EK, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is introducing new water blocks for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Edition graphics cards. The EK-Quantum Vector² FE RTX 4080 D-RGB comes in the form of a water block with a passive backplate and offers two options for the top material. It cools all the critical GPU components, ensuring peak performance and a prolonged lifespan of the card.
EK-Quantum Vector² FE RTX 4080 D-RGB GPU Water Block
The EK-Quantum Vector² FE RTX 4080 is a liquid cooling solution that is actually a set of a Vector² series water block, a black-anodized aluminum backplate, and a custom-made single-slot PCIe bracket – all in a single package. As with the previous 30-series Vector² water blocks, the look is dominated by minimalistic straight lines and the backplate coming around the side of the GPU to cover the PCB in its entirety.
The Vector² cooling engine combines the jet plate with a 3D-machined Plexi insert to improve flow distribution and thermal performance. This cooling engine is based on an Open Split-Flow cooling engine design, which proved to be a superior solution for GPU water blocks. It is characterized by low hydraulic flow restriction, meaning it can be used with weaker water pumps or pumps running on low-speed settings and still achieve top performance. EK took great care to achieve a symmetrical flow domain by utilizing an internal bridge to secondary components. This was done to ensure the cooling of secondary components without sacrificing the flow distribution over the GPU core.
All Vector² GPU water blocks use an 11-mm thick copper coldplate with a directly attached acetal terminal and a robust single O-ring top design. This simple construction provides confidence during customization and maintenance. Two distinctive and unique D-RGB lighting options are now available to complement the material choice of the product: Nickel + Plexi and Nickel + Acetal. Both versions include a black-anodized aluminum backplate and a base that is CNC-machined out of nickel-plated electrolytic copper.
On the Plexi version, the D-RGB LED lighting is deployed on the longest edge of the water block for improved uniformity and brightness. The PCB and diodes are concealed inside a clean aluminum extrusion.
On the Acetal version, a dense D-RGB LED strip illuminates the parting line of the stand-out element on both sides of the block. This subtle effect allows vivid displays of color while the block remains entirely black. Tactile magnetic covers are used to conceal the terminal screws, allowing the branding to rotate when the GPU is inverted inside the case.
The GPU water blocks have a specific cutout that enables you to utilize the included multi-use tool to decouple the PCIe safety on the motherboard and easily unplug their GPU. The same tool is also used to detach the power cable more easily and tighten the standoffs.
Each Vector² water block comes with a CNC-machined black-anodized backplate. The backplates also include captive nickel-plated mounting screws to replace the original black ones. The backplate has a new L-shaped profile that comes in contact with the water block’s base and encloses the entire GPU. This increases the cooling surface, leading to even better performance. This connection with the water block, which is far more efficient at heat transfer, enables a further increase in performance. Captive backplate screws simplify installation, ensuring the correct length is always used where necessary to avoid any user error or second-guessing.
EK-Matrix7 Standard
EK-Matrix7 standardizes the dimensions of the products, including the port position and spacing, making liquid cooling loop assembly easier and more intuitive. All Vector² products feature full EK-Matrix7 compliance in every axis, ensuring easy integration and alignment with all other EK-Matrix7 products. This brings perfect alignment of ports in both horizontal and vertical positions, meaning less time is spent planning the loop and bending tubes, with the end result being an epic build.
Compatibility
EK-Quantum Vector² FE RTX 4080 water blocks, backplates, and active backplates are compatible with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Edition GPU.
D-RGB Lighting on EK-Quantum Vector² FE RTX 4080 Water Blocks
The individually-addressable RGB LEDs are compatible with popular RGB sync technologies from all major motherboard manufacturers. The arrow marking on the 3-pin D-RGB LED connector is to be aligned with the +5V marking on the D-RGB (addressable) header.
Availability and Pricing
The EK-Quantum Vector² FE RTX 4080 water blocks with included backplates and single slot PCIe brackets are available for pre-order through the EK Webshop and Partner resellers. This product is expected to ship out in late November 2022. The table below shows the manufacturer-suggested retail price (MSRP), VAT included.
| Name | MSRP (incl. VAT) | |
| EK-Quantum Vector² FE RTX 4080 D-RGB – Nickel + Plexi | 239.90€ | |
| EK-Quantum Vector² FE RTX 4080 D-RGB – Nickel + Acetal | 239.90€ |
