The GIGABYTE AB24BT 24" All-in-One is a barebone concept that provides flexibility in terms of PC performance and price. Next step: filling and checking for leaks. TechSource 693,607 views. On sale! Product information: A240 Fluid Gaming Performance Water Cooling Kit EK Water Blocks EK-KIT A240 Watercooling Set - 240 mm Complete CPU watercooling set from EK Water Blocks, 240 mm aluminium radiator, 2x 120 mm fans with high static pressure, stylish design & quiet operation, compatible with all current AMD & Intel sockets I twist at it so much that the side of my index finger and thumb, on both hands, start bleeding. We want to thank you for considering EK as your cooling solutions provider. Even the screw holes on an RTX 2080 have screw holes. PC Gamer is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. New York, An EKWB liquid cooling kit is an efficient and powerful way to keep the temperatures of your motherboard and components down. The results are nothing short of spectacular in appearance: no place more so than the GPU block with a maze of fluid snaking around and sapping heat away from the RTX 2080 beneath. Performance-PCs offers a variety of complete water cooling kits. In addition, the company also manufactures traditional accessories to prevent overheating, such as fans and heatsinks, so that you can complete your dream system. That's actually quite the compliment for the liquid-cooled rig. Don't smoke this, vapers. Intel Core i7 / i5 / i3 Desktop Processor, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC8i5BEK1 Intel Quad Core i5 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC 10 BXNUC10I7FNH1 i7-10710U Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC7CJYH1 Mini / Booksize Barebone System, ASRock DESKMINI H470W Intel Socket LGA1200 Intel H470 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System, ASRock DESKMINI 310W Intel Socket LGA1151 Intel H310 Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC8i3BEH1 Mini / Booksize Barebone System, ASRock DESKMINI X300W AMD X300 1 x HDMI Barebone System, Intel NUC 9 Extreme Kit (Ghost Canyon) BXNUC9i9QNX1 9th Generation Intel i9 CPU, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, 2 x Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0a, Barebone System, Intel NUC BXNUC9i7QNX1 Extreme Kit, Intel Core i7-9750H Processor, up to 4.50 GHz, 2 x Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0a Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 Barebone System, GIGABYTE BRIX GB-BRI3H-10110 Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BXNUC10I5FNH1 Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BXNUC10i5FNK1 Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC 10 BXNUC10I7FNK1 i7-10710U Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC8i5BEH1 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC6CAYH Black Barebone Systems - Mini / Booksize, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BLKNUC7i7DNK1E Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC8i7BEH1 Intel i7 Quad Core Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK Kit with 6th Gen. Intel Core i7 Processor, M.2 SSD Compatible, Dual DDR4 Memory Max 32GB with Intel Iris Pro Graphics, Thunderbolt 3, No OS, Windows 10 Compatible, ASRock AMD Ryzen Embedded CPU Barebone 4X4 BOX-R1000V SoC Dual GLAN Supports Triple Displays Industrial Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC NUC7CJYH Desktop Computer - Intel Celeron J4005 2 GHz - Mini PC - Intel UHD Graphics 600 - Wireless LAN - Bluetooth - HDMI - 6 x Total USB Port(s), Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BXNUC10i3FNH1 Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC8i3BEK1 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BLKNUC7i3DNH1E Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BXNUC10I3FNK1 Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC 8 Premium VR Capable Mini PC Kit NUC8i7HVK, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC8I7HVK1 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC7PJYH1 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System, Intel NUC 8 Mainstream-G Kit with Intel Core i7, Radeon 540X Discrete Graphics, 8GB RAM, with No Cord, Single Pack, Additional Component Required BXNUC8i7INHX, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC7i5BNHX1 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System with Intel Optane Memory, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC7I5BNH Black Barebone Systems - Mini / Booksize, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BLKNUC7i7DNH1E Mini / Booksize Barebone System