCB to make it seem like a cohesive block assembly.


If you have purchased the optional backplate, you will have to remove some of the installed screws and use the longer screws that come with the backplate. This also involves using provided thermal pads, which for the RTX 3080 is the thicker set to account for the lack of VRAM modules on the back of the PCB. The screws match the black backplate and are flush with its surface. Two of the screws go into threaded holes in that extension piece too, which now adds further securement points at the end. Once installed, the set looks complete, and it does not feel like the backplate was an afterthought.

Lighting

With vertically mounted GPUs becoming more popular than ever before, the front of the GPU block is all the more relevant for customizing a DIY watercooling loop to match your aesthetics. The acrylic top allows for a look at the coolant flowing through, which also has the functional benefit of ensuring no trapped air bubbles in the coolant flow path. There are twenty integrated, individually addressable RGB LEDs that can be powered and controlled via a standard 3-pin D-RGB header, which means you can have the block lit up as seen above. Lighting is certainly brighter than on some of the competing solutions from EK, although intensity is still highest at the bottom where the LEDs are located and tapers off slightly as you go up. Some of the light also leaks through the sides for some accent lighting through the acrylic top there, including where "Ampere" is written on the other end.