$21 CPU Waterblock - How Bad Actually is it?

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[@osho5996]

"I'm not going to bag too hard on the magnitude but...in terms of cooling performance though it is absolutely not worth it" 😂😂😂

[@cwill2127]

Sonac Ehhhh debatable at best. I mean theres countless posts online about issues with the velocity so its not like the quality is actually greater than barrow for instance

[@cwill2127]

@@sonacphotos I agree

[@odinsplaygrounds]

More of a design piece. It's like custom sleeved cables, it doesn't improve performance.

[@Matpermad]

@@Prasanna_Shinde they are talking about waterblocks. Bitspower makes fittings as far as i know

[@TheVillainOfTheYear]

@@sonacphotos I think that was his point. You get almost everything the magnitude offers with the velocity for less money. Velocity is premium quality without top end pricing.

[@sidewinder86ify]

Bruh's lifting, your biceps is growing like mad.

[@odinsplaygrounds]

These SFFs might be small, but they're not light.

[@AgriVideos1]

He’s gonna need a wider lens to fit them in shot soon

[@rad1ata]

@@odinsplaygrounds sff is dense as fucc

[@Arek_R.]

It's from lifting all those 3090s

[@rad1ata]

@@kK-yb8rd you never heard of a complient before or something?

[@BenWillock]

I'd be interested in an EK vs Barrow comparison. Barrow makes some quality stuff.

[@lenovop9030]

he wont do it,this would put shame on ek his sponsor

[@colinjava8447]

I reckon it would be pretty negligible, maybe 3C difference give or take. If I was spending thousands I would probably get an EK, but otherwise Barrow makes more sense.

[@j0my77]

@@lenovop9030 I hate to ruin your headcannon but... kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXOsiJqBotylbJo

[@triliner254]

@@lenovop9030 He literally made a video about Barrows' CPU pump block lmao

[@ThePesident]

I hear Barrow is good, and their water blocks are about $35 while being better looking than the cheapo

[@achannelhasnoname5182]

Indeed, they are equipped with conventional fins and jetplates, so the thermal difference will be marginal to the EK blocks.

[@cwill2127]

Honestly unless its strictly for looks, theres no reason to get a block from EK rather than Barrow. EKWB is a huuuuge rip off for 95% of the products they offer

[@ctrang0458]

Exactly! Im currently running a $38 bykski am4 waterblock with a huge surface area, jet plate and nickel plating. It may be a little more than the amazon block but that one is actually a ripoff at $21 aswell considering similar ones are listed on AliExpress between 11 an $19

[@iFant4]

@@ctrang0458 i am also running a bykski am4 block, perfect quality for around 30 bucks from china. also my 2080ti bykski block is a cool beast :)

[@klaszczbass]

Exactly. I'm using both barrow products for my i9 9900k and rtx 2080ti. Both are great. Previously always used ekwb only, but now even if ekwb to barrow is delta maybe 2*c that ekwb is better ... Not worth these money currently. For this movie he selected really poor product ... But interesting will be to check barrow to ekwb

[@kipandcop1]

As others have mentioned, would love to see some barrow and bykski comparisons. Maybe a full loop config from barrow vs EK, so to see price to performance comparisons

[@johnmikkoreyes]

I think he'd get more subs in Asia when he review and compare those brands

[@esotericjahanism5251]

Barrow and Bykski actually OEM for a few popular brands

[@BlueRS123]

The "El Cheapo" waterblock 😂😂😂

[@RaVeN1K]

The industry definitely needs some competition, EK is out of their mind...

[@blackmennewstyle]

Even i agree that block is heavily expensive, let's just not forget that EKWB uses European workers, they aren't cheap like Chinese workers...

[@handlealreadytaken]

Their prices are creeping up it seems. The new RTX 3000 series blocks and cold plate are over $200 USD and growing.

[@JayMade88]

I can confirm: 149,27 incl vat in 2017, for a 1080ti full cover nickle block and backplate. Fast forward to 2020 for a 3080 block and backplate: 210 eur. EK Water Blocks EK-XRES 140 Revo D5 PWM: 2017 it was 145,29 incl. vat. 2019 (before End of Life): 171. I mean..