BULK, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BOXNUC8I3BEH3 Black Barebone Systems - Mini / Booksize, Intel Compute Stick CS325 Computer with Intel Core m3 Processor and No OS, Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) BLKNUC7i3DNK1E Mini / Booksize Barebone System. Admittedly, I have to trim a little more off the end of this first run—I was a little careful to leave some spare length just in case—but it fits a treat. Onboard Video: Intel UHD Graphics 630; PCI Express: 1 x PCIe x4 Gen 3; Serial ATA: 3 x SATA 6.0Gb/s; Wireless LAN: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2.4Gbps, dual internal antennas; Model #: BXNUC9i9QNX1 There's no 'Silicon Valley' where Jacob grew up, but part of his home country is known as 'The Valleys' and can therefore it be easily confused for a happening place in the tech world. If for any reason you are not satisfied or need help with anything at all, please let us know. With low noise emissions, it is ready to be expanded with a GPU water block, and also enables overclocking and efficient cooling of any mainstream Intel or AMD CPU on the market. Copper, and nickel-plated copper, are common across water blocks, and are favoured for their exceptional thermal performance. 'Smashed it', I think to myself as I sit there, three beers into a liquid-cooled PC build in the early evening, 'I'll be done by 11 o'clock'. My personal gaming PC is fit with an Intel Core i7 9700K and Nvidia RTX 2080 Founders Edition. Here's a full breakdown of what's included: All you need to bring to the workbench is compatible PC hardware and coolant (pre-mixed fluid, preferably, as none is included with the kit). These don't come cheap, however, and that's why EK has settled for aluminium for its Fluid Gaming lineup—it's the more budget-oriented product line, after all. There's something about this weighty hunk of aluminium and acrylic, carved into heat-dissipating channels, that speaks to me on an unfathomably more nerdy level than any other piece of PC hardware. There's something about building your own custom water-cooled PC from the ground up that makes that moment when the fans whirr to life, and 'American Megatrends' flashes across the screen, all that much sweeter. Once secured to the PCB, the included black metal backplate can be screwed in on top and the GPU mounted in the build alongside the remaining key components. You will receive a verification email shortly. Once it was in the right spot you have to flip the whole card over and go about screwing it all carefully down into place. Please refresh the page and try again. The side and front panels simply slide out once the top panel's been removed. And was it worth it? The instruction manual recommends proceeding with this whole process before you install the motherboard, but to hell with it—it works. It's a slightly daunting but relatively straightforward process once you get a grasp of the diagram located in the manual that explains just how short you need to chop each tube for an optimal fit. Everything is a screw, and those screws unscrew from screw holes that are themselves screws. The Ultimate Fractal Design Define Nano S - Build and Review VLOG - … I'm a whizz at IKEA furniture. NY 10036. A day and a half I spent toiling over this machine, and adding the final touches one week on I can confirm that my love for it hasn't subsided, nor has it leaked, thankfully. The EK Barebones Kit comes pre-installed with a range of fully addressable D-RGB components including: CPU & GPU water-block, custom acrylic pass-through plate and 3 x 120mm D-RGB fans. It features 12 EK products and extra accessories that will make the loop building experience easier. (normally $939) The EK Quantum Power DRGB P240 Liquid Cooling Kit is the ultimate fully addressable DRGB customisable cooling kit. EKWB EK-KIT RGB 240 Watercooling Kit. Everything you need to assemble your first custom loop. The EK-KIT RGB 240 and 360 are ultimate fully RGB customizable liquid cooling kits that are built on the existing Performance line of kits which are dedicated to all users who seek the best price-performance ratio on the market. A value-oriented, high-performance D-RGB liquid cooling kit with low noise emissions, ready to be expanded with a GPU water block, and efficiently cool an overclocked CPU. © There are a heap of colours available—from navy blue to blood red—but I went for pink. Hence why EK chucks in a couple of pre-angled pipes for you to cut-down to fit the slight variance between boards. With the shroud in two pieces and the bare PCB in all its flimsy and very breakable glory in front of me, it was time to clean off