EK, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is launching a specialized water block that fits two distinct GPUs from Gigabyte – Aorus GeForce RTX 4090 Master and Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING. EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4090 D-RGB comes in the form of a water block with a passive backplate.
The all-new Aorus RTX 4090 Master and Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming cards are expected to be significantly more powerful than their 40-series counterparts. And while their efficiency is also improved, these cards still pull over 450W, which means they will benefit even more from water cooling, mainly due to the 4nm production process, which increases thermal density compared to the previous 8nm chips. To top it off, the Master is a behemoth of a card, and opting for water cooling instead of the factory-mounted air cooler, allows you to shrink it several times in the thickness department.
EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4090 D-RGB GPU Water Block
The EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4090 is a single-package liquid cooling solution consisting of a Vector² series water block and black-anodized aluminum backplate. As with the previous 30-series Vector² water blocks, its aesthetics are dominated by minimalistic straight lines and the backplate coming around the side of the GPU to cover the PCB completely.
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 flow distribution over the GPU core.
All Vector² GPU water blocks use a thick 11mm 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, which allows the rotation of the badge when the GPU is inverted inside the case.
These GPU water blocks have a specific cutout that enables the use of the included multi-use tool for decoupling the PCIe safety on the motherboard and easy unplugging of the GPU. The same tool also detaches the power cable more easily and tightens the standoffs.
EK-Quantum Vector² Backplate
Each Vector² water block comes with a CNC-machined black-anodized backplate. Captive nickel-plated mounting screws are included with these backplates to replace the original black screws. The backplate has a new L-shaped profile that touches the base of the water block and encloses the entire GPU while increasing the cooling surface. Connecting the backplate to the water block makes it more efficient at heat transfer, which leads to even better performance. Captive backplate screws simplify installation, ensuring the correct length is always used where it’s needed to avoid user errors and second-guessing.
Availability and Pricing
The EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4090 D-RGB water block is available for pre-order through EK Webshop and Partner resellers. This product is expected to ship out in mid-November 2022. The table below shows the manufacturer-suggested retail price (MSRP), VAT included.
| Name | MSRP (incl. VAT) | |
| EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4090 D-RGB – Nickel + Plexi | 264.90€ | |
| EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4090 D-RGB – Nickel + Acetal | 264.90€ |
