EK on the cheap

I don't see why some of you think this is bad, it's like some sort of metal elitism going on. How about waiting for some testing of blocks and rads in a custom loop to copper and seeing how it changes first. My all copper AIO CPU cooler was almost the same price as their system which includes a full cover GPU block and res. Believe it or not, being able to buy highend gear and still be able to WC is a good thing. People have budgets, and if you can build a full WCing system for half the price that is more money that can go into system HW. As stated above, it's keeping a 1080Ti at 43C, is an all copper system that might run at 40C worth that much more to most people? Not at all. Some will always want the best, and will pay whatever for that last 1C. But we are talking mid 40C for CPU and GPU on a 240.

As for options, assuming this catches on, other mfgs will also start making aluminum part lines, you will still probably always have your highend copper stuff, but the mainstream will be aluminum, and aluminum and AIO's have brought more people into WCing than anything else, so many people who would have never considered WCing now have AIO, and many who have used those have upgraded to custom systems once they got their feet wet. How having more and cheaper options is a bad thing I just don't know. If you don't like it, don't buy it, it's not really that hard.
 
Cheers, both you guys.

This product isn't for me. Doesn't seem like it's for either of you either. I'm still happy EK is making it.

I really hope they sell the pieces individually someday. There's a selfish motivation for this: I have... like... SO MANY AIO coolers laying around with aluminum radiators, just waiting for an all-aluminum custom loop to hoist them past their anemic pump/block abominations and onward to greatness. XD

Funny you should post this...as I was watching the video I was basically thinking the same thing. :)
 
Man, I'm really thinking of putting one of these in the mITX Ryzen build I'm doing for my wife.

$150 for an EK custom loop is a tough deal to turn down...

I've been thinking about it as well and moving away from AIO's for good.

That or going back to heatsinks.
 
IMO
This is pretty awesome.

Sure it's not copper but it is ALL aluminum. So no mixing metals.

It also weighs less than copper, which can be nice depending on usage.

Everyone bringing up automotive use.. race cars use aluminum. Weighs less, works as well.

It's a good deal. Specially for the new user.
I may stick it in ine of my "travel" setups.

Now, let's hope EK stands by their product and makes parts for it.
 
Custom water cooling has never been for the everyday PC user/gamer, its always been and will be a niche market. There are many air cooling and AIO solutions for lower cost system. Generally if you are looking at a cheap system or cost is the most important factor then custom water cooling does not make sense. Also when it comes to custom there is going to be a large upfront cost initially, but down the road all you really need to replace is the GPU block.

Even with this new system down the road you will need to buy a new GPU FC block when you replace your GPU anyways, so what instead of $120 for copper block its $80. This would be probably every 3 years lets say, since this would more then likely not be an enthusiast upgrading every year.

Another major issue is with compatibility, you are now stuck with a proprietary system basically since you cannot use copper blocks/radiators in the system. So if this product line gets discontinued you are SOL going forward with new GPU blocks.

I just don't see a market for this.
 
Custom water cooling has never been for the everyday PC user/gamer, its always been and will be a niche market. There are many air cooling and AIO solutions for lower cost system. Generally if you are looking at a cheap system or cost is the most important factor then custom water cooling does not make sense. Also when it comes to custom there is going to be a large upfront cost initially, but down the road all you really need to replace is the GPU block.

Even with this new system down the road you will need to buy a new GPU FC block when you replace your GPU anyways, so what instead of $120 for copper block its $80. This would be probably every 3 years lets say, since this would more then likely not be an enthusiast upgrading every year.

Another major issue is with compatibility, you are now stuck with a proprietary system basically since you cannot use copper blocks/radiators in the system. So if this product line gets discontinued you are SOL going forward with new GPU blocks.

I just don't see a market for this.
There's a market. You (and I) just aren't in it.

I see it as a gateway drug. People curious about watercooling and its benefits, but not able or willing to spend the cost of a mid-tier GPU to get started, will see a lot of value here. They'll probably move to copper eventually, but even if they don't, they got a heck of a deal on a real liquid cooling system.