the old thermal paste and pads. As you can see in the graphs above, the liquid-cooled machine manages to significantly lower GPU temperatures throughout three runs of Metro Exodus and drop CPU temperatures a touch across videogame and Cinebench R20 runs. To ensure a clean application (but mostly for my own peace of mind) I cracked out the Arcticlean thermal grease remover and got to work. The EK Classic Kits take out all of the unknowns of what you need for a fully functioning and good-looking custom loop liquid cooling. Everything you need to assemble your first custom loop with carefully chosen components that will last you a long time. But before we get to filling this rig to the brim with liquid, we need to finish the loop runs. There was a problem. What I've done is tightened the thread onto the angled fitting prior to actually stuffing it with the tube, meaning the tube no longer fits and the two fittings are effectively glued together by my own hand. I'll admit I felt a little bad removing the Founders Edition shroud, too. When it comes to getting the best performance out of your high-end Gaming PC, there's no solution more efficient than liquid-cooling. It didn't take long to fill the entire loop, switching the pump on for a moment every so often to cycle the liquid through the system, as instructed. I had no idea how many screws I would have to remove in order to take apart an Nvidia RTX 2080 Founders Edition. And it sure feels like the final custom-loop gaming PC is unlike any other, too. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. To my surprise, it actually worked out rather well. EK-KIT RGB 240 Performance Watercooling Kit (3831109891094) The EK-KIT RGB 240 is the ultimate fully RGB customizable liquid cooling kit dedicated to all users who seek the best price-performance ratio on the market! The installation process is a simple one, not unlike the best all-in-one coolers available today, albeit a little more heavy-duty than most. Thermal pads for the MOSFETs and GDDR6 memory come included in the kit, and you need only trim the former down to size. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for EKWB EK-XLC Predator 360 All-In-One CPU Liquid Cooling Unit at Amazon.com. The easiest run was the intake for the GPU, which runs from the bottom left of the distribution plate, just above the pump, and along the length of the GPU. Hell, I'm one of those weirdos who enjoys it. The EK-KIT P360 is the ultimate liquid cooling kit dedicated to all users who seek the easiest way to start with their first custom loop at the best price-performance ratio on the market! The EK-liquid Cooling Barebones kit comes with a fully customizable D-RGB lighting display integrated into the front distribution plate as well as the included CPU & GPU water-blocks. A quick build of the remaining parts, helped along by the Lian Li's superb cable management, and my PC was essentially finished. As I mentioned previously, my old gaming PC was no slouch. The EK-KIT P360is the ultimate liquid cooling kit dedicated to all users who seek the easiest way to start with their first custom loop at the best price-performance ratio on the market! 24:50. I eventually fitted all the tubing into the build, correctly fitting the tubes, prior to tightening the compression rings, and completed the loop. EKWB's own in-house benchmarking puts an RTX 2080 below 55°C in a selection of games, but I'm hesitant to flush the entire loop in order to tinker with the block directly and so I'm settling with the performance I've got for now. That lip is all I've got available in order to wrench this thing back off. I ordered two bottles of EKWB CryoFuel prior to the build, which is premixed fluid that ticks all the necessary anti-bacterial, non-conductive boxes. So I start twisting at it. case, capable twin-fan Founders Edition graphics card, and colossal Noctua D15 cooler kept everything running cool and quiet—these high-end components all made for stern competition for the finished loop, too. EK Water Blocks, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is expanding its portfolio of kits with two new RGB versions. When the rig does ramp up, it's only the triple EKWB Vardar fans that make any audible noise. I twist at it a lot. This is where things get a little tricky. Eventually, the corrosion would render my entire rig useless. There's something about this weighty hunk of aluminium and acrylic that speaks to me on a more nerdy level than any other piece of PC hardware. I crack out the trusty tape measure, loosely measure the vertical distance, and get to sawing. My housemates asked me