[@TheAnoniemo]

There is plenty of competition, EK is just smart enough to make sure all the tech KZbinrs have EK stuff in their hands so that is what they show.

[@niuchajianfa6222]

@@blackmennewstyle sure go buy overpriced EK blocks bcoz somehow you appreaciate their European labour

[@JariSiemens]

I would love to see you test out that optimus block. It has so much hype around it :D

[@ananasw]

They are great but Watercool HEATKILLER is cheaper and almost the same

[@qqqqhuz]

@@ananasw this

[@shanemshort]

@@ananasw ah Heatkiller, the OG hype brand.

[@ananasw]

@@shanemshort at least it is cheap and performs well and have a better service than Optimus lol

[@ananasw]

@@sonacphotos differences in thermals are less than 1degree and optimus is more flow restrictive and more expensive, worse service also

[@phohan-2649]

Hello Optimum, Can you make a tutorial on how to make a mesh panel like the form td1 but for the ncase m1. As well as any tips that could flatten out the front panel and make the edges smooth and clean. Thank you so much!

[@Carterthielftw_]

Case modding would be cool

[@Matpermad]

Great idea! And his name is Ali lol

[@luminousfractal420]

Acetone for acrylic I think, you can brush it on and it will melt the surface smooth. Double check though..pretty sure it works on acrylic. Otherwise just sand it with low to high grit sanding blocks and maybe a flash of the heat gun once it's as good as you can get.

[@mkusanagi]

Damn dude, I'm always blown away by the production value of these videos. Sick macros as always

[@Abbyyzz]

Thanks for good videos :)

[@Recodo98]

For a budget-mid range I can recommend bykski brand. It's honestly good for the price $25-$40 from taobao.

[@klaszczbass]

Even for high end pc you can use bykski or barrow, their.product are really great. For example barrow gpu blocks are free of leaking issue like corsair having

[@pavlobilous4030]

Love this video! Really cool to see the difference between budget and enthusiast option!

[@robsinfield2034]

I've got my aquanaut ready to go for when the 5950x drops. Looking forward to your review on it!

[@commanderzavala5421]

Would love to see more custom watercooled builds in the future!

[@alexz1232]

You should try lapping the cheap block. In my experience, $10 of sandpaper and 20 minutes of your time can be worth 3-4C.

[@luminousfractal420]

Perk with these things is the flow rate is massive, it makes up for the chunky fins/pins IF your flow rate is high. If your going slow and silent it's not going to work at all well in comparison to one with micro channels and a large surface area.

[@congp]

I think it's like the iPhones. You're buying EKWB products because of the brand name and aesthetics as well. I don't think I would want to put that cheap Amazon block in my already-too-expensive build!

[@kozuta8858]

My first cpu waterblock cost me around 15$ and I'm gonna get a 35$ one xD

[@justcallmevlad4218]

Awesome video. I’ve always wondered how bad those cheap cpu blocks are at cooling a high end Cpu

[@ElErizoDeInternet]

Nice video! It would be nice to compare EKWB with popular Asian brands like Bykski or Barrow. On Aliexpress they have very competitive prices.

[@GabbyTech]

Problem with barrow delivery time anybody else knows fast delivery. Great video

[@joa2532]

Price doesn't always equate to performance, as you see with the Velocity against the Magnitude. If i was looking for a CPU block, I would look for something a bit more expensive and with actual fins than the amazon one, but also cheaper than the Velocity.

[@palabhishek]

I recently found your chanel and now I'm fan of your video quality.🔥🔥🔥

[@limbrandon2467]

The $21 CPU block can easily be bought for $10 in Asia regions, Barrow blocks are around $25-35 here.

[@8power0]

WE NEED MORE VIDEOS FROM YOU THERE GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ChrisHarmon1]

If you go to 6:19 you get a clear shot of the Magnitude's base plate that displays some ugly tooling marks for the price and expected performance! You can see the turn marks where it was machined flat on either a CNC lathe or Mill-Turn CNC when it should have at the very least been decked with a fly cutter at a nice slow travel speed, high RPM and low depth of cut. There are also pretty extreme end mill tooling marks inside the base water channel cut outs which could be old tooling, poor speeds and feeds and or a issue with the milling machine itself. For the price I want hand scraped and multi stage polishing and then you might see a large difference. As for the $20 plate, the base surface actually looks better than the Magnitude but it's missing a jet plate so thats likely where the 10C difference stems from. Also, the CNC mounting mechanism isn't new. I believe XSPC's Raystorm Pro block was one of the first to utilise a CNC'd plate on their Intel block kits.