I also see this inspiring other companies to begin supporting an aluminum aftermarket, though that probably won't happen for a number of years. The tooling wouldn't be difficult to adapt; aluminum machines like butter, compared to copper.
 
There's a market. You (and I) just aren't in it.

I see it as a gateway drug. People curious about watercooling and its benefits, but not able or willing to spend the cost of a mid-tier GPU to get started, will see a lot of value here. They'll probably move to copper eventually, but even if they don't, they got a heck of a deal on a real liquid cooling system.

I also see this inspiring other companies to begin supporting an aluminum aftermarket, though that probably won't happen for a number of years. The tooling wouldn't be difficult to adapt; aluminum machines like butter, compared to copper.

But buying into a platform like this will ultimately cost more in the long run if you end up wanting to go completely custom and move into copper blocks, now you have to essentially buy things twice. For an extra $100-200 you can have a good foundation to build from and no limits. And like I said if cost is a big concern then just stick with good air cooling, GPU's especially NVIDIA ones have come a long way in efficiency. When I started with WC many years ago GPU were hot beasts and noise was much more of an issue. Just thinking about the 1080 and how I replaced two 780Ti's and got better performance at 1/3 the heat.
 
But buying into a platform like this will ultimately cost more in the long run if you end up wanting to go completely custom and move into copper blocks, now you have to essentially buy things twice. For an extra $100-200 you can have a good foundation to build from and no limits. And like I said if cost is a big concern then just stick with good air cooling, GPU's especially NVIDIA ones have come a long way in efficiency. When I started with WC many years ago GPU were hot beasts and noise was much more of an issue. Just thinking about the 1080 and how I replaced two 780Ti's and got better performance at 1/3 the heat.
Good points, but let's be honest with ourselves here: how long has it been since watercooling was ever an economical option? XD

As has been talked about in this thread, this product really doesn't speak to people who've anyway established their copper systems. As far as being brand locked, you can do worse than EK; lots of copper-only watercoolers already only buy EK. And, as EK has stated their intent to offer their aluminum parts a la carte, expanding a loop to a dual-GPU or dual-pump option becomes a possiblity.

Compared to a traditionally built all copper custom loop built of individual pieces, and looking at the performance metrics of these aluminum kits, it's a really hard bargain to turn down. This is especially true if you're the type of user who isn't constantly into their case tweaking things.
 
But buying into a platform like this will ultimately cost more in the long run if you end up wanting to go completely custom and move into copper blocks, now you have to essentially buy things twice. For an extra $100-200 you can have a good foundation to build from and no limits. And like I said if cost is a big concern then just stick with good air cooling, GPU's especially NVIDIA ones have come a long way in efficiency. When I started with WC many years ago GPU were hot beasts and noise was much more of an issue. Just thinking about the 1080 and how I replaced two 780Ti's and got better performance at 1/3 the heat.

That is true if the user will ultimately move into fully custom water cooling, but for people who would want to move out of AIO and don't want to spend too much on copper or nickel block, this product would be a good choice for them.
 
That is true if the user will ultimately move into fully custom water cooling, but for people who would want to move out of AIO and don't want to spend too much on copper or nickel block, this product would be a good choice for them.

IDK I still see this as a very small market, considering for about $150 more in most cases you can have a decent custom copper solution.
 
IDK I still see this as a very small market, considering for about $150 more in most cases you can have a decent custom copper solution.
The difference between $150 and $300 is smaller for some than for others, I guess. XD
 
The difference between $150 and $300 is smaller for some than for others, I guess. XD

I equate WC more of a "enthusiast" upgrade, so that is why I see less of a market for these options, where $150 would not be much in a complete setup. Even cheap AIO WC options really do not benefit much vs good high quality air cooling solution, at least on the CPU end.
 
IDK I still see this as a very small market, considering for about $150 more in most cases you can have a decent custom copper solution.