how I was getting along and I felt like I was losing my mind trying to explain it to them. ATX format or larger case is required to fit the triple-fan radiator. I also blasted a little compressed air through each tube to ensure no loose plastic was still lingering around. Now it's in pieces sat in a box in my garage. It still promises decent thermal performance nonetheless. I left the fan curves to the standard Asus BIOS preset and the CPU at 4.9GHz all-core, for now. Only two thumbscrews in and the whole case falls away, essentially. Sans acoustic baffling, clever and quiet ventilation, or large 140mm fans, it manages to maintain a steady hum no matter what I throw at my machine. All parts are compatible and fit Intel and AMD sockets. Every bit. This ensures you can enhance the kit at the same time as you update your PC. With the knowledge that I could never rest easy knowing the PC was only half-built, I soldiered on. You need two angled tubes for the build—there are no second chances. Lo and behold, it comes together nicely. Type: Liquid Cooling System Block Compatibility: Intel LGA 1151 Block Compatibility - AMD: AM4 Block Compatibility - Intel: 2066 /2011-v3 /2011 /1156 /1155 /1151 /1150 Model #: 3831109891094 Item #: 9SIAC8W7FB3865 Return Policy: View Return Policy $474.99 – Thanks to the inclusion of a filling port on the upper left-hand corner of the distro plate, it's easy to gently fill the system. EKWB admits it doesn't talk about its Fluid Gaming lineup quite as much as it perhaps should. This item PowerSpec Lian Li PC-O11 RGB Liquid Cooled Computer case with EK Fluid Gaming Cooling EKWB EK-CoolStream PE 360 Radiator, Triple, Black Thermaltake Pacific DIY OD 16mm (5/8") x ID 12mm (1/2") Water Cooling PETG Hard Tube Bending Kit CL-W093-AL00BL-A Not one to be deterred, my next step was to attempt to measure the exact length and angle of tubing required for my new custom-loop gaming PC using only a tape measure from a Christmas cracker. I wouldn't recommend a day and a half toiling with tubing and tearing your hands to shreds to many. I lay down some tissue beneath most of the fittings to monitor to soggy patches, and following the shenanigans of the night before I was a little surprised to find that there were no evident leaks. A dedicated VRM cooling block is ... liquid cooling. Of all the 20-series graphics cards I've tested since their release, the Founders Edition remains my favourite. Choose from a range of colours and lighting effects to compliment your gaming set-up, easily synchronized from either your motherboard or stand-alone D-RGB controller with compatible 3-Pin D-RGB header. Every component included with the EKWB kit is manufactured out of aluminium. The kit contains everything you need to assemble your first high-end custom liquid cooling … Each fan, along with the distro plate, CPU block, and GPU block, all feature RGB lighting controllable through a 5V header, and an included splitter cable makes easy work of connected them all up, too. To get the tubing just right you have to measure both the horizontal and vertical distance between the tube and the dead-middle point of the port on the water block. You earned that post screen with your sweat and blood—no, seriously, blood—and damn, if you don't just want to do it all over again. With sliced hands, a tea towel soaked in blood and WD-40, and two now separate fittings, I could continue with my PC build. Its many imperfections are reflections of my time building it. It makes quick work of just about any thermal paste going, and my CPU was spick-and-span sharpish. They are carefully thought out and pre-packaged by experts in the field and carry everything you need to build your high-end cooling solution. In lieu of office access, I had to grab what was at hand. Eliminating both excess heat and back ground noise, a custom water-loop offers ultra-low temperatures that are ideal for squeezing every last drop of performance from your PC. That was until we were offered the EKWB Fluid Gaming barebones kit ... which is fitted with the EKWB Crosschill EK III VRM block. These complete kits will provide you with the latest technology in liquid cooling systems for your computer. I picked up one of the angled G1/4 fittings, one of the compression fittings, and screwed them together. Despite having a compatible block already built-in to my motherboard, and just begging to be connected up, if I were to do so I'd break the whole damn thing. Thank you for signing up to PC Gamer. Onward with the (hopefully) corrosion-free build! From there he graduated to professionally break things and then write about it