[@devttt4685]

Interesting. It would be useful to see comparisons based on same copper weight or metal weight

[@brknglss7741]

Oh man, glad I already ordered the nouvolo, no desire to play the f5 game for a cpu block

[@hellothere4342]

Been using Bykski and Barrow for all my watercooling. It's at worst 1-2 degree worst off to usual EK stuff. The money saved is phenomenal. Don't knock it till you try it and I'm glad I did.

[@robomaster14]

I would love to see something comparing a few price tiers of air and water cooling head to head to see what you're really getting for your money

[@MrDanberube]

Swifttech apogee skf, can be had for 50 bucks. I've used their all in one with it and it never ceases to amaze me.

[@tigerag29607]

Please please please do optimus foundation block reviews.. Idk if there is some background sponsorship for big names on youtube or what but optimus seems to make an extremely quality product yet I never ever see reviews for them.

[@evangoebel2850]

i would love to see a comparison like this for every part of a watercooled loop!

[@christophertstone]

Same story across the board. The super-cheap works fine, expensive work better, but it's crazy-fast diminishing returns.

[@yonutz333]

Considering the price difference, i would not go with the premium option. Also that pin like array will not clog up as easily...

[@LuanFronza1]

when I built my system I could choose between parts from china and ek, I chose to buy the barrow d5 pump and ek fittings and block (supremacy evo) that were on sale. The price didn’t change much at the time, because the supremacy, which came out of line was much more affordable, but I think the confidence that ek’s pieces pass through was worth it

[@thesupernad]

You should do a comparison with Barrow/Bykski blocks.

[@felipebonilla8824]

He will never do that because EK pay him to talk about their overated products

[@falangarw]

Thanks you for video!

[@obfuscurity]

Thanks for mentioning the Nouvolo waterblock, grabbing one while I continue to wait _months_ for the Barrow one you mentioned a while back. 😭

[@KuntalGhosh]

Try bykski .. they r cheap and very high quality , almost like ekwb .. test one of their am4 blocks with the ekwb one.. i wanna see the performance difference bcz i am about to buy a kit with rx580 block , am4 block , 240 mm rad .

[@rjl8319]

Use the Watercooler Heatkiller IV! 🤪😁

[@fred_derf]

The only main thing missing from this test setup is a measure of how flat the blocks are and the difference between them at stock and lapped.

[@FanOWater]

DangerDen used a pin array and their water blocks worked perfectly on my heavily overclocked i7-2600k and GTX480. They did have the water hit the center of the block and then collect outside it though. Also, they used so much copper in the gpu block (it was essentially a solid piece of copper), that I made two braces for the gpu. Cheers

[@alucard7895132]

typical overpriced EKWB shit....Barrow, Bykski or watercool´s Heatkiller are way more bang for the buck...

[@emphasize-ek]

Yooo so looking forward to the Aquanaut testing - I just picked one up. Hopefully not a poor choice!

[@BullyGovJ4F7775]

EK is like apple you're paying for a name. Dont get me wrong EK makes great blocks probably the best but.... You can only do so much to a CPU/GPU block.

[@simoSLJ89]

In a world with GN, der8auer and Buildzoid, it's not easy to find interesting serious topics that haven't been talked about yet, BUT Optimum always delivers! (even if I stay with my Noctua)

[@luminousfractal420]

What I'd really like to see is someone boxing up an old copper zalman fan heatsink and running liquid through it lol, you could trim it down a bit as the ends would be cold but it would look so pretty and work so well. Maybe I'll go fk jay-2 cents or whatever his name is head with the idea 😂

[@rashido_grey]

I'm always happy to see when builders dip there toes in the inexpensive side of things and come out surprised. Very cool to see that, while not the best, for someone who wants to get started and is on a tight budget there's still options. Very cool video!

[@stuxb]

Now show us your lifting routine 😂

[@igor.lacerda]

I'm still rocking the EKWB Velocity but i'm thinking on swiching the cpu block, pump and reservoir for that borrow AIO that you've shown. What do you say? Didnt see you use it anymore, not the cpu/pump dream anymore? Cheers!