I totally agree with you, water cooling have always been a niche market, but with EK coming up with this kit, the barrier of entry is a lot easier for people on the fence doing water cooling. I always consider this kit are for people who wants to test water cooling on the cheap.
 
Will it be enough for 1080ti and Ryzen 1700@3,8-4 (depending on my silicon lottery luck) or should I add another 240 rad to be sure that temps stay low and fans don't get mad?

I have nzxt h440 so the rad I'd put topside, because having it in front (or the 2nd one in front) would force me to assign some creative placing of storage HDD.

And for the price - ti block with backplate is about 140 euro, cpu block is about 80 euro - and this full kit is 250 euro, so its cheaper by a lot. Also if I'd to get the decent AIO for CPU and Kraken for GPU, Id also spend about 250 euro. So for likes of me, this is a blessing :)
 
Will it be enough for 1080ti and Ryzen 1700@3,8-4 (depending on my silicon lottery luck) or should I add another 240 rad to be sure that temps stay low and fans don't get mad?

I have nzxt h440 so the rad I'd put topside, because having it in front (or the 2nd one in front) would force me to assign some creative placing of storage HDD.

And for the price - ti block with backplate is about 140 euro, cpu block is about 80 euro - and this full kit is 250 euro, so its cheaper by a lot. Also if I'd to get the decent AIO for CPU and Kraken for GPU, Id also spend about 250 euro. So for likes of me, this is a blessing :)
Well, it looks like this is an option for you at least:

https://www.ekfluidgaming.com/ek-fg-240-expansion-pack

I'd say try the regular kit, and if it's not enough, snag one of the above linked. The regular kit will definitely cool those parts, the question is just whether you'll be okay with the fan speed required, and that's a subjective thing.
 
Will it be enough for 1080ti and Ryzen 1700@3,8-4 (depending on my silicon lottery luck) or should I add another 240 rad to be sure that temps stay low and fans don't get mad?

I have nzxt h440 so the rad I'd put topside, because having it in front (or the 2nd one in front) would force me to assign some creative placing of storage HDD.

And for the price - ti block with backplate is about 140 euro, cpu block is about 80 euro - and this full kit is 250 euro, so its cheaper by a lot. Also if I'd to get the decent AIO for CPU and Kraken for GPU, Id also spend about 250 euro. So for likes of me, this is a blessing :)

A 240 rad will cover about 250-350W of heat depending on fan speed, the 1080 Ti alone is 250W so you will probably need more rad space depending on how you like noise levels/temps.

Also for 350W you would be talking about close to 2000RPM fans most likely.
 
Well, I ordered the kit...I'll see how it goes, if it's too loud/hot I'll just get another radiator.
 
Let us know! I'm really excited that EK is following through with an upgrade path on their kits. =)
This will take some time.... I'm waiting to decide tween 1700 Ryzen and 8700K, and that kit is for the new build. So need to see some benchies and price. :) But I'll post pics and temps, once it's all done.

Also it's a pity that the customization of a kit is not aviable. If you want coloured fittings or coolant, you can't swap those things in the box, you have to pay extra. Which is adding unnecessary cost to the kit - if you go with 2 rads and want to add coolant and fittings, add about 35 euro (fittings) and 9 euro for coolant. Not that much, but still could be avoided. But I like them black fittings in the kit - only went extra with blood red coolant (I love that colour)

Right now, due to bank holidays in most of Europe, I'm waiting for them to ship. Went with cheapest tracked DPD option for 12 euro, which is not much. Also buying from them was cheaper for about 50 euro than buying it from a shop in my country.
 