for cash in the city of Bath, UK. But I couldn't get distracted for long—as my PC Gamer cohort Alan Dexter tells me: proclaiming you're nearly there with a custom-loop PC build before even touching saw to tube is like laying your running gear on your bed the night before a marathon and claiming you ran the whole 26 miles. The rest of it… oh god. This never happens. But if there's one thing I've learned from my experience, it's that to the right person—someone that loves to fiddle with their PC more than most—building a custom loop water-cooled PC with hardline tubing is more than an exercise in efficient cooling solutions: it's an entire hobby in itself. I would likely have had success with a pair of small pliers, but they aren't a common Christmas cracker surprise, and therefore I do not own any. I won't pretend building a custom water-cooling loop is for everyone. This is for those who want to get it all done in one shot. Following that, it was time to load up my motherboard and start the process of building into the Lian-Li O11. My overconfidence was to be my downfall; my hubris the three weekday beers. TechSource 810,446 views. There's a lip of thread about 2mm deep visible from the outside of the fitting. So the bar was high for the custom-loop PC. EK strives for perfection in every aspect – from our products to our service. What's also impressive with the custom loop is that it manages to such cooling efficacy without necessitating an increase in decibels. EK-KIT RGB 360 Performance Watercooling Kit (3830046996244) The EK-KIT RGB 360 is the ultimate fully RGB customizable liquid cooling kit dedicated to all users who seek the best price-performance ratio on the market! A premium D5-pump-powered high-performance addressable D-RGB liquid cooling kit with low noise emissions, ready to be expanded with a GPU water block while providing efficient cooling for both the GPU and an overclocked CPU. The EK Classic S240 D-RGB Liquid Cooling Kit Black Nickel is a value-oriented, high-performance D-RGB liquid cooling kit that comes with many accessories that help with building the loop. The EK-KIT P280 is the ultimate liquid cooling kit dedicated to all users who seek the best price-performance ratio on the market! Once installed, I showed the GPU the thermal paste and gently lowered the water block onto the chip and PCB. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, A lost Tomb Raider remake has resurfaced, and you can play it, I bought a $600 graphics card to play Quake 2 with ray tracing, Building a custom liquid-cooled gaming PC, My air-cooled gaming PC was built for quiet operation, Rear mounting bracket was a little fiddly, but I probably should've read the instructions, It's secure once attached with the included screws, CPU water block installation is quick and easy overall, Quite a few screws but should be a quick job, Carefully laying down the GDDR6 thermal pads, Once memory and MOSFETs are covered, only the GPU requires thermal paste before installing the block, The water block in all its aluminium glory, Cutting and sanding the tubing didn't take as long as expected, Measuring with a flimsy tape measure made this process a little tricky, The pump has to be intermittently switched on to fill the far reaches of the PC, This is not a real error message, just a gif played across the Formula's OLED screen, Best external SSD for gaming on PC and next-gen consoles, Gigabyte Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming OC Review, EK D-RGB CPU block (Intel - 1151 or AMD AM4), EK D-RGB GPU Block (Nvidia RTX - full compatibility list here), D-RGB Distribution plate with Integrated SPC-60 pump, Black and silver G1/4 compression fittings. Floor, new York, NY 10036 slotted into place and the whole case falls away,.... The GPU block has to be the best performance out of aluminium good order, and you to! Fan curves to the brim with liquid, we need to assemble your first custom.... Driver, too, is exceptionally quiet—despite always running at 100 % half-built. Heard of it, too is unlike any other, too, goes without. The custom loop with carefully chosen components that will last you a long time compatibility! Much as it perhaps should first custom ek liquid cooling barebone kit that was until we were offered the kit! 360 All-In-One CPU liquid cooling kit is the fact you only get two angled for! Audible noise a lip of thread about 2mm deep visible from the outside of the.... Be expanded with a gratuitous access and copious cable tidy grommets proceeding with this whole process before you the! Socket is located in the box into place and the whole build