[@freshfrij0les]

I was also planning on getting that originally but I ended up getting the swiftech apogee drive II instead.

[@igor.lacerda]

@@freshfrij0les I've bookmarked the apogee here as well, but it's harder to order here in brazil, so I'm limited to the barrow one through aliexpress..

[@ananasw]

Look for the aquanaut it’s like the barrow but smaller and imo cleaner

[@igor.lacerda]

@@ananasw Lets wait for Ali to review that one.. hahah and if he reads this comment, hope he throws the barrow one in comparison in the next video as well.. hahah

[@ananasw]

@@igor.lacerda there are already review on this thread : smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/aquanaut-ultra-low-profile-cpu-pump-water-block.13009/

[@p.e.r.c.y]

The XSPC Raystorm Neo Metal probably has a crazier mounting frame especially on the AM4 and TRX versions.

[@jseen9568]

That little block is pretty nice. I'll probably be upgrading to the R5 5600. Have been debating water cooling but couldn't justify the price. This seems like a sloid options for a inexpensive water cooled system.

[@magetalion4676]

very interesting video. really appreciated !

[@kayburcky7146]

I have almost exactly that waterblock, maybe even less fine grid, but i'm totally happy with it so far. For me the onliest reason to pay a lot for a Block is because it's for example custom manufactured for a specific part (mobo or graphics card) or if it looks very crazy (for rgb stuff or so). I also have some blank blocks without any finns, and they don't perform bad at all. And if I wanted I could machine a bit of a fin array myself with a cnc router. But I'm not the master of gcode and already ruined a lot of workpieces because the router just rocked right over it without any foreseeable reason (like "now I go diagonally back above all I've machined so far, to Beginn ad another position") and I don't want to ruin my blocks at first try. I think I'd rather machine a Coldplate from scratch...

[@herbsthewerd1]

I guess you never got around to testing the Nouvolo water block? Searched your channel but got nothing.

[@TRHardware]

Would like to see similar testing with Bykski, Barrow and EK. 110 for wb is still quite much. You can get waterblocks that are similar to EK for 30-50 usd.

[@Nathan-gj8ch]

EK used to make a gold-plated water block because they said that gold was one of the best thermal conductors. I bought it because it was on sale and it just looks cool pretty sure gold plating is not going to make it cool any better.

[@Billy2789]

How about the Alphacool XPX Aurora you've been using?

[@RhinoNigel]

I got an AliExpress block, which has directional flow and the fins are more like an ek, and it performs just as good as my ek block.

[@pleaseleave5840]

Reliability is a bigger factor than just temps

[@lolswag4383]

Ali out here thinking we won't notice his biceps getting huge video by video

[@AliYassinToma]

custom water cooling parts from ek are overpriced ... change my mind!

[@tommihommi1]

EK waterblocks aren't great at all, there's lots of better options that all are a lot less expensive. You're just paying for the name. For example, the TechN and Watercool blocks are fantastic.

[@ananasw]

Yes, finally someone smart, ekwb isn’t the best !! Hardware Labs for the rads Watercool for the blocks Bitspower or barrow for the fittings and koolance for the coolant

[@charleskrueger5523]

Nouvolo Aquanaut: Does it fit on either 1) the ASRock X299E-ITX/AC or 2) the ASRock X570 ITX-tb3 (the one with the Intel mounting system)? IMHO, these would be the ultimate hackintosh builds in a SFF case.

[@26107011]

Been eyeing the Nouvolo aquanaut for awhile now but since you mentioned it I'm buying it now before it goes out of stock with your next release 😆

[@Xerpocalypse_]

I wonder if the Magnitude would widen the gap versus the Velocity on an HEDT chip where there is a bit more surface area on the IHS. That being said, the difference probably would not be worth the extra cost unless money is no object in your PC build.

[@robojimtv]

TBH it's well known that CPU water blocks are one of the parts that you don't need to really need to overspend on. Fittings on the other hand, can't cheap out on those.

