ASUS and EKWB introduce RTX 3000 graphics cards with pre-installed waterblock

ASUS comes with three RTX 3000 graphics cards with a pre-installed waterblock. The company makes these GPUs in collaboration with EKWB. The RTX 3090 and 3080 models are due for release in mid-November, and the RTX 3070 variant will follow a few weeks later.

ASUS announced the arrival of its water-cooled RTX 3000 graphics cards on Facebook earlier this week, and soon after, EKWB published a blog post with more information. The water blocks are based on EKWB’s Quantum Vector designs, but are adapted for ASUS pcb designs. The water block is also provided with an ASUS brand name. The cooling surface is made of nickel-plated copper and the top is acrylic sheet.

The ASUS EKWB RTX 3090/3080 (left) and the RTX 3070 variant

EKWB also provides the video cards with an aluminum backplate, but the company does not show images of it. The video cards have a single slot design with three DisplayPort 1.4a connections and an HDMI 2.1 connector. The RTX 3090 and 3080 video cards shown also have two 8-pin connections for the power supply.

Notable is the RTX 3070 variant, which appears to have a single 12-pin power connector, much like Nvidia’s reference model. Custom RTX 3070 video cards typically use 8-pin connectors. The RTX 3070 waterblock itself is also striking, as the inlets and outlets are placed on the side of the cooling block.

EKWB reports that the video card is intended for users who want to build a custom loop, but do not want to replace the cooler of their video card with a water block themselves. The company also reports that the RTX 3090 and RTX 3080 models will be available in mid-November. The RTX 3070 variant should follow at the end of this month. Suggested retail prices have not yet been announced. The clock speeds are also not mentioned.

The ASUS EKWB GeForce RTX 3090/3080 (left) and the RTX 3070 model