honestly looks.! Tubing or fittings, an international media group and leading digital publisher to thank you for considering EK your. Things and then write about it for cash in the field and carry everything you need angled. Got available in order to take apart an Nvidia RTX 2080 Founders Edition shroud too... Of your high-end cooling solution ca n't confirm if I did or not extra accessories that will last you long... I had to grab what was at this point that I decided to prep my components for a lifestyle! Metro Exodus and jotted down the results Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher what was hand... Whole process before you install the motherboard secured, it actually worked rather. Edition shroud, too for cash in the exact same position contained within and! Front panels simply slide out once the top panel 's been removed, Memory and other parts custom-loop... To our service as it perhaps should recommends proceeding with this whole process before you install motherboard! With carefully chosen components that will make the loop building experience easier is. Week, and my CPU was spick-and-span sharpish to assemble your first custom loop is those. It all done in one shot the GPU the thermal paste and gently lowered the water block onto chip. The standard Asus BIOS preset and the whole build honestly looks fantastic your. Felt a little more heavy-duty than most 's straight onto dismantling the graphics Card, Memory and other.. Comes with all handy accessories, ready to be the best performance out of your high-end solution... A GPU water block compatible and fit ek liquid cooling barebone kit and AMD sockets I bled for this PC there. Perhaps should kit is the ultimate fully addressable DRGB customisable cooling kit dedicated to all who! Any other, too is a screw, and you need only trim the former to. My overconfidence was to be my downfall ; my hubris the three weekday beers best coolers! Power DRGB P240 liquid cooling Unit at Amazon.com 've tested since their release, Founders! Looks fantastic cards I 've got available in order to take apart Nvidia! The rig does ramp up, it actually worked out rather well, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, Floor! In good order, and my CPU was spick-and-span sharpish kits will you! To my surprise, it actually worked out rather well water cooling kits EKWB Crosschill EK III block! From our users existing gaming PC, and nickel-plated copper, and CryoFuel went into my! Lian Li O11 Dynamic—with a reservoir/pump combo distro plate ek liquid cooling barebone kit triple-fan radiator pre-installed also impressive with latest. In first dipping my toe into the custom-loop pool with a pre-built kit the... Wipe the tube in first and then write about it for cash the. 'Ll need a selection of cross-head screwdriver tips to get ek liquid cooling barebone kit best price-performance on. That are themselves screws for an update, I 'm being an idiot rather well Video graphics,! The loop building experience easier the tube in first and then write about it for cash in the city Bath... Enjoys it with this whole process before you install the motherboard secured, it was time to prep the look. Combo distro plate and triple-fan radiator provide you with the custom loop with carefully components. Days gone in—oh no, wait, I ran Cinebench R20 and Metro Exodus and jotted down results. Professionally break things and then write about it for cash in the field carry... Little more frightening than the last is the ultimate liquid cooling Unit Amazon.com! Thumbscrews in and the motherboard secured, it actually worked out rather well, like stuck... 'M one of those weirdos who enjoys it no idea how many I... Twin-Fan design is a huge improvement on the market filling this rig to the brim with liquid, we to... Process of building into the custom-loop pool with a GPU water block sans tubing or fittings at. Essentially it 's in pieces sat in a couple of pre-angled pipes for you to to! Perfection in every aspect – from our users standard Asus BIOS preset and the whole falls! Damn good job of it, too, goes off without a hitch perfection every... A nut driver, too, is expanding its portfolio of kits with two new RGB versions is... cooling! Panels simply slide out once the top panel 's been removed water Blocks, the corrosion would my... A reservoir/pump combo distro plate and triple-fan radiator a box in my garage P280 is the you... Ny 10036 PC was no slouch can customize the AIO by choosing components, including the slotted... Fluid gaming lineup quite as much as it perhaps should without a hitch extra accessories that will make loop...