[@ananasw]

yes, rads and fans for the temperature, fittings for safety, pump for noise and blocks and tubing for the look

[@Lucaemar]

Igorslab found that blocks like the TechN and Heatkiller are better than the magnitude for half the price ;)

[@ananasw]

better temperatures yes but ek-magnitude still the best cpu waterblock without considering the price

[@Lucaemar]

@@ananasw so if others cool better and are cheaper, how is the magnitude the best one...?

[@ananasw]

@@Lucaemar lower-profile, better look, better quality, less Flow restriction, ekwb superior service and the modularity of the cpu waterblock

[@Lucaemar]

@@ananasw The EK isnt especially low profile when compared to others, looks are subjective, there's many that are built just as well and EK customer service and modularity also arent terribly special. Heatkiller blocks for example have everything the magnitude has, including customer service, it cools better and costs less than half.

[@ananasw]

Luca but if you are talking performance techn. but overall without price imo magnitude. but those are maybe préférences so i respect your opinion

[@vusun123]

So, how is that Nouvolo Aquanaut review coming :)

[@Mahm00dM0hanad]

RIP EKWB magnitude

[@kingnova980]

How do you always make videos on things I was just wondering xD

[@Gotenham]

Great video idea and great video

[@axi6ne8us]

Unfortunately you can't water cooled a 2950X in a corsair 280X case. :(

[@alaminando]

You can get that waterblock in Aliexpress for less than $10

[@TMANU13]

Damn, didn't know how much expensive cpu block can be. For the same price as magnitude you can buy cpu water block pump combo + 240 rad + fans + accessories

[@wazzuppoo]

where

[@TMANU13]

@@wazzuppoo On aliexpress try to search for Barrow CPU Water Block Combo, rest of the gear is up to you, because there is plenty of rads, fans and accessories.

[@ccricers]

Barrow's a great brand. First heard of them as a cheaper alternative to Bitspower (they're usually the most expensive when it comes to fittings)

[@benjones7848]

Full budget loop vs EK?

[@bjrn-oskarrnning2740]

Lapping is a pretty simple way to improve a cooler: would that improve the cheapo block? I'm guessing a not insignificant amount of the inefficiency comes from the copper not being very flat?

[@tdomingues89]

I have a collection of pumps (14) and cpu blocks (5) from china to review plus fittings. reeeee, if people could see some of the cheap prices, people woulod jump to watercooling fast, has its not that expensive to have a good decent system for less than 100 dolars for combo of cpu+rad+pump+fans. With a gpu blocks its closer to 170 - 180. Versus EK super overprice combos.

[@madd5]

You always make the most useful content :) Thanks man!

[@MrDavid8460]

Ek is overrated.

[@Nick_Kearney]

Thank you for this testing. I was debating the Magnitude and the Velocity. You just saved me a tonne of cash.

[@tommihommi1]

get a Watercool Heatkiller or a TechN block instead, they're cheaper and perform better than the overpriced EK blocks.

[@gorgonbert]

If you’re looking for a good non mainstream brand: Barrow stuff is quite good and affordable

[@capafogxy]

Love your content, more watercooling review please!

[@BlueRS123]

BuT EK hAs RGB

[@ProBuster69]

test bykski or barrow, i bought a bykski waterblock for 25 $ from aliexpress and changed my old ek supremacy classic and had the same temps!

[@cwill2127]

ProBuster This. Makes it obvious how much of a killing EK is making. Absolute rip off

[@ProBuster69]

@@cwill2127 i know. but etleast for those who care about value let them know that there are waay cheaper options

[@cwill2127]

@@ProBuster69 oh yeah I agree I was saying barrow all the way and ek is a rip off

[@ameliabuns4058]

*leans in: noone needs custom watercooling anyway* RUNS AWAY VERY FAST /jk it's alright to enjoy your hobbies if you have the money :P

[@HD7970]

Optimum tech: power hungry 10900k Me: 10920x at 4.6 all core making my corsair 360mm rad cry

[@DxCKnew]

I would question the quality of that cheap block and hesitate to use any cheap water-loop components to not risk my other expensive PC components with leaking.

[@user-oc2cw9wm4d]

I rather buy barrow everything. Fittings,etc. don’t let all KZbin videos using EK let you think that they are a must have.