Watched the video, looks like a really solid alternative to Air and AIO coolers while letting you dip your toes into open loops. Some of the hate in this thread is seriously unfounded, let me make a quick list to re-cap as to why:

- The kit in question is exactly that, a kit, with parts all designed to work with one another.
- They threw in warning labels for the noobies regarding mixed metal usage.
- The cost to manufacture, and hell, even the cost to ship these kits is going to be significantly lower than a similar kit with all copper parts.
- Are you in doubt about the last point? Check your local prices for scrap aluminum and copper, copper is almost always 4 to 5 times as expensive.
- Having a full-cover block be compatible with several GPUs is nice for being able to keep it if you upgrade the GPU later on, and is a nice touch.

Lastly, the whole "I bought a 1080 Ti / Titan Xp / Million dollar GPU so why wouldn't I spring for $1000 of water cooling" argument is moot. Some people save up money slowly over time to be able to afford parts like that. If they were going to opt for a traditional copper based setup, that might mean that they have to wait an extra few months, year, quite a long time to be able to afford the difference between this new aluminum kit and a set of copper based parts. It's not always the difference between having and not having "a few beers." Also, buying stuff second-hand isn't always fool proof or as cheap, especially for first time open loop guys.

Jay made the best point when he said that it brings down the cost of entry to open loop cooling, and I really like that.
 
Exactly that - before plunging into this kit, I did a quick research - it cost me same as the Alphacool prefilled AiO that lets you loop GPU and CPU with prefilled blocks and quick disconnects (which get a very mixed review). Putting the G10 with X52 and Kraken X62 has same cost (but there are the looks and VRM cooling for GPU). Also, when I was trying to assemble a copper loop, it would be over 150 euro more than this a240g kit - the gaming 240 kit from EK site is 260 euro, add to it the 120 for block and 30 for backplate.

Yes, I know I'll have to keep adding aluminium parts, but they are expanding their offer (adding more blocks, vega blocks and such). Yes, it's not for all - no hard tubing, no Threadripper blocks, only FE edition cards - so they can keep "better stuff" for people who want to invest more money. But for likes of me, who want to have something tad better than AIO, not spend much more and have the water, it's perfect options.

And they are marketing it to noobs, like me - look at their tutorial videos, they are teaching us, how to build a loop from scratch, you won't find it it any other kits they offer.

Guess what? I'll have nice, but cheap water loop, add to it some LEDs from my new mobo, and will enjoy the looks of my PC. Yes, I'll have temps higher bout 2-3C than copper. Yes, I'll be confined to aluminium, but I know the cons and the pros. And this is the setup which I ever wanted.
 
Exactly that - before plunging into this kit, I did a quick research - it cost me same as the Alphacool prefilled AiO that lets you loop GPU and CPU with prefilled blocks and quick disconnects (which get a very mixed review). Putting the G10 with X52 and Kraken X62 has same cost (but there are the looks and VRM cooling for GPU). Also, when I was trying to assemble a copper loop, it would be over 150 euro more than this a240g kit - the gaming 240 kit from EK site is 260 euro, add to it the 120 for block and 30 for backplate.

Yes, I know I'll have to keep adding aluminium parts, but they are expanding their offer (adding more blocks, vega blocks and such). Yes, it's not for all - no hard tubing, no Threadripper blocks, only FE edition cards - so they can keep "better stuff" for people who want to invest more money. But for likes of me, who want to have something tad better than AIO, not spend much more and have the water, it's perfect options.

And they are marketing it to noobs, like me - look at their tutorial videos, they are teaching us, how to build a loop from scratch, you won't find it it any other kits they offer.

Guess what? I'll have nice, but cheap water loop, add to it some LEDs from my new mobo, and will enjoy the looks of my PC. Yes, I'll have temps higher bout 2-3C than copper. Yes, I'll be confined to aluminium, but I know the cons and the pros. And this is the setup which I ever wanted.

If this works for you that's great, I just hate to see people invest money in something like this only to be left out in the future if the company discontinues the product line. Going with standard parts will ensure longevity, despite the $100-200 premium. Maybe this will be a new segment in WCing who knows.
 
