EK Apologizes about X399 Coldplate Design

[Tech22]

Ek's Letter

 

Ek seems to have felt the need to apologize about their sub-par x399 coldplate design. 

Quote

The performance of EK-Supremacy EVO Threadripper Edition CPU water block and the X399 monoblocks, which are based on the same cold plate design, are not up to EK® standards so action had to be taken.

While I don't think they needed to phrase it as an apology, I think it was a good idea to let the watercooling community know that they are fixing their mistake. EK has since decided to offer an upgrade kit for free to anyone who bought the ZE monoblock, which is nice, but the regular block will need to be replaced entirely if one wants to upgrade it (according to them).

They also show pictures of monoblocks that have as of now not been released (x399), I assume the ones on the left and right sides are for MSI. On their store page, the middle is for gigabyte. The gigabyte one also seems to include a passive heatsink for some components, interesting... I assume they felt the need for an apology because of their management shift, I think they skimped on the fins in the first place as their focus was on the budget stuff (aluminum) at the time of release, and their new management switched their orientation back to the enthusiast market. 

[The Benjamins]

They are know for good water cooling products and the x399 block was 20c hotter then cheaper ones from the competition, this is crazy.

 

The new design looks great, and it was smart to do a apology to regain respect.

[Methos]

They're the most well known and certainly spend a good amount on YouTuber sponsorship but they are far from the best. This is to be expected. 

[Carclis]

It sounds like they used the exact same block that they used for their Intel products with the only difference being the mounting plate. Kyle over at HardOCP covered it in his TR4 water block roundup here and here. Obviously it's not exactly the same as the monoblocks but the block design is still optimised to cool a much smaller CPU. Glad to see that EK isn't just burying their head in the sand though.

[JediFragger]

They've been cost-cutting for far too long now and it really shows in their sub-par product-line and performance. Will only get worse if it carries on, much better alternatives out there now.

[Trik'Stari]

To make things right EK, for messing up on a product I don't own, could you make available the Asus Strix GTX 970 waterblock that you used to make but is currently not-to-be-found on sale?

 

Seriously, just one. I just want to water cool this thing and see if putting on a water block will kill the GPU sag...

 

Thanks.

 

(Yes this is entirely unrelated, it's merely supposed to be comical. But seriously I NEED this GPU block lol)

[Doobeedoo]

I was surprised by it, just look at the fin area difference. But good they rectify the flawed design though. 

[redtute]

On 18/02/2018 at 2:28 PM, Trik'Stari said:

To make things right EK, for messing up on a product I don't own, could you make available the Asus Strix GTX 970 waterblock that you used to make but is currently not-to-be-found on sale?

 

Seriously, just one. I just want to water cool this thing and see if putting on a water block will kill the GPU sag...

 

Thanks.

 

(Yes this is entirely unrelated, it's merely supposed to be comical. But seriously I NEED this GPU block lol)

Set up an alert on Google for one on sale. It may take a while but one will turn up.

[TVwazhere]

Before and after

[The Benjamins]

3 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

PIC

PIC

 

Before and after

It is nice to see the bigger fin area, but I wounder if we will see this non-raised fine design in revisions to existing CPU blocks too (non TR4 ones)
I can't tell if the fin density and size has changes. (doesn't look like it)

[TVwazhere]

8 minutes ago, The Benjamins said:

It is nice to see the bigger fin area, but I wounder if we will see this non-raised fine design in revisions to existing CPU blocks too (non TR4 ones)
I can't tell if the fin density and size has changes. (doesn't look like it)

Just looks like they made the longer in the middle and added more to the sides. Not a bad resolution, it's probably like 40% more surface are (just guestimating)

[cj09beira]

the fact that they changed to a side to side fins should also mean that colder water is in contact with the area closest to the dies, exited to see its perf.

 

[AnonymousGuy]

This is why I call out EK as an overall mediocre company. Lazy and innovative for the last 5 years, and they should have never had this problem to begin with let alone now making people jump through hoops to fix their mistake.   "oh I'm shocked that your 8 year old cold plate design with a ghetto hack to the base didn't work"

 

On 2/17/2018 at 7:28 AM, Trik'Stari said:

To make things right EK, for messing up on a product I don't own, could you make available the Asus Strix GTX 970 waterblock that you used to make but is currently not-to-be-found on sale?

If you're going to watercool GPUs, only buy reference design.  I got fucked back in the GTX 680 days when a standoff broke from my 680 Lightning and I had to basically order a one-off production run to replace it and from then on I refuse to buy any non-reference PCB cards.