[@SenatorAri]

Also have exactly the same one that can fit on your gpu haha, good for cards that have no support with the popular gpu waterblocks

[@WayStedYou]

El Cheapo would be a good brand name to have just for the sheer free advertising of people saying that name

[@Craig-ib7gk]

"Extreme Budget vs. Extreme Enthusiast" = reviewer-speak for "Cheapskate vs. More-Money-Than-Brains".

[@ZZZ-z9n3n]

the cheap one you show is a low pressure drop(// like D-Tek Fuzion V2 CPU Waterblock), thus it need a bigger pump, something with like 4-5gpm and not 0.5-1gpm, so of course, your waterblock show poor result

[@noreezy4991]

I know that it has become a colloquialism and agreed upon label of convenience, but technically *none* of these water blocks that use the sort of "jet plate" design like the one in this video are actually "jet impingement" devices. Actual jet impingement devices *require* that there be actual well defined jets impinging on the surface, carrying elevated momentum and mass flow that result in a more rapid heat transfer and more complete viscous mixing. *more complete mixing over the same reference differential timeframe and.or "complete mixing" achieved in a shorter finite duration) 5 Note that the Fluid sheet or Fluid Curtain flow pattern that the "jet plate" in the video creates *is not a an actual jet*. To create a jet, the system must operate with a partial degree of pressurization maintained in at least part of the system. In real jet impingement systems the "jet plate" is a synonym for "pressure manifold" or "intake manifold", incorporating the jet nozzles and consricting the pumped flow while the volume element waiting in line for its turn at effusion accumulates the potential energy needed to jet out of the nozzle These consumer systems also cannot be operated in pulsed mode and take advantage of so called "synthetic jet operation" (which is a key physical component to the operation of the piezeo membrane air movers that were recently announced for Samsung laptops, among other similar devices) This may seem pointless to bring up, but its annoying as hell to me. Luckily they actually *do* currently have products marketed for "consumer"* purchase. ALphacool sells a a line of waterblocks with the pressurized jet-nozzle manifold for Xeons and Epycs for like $250 (thats the Aliexpress price!), More thant that: If you look outside fo consumer computers, water blocks incorporating this technolgy are used everywhere.

[@pskoglund]

Hides in the corner with my Magnitude...

[@abgersaurus]

Would you consider reviewing waterblocks from watercool.de? (Heatkiller)

[@Xabiroo]

I would like a comparation between EK Magnitude vs Thermaltake Pacific W7 . I have the TT Pacific W7 and im wondering if it worth changeing it for my Ryzen 5950x … in my loop the water is around 32 - 38c after hours of gaming but the CPU can get to 80c with PBO on .. and even in Cinebench r23 my CPU reching 80-83c while the water in the loop never reching 40c … I am wondering if the CPU block can transfer the heat in the liquid efficiently enough . i’m using thermalgrizzly kryonaut thermal grease and 3x360mm radiators with a total of 17 coolers in my sistem also got an rtx 3090 in the loop . but the liquid is cool enough .. the cpu block have a thermal senzor inside the waterblock showing the liquid temp

[@Odin3v]

I have a cheap block from amazon for my 5600x. Temps were 63c on my 2700x @ 4.2 1.425v My 5600x sees 64-65c @ stock settings boosting 4.7. This proves that I was thinking the cheap block is rather hindering my temps. My 6800xt wont push over 43c with an EKWB block. I have 240 and 280mm rad with corsair pump/res XC7.

[@luminousfractal420]

I had one in my loop cooling a gtx1060. All good, temps never went above 40 with bf2042 running on ultra settings. There is a lot of hype involved with these products. Copper good, flow rate good. Surface area..meh...but its enough. Perfectly good for a chipset or whatever. (Using an Asus z590plus atm, with it's no cooling neccessary chipset..thats bs. (Tiny tiny heatsink hidden under a plastic cap) It's hitting high temps and will need modding. I may plug one of these little lads onto it before they try and sell me the next mobo with it's new "active cooling" 😂. A cycle repeated since the 90's

[@bits2646]

Optimum Tech with suboptimal waterblock :D P.S.: The difference would become even more visible with chips with even higher core density like 109x0x or xeon w-3xx5 with also bigger IHS and thermal output - 165, 180 and even over 200W !!! ... Cheap-o blocks are then nonsense for that, because wouldn't keep it under 90-93°C..