EKWB, better known as EK Water Blocks, is a Slovenian company founded in 1999 that manufactures computer water cooling, extreme cooling and some air cooling components for CPUs, GPU, RAM and SSDs. Targeted at custom PC building enthusiasts, as well as professions alike, they offer a complete range of water cooling products from blocks to fittings and tubes. EKWB sells products to a number of distributors, and via their own web store. EKWB targets the international market, and uses YouTubers to advertise their products through sponsorship or review samples for reviews.
History
EKWB was founded in 1999 by Edvard König, who wanted better thermal and acoustic performance for his personal computer. The company released new versions of their products, resulting in a 40% cooling performance increase from 2006 to 2011. As of 2011 EKWB was one of the three largest personal computer water cooling companies. EKWB works with the overclocking community through forums to better understand the needs of its customers.
Products
EKWB specialises in cooling supplies. Its product line includes: Supremacy CPU water blocks, GPU water blocks, radiators, computer fans, AIO liquid cooling sets and several accessories.
CPU Water Blocks
Currently EKWB sell a number of CPU water cooling blocks, primarily EK-Annihilator designed for socket LGA 3647, EK-Supremacy sTR4 designed for Socket SP3r2, EK-Supremacy EVO, an evolution of an EK-Supremacy water block, EK-Supremacy MX, a reduced cost version of the Supremacy EVO, and EK-Velocity, their new flagship CPU waterblock, launched 1 October 2018. The EK-Supremacy EVO, EK-Supremacy MX and EK-Velocity have mounting kits available for Intel's Socket T, B, H, H2, H3, H4, R, R3 and R4. and AMD's Socket 754, 939, 940, AM2, AM3, AM4, FM1 and FM2. The EK-Annihilator is required for Intels server LGA 3647 and the EK-Supremacy sTR is required for AMD's EPYC and Threadripper CPU's mounting holes, respectfully. EKWB also sells a range of Monoblocks, a CPU block that is much larger and also cools the motherboard's VRM, ensuring it does not overheat from high load. These monoblocks are based off the EK-Supremacy EVO. Blocks are offered in a number of finishes, with interchange top parts. Blocks are made from copper and either left as bare copper, nickel plated or gold plated. The block's top, as they call it, are made from either nickel plated brass, Acetal or plexi tops.
GPU Water Blocks
EKWB produces both universal GPU water blocks, that only cool the GPU's silicon die itself, and full cover water blocks that cool the GPU, VRAM and VRMs of a graphics card. EKWB makes a number of versions for so called AIB partner cards such as Sapphire, ASUS and EVGA, custom PCB versions of the standard video card, which have different PCB layouts. Full cover blocks are not compatible with different versions, even with the same GPU core, e.g. a block for a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition will not an ASUS ROG Strix version of the GeForce GTX 1080. EKWB Universal GPU blocks, marketed as EK-VGA Supremacy for single graphics card setup, and a larger version called EK-Thermosphere, designed for use with more than one graphics card. These blocks only cool the GPU core, and so leave the VRAM and VRMs on a card to be cooled by air, usually. Should a user fail to ensure these vital parts of the card are also cooled, either by placing a fan to direct air over them, or by the use of stick on heat sinks, it's possible for the card to shutdown, or die even, from overheating. Just like the CPU blocks, they offer the blocks in different style offerings in both bare copper and nickel plating, and cover plates made from Acetal or Plexi. EK-VGA Supremacy can also be found with a nickel plated brass top option.
RAM Water Blocks
EKWB offer a range of blocks for RAM DIMM modules, marketed as EK-RAM Monarch. Due to the tight spaces involved in RAM DIMM layouts on modern PCs, the water blocks do not sit directly on the RAM modules, but rather connect to special heat spreaders attached to the DIMM's, they then screw into the RAM block which sits on top and is thermally connected via TIM. They sell these blocks in two and four DIMM versions. They are available as both bare copper and nickel plated copper, as well as in acetal and plexi versions. The heat spreaders are offered in aluminium with black or nickel finishes. Copper versions are also available for the extreme cooling version.
EKWB have their own range of fans especially designed for use with PC water cooling radiators. These fans are marketed as being high static pressure and low noise, both factors to be considered for airflow through a radiator. These fans are available in a number of colour combinations, rotational speed and in sizes of 120mm and 140mm, the two main PC cooling standards for enthusiasts.
EKWB offer radiators in a number of sizes and thicknesses, marketed as CoolStream. They offer their 120mm radiator options as single, dual, triple and quad fan places in thicknesses of 28mm 38mm and 60mm. They offer 140mm radiator options as single, dual, triple and quad fan places in thicknesses of 28mm and 45mm. Recently, following the revival of 180mm fans, they also started offering 180mm size rads, in single, dual and triple in a thickness of 35mm. The radiators are made with copper tubes, brass end tanks soldered to the tubes and copper fins in an aluminium housing.
PC All-In-One (AIO) and Water Cooling bundled Kits
EKWB offer their own range of AIO's which use their own parts and are ready to use, or a DIY kit, featuring all the parts you need to build a custom loop out of the box. These ready packaged kits feature all the same parts as you'd get if you buy the parts separately, but all arranged neatly. Marketed as being for beginners to take all the guess work out of getting into custom watercooling.
