EK, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, just launched the ultimate water cooling solution for the complete Gigabyte GeForce® RTX™ 4080 lineup – Aorus Master, Gaming, Aero, and Eagle series GPUs. The EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4080 D-RGB comes in the form of a water block with a black anodized aluminum backplate as an additional cooling surface.
The all-new Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4080 graphics cards are expected to be significantly more powerful than their 30-series counterparts. And while their efficiency is also improved, these cards still pull over 320W, which means they will benefit even more from water cooling. This is especially true due to the 4nm production process, which increases thermal density compared to the previous 8nm chips.
EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4080 D-RGB GPU Water Block
The latest EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4080 is a single-package liquid cooling solution consisting of a Vector² series water block and a black anodized aluminum backplate. Like 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.
EK’s 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 EK-Quantum Vector² GPU water blocks use an 11mm-thick copper coldplate with a directly attached acetal terminal and a robust single O-ring top. This simple design provides confidence during customization and maintenance.
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. Removable magnetic covers conceal the terminal screws, allowing the badge to rotate 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 can also detach the power cable more easily and tighten 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 heat transfer more efficient, leading 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.
EK-Matrix7 Standard
Matrix7 standardizes the dimensions of the products, including the port position and spacing, making liquid cooling loop assembly more straightforward and intuitive. EK-Quantum Vector² GPU water blocks follow the EK-Matrix7 standard, enabling them to seamlessly integrate with the upcoming 2nd generation of EK-Reflection distribution plates. This brings perfect alignment of ports in both horizontal and vertical positions, which means less time is spent planning the loop and bending tubes, with the end result still being an epic build.
Availability and Pricing
The EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4080 D-RGB water blocks are available for pre-order through the EK Webshop and Partner Resellers. It is expected to ship out in late December 2022. The table below shows the manufacturer-suggested retail price (MSRP), VAT included.
| Name | MSRP (incl. VAT) | |
| EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4080 D-RGB – Nickel + Plexi | 264,90€ |