Just added 2nd rad to the order.... the 240 is fine and dandy for open bench and not clocked card/CPU, but with either Ryzen at 4GHz or CL at max OC and OCed Ti, it really might not cut it....Why not 360? Well, that would require to remove drive trays in my H440, and I need them for my storage HDDs. It will still need some creative thinking, but I think I have it covered ;)

You guys think, that 900ml of coolant will be enough for two slim 240 rads, cpu and gpu block? Or should I get another one?
 
Just added 2nd rad to the order.... the 240 is fine and dandy for open bench and not clocked card/CPU, but with either Ryzen at 4GHz or CL at max OC and OCed Ti, it really might not cut it....Why not 360? Well, that would require to remove drive trays in my H440, and I need them for my storage HDDs. It will still need some creative thinking, but I think I have it covered ;)

You guys think, that 900ml of coolant will be enough for two slim 240 rads, cpu and gpu block? Or should I get another one?

Good idea with the second rad. Personally I would just use straight distilled water with a silver coil, the less additives the better and its cheap.
 
Just added 2nd rad to the order.... the 240 is fine and dandy for open bench and not clocked card/CPU, but with either Ryzen at 4GHz or CL at max OC and OCed Ti, it really might not cut it....Why not 360? Well, that would require to remove drive trays in my H440, and I need them for my storage HDDs. It will still need some creative thinking, but I think I have it covered ;)

You guys think, that 900ml of coolant will be enough for two slim 240 rads, cpu and gpu block? Or should I get another one?

It's a little hard to ball-park exactly how much you'll need, but I would get another 900ml of coolant just in case.
 
Has anyone used the A240G (CPU and GPU) for an extended period? Looks like a fun project and I want to pull the trigger, but I'm turned off by the negative reviews of people reporting leaking after only a couple months. Not sure if the parts are low quality or those people just didn't install it correctly.
 
Have you ever wondered why copper radiators are preferred in vehicles? Aluminum could easily handle most of their cooling needs but it is much more prone to corrosion over time. Also, if your spending money on water cooling, would you cheap out on the pump to save a few bucks in exchange for a few degrees higher temp? I would hope not, so why do the same with aluminum blocks?

I am sorry I have to fix this misinformation. Absolutely no one in the performance market or in any car production uses copper radiators. Aluminum is used in racing as it's much lighter then copper and it does not oxidize and hurt the performance of the radiator. Electrolysis eats both copper and aluminum and is a issue for any vehicle due to the dissimilar metals in the cooling system and the presence of voltage. Heater cores were the last of copper radiators used and all those are gone as they only use aluminum these days. The only key is trying to avoid dissimilar metals and that can also be dealt with by having a sacrificial anode in the loop. All aluminum cooling loop would work just fine and would be lighter then a all copper one, If you want the best then Silver kicks ass but suffers from that whole oxidization issue.
 
did you not watch the vid? watch it then re-read/do your post.

the difference between copper and alu performance is a few degrees but the all alu is much cheaper. it is a pretty good bang for buck setup. and I think the dull alu and black looks better than most mixed metal setups.

Aluminum is just fine for most of us. But honestly, why bother with mixed metal loop? It's just asking for corrosion.
 
Aluminum is just fine for most of us. But honestly, why bother with mixed metal loop? It's just asking for corrosion.
Yeah! Why bother with a mixed metal loop? Just get the EK aluminum kit and you'll have no mixed metals at all!
 
jay's a wc snob and even he's impressed with it.
I thought it odd how he had that EK Threadripper water block a month before HardOCP, did a promo video on it, but never a real review... Or any mention of performance.
 
I wish they sold the 240G kit with a 360 rad vs the 240. I can fit a 360 tightly at the top but need my HDD bays so I wont be able to find a home for the left over 240. I would prefer one large rad with future options vs a 240 + 120 and a more complex loop. Oh well. My H240x 3 years on is still 2/3rds full of liquid and keeping my 4ghz OC under control well.
 
It's not Built for Noobs man.....it's clearly a good starter kit and more affordable with aluminum, and there is nothing wrong with aluminum.
 
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